GSF Carbon interior trim delaminating

[F.A.]

I read a post a while back on the US Lexus form where GSF owners were complaining that their carbon interior trim was starting to delaminate. It appeared to affect cars that were located in the warmer states so I didn’t think much of it. However I noticed yesterday that the edges of some of my trim appears to have started to delaminate. Whether or not it’s always been like this, i don’t know but has any other owners noticed anything similar. 
it’s very minor and barely noticeable but I’m a little bit annoyed if this has just started to happen, as it’s not like we live in a hot country and I’m car always has a shade placed when parked over the ‘Summer months’ 

Interested to here your thoughts  

 

[F.A.]

Excuse the typos above 🤦🏽‍♂️

[ColinBarber]

Happened on one of my pieces over the last few months - seemed to be the cold weather that caused it and got worse. All the other pieces are fine.

Spoke to my dealer - trim isn't covered under warranty. Around £300 to replace that piece 😞

If it gets worse for you then either an expensive replacement or some carbon fibre effect wrap to cover it.

Started on the left (the right patches are just reflections)

 

then spread to as it is now.

[F.A.]

Thanks for the reply Colin. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be covered as I guess it fulls in to the category of ‘trim’. Frustrating. 
I’m assuming it will only get worse if it’s the cold weather that causes it 🙄. 

[ColinBarber]

I guess the only thing would be to contact Lexus GB - clearly a manufacturing defect or the part not up to the task - to see if they would replace for free/make a contribution/sell at cost.

In my case I'd prefer it to go all the way across rather than the half and half as it is at the moment, however I sold my GS yesterday so not something for me to worry about anymore.

[F.A.]

Good idea Colin. I will contact them and see if they will help.  
Was it easy to sell the  your GSF? Can I ask what you replacing it with? 

[ColinBarber]

43 minutes ago, F.A. said:

Was it easy to sell the  your GSF? Can I ask what you replacing it with? 

I wasn't trying, someone contacted me and made an offer. Probably below what I could have advertised and held out for but was a quick and painless transaction so happy with the outcome.

I'm just not my car at the moment, I probably only put 500 miles on the clock in the last 12 months. For local trips I just take my wife's car. This may change as offices start to open up again so will see how it goes. My company has just started a salary sacrifice ev scheme so that's a possibility. Test drove a Tesla Model 3 today and have a Polestar test in a couple of weeks.

[F.A.]

How did you find the Model 3?  It’s a shame that Lexus don’t offer an equivalent at the moment. 

[ColinBarber]

Felt strange at first. The shallow and low bonnet combined with the lack of dashboard/gauge cluster and large windscreen means you have a large view of the road but at the same time feel a little exposed. Only had 30 mins so didn't get to play with everything but it was very quiet, instant throttle response and extremely rapid.

[RichGS11]

If you have no luck with Lexus, there's a guy on Instagram that makes CF interior parts for the ISF, GSF and RCF. He may make the part that's delaminating and he would be cheaper than Lexus. I've ordered from him and will continue to do so.

Just a thought and a potential option. I can always ask him if he supplies that part if you don't have Instagram? Let me know.

[scott-o]

Anyone that works with CF will be able to sort it, so don't feel rail roaded into replacing it via lexus or wrapping it in fake stuff. 

[F.A.]

That’s a good idea @RichGS11 , I will let you know if I need to proceed down that route. I’m not on Instagram myself. Thank you. 
 

@scott-o I was thinking the same. I had the carbon piece on the front bumper re lacquered due to stone chips by a local company, so I can always try them 👍🏾.

[hockeyedwards]

Now I'm gonna have to go round and check all my trim pieces... 🤣

Congrats on the sale @ColinBarber, nice that it was painless! New owner and I have already exchanged words regarding exhaust options 😆

@F.A. if you do go the Lexus GB route, would you mind updating with what they respond? I think we can all agree that this isn't acceptable considering the ages (and we don't abuse our interiors) of the cars.

[F.A.]

@hockeyedwards, of course.  I sent an email to Lexus GB yesterday, so we shall see what they say. I will keep you posted. 

[mrfunex]

I have personal experience of this. 
 

Lexus UK argued that it was “the way I was cleaning my car”, which it utter BS. The two bits of trim required for the dashboard are £1500. 
 

However....

 

...my main dealer at Hedge End were very helpful - they always are. We’ve bought 5 cars so far from them and have a good relationship with the dealership. In my case, the parts were reduced via goodwill to substantially less and I decided to have them replaced. It’s annoying in a way, but my GSF has been such a good car, I’m trying to keep it in as good condition as I can. After nearly 4 years, I still have no idea what could replace it. 

[hockeyedwards]

3 hours ago, mrfunex said:

After nearly 4 years, I still have no idea what could replace it.

Amen!

[F.A.]

4 hours ago, mrfunex said:

I have personal experience of this. 
 

Lexus UK argued that it was “the way I was cleaning my car”, which it utter BS. The two bits of trim required for the dashboard are £1500. 
 

However....

 

...my main dealer at Hedge End were very helpful - they always are. We’ve bought 5 cars so far from them and have a good relationship with the dealership. In my case, the parts were reduced via goodwill to substantially less and I decided to have them replaced. It’s annoying in a way, but my GSF has been such a good car, I’m trying to keep it in as good condition as I can. After nearly 4 years, I still have no idea what could replace it. 

Oh that’s disappointing that Lexus GB were not willing to help. 
 

My case is currently with them for consideration. Initial signs were good, but now I’m not very hopeful considering your result. Time will tell.  If I get the ‘ way you clean it reply’ then I won’t be very impressed. I literally haven’t touched it with anything other than a micro fibre ( with no product)  to dust it, over the past 2 years. 

[mrfunex]

2 hours ago, F.A. said:

Oh that’s disappointing that Lexus GB were not willing to help. 
 

My case is currently with them for consideration. Initial signs were good, but now I’m not very hopeful considering your result. Time will tell.  If I get the ‘ way you clean it reply’ then I won’t be very impressed. I literally haven’t touched it with anything other than a micro fibre ( with no product)  to dust it, over the past 2 years. 

Same here - a dry microfibre is all that’s really needed. 
 

Best of luck to you!

[ColinBarber]

3 hours ago, F.A. said:

If I get the ‘ way you clean it reply’ then I won’t be very impressed. I literally haven’t touched it with anything other than a micro fibre ( with no product)  to dust it, over the past 2 years. 

Same here.

If they say that then respond with the fact that yourself and two other owners all have the same issue and have never sprayed liquid onto these trim pieces - and that is it also an issue in the US.

[F.A.]

As expected, complete bulls@&t reply from a useless customer service rep. Very disappointing but no surprise really given @mrfunex previous result. 
 

Thank you for your comprehensive feedback on the dashboard trim concern of your Lexus GS.  The team at Lexus Bristol has been most supportive in providing the detailed photographic evidence we required to enable us to present to our Product Technical Team.

 

Unfortunately our findings are not in favour of a common manufacturing defect concern. The information link regarding the conversation on an owners club makes mention of a couple of cases, and if we were to google the topic we may find some more conversations, however nowhere in the global Lexus technical databases have cases been reported via the Lexus Network to classify the issue as well documented and therefore a common concern.

After careful analysis of the pictures provided, the Product Technical team have come to the conclusion that at some point in the vehicle's life it has been cleaned with an aggressive cleaner (and it is not suggested that it was negligence but perhaps a standard operating procedure at a commercial car wash facility) or perhaps some type of air freshener has leaked onto the parts accidentally.  As multiple parts have been affected in the same car this would indicate an event applicable to this one vehicle - a manufacturing defect would have had an impact on 100's/1000's of vehicles on that same production line, and we would have definitely seen an impact on Lexus Centres' technical cases raised over the years.

There is mention that some vehicles in the group chat may have had parts replaced under warranty before, which could have been the case on vehicles under manufacturer warranty where the benefit of the doubt would be given and where the Lexus Centres would have taken the initiative of the work to be done under warranty cover, but if the problem was to persist past the manufacturing warranty period, it would be more likely to be covered via a Centre's internal goodwill contribution scheme which is something the Centre could discuss with you directly.

In this instance where the vehicle has passed the manufacturer's warranty, the route cause of the problem is less likely to be a manufacturing defect and more likely therefore the result of an outside influence, and will therefore be unable to support a special grant to cover the cost of having the repairs done.

 

We are very grateful to you for maintaining your vehicle as per the recommended schedule, and we are appreciative of your continued support of the brand and especially the continuous support of the Lexus Dealer Network.

I hope the information has been helpful,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to Lexus UK.

Kind regards

Liezl Dodkins
Lexus Customer Relations Case Manager
Toyota (GB) PLC - Lexus Division
Distributor of vehicles, parts and accessories for the UK

😡

[B1RMA]

Typical crap response, people/companies these days never seem to admit the obvious and hope you swallow the sort of crap they think they can get away with. I'm surprised considering some of the past issues that Lexus have sorted.

[F.A.]

1 hour ago, B1RMA said:

Typical crap response, people/companies these days never seem to admit the obvious and hope you swallow the sort of crap they think they can get away with. I'm surprised considering some of the past issues that Lexus have sorted.

Agreed. I fired back an email explained that I found their response highly insulting. 

[hockeyedwards]

Ahh yes, tha uber aggressive cleaner called water on a plush microfibre, how could I have been so blind...

What a crock of ****!

[F.A.]

6 minutes ago, hockeyedwards said:

Ahh yes, tha uber aggressive cleaner called water on a plush microfibre, how could I have been so blind...

What a crock of ****!

Yep and that ‘air freshener’ that has managed to some how leak all over my dash board and door card 🙄.  As above really, highly insulting. 

[Twellsie]

if its a real carbon fibre, which it appears to be, a body shop could very easily flat and rear clear them, i have a recently re-done my rear spoiler under the guidance of a friend that used to manufacture carbon parts at Prodrive