scottgolf

Hi, I have bought the extended warranty in my 2005 cpo ls 430 it has 40k miles. The steering wheel has a big crack in it. I can feel the split with my hands on the wheel. It is a big split, not just cosmetic, but you can really feel it. Should I just live with it, or should I say something when I take it in for service.

caddyowner

How long have you owned tour car? Is the crack new?

mewhee

Hi Scott -

Hopefully it'll be covered under warranty but kinda doubt it as it's more of a cosmetic problem rather than a functional one. You have absolutely nothing to lose by asking.

Just a suggestion, tho, call another dealer first and find out under what conditions it IS covered under your cpo warranty just in case there may be some kind of work around (read: loophole) which might get it fixed at no charge so when you DO call your regular dealer, you'll be better informed.

Good luck !

JLAWS

Don't pick at it, you'll make it worse Cut your fingernails.

Maybe buy one of those pen tipped krazy glues and carefully fill in the crack.

Jabberwock

I think it should be a warranty item. A crack is not wear and tear.

svlexus

If I was the dealer id give you a hard time- Because you arent the original owner and you cant expect visual perfection in a used car. If it was chipping off it may be a different story. I think a bit of epoxy could fill it in and make it as strong as new, The steering wheel wood is glued together in halves in the first place. Who knows though,they may cover it.

Bocatrip

I would try to go for a new steering wheel. Good luck as it lists for over $2,000! That is without the labor of removing and reinstalling the airbag.

Jabberwock

Lexus CPO warranty covers the car for 3 years or 100k miles for the buyer. Its supposed to be very good coverage. It will be interesting to hear what the dealer says about fixing your steering wheel crack. And it should not matter if the crack is in a wood, plastic, or metal part - the part is still cracked. It is not normal wear and tear for a car part to crack when it is under warranty. Remember there is a reason Lexus don't CPO cars high mile cars or cars that are more than 7 years old - because things do crack from age and fatigue on an older car. But on a car new enough for Lexus to CPO, that means it should not have parts crack regardless of the material while under warranty. My guess is that they will fix it - unless they can prove you neglected or damaged it somehow or the warranty fine print actually excludes things like trim, wood parts, etc.

scottgolf

i will let you guys know what happens. It will be a while though, because I am going to wait until my next oil change to bring it up. I have a lot on my plate this month. Thank you guys for the input. I have only had the car for a couple of weeks.

Kansas

I used to think these steering wheel wood cracks were from abuse but I've changed my mind. When I bought my 2000 LS400 in 2003 after it came off somebody else's 3-year lease, its wood steering wheel was perfect. Not long after that a coworker bought a 1998 LS400 that was manufactured almost three years before my 2000. His wood wheel had some cracks and I assumed they were from abuse.

Sure enough, about five years ago I noticed that my formerly perfect wood wheel was also developing cracks. Today there are many cracks in the clear coat finish and maybe some in the wood itself. I've never hit or abused the steering wheel. My car is garaged when I'm not working. When parking outside, I use a windshield sun shield 99% of the time - summer or winter. The side windows have UV tint on top of the already UV resistant glass.

Cracks in the clear coat and wood seem to be just the nature of the beast.

brio_ls

I would go with an aftermarket one, even that the price is $550 w/o shipping. http://www.kspec.jp/silkblaze/catalo...celsior30.html

Bocatrip

If your car is in the sun it will develop cracks regardless. My car has developed cracks on the top part of the steering wheel (where the sun beats down the most) while the bottom steering wheel wood is perfect. All the rest of the wood inside is perfect because the side windows don't have quite the same effect on the interior as the front and rear windshield. The next time you get a very hot day, place your hand on the side windows and then on the rear (carefully) and front. It's amazing how much heat gets through the front and rear!!!!! Unless the car is garaged regularly with not much extensive driving it's unavoidable down south. I've noticed many early LS430s with the same problem.

jayclapp

Read you extended warranty. It should specify what is and is not covered. Then you know what you can expect to be covered. Lexus has different levels of extended warranty for their CPOs.

I would think your wheel should be replaced if it's covered by the warranty.

jimbosr1

i have always put car wax on my wood steering wheels and wood accents.dont know if that helps or not.

svlexus

I rub oil into the wood, today it was garlic butter from some popeyes shrimp. Usually I use Italian beef but it may be hard to source outside the Chicago area.