Joe S

Have 460L for 5 weeks now. My observations:
Warranty issues:
Noisy brakes (not repaired)
Driver side window wind noise (not repaired)
Driver side outside mirror noise (not repaired)
Defective battery (replaced)
Center post marked up (not replaced) Note car was a show room model so I guess it took some abuse on the center post.
Parts are on order for some of the above items must take the car back for others.
Don't consider the above list major problem in anyway. Just first year model issues. I'm sure Lexus will correct these and any other items that might arise in the future.
All other features work as advertised. Especially enjoy the ML audio system. Car is silky smooth and surprising easy on the MPG considering the weight of the car. Quality is typical Lexus GRADE A.
So far only complaints are the parking guidance system...IMO not necessary technology. Car came with feature...so for those who are going to order think twice about this feature.
Would like Lexus to dial in more road feel. I know the LS is not suppose to be a numbers car, rather a luxury smooth riding vehicle, but a little more road feel would make this car an even greater value, and more fun to drive.
Overall.. a great car, and I'm very pleased thus far.
Joe

Mallory H.

I have an LS460SWB and have had like so many others some of the same problems that you have mentioned, most of which have been corrected.
The quality of this car is far from GRADE A. To give this car a C rating would be generous. I would have given my 2005 LS430 an A. The 5 problems that you mentioned are not minor problems and should not be and never should have been. Read through the 1200 post on this Forum Lexus should be very disturbed.

carfanmd

I agree completely that the quality is hardly Grade A. In fact, I am very unhappy with the interior fit and finish issues as well as the wind noise problem. My sense is management at Lexus is too busy with too many vehicles to focus on what got them to where they are, the pursuit of perfection and the creation of vehicles that come as close as you can get. Frankly, I am so frustrated that if my LS is not fixed to my satisfaction I will go to another brand after more than a decade and a half. It is too bad that a brand founded on quality is losing its lunch to stupid QA issues like wind noise and cheap plastic rattles. Here is hoping CA is reading these opinions since we are the QA department we might as well be the marketing department too. If I were Dr. Toyota I would not be happy at all with the quality issues first model year or not. Just my frustrated 2 cents.

garyr

For what it worth I share your pain with the same problems except the brakes. I have ceramic pads in the L touring package. The center post or "B" pillar is being redesigned as I'm on my second one and waiting for the redesign. Lex dealers can get parts the next day so I would call Lex corp and complain.

As far as the wind noise I had the TSIB done and it's only 70% better. I called Lex corp and told them it's not a proper fix. I also explained if Lexus redesigns the window molding in the 08-09-10 I want the repair done on my car regardless of warrante.

Your battery failed because it was demo abused but your brakes should never squeal, ever. Sounds like a salesmen road the brakes hard when the car was brand new. I would ask them to replace the brake rotors...

Good luck and I agree with all your comments.

encore888

Welcome to Club Lexus and congrats on your LS, Joe S!

woppenhe

I agree that some quality has come out of the so called flagship of the lexus fleet. The oddest thing to me is that the car initially stutters (hesitates) from a stop when first accelerating. The service people insist that is the way it is supposed to be. They babble about idling in neutral and having to reengage the transmission. No one should admit to producing a 90K car that can't accelerate smoothly, or even begin to try to justify it. I know there is a fix. They know there is a fix. They should just automatically fix it. In addition the ride is not as soft, and the car is not as quiet as the LS430 I think they just skimped on the materials needed, pure and simple and I agree that this will cost them repeat business. I have a poorly fitting rear trunk lid as well. The corner is not matched on one side to the adjacent piece. Very strange that they would let that through their so called quality screens. Here the service people readily agree with me, but are not sure how it is going to be fixed or what it will require. Simple hinge adjustment versus reshaping the trunk deck. This will be interesting. Wind noise is present with cross winds only, and seem to come from a poor seal at the tops of the front windows. This is not bad enough to have them muck with it, but it is not as good as the LS 430. The best parts of the vehicle are the way they have maintained milage with an 8 speed transmission once you get the car to engage, the keyless entry, and the traffic reporting system which is terrific. At cruising interstate speeds, the car excels in handling, milage, and speed changes. The improved rear seat roominess does not benefit the dirver but wows passengers which is a real plus. Less trunk room is the trade off, but I rececently went on a 2500 mile trip and there was plenty of trunk room for my wife and I, and we could have put my daughter's stuff there as well with a little planning. I like the radar following, though I rarely use the parking brake engage feature when stopping. I do like and use the autoparking brake feature. I use the comfort suspension setting all the time. I have practiced with the autoparking system and although I rarely use it, I am getting better and more conifident with it. You have to first get used to the parking assist features, and the backup camera. There are a lot of real visibility issues to the rear, so you really need to rely on the mirrors and camera. In terms of navigation, There is a lot less activity available on the nav screen when the vehicle is in motion, than on the LS 430. For example you cannot not easily call up a prior destination while in motion, a previously common occurance. Now you have to substitute a clumsy voice sequence. In addition, the associated database is not very accurate in terms of actual street addresses. You can get to the street, but not to the house with the GPS. I rarely hear that I have arrived at my destination. I have to find it myself. It is difficult to call up an intersection, as the computer requires that you enter a specific street completely before the 2nd street is entered. NOt just list form which you can choose a likely intersection. The bluetooth phone works ok but not as well as it should in terms of duplicating some of the phone's basic functions, such as privacy, battery display, etc. Some of this is in the court of the cell phone manufacturers, but there should be a recommendation and special deal on the phones that do work (are there any) for the lexus buyers. I rely on a smart phone with Microsoft software, which should help lexus engineers get more functionality, but they do not seem to have really taken advantage of such phones yet. The audio hard drive does not do playlists. You have to bring your own ipod to get the mix that you want on a trip. The brakes are much improved over my 2001. Lexus link services seem much improved. Satellite radio is a good addition especially with the traffic reporting. Tires were delivered with 45# of pressure which I rode on for 2K miles. The car literally bounced like a tennis ball. I thought they were supposed to check that when they delivered it. Once we bled out 12#, it rode much better but not as well as the LS 430 (mine was a 2001). While they bled out the 12# from the 4 tires, they neglected to do the spare, so I ended up doing that one which of course requires emptying the trunk to get to. Tires (Tauranza) are still too noisy, though these were the ones I replaced the originals on my Ls430 with, and thus I am not sure what to say about the tires. So some steps forward and some backward as well with this model so far (460L). Good news was that I took it on a sensible 36 mo single pay lease, so if it not eventually made right, I can switch earlier than I normally do. Anyone think I am being too demanding in stating all of this. I have 4K on the vehicle so far.

encore888

Thx for your comments, woppenhe. I think you are not being too demanding at all. This is a Lexus and the flagship at that. Reading your review makes me think of how excellent the LS 430 was and is, and that the LS 460 carries the tradition in different ways, some better and others not. For instance, the ride was deliberately made stiffer and some engine noise was brought back in, according to interviews/articles.

I think that it's possible that with the added complexity of designing four models, 460/460L/600h/600hL they may have gone overboard with what they could handle, and the result is an increase of problems on first year models.

As for the transmission hesitation fix, as others have suggested the dealers don't encourage it because fuel economy will suffer somewhat, but some CL members have asked the dealer to do it anyways.

Hopefully they will be able to get the issues on your 460 L eventually made right and you can enjoy your car to the fullest.

woppenhe

My prior experiences with lexus service have been largely positive, so I am hopeful. We will certainly see.

nblexus15

I totally love my LS. The wind noise, Ipod interface and the NAV greyout were my pet peeves...now that they're fixed, all is great. I've had my SWB since Nov '06 and still each day I see it I love it more. I look forward to taking it on long trips...the milage is awesome..29.5 mpg on my last 1K road trip to Bay Area.

Rocman

MY EYES, MY EYES!!

Mallory H.

Getting what you paid for and exspecting no less than what has been advertised is not being demanding, there was no buyer beware sticker on my LS460. For Lexus to come back after the fact and have to tear apart and alter cars that we have purchased is wrong. As I stated earlier we now have cars with tempered plated glass in the rear and laminated glass in the front, the security labels are not on the new glass, there is confusion in regard to the transmission software update and the list goes on and on.
I am taking my car in Monday to have the second glove box installed, find out why I was told the transmission software update was done but service can not provide paper work nor is there a label under the hood stating it was done and see if my door panel which was scratch during the wind noise repair can be fixed, after which I will not seek to have any other work done to the car as I do not have the time nor patience. My LS430 was a good car and I thought the LS460 would be too. This may very well be my last Lexus.

woppenhe

Yeah--that is kind of my take as well. They just should have kept updating the electronics on the 430.

NHAnderson

I currently own both the LS430 and the LS460. I think both are great.No matter which one I get in I enjoy them both. my 460 has the better sound system and power and quiet ride. My only disappointment is when the door panels dash and console. the material that they used is not holding up. Lexus agreed to replace it. when I did a follow up to see what was taking so long they told me it could take up to a year for the parts to come in. Strange thing is that my 430's interior is holding up much better than the 460. So in my opinion Lexus fell off the band wagon as time went on. Because the 1992 LS400 that I had before the LS430 had 607000 miles on it when i traded it. And it gave me NO problems. engine transmission or interior

SW17LS

This thread is over 11 years old...

mdpresco