mdorn98

By the looks of several of the pushed in areas I would disagree its just normal wear but rather something wrong with the foam or glue underneath. Since the vehicle is well out of warranty and your main concern is getting it fixed I would suggest possibly taking it to a reputable upholstery shop within your area and see if they can color match/recover that small arm rest portion. Might be cheaper and faster while preventing future issues

NickTee

I didn't see a driver's side door panel, but the passenger panel and rear panels ranged from $80-300.

sgruwell73

Thanks for all of the responses. I think this forum is a pretty awesome resource to share information. That said, I called corporate yesterday for the 3rd time and have been rejected 2 previous times with the reply (the service advisor has decided that we cannot provide assistance at this time). There is an active extended warranty (this is their way of dealing with what should be a recall) on the 2007 LS 460 only. I have gone to 2 upholstery shops thus far and have said they don't want to touch it. I have looked online at Ebay and when calling those shops they no longer have the parts. I reckon these are a pretty hot commodity right now. Lexus wants 2k for each door panel so that's a sticky subject. I have found another upholstery guy that I am going to visit today and hoping that he may be able to provide a solution. So far the sticky gooey issue is only during the heat and then it's goes back to normal in the evening or when the AC is blowing full force and cools the car down. The arm rests on all 4 doors, the glove box, the bottom part of the dash underneath and to the sides of the steering wheel and the bottom of the center arm rest are all made of the same substance. The top of the Dash and the top of the door panels look the same but are not having the same issue as of the moment.


I have already submitted paper work to join the Class Action brought forward by the Ferraro Law Group http://www.wptv.com/money/consumer/t...ing-dashboards.


I will try some social media route also.


Thanks!

dlbuckls10

It seems like just wear and tear that may have been caused by someone fingernails, ring, pet, etc. I've seen similar markings in other vehicles.

CRowe14

That doesn't seem like normalized wear and tear. Some of it does but there's alot of gouging there.
Also, after seeing the photo, I thought I'd take a look at mine and noticed that my handle/panel does not look like yours. The area of your panel seems to be the material that my A and B pillars are made of, but not my handle area.
Below is a photo of mine.
I'm curious to know what your outcome will be in regards to fixing the issue.

sgruwell73

Definitely not normal wear and tear. The pics I took are when the material is garaged and not in the heat. I will take some more pics when it's outside. If you leave the car in a parking lot for more than 45 minutes during a summer day, all of the arm rests, the glove box and bottom of dashboard turn shiny and sticky. Your clothes or skin stick to it and also leave smudge marks and nail marks. It hasn't completely deteriorated yet but this year is worse than last and I baby this car. Hence, I want to be proactive before the whole thing turns into a mess. Lexus responded with the following email today after 3rd attempt: (What I find interesting is that they mention we have examined all pertinent information including nature of repair and then "service history with Lexus". If you don't service your car with their dealership they are counting that against their desire to provide assistance. What is also interesting is that people with the LS 430 do not have anything remotely like this occurring with the interior. Bottom line is that Lexus is not what it used to be and they do not stand behind their product. I am sure this was a major oversight by the engineering team in an effort to go green and although I applaud them for that not at the expense of an overpriced solution. Fine, go green but make parts that can be swapped out at a reasonable price and make that clear from the purchase. I am all about going easier on the environment but give me a break!


Dear Mr. Gruwell:


Thank you for contacting the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department regarding your2009 LS 460, Vehicle Identification Number JTHBL46F59508XXXX.We appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts.




As an automotive manufacturer, Lexus feels its warranty is one of the most comprehensive in the industry, and demonstrates faith in the performance and reliability of its product line.Lexus also realizes that mechanical failures can occur on any vehicle at any time, and regrets any inconvenience this may cause.




In an effort to be sensitive to the expectations of Lexus customers, we review matters on a case by case basis when a product failure occurs outside the warranty period.We have examined all information pertinent to your request for assistance, including the nature of the repair, service history with Lexus, mileage on the vehicle, and the warranty expiration date.We conclude it is not appropriate for Lexus to provide assistance on the repair of the dashboard.We apologize that this may not be the response you hoped for.


If you require further assistance, please contact the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department at 1-800-255-3987, Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., or Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time.




Sincerely,


Amber Echols


Lexus Customer Satisfaction





Please do not attempt to respond to this message. We cannot accept electronic replies to this e-mail.

CRowe14

This is ridiculous.
I don't understand why your issue isn't covered under the recent bulletin that Lexus put out speaking on this specific issue?
I'd keep at this personally. I know it has to be a source of agitation, but they are aware of this issue and they should adress it accordingly.

Ascari_2

File a BBB complaint. This has worked for me on several occasions (all be it in other non-Lexus related situation).

tpocean

I found a company here in LA called FIBRENEW, they repair plastic, Vinyl , and leather....
Look at their work online www.fibrenew.com
I think they can make it look like it never happened, probably for $150 per door

I had them restore my leather on my 2009 LS , in my driveway , the work was amazing...
They even removed a deep scratch/tear in my leather backseat, looks perfect now
I hope they are in your area.....
BTW, I found them on this forum,.....thanks clublexus!

Gbp

My concern about using a repair vs. replacement approach in OP's situation is that if the problems were caused by a material defect, would the repair amount to just a temporary band-aid, with the same problems eventually recurring, perhaps sooner than later?

CRowe14

I was also wondering, especially after veiwimg the photos up close, due to the fact, to me, that it does not reflect what most would consider normal wear and tear, if that is the reason Lexus is declining.
From what I understand, there has to be signs of fabric/material separation/cracking of the area in order for them to act upon replacing it. But due to the fact the area appears to be borderline abused, they may have declined, because to a tech, visually there isn't any proof that shows that any of those markings have occurred due to the softening of the material (melting). No cracking or material segregation, just scratches and gouging. So there is a strong possibility, that, to them, them being Lexus, it appears as abuse, not manufacturer defect.

Gbp

IIRC, the door handle is only one of his problem areas. If OP hasn't already done so, I think OP should take extensive photos of all the problem areas and find photos from people who have received extended warranty letters from Lexus of their problem areas on the door panels and dashboards.

The OP should send a letter to the Lexus VP of customer service, photos attached, explaining why his 2009 LS460 should be fixed and compensated by Lexus, just as a 2007 would have been. The letter should emphasize the problems have worsened and that multiple customer relations reps have improperly rejected OP's claims, thus this appeal to higher authority. It might not hurt to add that other people have likely already had the problem and have reported it, so it's in Lexus's best interest to give the same consideration to OP as with other letter recipients.

If Lexus still refuses to cooperate, and OP wishes to further pursue this, a next step is to consider suing in small claims court and having the VP of customer service personally served. OP can use social media to publicize the serving of the lawsuit. This is close to a "nuclear option" (that's class action suit territory) and it's understandable if OP doesn't want to go to all the time and trouble to do this.

I'm not an attorney, and please don't interpret any of the above as legal advice or a guarantee of success.

ETA: My 100th post! Not that I'm counting...

CRowe14

Hey, congrats on the 100the post! Providing great info at that!
I think if the OP intends on keeping the vehicle for any amount of time, what you've clearly outlined would be my path of recourse.
Even if it has to go to small claims court, it's absolutely worth it to me, in the event the other areas of the car are truely melting/suffering from heat deterioration.
Of course we all hope it does not go this far, but if necessary, go all the way, and of course, keep us posted!

Gbp

Thanks for the compliment! The folks on this forum have really helped and inspired me.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

Congrats on 100th post.

I was in similar situation with my GX many years back - cracking dashboard. At that time Lexus refused to replace free of charge but agreed to pay for parts and I ended up paying for labor. However, the replacement part number was changed - clearly an indicator some thing was changed with new part. I believe sometime last years, Lexus agreed to replace GX dashboard free of change. It took years for them to accept it!.

OP, try to find part numbers from Lexus dealership and see if they indeed were changed or not. Other option is to try 2011-12 model parts assuming they didn't inherit same flaw if any.......