Where to send a complaint to Lexus HQ?

[aalmos]

I'm having outrageously many problems with my LC 500 that I bought in late June brand new. The car has been out of my possession for a total 1/4 of the time since then due to a variety of technical issues:

* Front brakes were replaced due to abnormal squealing.

* Rear brakes were replaced due to abnormal squealing.

* Breakdown due to fuel pump failure.

* Low engine oil level at 8000 km.

* Skewed steering that was attempted to get fixed multiple times without success.

* Resonations in the left door due to insufficiently installed cables.

* Resonations from the engine/fuel injection system at 1500 RPM.

Now I'm spending my Christmas without a car, because it's under repairs once again. I filed a request to my dealer and the local distributor (Lexus Switzerland) to replace the car entirely. I really doubt they'll do that, so I want to escalate this case further. I'd like to send a written report of the case to the European HQ and possibly the global one in Japan. Do you have an address and a department in mind I can target this to? Thanks in advance!

[Vlady]

Uau! That is quite a lot of things that went wrong with the new car, especially being a Lexus!

The brakes, may be they needed more time to bed in?

I hope you will get all these issues sorted! Good Luck!

Sorry, I have no details on HQ.

[NemesisUK]

Steering issue has been seen before and it's non resolution was down to dealer ignorance. You posted on this and it was corrected by recalibration?

Have you checked the Lexus website for contact information?

[aalmos]

The steering was fixed, but after driving the car for a couple of hundred kilometers it got skewed again, despite driving super careful. They keep asking money for wheel/steering alignment as it's not covered by the warranty. I've done it 4 times already.

The Swiss customer relations manager is super arrogant. They talk about giving me a free rental car for the time of the repairs as some kind of courtesy I should be happy about. When I told them that I'm discriminated as a customer because I'm paying the same money for a faulty car compared to customers who bought a perfect car for this money, he told me that those other customers could say they are discriminated because they don't get these free repairs I'm getting.

I found the address of the Toyota Head Office in Brussels and in Japan, but these are very big offices, and I'm afraid my letter would get lost. I'd prefer targeting it more specifically to a department.

[royoftherovers]

16 minutes ago, aalmos said:

The steering was fixed, but after driving the car for a couple of hundred kilometers it got skewed again, despite driving super careful. They keep asking money for wheel/steering alignment as it's not covered by the warranty. I've done it 4 times already.

The Swiss customer relations manager is super arrogant. They talk about giving me a free rental car for the time of the repairs as some kind of courtesy I should be happy about. When I told them that I'm discriminated as a customer because I'm paying the same money for a faulty car compared to customers who bought a perfect car for this money, he told me that those other customers could say they are discriminated because they don't get these free repairs I'm getting.

I found the address of the Toyota Head Office in Brussels and in Japan, but these are very big offices, and I'm afraid my letter would get lost. I'd prefer targeting it more specifically to a department.

Send an email to Lexus UK requesting email details for the Heads of Operations in both Europe and Japan. Keep copies of everything.

[NemesisUK]

49 minutes ago, aalmos said:

The Swiss customer relations manager is super arrogant.

Have you contacted the dealer principle, the boss of the above arrogant individual? 

Is this the only contact in your country? Is there no other dealerships you could approach.

Getting to the head of any large organisation is always fraught as the 'correct channels' are always via your local representative. Is there a central office in Switzerland you could approach, or is this whom you have already dealt with?

I think I might personally ring the offices in Brussels asking for the customer services department, or requesting their direct contact details.

I'd imaging contacting any other centre, including Japan would be fruitless, or at best, extremely longwinded and delayed.

 

To be honest, if the dealership are attempting to correct the issues under warranty it's going to be a struggle.

Is it possible to reject the car under statutory buyer's rights?  

[aalmos]

Thanks. I'm simultaneously contacting the dealer and the local distributor (e.g. Lexus Switzerland). The arrogant person is the Manager of Customer Relations of Lexus Switzerland, I think it'd be problematic to contact his manager.

My legal advisor also says that it might indeed be hard to get a replacement car, though my case is more complicated than mere technical defects. My car broke down on the road a few months ago due to the failure of the low-pressure fuel pump. I learnt that it was addressed in a global recall campaign, even before they sold me this car. They didn't carry out this fix before delivery, putting my life at risk. They also lied about apple CarPlay Support (they told me that this model has it while it doesn't), and they delivered the car with 3 years old tires. So I have a good list of things to complain about.

I was really patient with them up until last Friday, when they told me that they weren't able to repair the car (for 2 weeks), but they encouraged me to drive it home. They assured me that the problem won't cause a breakdown -- despite they have no clue what the root cause is. I refused to accept this (I'll not risk a 1000+ km road trip to my family), and I insisted on them continuing the investigation. I ended up buying an airline ticket and staying without a car during the holidays.

Today I sent a formal letter to the dealership and to Lexus Switzerland in which I ask them to provide with a replacement, and I elaborate the rationale behind the request. It's probably up to the goodwill of Lexus whether they fulfill it. IMO the way they handle the case with my car is a total customer relations failure. I'd also be fine if they found an LC 500 with a similar mileage and exchanged mine for that.

Also, I'm really tired of reporting these technical issues. Usually I have to visit a workshop at least 2 times before they take a warranty claim seriously, even if I provide them with video evidence and documentation about consistent reproduction. If the car has 1-2 minor issues per year this is tolerable, but being a regular guest in the workshop this has been super exhausting. I've ultimately lost my trust in the car, and the enjoyment of driving a new flawless vehicle (that IMO is included in the price) was taken away from me.

[royoftherovers]

Just ensure that you put it all in writing to Lexus Adam.

[NemesisUK]

I thought I remembered the recall. That is totally unforgivable!

Good luck with your claim. Keep a paper/email record of every thing 

I hope you can enjoy your Xmas never the less. Keep safe..

[Lwerewolf]

How do these people still have a job O_O

 

[dutchie01]

Search on Linkedin for Lexus Switzerland and Lexus Europe. You can then see the profiles of all employees that are on it and even send them a direct mail. Also mailaddresses will be available from the entire European management including general and regional managers.

I am sure this could take your case up a level.