arrowroot

The struts on both sides of my power rear door have started giving a loud squeak when the rear door goes up, when the door is almost fully open.

I had brought it to the dealer (Dealer #1) when the car was under warranty a year ago and all they did was lubricate the struts.

Now the squeaking is happening again, and the car is out of warranty. Dealer #1 says to just bring it in and have the struts lubricated as part of regular maintenance. Dealer #2 says that the struts need to be replaced, and it would cost approx. $3500 CDN to replace both rear door struts.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Should the struts have been replaced the first time I reported them to be squeaking?

Could I lubricate them myself - and if so, with what product / what application technique?

dibl

So they were squeak free for a year after being lubricated? I would call my Lexus service advisor and ask him what lubricant they use to lubricate squeaky struts. Use what they use, and those struts might last a long time, with occasional re-lubrication.

Marqevans

Same thing has started on my 2017. Have not taken it to the dealer yet.

jwrichter

Jeez, replace them.

mrcheap

I got my right one replaced under warranty last year and the left one a month ago.

arrowroot

Did they try to lubricate it first, or did they replace it right away?

I’m trying to figure out whether the dealer should have replaced them under warranty the first time I brought it in (instead of just lubricating them).

Mikes94GS3

2016 RX350. No squeaking, but the door will raise 2/3 of the way up like normal then vibrate loudly the last 1/3 of the way. When closing, same, quiet 2/3 down then loud vibration the last 1/3. It’s been warm here lately, barely noticeable when cooler and in the garage, get her out in the sun and symptoms are much worse. I took it to the Lexus dealer today to have them diagnose, they are ordering passenger side and will replace in a week or two then check to ensure it’s all good. I see they did lubricate the struts today with no change. I haven’t seen pricing but she said parts only for one side is almost $1k. Bought the car last October and (reluctantly) purchased the 5 year service agreement aka extended warranty. It was the Principal Auto Care maximum plan and the diagnosis plus this repair is eligible with my $50 deductible. 4RX replacement power rear door struts are very expensive from the dealer. If this wasn’t covered and would be out of pocket, I’d definitely be looking for a plan B.

dibl

If they worked as expected for a year, after being lubricated, what would be basis for considering them "failed" under the warranty?

ejisfun

My 2016 has more of a creaky strut, not really a squeak. Seems to happen most often when it's hot out, I'm guessing something expands and rubs a little too much. It was CPO so I have warranty and complimentary service for 2 more years so I'll have them look at it during the first service.

AndrewTO

The basis would be the fact they failed the first time. Lubrication does not necessarily solve the problem, it only masks it.

If under warranty, I always try to push for a replacement, not lubrication because that's just delaying the problem down the road. Same reason why when I had my suspension squeak, the dealer where I bought my RX pushed to get it lubricated. I wasn't going to take that especially given I was under warranty and there was a TSB for it, so I went to another dealer and got it done.

Now that OP is out of warranty, I would try to chat with the first dealer to see what they can do and give them the second opinion you got. It helps this issue was documented during the warranty phase. How far out of your warranty are you? Sometimes, you might be able to get repairs done under goodwill with the dealer, and if not, escalate it to corporate.

arrowroot

thanks. That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out - whether Dealer #1 should have just replaced the struts when I brought it to them the first time (while still under warranty) for the creaking.

if the standard procedure is to replace them upon the first time they creak, then yes, I agree that they should cover this and hopefully they will. Do goodwill repairs after the warranty period have to be approved by Lexus Canada (and does Lexus Canada pay for them, or the dealer)? I am trying to figure out why Dealer #1 seems to be reluctant to replace them.

if the correct procedure is to just keep lubricating the rear door struts as part of regular maintenance to prevent/resolve squeaks & creaks, then I will accept Dealer #1’s response and just have them do the regular maintenance that includes this...

dibl

The warranty is "Repair or Replace", not "Replace on Demand". Proper lubrication of a squeak is a repair -- not a "mask of a failure". Does the oil in your crankcase "mask" a burned up engine? It was repaired under warranty and was squeak-free for a year. Find out what the best lubricant is for the materials where the squeak happens, and apply, and enjoy the car for another squeak-free year.

AndrewTO

To each their own, but lubricating a squeak is not what I consider a repair. It shouldn't be squeaking in the first place, and if lubricating it didn't solve the problem because it clearly came back a second time, then it's not considered repaired.

The challenge is lubricating only delays replacement of these parts, and now that OP is out of warranty, it's much more difficult to ask for a replacement, which is what should've been done in the first place.

I'm not sure why the first dealer didn't, but I would politely ask to see if the first dealer can do something about replacement especially since they saw the issue while it was under warranty. If the first dealer doesn't do anything, then I would go to Lexus Canada. Sometimes, the dealer will just do the work out of warranty depending on your relationship with them, other times, they have to get corporate involved. I don't know what the pay structure is like.

dibl

OK, I guess it's a philosophical or point of view difference. To me, all the moving mechanical elements of the automobile experience wear during use, from piston rings to hood hinges to suspension joints, to rear door struts. OP did not say what year his RX is, so can't tell how much wear is on everything else on that car. On my RX, the higher "car-end" part of the rear strut cylinder appears to be steel, and it slides through a rubber grommet into the hollow cylinder on the other end -- it sounds like it is activated by an electric motor or motors. Depending on his climate and customary parking locations, that rubber may get a little dry, resulting in a squeak. Unless there's more to the squeak than that, and considering that everything else on the car has the same degree of wear as the rear door, I would just find the right lube, apply it to the cylinder, open and close the door a couple of times, and assuming the squeak is gone, worry about other things for a year. But I'm a person who considers time spent at car dealers as lost time in my life, so I'll do a little self-maintenance to avoid it whenever possible.

arrowroot

It’s a 2016, so the squeaking started happening about 3 years after the car was put into service.
Kept in very good condition.