dunnojack

the lesson here is......

if you're gonna go the Lemon route, never ever go through arbitration.

Call up a lemon lawyer, and have him take care of it directly. He can handle it better than you can. and it's free.

newly_Manu

Thanks for the info. This was my first lemon so I didn't know. It was an obvious lemon anyway. How could lexus dispute it?

newly_Manu

Some updates:

No I don't have VIN number. I didn't register the car yet so let me call the dealer when I have the time, I'm sure they still have that info of the sale.

if carfax shows it was a buyback or not it doesn't matter to me anyway. The car is gone and out of my hair.

The Nissan GTR is nice. But I'm not going to get it. It's a two-door racecar (not my type since I don't race - LOL). and the back seat is pretty much useless for passensengers - there's no leg room at all! But this doesn't matter, since I don't have passengers. But it would be nice to have a back seat. Besides dealers are selling it above MSRP. I would never buy a car above MSRP! In the end you'll lose too much on resale.

The BMW M3 is also nice. I can get a four-door M3 like the ISF. One thing I don't like about the M3 is that I have to put more effort in making turns. Almost feels like the power-steering is weak in this car. Sometimes I drive with one hand and sometimes I make turns with one hand while having something in my other hand - like a burrito for example. In the M3 I'm forced to use two hands to make a turn. ISF has its advantages over the M3: better fuel economy, has an 8-speed verses the 7-speed on the M3. And the M3 is also more expensive than the ISF - but they're pretty comparable.

Any more recommendations? If all else fails, I'll go with the BMW M3. Currently I'm driving an old 1999 Chevy Trailblazer I bought from my friend a few years ago. It is my backup car (for long trips and to keep the miles low on my next new sports car).

P.S. please don't recommend American. I'm not liking their financial situation.

Thnks,

Manu

CDNROCKIES

Have you looked at the C63 AMG? I actually tried to buy one...twice..lol...but they couldn't meet the delivery date I needed. While I am more than happy with my F (even though I think I have had the most serious issue outside of yours) the Mercedes is very appealing.

They are much more available nowadays at a better price than when I looked. I was a little disappointed with the interior, but the roar of the engine is incredible.

I know that you said to rule out American cars, but the CTS-V is a complete beast. The car is beautiful inside and out...and is the fastest four door to ever lap the Ring.

The M3 sedan is a great car and would be the next consideration.

Any of these cars meets your 4 door requirement and are incredible luxury perfomance vehicles.

malujerry

iTrader: (7)

Have you looked at the Audi A4 or A5? I like the M3 also, but so expensive and unreliable compared to Lexus (except in your situation). The 08 M3 automatics had a recall last year! I heard there are great deals on 08 M3's if you can find one, check out e90post's website, people are claiming low $50's for purchase prices. Personally, I like the G37 and TL, too bad neither one has a "sport" model, yet.

kyang91

iTrader: (5)

wow....sorry to hear that......hope you will be happy with your next car.

B D HEMI

I would not worry about GM going down as Obama has guarantee'd that he won't let them take chapter eleven . Besides it is something that toyota and honda would crap their pants over if GM filed for bankruptcy , they use the same suppliers in north america .The 2009 CTS-V cadillac is a major beast . I've driven both the IS-F and the C63 AMG , and the CTS-V is "SCARY" fast . The interior is simply stunning compared to the IS-F and C63 and if your wallet will allow , get the custom Recaro seats - their absolutely beautiful !

newly_Manu

Updates:

I am leaning toward the ACura TL AWD (fully loaded of course). It's not in the same class as the others, but at least it's a sporty, fast enough V6 with four doors. And since I don't race, it's a good fit for me.

Cadillac Dealer didn't impress me with the CTS-V. They didn't want me to test drive and when I looked under the hood and tried to close the hood, it wouldn't close! Then after a closer look, they said the latch was broken. LOL! Imagine that - a brand new CTS-V haven't even been driven off the lot and already it's broken. Maybe that's why they didn't want me to test drive? Because of the broken latch?

malujerry

iTrader: (7)

that's hilarious... i think the TL is an awesome car, but i just wasn't into the new style. too bad no tl type s, yet. i like the mdx a lot though, i think that is the best bang for the buck in it's segment.

Dave600hL

I would get another IS-F, this was obviously a one off... M3 and C63 may cause you the same amount of headaches as your last car, but they don't consider them lemons in those camps...

CDNROCKIES

Lol...funny story. Similar thing happened when I was test driving the brand new X5 35d. Cruising along and was talking about the sunroof and it's controls with the sales guy. It opened up just fine...but wouldn't close again...lmao.

LeslieRC

Thanks for your post newly_Manu, and I was very pleased to learn that your episode turned out favorably for you. I also congratulate you on your perseverence. From your story, I think Lexus was counting on you backing off. Given that your difficulty with your car was so well documented by the dealer (warranty claims), it made no sense that Lexus would claim that you had abused the car. Particularly so, since there was no evidence to support their claim. It is shameful that rather than acknowledge the defect in their product they chose to blame their customer. I have owned many Lexus cars ever since I purchased my first one in 1993, and the reasons for me buying their cars was because of manufacturer quality and the credibility of the brand. I am really surprised by your experience. To spend $60K+ on a car is nothing to sneeze at; a company needs to build a special car and have a special brand in order to entice customers to spend that kind of money with them. By analogy, in addition to enjoying nice (and, sometimes, expensive) cars, I enjoy wearing very nice clothing and I buy my clothing from stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks because I typically find the kind of clothes I like there and because I know they stand behind what they sell. I once returned an expensive pair of shoes ($1500) after owning them for several months because they were defective. I telephoned my salesperson, told them the problem, and they offered to take them back, no questions asked. The analogy is that's how a buying experience should be, period; but, more especially so when dealing in commerce regarding high-end products and top-tier manufacturers. Clearly, based on your experience, Lexus has some work to do to restore the burnish on it's brand.

sulfur

Wow that's unheard of for the F. Glad it all worked out. Did you fill up at diff gas stations or always at the same one/brand? Wasn't there a fuel issue that only caused Toyota cars to crap out a couple years ago? Not saying it is, but may be that could remotely be an issue? And I said remotely.

Anyways if you really loved the F, consider LEASING a 09 F this time. Sounds like the local dealer has been pretty good to you. May be they could work something out and let you return or swap for a 3rd F if this 2nd one has issues? Or just do a shorter term lease. It would suck having to settle for the 2nd car choice on your list, be it a BMW, MB, or Infinity.

The odds of getting 2 Lexus lemons in a row has gotta be lower than hitting the jackpot in Vegas.

B D HEMI

Hey a broken hood latch is nothing compared to a bad engine /transmission .
I've driven several new cars with items not working properly including a new IS-350 where the drivers window refused to co-operate and wouldn't close all the way up and kept on opening !

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Somebody didn't do PDI on that car, or the battery went flat and they didn't reset the windows. That's easy to solve and costs nothing. A broken part is not easy to solve for no cost, and if the new part is as bad as the old part, you can expect you'll need to buy a small lot of them and keep them on the shelf as spares for when they fail. A broken hood latch and no test drive would definitely put me off buying that particular car.