2016 RX 350 Excessive noise and vibration
#1036
Driver School Candidate
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Walt, thanks for the explanation and also all the effort you have put into this. I'm also in the Phoenix area and have had the same experience with my dealer. Since the wrench attachment you engineered somewhat helped, maybe it is confirming that the exhaust is actually the problem. When I looked at your picture of the exhaust flange the one thing that popped into my mind was that the bolts to it look like they are spring tensioned. I wonder what would happen if the spring was removed and the flange was just bolted directly together so it would be more solidly mated. Don't know if the springs are there for engine movement or what and am sure removing the spring tension would void the warranty as you mentioned but it might be interesting to see if that would make any difference at all. If that flange is the problem you'd thing the fix would be fairly simple for Lexus to create and why they wouldn't have done so by now. But who knows how they think, and the comments that they are fixing the 2017's first could be correct. I was planning on going and driving a 2017 when they come out to see if they did indeed address the issue. If so then it will prove they know of the flaw in the 2016's whether they will ever admit it or not. If not, then Lexus has some idiots for engineers and also in management for letting this issue ruin an otherwise fine car.
#1037
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I have 2017 RX 350 and this 2017 model has the same issue as well.I spoke to Lexus customer service and they said that the exhaust noise is the characteristic of the vehicle and it is not a problem any have.I don't know what to do now and I am really confused.It looks like they are not even caring about this issue and there won't be any fix released from Lexus.Lexus totally ignored this fix.Kindly advise me what to do with this noise vibration issue.
There is no resolution to this issue, I tried everything. My dealer says they are working on a fix but it's going on a year now.When other dealers are saying its normal makes believe this is very low priority for them. I thing we just have to live with it or trade it in a take the loss. Funny I knew at some point I would get a car with some type of problem that couldn't be resloved, just didn't think it would be Lexus that's giving me the run around. Live and learn, goodbye Lexus👎👎👎
#1038
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I have 2017 RX 350 and this 2017 model has the same issue as well.I spoke to Lexus customer service and they said that the exhaust noise is the characteristic of the vehicle and it is not a problem any have.I don't know what to do now and I am really confused.It looks like they are not even caring about this issue and there won't be any fix released from Lexus.Lexus totally ignored this fix.Kindly advise me what to do with this noise vibration issue.
There is no resolution to this issue, I tried everything. My dealer says they are working on a fix but it's going on a year now.When other dealers are saying its normal makes me believe this is very low priority for them. I think we just have to live with it or trade it in and take the loss. Funny I knew at some point I would get a car with some type of problem that couldn't be resloved, just didn't think it would be Lexus that's giving me the run around. Live and learn, goodbye Lexus.
#1039
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I have 2017 RX 350 and this 2017 model has the same issue as well.I spoke to Lexus customer service and they said that the exhaust noise is the characteristic of the vehicle and it is not a problem any have.I don't know what to do now and I am really confused.It looks like they are not even caring about this issue and there won't be any fix released from Lexus.Lexus totally ignored this fix.Kindly advise me what to do with this noise vibration issue.
First, you need to ask yourself some fundamental questions. How much does this noise bother you? What are you willing to endure to keep the car or to get rid of it? Are you willing to take a loss, just to be free of it? Once you have solid answers for each of these questions, you can proceed.I see you are in TX. How many documented times has the vehicle been in for service for this problem? You MUST have a paper trail! It’s usually better to have more than one dealer’s opinion in the mix. If you do have your trail, there are a couple of really good lemon law attorneys in the DFW area. I would contact them & see what they think should happen. Possibly, the vehicle could be bought back by Lexus. Or, Lexus might give you a cash settlement & you do whatever you want with the vehicle. Finally, you could just sell it or trade it on another vehicle & start over. You have many choices, but this will not come easy or quickly. I had a lemon bought back, & it drug out for what seemed like forever. It was worth it in the end, because my vehicle was continually getting worse. It doesn’t sound like that is the case with you, but I’m making an assumption based on your writing & not the facts of the case. When I test drove the RX 350, I heard the noise & it concerned me. For me, I would have pursued legal action already, because I simply don’t want a $50,000 car that rattles like junk. That’s my take. You have to do what’s best for you & your family. Good luck!
#1040
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My RX 450h doesn’t have the noise either & I’m very grateful for that. The chances of a class action lawsuit happening is rather slim. That’s why I advised to file on the lemon laws. Each owner has specific rights & there is always a chance Lexus will fix the problem or settle each individual complaint. It’s a case by case basis. I would certainly hope Lexus has made improvements on this issue after two model years, but I noticed in my most recent Consumer Reports magazine that Lexus has fallen from the top ranks & many lesser known quality vehicles have made significant increases. After touring the Lexus RX plant in Canada, it’s crazy to think that Lexus is ignoring so many folks that have this issue. Don’t give up - the squeaky wheel always gets the grease.
#1041
Lexus Champion
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My RX 450h doesn’t have the noise either & I’m very grateful for that. The chances of a class action lawsuit happening is rather slim. That’s why I advised to file on the lemon laws. Each owner has specific rights & there is always a chance Lexus will fix the problem or settle each individual complaint. It’s a case by case basis. I would certainly hope Lexus has made improvements on this issue after two model years, but I noticed in my most recent Consumer Reports magazine that Lexus has fallen from the top ranks & many lesser known quality vehicles have made significant increases. After touring the Lexus RX plant in Canada, it’s crazy to think that Lexus is ignoring so many folks that have this issue. Don’t give up - the squeaky wheel always gets the grease.
#1042
Driver School Candidate
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Yesterday, Lexus fixed my RX450h exhaust rattle problem. I took delivery for exactly one year ago, and have been complaining ever since for rumble and noise from the front end exhaust parts at low speed coasting. Last week the service manager called me and stated that they, at last, had a fix. This fix will be a TSB expected issued within a month or so. The fix included a new fuel pump and new Engine ECU- and HV ECU software. This corresponds to my early suspicion that the rattle is caused by engine/drivetrain vibration. I still think the ICE has a harsh startup and shutdown(compared to the 3. Gen RX450h), but I have not experienced any rattle today. This fix may by related to the 450 only, since the most important difference seems to be that the ICE dosnt run like before when coasting at low speed (it goes faster into EV mode), in situations where the problem was most pronounced earlier. And of course, if the ICE doesn't run, the exhaust will not vibrate either. Ill post further experience. So – have fait – Lexus are eager to fix your problem.
#1043
Driver School Candidate
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Congrats & thanks for the update Andersaa. It will be a great relief for most of the RX 350 and 450h customers.Looks like it is expensive fix only , that is the reason Lexus delayed and took so much of time to fix it.But still we need to keep pinging the Lexus until our cars get fixed.
Hope so this fix will not create other issues and keep us posted the further findings.
Hope so this fix will not create other issues and keep us posted the further findings.
#1044
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Driving the 350 during the holidays in sub -20C weather, the vibration was noticeable worse. I did tell the service advisor at the last appointement about this but it came back "normal", which I expected. This is not a dealer level issue but a design issue that Lexus Corporate really needs to sort out. This vibration and noise is my number one regret after trading in the NX.
#1045
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My ‘17 350 AWD RX now has 4,500 miles. Purchased new few months ago, have some drone noise at low rpm which goes away as I speed up. No vibration as far as I can tell.
Few points:
Few points:
- I catch myself babying my new car way too much. If I drove it the way I did the car I replaced, I’m sure drone noise will not be as big an issue, not at all. I am still way too easy on the gas pedal, sometimes comically so. If I may, the throttle is very touchy though, and that does take a lot of getting used to.... which probably why a lot of people started out getting used to the car and driving it super gently in the beginning.
- Gas quality seems to affect whole car. I can definitely tell a difference in bad tank to the next and try to stick to one brand and station in town.
- finally I love my rx the most in sport mode. I wish the car stayed in it for restart. Eco is terrible. Normal is just ok. Sport puts it in just the right mood.
- Gas quality seems to affect whole car. I can definitely tell a difference in bad tank to the next and try to stick to one brand and station in town.
- finally I love my rx the most in sport mode. I wish the car stayed in it for restart. Eco is terrible. Normal is just ok. Sport puts it in just the right mood.
#1046
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My ‘17 350 AWD RX now has 4,500 miles. Purchased new few months ago, have some drone noise at low rpm which goes away as I speed up. No vibration as far as I can tell.
Few points:
Few points:
- I catch myself babying my new car way too much. If I drove it the way I did the car I replaced, I’m sure drone noise will not be as big an issue, not at all. I am still way too easy on the gas pedal, sometimes comically so. If I may, the throttle is very touchy though, and that does take a lot of getting used to.... which probably why a lot of people started out getting used to the car and driving it super gently in the beginning.
- Gas quality seems to affect whole car. I can definitely tell a difference in bad tank to the next and try to stick to one brand and station in town.
- finally I love my rx the most in sport mode. I wish the car stayed in it for restart. Eco is terrible. Normal is just ok. Sport puts it in just the right mood.
- Gas quality seems to affect whole car. I can definitely tell a difference in bad tank to the next and try to stick to one brand and station in town.
- finally I love my rx the most in sport mode. I wish the car stayed in it for restart. Eco is terrible. Normal is just ok. Sport puts it in just the right mood.
I was under the impression that modern cars could adapt to different fuels with their electronics, my 18 year old Mitsubishi appeared to, but the RX knows what it likes and I'm sticking to the 95 from now on.
#1047
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Yesterday, Lexus fixed my RX450h exhaust rattle problem. I took delivery for exactly one year ago, and have been complaining ever since for rumble and noise from the front end exhaust parts at low speed coasting. Last week the service manager called me and stated that they, at last, had a fix. This fix will be a TSB expected issued within a month or so. The fix included a new fuel pump and new Engine ECU- and HV ECU software. This corresponds to my early suspicion that the rattle is caused by engine/drivetrain vibration. I still think the ICE has a harsh startup and shutdown(compared to the 3. Gen RX450h), but I have not experienced any rattle today. This fix may by related to the 450 only, since the most important difference seems to be that the ICE dosnt run like before when coasting at low speed (it goes faster into EV mode), in situations where the problem was most pronounced earlier. And of course, if the ICE doesn't run, the exhaust will not vibrate either. Ill post further experience. So – have fait – Lexus are eager to fix your problem.
I dont know about the rattle issue but I am certain that the noise and vibration issue is 100% mechanical. I have minimized mine by installing exhaust dampers as others have done. Changing software could some what mask the problem so you wouldn’t be in the RPM range where the vibration occurs. Anywhere over 2k RPM is silky smooth. I still believe this is strictly a poorly designed exhast issue. Lexus will probably redesign the exhaust at some point. Unfortunately it does nothing for the folks that spent big bucks and are extremely disappointed like myself.
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Maisie (01-16-18)
#1048
Driver School Candidate
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I dont know about the rattle issue but I am certain that the noise and vibration issue is 100% mechanical. I have minimized mine by installing exhaust dampers as others have done. Changing software could some what mask the problem so you wouldn’t be in the RPM range where the vibration occurs. Anywhere over 2k RPM is silky smooth. I still believe this is strictly a poorly designed exhast issue. Lexus will probably redesign the exhaust at some point. Unfortunately it does nothing for the folks that spent big bucks and are extremely disappointed like myself.
Last edited by Maisie; 01-17-18 at 09:05 AM. Reason: Dealer replied today they will try to exchange the car for me .So I cant say "Lexus doesn't care at all".
#1049
Intermediate
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I bought my RX350 25 days ago and felt the noise and vibration on the way home!Drove back to dealer right away and a Japanese engineer concluded that the car need to repaired.Two engine mounts and a exhaust pipe need to be replaced.But they dont have the parts and dont know when they will be available yet. Soooooo regret that I didnt read the discussions here before making decision .I refuse to drive the car and dropped it back. The Lexus doesnt care at all! They told me that's not a problem,dont care about it .Enjoy your driving. Thinking about buy back and byebye Lexus.