It is not a figure of speech to everyone, I have heard of some who research or try to research the day the car was built and said to avoid buying a car that was built on a Friday.

I worked at a auto plant, it makes no difference what day the car was manufactured when it comes to quality.

 

Well, that went off the rails a little. I just wanted to give another update, I was called today and in a nutshell I was told the truth, Lexus can not fix something that can not duplicate. Which is true, I raised the question I can give them more time with the car, they never kept it for more than 1 day from drop off to pick up if they would like that. The guy said that would not be necessary as it wouldn’t possibly yield the same results. He said the only other place I can take it is to submit it for buyback. Which that is a little confusing because it was like denying warranty issues. So with hesitation I agreed for him to refer me there. It was a great car until problems surfaced I have no idea what to expect.

 

Welll.. it was a joke..

 

The "loose bumper" sound was very evident in the video you posted. Can you explain why that was not reproducible at the dealership? Did you demonstrate to the Master tech how you are able to generate that symptom? If it is not reproducible, maybe it is not really an issue, so long as all your parking sensors work properly.

The engine running issues appear to be so intermittent that you have to give them something to work with. Perhaps, a dashcam video of the problem like someone suggested. Especially since there are no fault codes being generated.

The whistling and headliner issues have been resolved. So the way I look at it, you have a very nice car that will provide you reliable and enjoyable driving for a long time. If the bumper and engine issues are truly bothersome, visit another dealer, don't tell them this history, and see if they can figure it out. You could suggest they keep the car for a few days to replicate the engine problem.

I am not familiar with the buyback program. Unless you receive a full refund less reasonable depreciation, this should be your last resort. Good luck!

 

Lexus is very difficult when it comes to warranty work being approved. I’ve had better experiences with Chrysler of all people. They really make you have to prove undeniably that there is an issue, and instead of trying to work with you to duplicate the issue they go real quick to “it’s normal”.

Chrysler by comparison is willing to keep a car there until they can figure it out. My partner has a Grand Cherokee that had a drivability issue like that they can’t suplicate, they’ve had it for 2 weeks, have specialists looking at it from Detroit, in no hurry to give it back until they find it. Imagine Lexus doing that?! No way.

Unfortunately what the guy has told you is that he’s tired of dealing with you and your “problems”. My guess is at this point the result will be the same with any dealer. If they will buy it back? I’d take it.

 

Operating as designed is what I have been told by both Lexus and Toyota!!!

 

OP, sorry if I missed this, but are there no other Lexus dealers you can take your car to? Did you look at other LS460’s and compare the headliner! Bumper fit?

”Operating as designed” can be very subjective. IMO, you need to find a Lexus dealer who is willing to put the time in to listen to you and investigate your issues, particularly if you can find similar cars on the lot without the appearance problems.

 

In my 20 year experience with the brand spread across probably 5 dealers, this doesn't exist.

The issue is with how Lexus handles their dealers and warranty work approval. Essentially the dealer has to diagnose your car for free and take a chance on Lexus not paying them for work they choose to do before Lexus authorizes it.

 

20 years and 5 dealers notwithstanding, I stand by my post: Not all dealers approach potential warranty issues in as dismissive a manner as others. I also stand by my recommendation that OP look at other similar cars on the lot regarding the appearance issues.

 

I have never encountered a Lexus dealer that did not attempt to be dismissive of my warranty issues. If you read around the forum, the vast majority of dealer experiences people share also are the same way.

I'm a big Lexus fan obviously, but this is an area where they are quite poor.

 

I agree with Gbp. My dealer has been very responsive to my concerns every time. They replaced my sunroof module under warranty after taking one look; and it was in much better shape than Mekoz's. And they want him to pay for labor. Unbelievable...

Other issues in my car like engine noise (exhaust manifold replaced under warranty), and minor things were all addressed without any fuss and to my complete satisfaction. Which I why I am amazed by the apparently callous attitude of the dealers that Alex and Mekoz are working with. Perhaps I also benefit from living in the Midwest

There is no harm in checking out another dealer. Maybe they will be more responsive and sympathetic to the owners' concerns.

 

No question that different dealers (and different regions) vary immensely. My experience is similar to Steve's. Lexus dealers here in North Carolina just don't seem to care any more. California customers appear to get much better service than we do.

 

Little stuff like a sunroof with a clearly deteriorated gasket is easy, just wait until its something that involves more effort.

 

I’ve had stuff done under warranty that “involves more effort”, such as replacement of the navigation system (and the disk drive when that proved incompatible with the replacement navigation), including re-upgrading my maps. The car was in the shop for almost two weeks, while the dealer worked with Lexus corporate to figure it out.

The point is that service departments at different dealers may approach warranty-related issues differently. Some apparently care more about retaining customers (after all, the servicing arm of a dealer tends to be very profitable) for future non-warranty work than others.

 

Well, all we can go off of is our own experiences right? Based on my own experiences Lexus dealer service and corporate service today is nowhere near what it was when I was first a Lexus customer in 1998, and it lags behind service I've gotten from other brands I've owned today. I would rate Lexus as quite difficult to deal with when it comes time to get them to really stand behind their product.

I've had many conversations with my mechanic who was a Lexus master tech for 15+ years before opening his own shop as to why it is the way it is. Lexus empowers dealers to make decisions about what to cover and what not to, BUT after the fact if they decide a repair should not have been covered, they stick the dealer with it. The dealer has no way to know if Lexus will or will not honor the repair until they've done the repair, which is why dealers are so skittish about committing to warranty work.

Will they take the risk for you? How good a customer are you? Are you somebody who uses the dealer for everything? Are you a new customer they have no history with? Are you the type that seems hard to please?