gadgetman1

I just don’t see the point about calling a part $5 or $3...I sure as hell hope they aren’t attaching anything plastic to an exhaust system that easily gets a few hundred degrees...just saying. I may end up with this so/called repair also. My exhaust is buzzing at low speeds.

LP13

Death by $1000 bills! - I absolutely love that expression! I have owned 6 Mercs in my lifetime (a long time ago), but changed to Lexus in 2000 purely because Mercs are about the least reliable vehicle that one can buy - just my experience, but JD Power stats have placed them close to the bottom of the stakes forever. Got tired of spending money on repairs on a monthly basis on things that would never go wrong on any other brand for the life of their vehicles - decided to put that money into buying a more expensive vehicle rather. Bought my first LS, and never looked back until 2 months ago, as I explained in my previous post.

LP13

Lexus absolutely was "customer obsessed" under the previous chairman and founder of the brand, Eiji Toyoda. In 2009 he authorised the replacing of my 2008 LS460 with 18000km on the clock with a brand new vehicle, with no cost to me (I was working in Dubai at the time). When Akio Toyoda replaced him as chairman in 2009, not only did the design philosophy change, but so did the "relentless pursuit of perfection" and the then unparalleled levels of customer service. I guess they were well established by then and, sadly, no longer needed to place the customer first - they could simply just go an the reputation established by the founder, and prioritise profitability instead. I have influenced countless numbers of people (because I am well-known for my interest in cars in my professional and social circles) to switch to Lexus. How sad that I must now face them with a new reality, and redirect them elsewhere.

gadgetman1

LP13 - I was one of those folks that was swayed into going with Lexus based on their so-called reputation. I haven’t looked recently as to where Lexus falls in the Consumer Reports reliability ratings or the JD Power ratings. They have definitely dropped a little, but not a lot. I don’t want to get too far off subject here, just curious what brands you favor now & what are you recommending to others?

If I didn’t need to pull a motorcycle utility trailer, I would easily choose one of the 2 door coupes. Their quality seems to be way up there, as well as the larger SUVs with the gas-sucking V-8s. I had the GX for a service loaner & it was extremely quiet & consistent, but really inhaled the fuel. Aside from outdated tech & poor mpg, I would choose the GX over the RX if I had to do it over again. It doesn’t rattle or vibrate & I can do more towing or AWD things with it & it’s still made in Japan (correct me if I’m wrong). I seriously considered trading for a GX, but the wife really hated the lumbering handling & outdated tech. If Lexus ever brings their twin turbo V-8 diesel to the USA, I’m interested!

wow121

I am planning to buy a Lexus 2020 RX350 or RX450h. Are these drone noise and vibration issues still existing in those new models?

eddie420

Unfortunately, the forums indicate 'yes', the issue still seems to exist in the 2020 models.

wow121

Thanks. Is it tolerable if I still decide to buy it?

dibl

@wow121, these "drone noises", "excessive noise and vibration", and "hesitation" issues are WAY too far into the realm of personal taste for you to rely on anyone else's opinion. Drive the car. Don't buy the car until you've driven the car under all your normal driving conditions. You need to form your own opinion, based on driving the model that you're thinking of in your typical driving style, before you make your decision. The fact that I love mine is no indication that you will love it.

wow121

Thanks, dibl. I totally agree with what you said. Some people said their vehicles had these issues after driving a few thousand miles. So I thought I probably cannot tell these issues with a test drive.

AndrewTO

Unfortunately at this point, these issues are probably an inherent problem with the way the 4RX was designed, a "normal" characteristic as dealers love to say.

I'd ask the dealer for an extended test drive. If you show a big enough interest, I don't see why they wouldn't let you. Drive it where your normal commutes are - going to work, going grocery shopping, going into the city, etc. Perhaps some dealers might even let you keep the car for a weekend to see how it fits with your life.

If you're still unsure, I would also take an older 4RX (2016-19) for an extended test drive if the dealer has one. Chances are, if these issues pop up later on and these are very common 4RX issues, any one of the pre-owned 4RXs could exhibit these problems and you can get a feel for yourself whether it's a deal breaker.

wow121

Thanks, Andrew. Very well said!

gadgetman1

I have a 2016 450h & I heard the noise on the RX 350 on a test drive. I also had it on a 2017 loaner & again on a 2019 loaner. Just drive them all & then you have someone else drive, while you sit in the back seat. You would be surprised what can hear from there when you aren’t driving.

dibl

Maybe. Mine has almost 28K miles on it and has been on the road 27 months, and I haven't noticed that anything has changed from when I first drove it off the dealer's lot.

gnguyen

Stay away from it, it's not worth it. I experienced these issues in my 2019 350 and 450. I test drove the 350 extensively and did not notice these issues until a few hundred miles later. It has gotten worse over the last 8K miles. At this price, you have a lot of options.

AndrewTO

I have to agree with this. I thought I was lucky enough to have avoided the hesitation and drone problems, and only had to deal with the vibration at idle... then rattle after rattle popped up and quite honestly, it drove me (and still does since more rattles keep popping up) absolutely nuts trying to find ways to dampen or eliminate them.

For the vast majority, they'll tolerate the drone/vibration/rattles or take it as the way the car was designed, but if you know any one of these issues might drive you up the wall, don't even take the chance.