nomowrench

Hi:

I just took delivery of a 2008 600hl and read the manual and am still having some problems. I am starting to think that the "Everything was checked out and works!" description might not be entirely accurate.

• The trunk will not open using either the remote or the button next to the gas cap button (which does work, thankfully, as I will need gas soon). I toggled the button switch in the glove box but it made no difference in either position. I use the key to open the trunk. The button under the trunk lid doesn't work either.
• I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get the rear control panel in the rear armrest to work. It just sits there, dark. I looked around, read the manual (could have missed something) but I can't get any button to work or any display to light up. The lower control (for window shades?) also does not work. I think there should be a remote also and it's missing. If I get one on eBay will it work or does it need some 'pairing'?
• The speakers sound awful and I think at least one is damaged and some aren't sounding at all. Is this something that can be entrusted to a car stereo store to fix or is this strictly dealer work?
• The hybrid-only power mode stops working with the slightest depression of the accelerator. Is this because the battery is low or is something else maybe out of whack?
• There is a hole behind the license plate. Seems odd, like maybe something should be plugging it or installed there.

I was so happy to get this car (interior/exterior are not bad) but it doesn't seem to be in good operating order. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! If this or part of this needs to go to a different forum, I'll move it - thanks!

Shad034

Where did you buy it from? I'm curious as to the trustworthiness of the "Everything checked out and works" statement. This isn't very helpful, but it sounds broken. Have an extended warranty or a grace period to return it? I'd think about doing exactly that unless you got an incredible deal on it and can cover the repair expenses (in which case you now know why you got an incredible deal).

Vansibel

This behavior seems normal, you need to be extremely light on the pedal to stay in electric mode and not go over 60km/h or the engine will kick in. As for the other point, they are kinda sketchy. This for sure doesn't sound like a car which had " Everything checked out and works". Is the screen on the rear armrest even lit up ? I'd start with checking some fuses and make sure none is burnt. Never seen any of those problems anywhere on this forum, could have been rebuilt or flooded for all we know.

nomowrench

I bought it off eBay from what *seemed* to be a reliable shop that had repaired it after a side collision. They had sold a bunch of high end cars with happy customers. I still took a risk and maybe it's going to bite me in the rear. The car has 73K miles on it and I got it for $16.5K delivered which I felt was a good price but then again I hadn't been scouring the net for very long.

I don't have any extended warranty so I think my only options are to return it or to get the seller to pay for some % of the repairs. I think there are a few other things that might pop up - I am going to take it to the dealer for a once-over.

Spending more for a car that I checked out in person now seems like a smarter move. Oh well, not my first bonehead decision. Still, the car looks like it could be nice.

Oh, it's also kind of noisy - like road or wind noise. It's noisier than my mazda 5 wagon. That doesn't seem right...

nomowrench

There is no sign of life anywhere on the rear controls. No lights, no action, nothing. I have to test it more, but I think that the rear defroster might also not be working.

Dave144239

Depending on what kind of damage it had, it's possible that someone simply forgot to reconnect a plug full of wiring somewhere in there. I find it hard to believe that so many things wouldn't work unless it was a flood car.

Shad034

Hmm...buying a car on Ebay from a body shop does not inspire much confidence honestly. Is the title branded/salvage?

I agree with the other poster though, if they had to do some work, it might just be a disconnected connector. Which one and where that might be, I don't know. Might try chasing the wiring for the rear arm rest back and see where it leads.

Dx3

iTrader: (13)

UDel

If it is not as simple as plugging something back in or a fuse it looks like the seller just got rid of a car with a lot of issues they did not want to pay for and lied to you. I would contact the seller and demand they fix the problems, they will likely refuse, but it could be worth a try or try to get some of your money back. Find out how much it is going to cost to repair, see if a Lexus dealer can help and at least diagnose the problem. Only other thing you can do is write a very bad review of the seller/place everywhere possible, they might work with you to get those bad reviews off the internet.

dlbuckls10

I hope you get your issues resolved without costing you extra $$$$$? There's plenty of shady sellers out there and they don't mine dumping their problem vehicles on others and I hope this have not happened to you.
'

nomowrench

I'm reading now about the service reviews for local lexus dealers....and they are scaring me!!! I used to golf with a guy who worked service at a dealership, trying to reconnect with him. thanks for the advice - I am hoping I get out of this with a decent car.

Shad034

People rarely post good things about dealerships. The ones that have good experiences don't bother to take the effort to go post their experiences. So its a bit of a mixed bag when looking at reviews. Dealerships are often a lot more expensive for repairs, so I typically only use them for warranty repairs. The ones near me have excellent customer service, loaner vehicles, business areas to work while you wait and generally the luxury car experience you expect. You pay for that though.

I'd find a independent shop if you can to do this kind of work. Chances are you'll be able to save quite a few dollars since its on your dime. Its mostly Toyota under the skin, so an independent import/toyota shop can probably do the work easily.

What part of CA are in you? Chances are there is someone in here with a recommendation.

UDel

If you don't want a Lexus dealership then try a Toyota, hopefully they won't charge to diagnose and price out the repairs. I would do this quickly though and let the seller know of all the issues of the car right away when you bought it.