UX Door Rattles Madness

LordByronUK · April 29, 2021

Had my second UX loaner car today and to my horror it had the same terrible rattles and loud vibrations coming from panels on both driver and passenger doors. It happens when listening to music with any good amount of bass and also when going over bumpy roads, it really is terrible and completely ruins the car.

Surely it's not just me that has noticed this epic design flaw in the UX, guys? It's quite shocking this is coming from a Lexus, I can't believe they didn't pick up on this during initial construction and testing. makes it feel like a really chip plasticity toy car, shocking! I hate to say it, but I don't think new Lexus cars are as well built as they once were, too much cost cutting has ruined build quality

Las Palmas · April 29, 2021

44 minutes ago, LordByronUK said:

Had my second UX loaner car today and to my horror it had the same terrible rattles and loud vibrations coming from panels on both driver and passenger doors. It happens when listening to music with any good amount of bass and also when going over bumpy roads, it really is terrible and completely ruins the car.

Surely it's not just me that has noticed this epic design flaw in the UX, guys? It's quite shocking this is coming from a Lexus, I can't believe they didn't pick up on this during initial construction and testing. makes it feel like a really chip plasticity toy car, shocking! I hate to say it, but I don't think new Lexus cars are as well built as they once were, too much cost cutting has ruined build quality

Have never been in one of these new cars, but believe you are right. Cost cutting is destroying quality. Do not like the plastic around the wheels either.

Maybe our next car should be an 8 - 9-year-old well maintained one (8 - 9 because hybrid Battery warranty)? If that is not gone because of cost cutting too.

LordByronUK · April 29, 2021

I believe the drive trains are still bullet proof, but the interiors in the cheaper models are absolutely rubbish now!

Kissu · April 30, 2021

Wow this sounds like an episode from the Twilight zone where Lexus make cheap interiors!

This certainly does not sound like the UX that I own,the interior is a lovely place to be well thought out and very well appointed,I have not heard any rattles or vibrations from my car and this is from someone who’s main hobby is music(ok after golf!) my car has the Mark Levinson system which sounds every bit as good as the Mark Levinson systems I’ve had in my previous Lexus’s with no rattles from the bass at all,I have recently played the new Steven Wilson Future Bites in the car and the intro tack on this makes my speakers at home literally move but in the car no strange vibrations.

As for the quote that the interiors on the cheaper Lexus cars are rubbish I can’t see this myself,as I said earlier I’ve had Lexus cars before and all of them have had wonderful interiors including the UX.

rayaans · April 30, 2021

Ours is a UX300e so even quieter than the Hybrid version. No such rattles. Unfortunately with loaner cars you never know whether the door panel has been removed previously to sort some issues out with the amount of use that they get

The Interior quality is on par with the IS300h so no problems whatsoever.

johnno · April 30, 2021

Our UX250 is just over 2 years old and never experienced a single rattle/vibration or any other noise. We have the ML audio and I like to wind it up occasionally, sound is best at high volumes! I think that some of the materials might be cheaper than they used to be in old models but it's a lovely cabin and the build quality is still top drawer.

Richard1200 · April 30, 2021

My first Lexus was a new IS 250 Premier in 2007 I have had been lucky enough to have had 3 x IS 250’s then 2 x IS 250H and now my UX 250H since March 2019.
The first IS Premier was a fantastic car, electric everything. Steering wheel moved and seat went back when the ignition was turned off. Electric seats, wood everywhere and a beautiful 6 cylinder engine. You could watch the fuel gauge go down when you floored the throttle. After many Fords it was like a Rolls Royce to me.

Every purchase since the Premier the gadgets have gone down but the mpg has gone up 😂 yes I still get the feeling I could drive around the world without an issue and this forum bears out the lack of real problems compared to other makes. I have had “rattles” for about a year now mostly in the summer up around the sat Nav consul and have tried all sorts but I think I have just recently fixed it. It was a resonance vibration type of noise on rough open type road surfaces, the hotter the weather the worse the noise. My fix was 10mm strips of Kellogg’s cornflakes box pushed down around the speaker grill. Should have though of it sooner now I think of it.
Would I buy another Lexus??? Not sure. I have done 7000 miles since March 2019 so I do not need a car to drive to the moon and back and unlike years ago there are not many bad out there cars these days.

ALAW · April 30, 2021

Just approaching 3000 miles bought new last Sept. No rattles as yet cabin seems very solid . I did have it in to dealer for a warranty issue (moisture in the rear lights) which were changed by dealer. Drives beautifully and the E-CVT is sublime.

steve2006 · May 1, 2021

I have one of the early LS400 models built in 1994. It is said that Toyota made a loss on everyone sold due to the amount of money spent on development and build quality and can quite believe it.

At over 27 years old it is still quiet and refined with no rust or rattles.

The pinnacle was reached with the last version of the LS400 built between 1997 and 2000 when every possible niggle with previous models was ironed out.

When the LS430 was introduced the first thing to disappear was the standard factory fitted stainless steel exhaust system, this became mild steel and soon after back boxes became a required replacement item due to rust just like any other car on the market.

Cost and profits are the only things recognised by Toyota today and so the build and materials quality suffer, you can still get early Lexus quality from the likes of RR and Bentley but you’ll certainly pay the premium.

ColinBarber · May 1, 2021

On 5/1/2021 at 9:08 AM, steve2006 said:

When the LS430 was introduced the first thing to disappear was the standard factory fitted stainless steel exhaust system, this became mild steel and soon after back boxes became a required replacement item due to rust just like any other car on the market.

Cost and profits are the only things recognised by Toyota today and so the build and materials quality suffer, you can still get early Lexus quality from the likes of RR and Bentley but you’ll certainly pay the premium.

We don't know the specific design constraints and requirements of the LS430 to know if cost cutting was a major factor as Toyota hasn't publicly released such information. Stainless steel exhausts are noisier than mild steel ones so that could have been a factor in making the LS430 more refined compared to the LS400. Also the replacement cost in the event of a rear end accident and therefore a factor was to reduce insurance premiums.

The LS400 was over engineered and therefore costs could be made whilst making the vehicle just as reliable for the first 10 years of its life, especially as the length of initial ownership has decreased over time. As it turns out there were a couple of design issues with the LS430 which contribute to a less reliable vehicle but that obviously isn't know at time of design.

Certainly Toyota today isn't all about cost saving; the current RX uses stainless manifolds and exhaust for weight saving and enhanced corrosion protection - they could have saved money by not doing that.

People's perception and threshold to detect and tolerate rattles, squeaks and other noises varies greatly. I've been in many vehicles where the owner swears their vehicle is rattle free, and many people of these forums claim the same, yet I hear multiple ones if the car goes over a pothole or you press trim panels etc.

In general over the 15 or so Toyota/Lexus vehicles I've owned the newer ones are much better than old for rattles, clicks, squeaks and other noises from the trim pieces moving, rubbing, flexing etc. My wife's UX is probably the best yet; some of the trim pieces may not be seen as ' high quality' but no real rattles or other noises yet. The only thing that lets it down are the very noisy 18" run flat tyres.

Navnan2 · May 1, 2021

My late December 2020 UX has had no such problems. It has been back to the dealer under warranty for the sun roof not closing in this time though. I've done around 1200 miles.

LordByronUK · May 1, 2021

Our NX is actually solid as a rock, IS so so, I've had to fix quite a lots of creaks from the centre console (very common problems), but man I swear the doors on the new UX have a massive design flaw!!!

I've been in 2 UX now, one even had ML sound system, both had exactly the same issue. Turn the bass up to +3/4 level, put on some hard hitting loud bass music and I bet you will start to hear some rattles coming from the doors. I hope I'm wrong though and that these are two isolated cases, but I imagine it's a common problem.

Kissu · May 1, 2021

In the pursuit of science I have just done a completely useless test because my wife tells me my hearing is shot.I’ve just received the new Greta van fleet cd Battle at gardens gate,I put the equaliser on 3/4 bass,3/4 treble and 1/4 mid,I then put the volume on 50(does it go up to 100?) and put the first track on “Heat above”,the track starts with a slow building keyboard getting louder and louder until the drums pound in with a solid guitar riff,then some acoustic guitars over the vocals,so a good track with light and shade but with a few bombastic moments,a good test of the Mark Levinson and it sounded wonderful,I heard no rattles at all.What sort of volume are you hearing the rattles?,could it be a blown speaker?,does the rattling come from both doors?What style of music was playing when the rattles were heard?

ALAW · May 1, 2021

11 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

The only thing that lets it down are the very noisy 18" run flat tyres.

Excellent post Colin. Regarding the tyres i dont think they are too bad. However saying that they come from the factory with either the Bridgestones on or the Dunlops. You will have read the Dunlops are supposed to be quieter. Might be worth a change if your running currently on the Bridgestones.

LordByronUK · May 2, 2021

12 hours ago, Kissu said:

In the pursuit of science I have just done a completely useless test because my wife tells me my hearing is shot.I’ve just received the new Greta van fleet cd Battle at gardens gate,I put the equaliser on 3/4 bass,3/4 treble and 1/4 mid,I then put the volume on 50(does it go up to 100?) and put the first track on “Heat above”,the track starts with a slow building keyboard getting louder and louder until the drums pound in with a solid guitar riff,then some acoustic guitars over the vocals,so a good track with light and shade but with a few bombastic moments,a good test of the Mark Levinson and it sounded wonderful,I heard no rattles at all.What sort of volume are you hearing the rattles?,could it be a blown speaker?,does the rattling come from both doors?What style of music was playing when the rattles were heard?

I'm actually really glad to hear you don't experience the problem and you're enjoying your UX, it is quite a fun car to drive. Perhaps it's a design flaw that not all have, but the rattles were on both doors in the same panels and when pressing on the panels it went away. This was also a car with only 1000 miles on the clock. I had the volume up quite hight, between 25-30, but could hear the problem at much lower levels, and also when going over bumps. Try putting the bass up all the way, turn mid and treble all the down and play a track with hard hitting thumpy bass.

paulrnx · May 3, 2021

There is enough in the UX forum about rattles and creaks to make me think there are problems. Possibly not on every single car but this would seem to be an issue. This is also a unique and personal thing. Different people have different levels when it comes to what is a rattle/creak and what is not.

rayaans · May 5, 2021

On 5/3/2021 at 12:01 PM, paulrnx said:

There is enough in the UX forum about rattles and creaks to make me think there are problems. Possibly not on every single car but this would seem to be an issue. This is also a unique and personal thing. Different people have different levels when it comes to what is a rattle/creak and what is not.

Still nothing on ours. My ears are quite sensitive too so I can hear creaks coming from everywhere in most cars and it drives me nuts.

The RX is solid, our previous IS was too. The UX even more so. Most of the time these issues occur in the first model year until parts are redesigned. If you look at the IS for example, the padding in the centre console in a 2019 is very different to the early 2013 cars.

paulrnx · May 5, 2021

2 hours ago, rayaans said:

Still nothing on ours. My ears are quite sensitive too so I can hear creaks coming from everywhere in most cars and it drives me nuts.

The RX is solid, our previous IS was too. The UX even more so. Most of the time these issues occur in the first model year until parts are redesigned. If you look at the IS for example, the padding in the centre console in a 2019 is very different to the early 2013 cars.

I wonder why it is that some cars suffer and others don’t. Good to hear that yours is fine. I’m really looking forward to trying the UX EV

rayaans · May 6, 2021

13 hours ago, paulrnx said:

I wonder why it is that some cars suffer and others don’t. Good to hear that yours is fine. I’m really looking forward to trying the UX EV

Its worth noting though that the UXe has been heavily optomised in terms of refinement in comparison to the UX250h. Its got a lot more sound deadening everywhere. Heck, its almost as quiet as my RX which is kind of unusual.

paulrnx · May 7, 2021

On 5/6/2021 at 10:41 AM, rayaans said:

Its worth noting though that the UXe has been heavily optomised in terms of refinement in comparison to the UX250h. Its got a lot more sound deadening everywhere. Heck, its almost as quiet as my RX which is kind of unusual.

You’d want an EV to be as quiet as possible given the complete lack of noise from an engine. Good to hear that the UX E is very quiet. It’ll be interesting to see prices when they hit the approved used sector

First_Lexus · June 18, 2021

My NX is at Swindon for its first MOT and annual service today and I have a loan UX.

Very happy to report no rattles, although the car has covered fewer than 1000 miles. Generally I like the UX. It drives really well, and - despite my dislike of the door panels which look and feel cheap to me - the interior quality is good. I don’t like the materials as much as the NX, but it certainly wouldn’t be a deal breaker. The size of the boot would be, but if you are in the market for a UX you’ll decide whether it suits you before you buy.

Today’s loan car has a good spec, with the blind spot monitor being a particular favourite and something I wish my NX had fitted. The only real issue I have is that the seat base is a little too short for me which makes it uncomfortable, but as I have a specific disability I’m very careful about such things and I doubt it will affect other drivers.

paulrnx · July 17, 2021

On 5/3/2021 at 12:01 PM, paulrnx said:

There is enough in the UX forum about rattles and creaks to make me think there are problems. Possibly not on every single car but this would seem to be an issue. This is also a unique and personal thing. Different people have different levels when it comes to what is a rattle/creak and what is not.

No experience of any rattles or creaks from a current UX loan car I have. It feels every bit as tight and quiet as any other Lexus I’ve ever driven.

royoftherovers · July 17, 2021

16 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

No experience of any rattles or creaks from a current UX loan car I have. It feels every bit as tight and quiet as any other Lexus I’ve ever driven.

Praise indeed Paul.

How did the BIG service go ?

Las Palmas · July 17, 2021

The CT is our first Lexus and a reasonably quiet car. Seems built like an expensive car.

When the brand started I am sure they did more to make it luxury than they do now when they have established the brand as luxury and reliable they might get tempted to cut costs and make money. I also see the new Toyota are getting closer to Lexus in equipment and it could be a step to make the brand one brand.

paulrnx · July 17, 2021

8 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Praise indeed Paul.

How did the BIG service go ?

All good thanks John. All went well at Lexus Cheltenham as it always seems to do for servicing. Parking is a bit difficult at times mind. Had all four tyres replaced at the same time. Fronts were down to 2mm and all four tyres being nearly 6 years old were way past their best and I’d eked them out a little. Did a Blackcircles fitted quote on-line (£499) and asked the dealership to match which they did. Now have Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 all round and the difference is astonishing. New tyres always feel good but there is night and day difference in terms of road noise between these and the OE fit Yokohamas that came off. Had the tracking checked but no adjustment was required. MOT also done and no advisories. And of course the hybrid healthcheck.

One amusing thing was when ringing up to book in. I was mistakenly quoted £525 instead of £625. They honoured the £525 figure without any pressure from me.

All in all a pleasurable experience and I got to drive around in an almost brand new UX for just over a day which I really enjoyed.

Parted with a lot of money for the service, tyres and MOT but this has to be set against the fact that the tyres will last a long time and I’ve got the big one out of the way.

For those wondering about what documentation you get for the Relax warranty. It is a line item on the service invoice stating you now have a 12 month Relax warranty from date of service. Yes it’s slightly inferior cover compared to the extended warranty (which expires on mine later in July) but I don’t care. I was looking to have to pay a further £795 for two years extended warranty but I can now have the free Relax warranty instead. I had been questioning the wisdom of paying for a warranty so to get one for free is quite something I think.

I’ve drivelled on a bit. All good, a happy customer and one who is happy to stay in the Lexus fold.