Vibration at low and high speed RX450H F Sport

mcleodscott · December 28, 2020

Hi all,

just bough a used 2016 F Sport and have noticed a shudder specifically at 8mph, almost as if the car is labouring.

there is also a vibration coming through the seat/general car body at >80mph. I am thinking it could be the design of the front spoiler and perhaps not being aerodynamic - causing the car to vibrate.

does anyone have experience with this?

08ISF · December 28, 2020

The low speed shudder doesn't coincide with the petrol engine kicking in does it? Mine sometimes starts off in electric mode and then the petrol engine starts with a perceptible vibration, but I wouldn't describe it as a shudder. This car is very smooth and refined so it shouldn't shudder at any speed. I would be referring back to where you purchased it.

As for the high speed vibration - wheel balance??

Somebody else will be along shortly with their suggestions.

flookyk · December 28, 2020

2 hours ago, mcleodscott said:

Hi all,

just bough a used 2016 F Sport and have noticed a shudder specifically at 8mph, almost as if the car is labouring.

there is also a vibration coming through the seat/general car body at >80mph. I am thinking it could be the design of the front spoiler and perhaps not being aerodynamic - causing the car to vibrate.

does anyone have experience with this?

Not got the FSport myself but a 2017 Luxury and there is no vibration at all well over 80mph so I would not think it would be the spoiler, more like the wheel balance as 08ISF suggested.

Barry14UK · December 28, 2020

Can't believe what you describe in both situations is a "Characteristic" of the model especially as others don't have it. Poor wheel balance is a possibility although if this was the case I would have expected this to show up before 80mph. I suggest you return car to dealer and ask them to sort out out. Your chance of getting this done is improved if you bought from an official Lexus Dealership.

Illogan · December 28, 2020

15 minutes ago, Barry14UK said:

Can't believe what you describe in both situations is a "Characteristic" of the model especially as others don't have it. Poor wheel balance is a possibility although if this was the case I would have expected this to show up before 80mph. I suggest you return car to dealer and ask them to sort out out. Your chance of getting this done is improved if you bought from an official Lexus Dealership.

I second what Barry has written.

I bought a 2014 RX450 last year with 55k on the clock, and have not experienced a single shudder at any speed - (not that I've ever exceeded 70mph of course!) and we live at the bottom of an hill - - so there's plenty of slow and hill starts - and we've been gloriously shudderless.

The seller needs to have a look at that issue of yours

impero · December 28, 2020

Hi guys

Not that i should be some pro on Lexus, but i noticed some vibration on my Lexus around 80-90km/h then if the speed exceed 110km/h it kinda disappear.

When I put each wheel on the balancing machine, there were no errors - it didn't have to put much lead for balancing.

However, I was curious and I asked the specialist if, for example, the aluminum rim of the car would suffer a serious hit, say from a pit or a roadside, and there would be a fine deviation in the aluminum structure, would this deviation appear at balance?

His answer was "no - because the rim was hit on the whole surface and being a small deviation it is not felt on the balancing device but on the way you will feel it"

So I swapped the wheel with the spare one, on the side where I could feel the vibration and then surprise .... the vibration stopped . Conclusion: aluminum wheels will suffer over time deformations from roads that are transmitted in the form of vibrations.

It doesn't have to be the same problem with your car, but honestly it's much cheaper to test this hypothesis than to go to a service to waste time and money.

Cheers

PCM · December 29, 2020

22 hours ago, mcleodscott said:

Hi all,

just bough a used 2016 F Sport and have noticed a shudder specifically at 8mph, almost as if the car is labouring.

there is also a vibration coming through the seat/general car body at >80mph. I am thinking it could be the design of the front spoiler and perhaps not being aerodynamic - causing the car to vibrate.

does anyone have experience with this?

Raise it with who you bought it from?

Barry14UK · December 29, 2020

Different makes of tyre, particularly at the front can make a difference or even how a tyre was put on regardless of balance., also tyre pressures should match. The Dunlops that came with my car were stepped on the rears even though they still had plenty of tread. They gave off a sound not very unlike a failing wheel bearing. I found that these characteristics were common to these tyres and sure enough the sound was no longer there when I fitted new Cross Climates. So good tyres property fitted can make a difference in some cases.

PCM · December 30, 2020

On 12/28/2020 at 10:06 AM, mcleodscott said:

Hi all,

just bough a used 2016 F Sport and have noticed a shudder specifically at 8mph, almost as if the car is labouring.

there is also a vibration coming through the seat/general car body at >80mph. I am thinking it could be the design of the front spoiler and perhaps not being aerodynamic - causing the car to vibrate.

does anyone have experience with this?

What are your thoughts now, Scott?

mcleodscott · April 24, 2021

Hi guys,

So after almost 5 months back and forth with Lexus dealership, they have found the issue and believe it was the fuel pump.

Fuel pump changed - same issue.

Lexus Europe involved and they believe they know what the problem is. Car booked in again for Monday.

Deathstar · April 24, 2021

Strange. I took a 450h out for a test drive the other day and at low speeds (just after taking off) there was a very slight vibration, just as you describe. I did comment on this in another thread and others stated that it should be smooth. I didn't take it after 60mph, so I can't comment if this same issue appears. Good luck with the fault-finding though!

mcleodscott · May 28, 2021

Hello all,

Problem finally resolved through a new gearbox.

Also, the vibration at 80mph was resolved through wheel balancing.

Spacewagon52 · May 28, 2021

59 minutes ago, mcleodscott said:

Hello all,

Problem finally resolved through a new gearbox.

Also, the vibration at 80mph was resolved through wheel balancing.

Was that through the Lexus warranty?

Barry14UK · May 28, 2021

Glad it's now sorted and well done for your persistence. Looks like we got it right with regard to wheel balance at higher speeds but what was causing low speed vibration was more involved.

ColinBarber · May 28, 2021

2 hours ago, mcleodscott said:

Problem finally resolved through a new gearbox.

Glad it's sorted. That wouldn't have been a cheap fix out of warranty - I imagine that was like it from the factory, or got worse during the 3 year manufacturer warranty but the previous owner didn't notice or put up with it as a characteristic of the vehicle.

Not surprised they changed the fuel pump as there is a TSB which describes your symptoms:

Slight noise and vibration while driving at low speed due to high pressure pump

Deathstar · May 29, 2021

On 5/28/2021 at 9:39 AM, Spacewagon52 said:

Was that through the Lexus warranty?

geeez! I bet that was expensive!

torque81 · June 1, 2022

On 5/28/2021 at 5:40 PM, mcleodscott said:

Hello all,

Problem finally resolved through a new gearbox.

Also, the vibration at 80mph was resolved through wheel balancing.

I have the exact same vibration at 12 kmph (~8 mph)! Can you please tell me what was changed in the gearbox?

Illogan · June 1, 2022

On 5/28/2021 at 11:10 AM, ColinBarber said:

Not surprised they changed the fuel pump as there is a TSB which describes your symptoms:

Slight noise and vibration while driving at low speed due to high pressure pump

14 hours ago, torque81 said:

I have the exact same vibration at 12 kmph (~8 mph)! Can you please tell me what was changed in the gearbox?

It may well be the high pressure pump maybe

torque81 · June 1, 2022

5 hours ago, Illogan said:

It may well be the high pressure pump maybe

Its definitely not the pump, the vibration is present even running on electric power alone

Spock66 · June 2, 2022

11 hours ago, torque81 said:

Its definitely not the pump, the vibration is present even running on electric power alone

Do you have Lexus Relax cover?

torque81 · June 7, 2022

On 6/2/2022 at 9:05 PM, Spock66 said:

Do you have Lexus Relax cover?

No such thing as this in Australia. My car is a year out of warranty but I am hoping if it is that serious that Lexus will offer some sort of goodwill given it has been serviced at Lexus for its life.