Shock absorber failure at 13000 miles!

[Rob RCF]

22 hours ago, Malc1 said:

Can any headlamp cost a staggering £3000 ? 
Is that a “ body part “ if smashed and not just a duff bulb ? 

Malc 

RCF headlamps cost nearly £2k just for the LED unit itself, so the whole unit might be closer to 3k as well.

Worth mentioning though that these are optional extras (but come fitted as standard to the F cars) so normal headlamps on the GS/RC should be slightly more sane prices, they might even use normal HID bulbs.

Out of interest how much are the headlamps on an LS400? They can't be cheap either.

[Malc1]

2 minutes ago, Rob RCF said:

Out of interest how much are the headlamps on an LS400? They can't be cheap either.

on my 2 X Ls400s they are of course simply glass and I'd imagine only available from a breaker tbh .  the bulbs, well the last pack from Halfords incl fitting was about £15, 3 ? years ago ..  I've still one of those bulbs spare ........  they actually light up the road quite well in the dark 

The Ls400 Mk4 ( and later Lss' ) plastic headlamp might be available on-line from somewhere, probably a Breaker I'd have thought .  and bulbs can be individually replaced ....  so I'm thinking maybe a couple of hundred squid for a replacement unit !

£3000 would have bought me one whole Ls400 in fine fettle I'm thinking 🤣  ..... and with a robust brilliant V8 4 ltr engine that's as quiet as a mouse 😇

 

Malc

In fact £3000 would have bought me 2 and a bit of my recently acquired Mk1 Ls400 👍

[Pielight]

7 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

All Toyota/Lexus headlights have sacrificial brackets that will snap in an accident and then additional brackets can be attached to pre-formed mountings - at least that allows one repair.

 

Once Relax ends you can purchased the old used warranty again - between 10 years and 15 years old, which has better coverage than Relax.

Thats much better....those sacrificial brackets are a great design. Tbh if it wasn't an insurance job it would have been extremely easy to get the lig plastic welded, or even glued back on. The car was driven for around 6 months before it was repaired without that lug being secured and it barely moved, so very little stress on it. Incidentally, AXA gave us £250 as a good will gesture for taking so long even though once trim etc clipped back after accident the damage was barely visible.

As regards, the 10-15 years warranty, I've seen it talked about on this forum, but can't see it anywhere on Lexus websites. Some seem to suggest it's done at individual dealer level? Do you know the approximate price?

[Pielight]

5 hours ago, Malc1 said:

4000 would have bought me one whole Ls400 in fine fettle I'm thinking 🤣  ..... and with a robust brilliant V8 4 ltr engine that's as quiet as a mouse 

 

Malc

In fact £3000 would have bought me 2 and a bit of my recently acquired Mk1 Ls400 👍

Perhaps there's a lot to be said about buying an old but sound premium car (known for reliability) and then binning it if any expensive repairs arise. What you'd save in servicing at a good independent garage would go towards lesser repairs.

[B1RMA]

Just received this from Lexus UK.

Dear Mr Wiltshire

Thank you for contacting Lexus UK. 

We hope you have been enjoying driving your Lexus RCF what a fantastic car! 

We are sorry to hear of your disappointment in having to replace the shock absorber in your vehicle, this is unusual on such low mileage. Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong even with the reliability that Lexus vehicles have. 

Although we are unable to reimburse you for repairs that have already been carried out, should you require repair in the future please do get in touch or ask your Lexus Centre to raise this with us as we would be more than happy to assist and review the case. 

Thank you for your feedback and allowing us the opportunity to reply directly to your enquiry.  

Kind regards

 

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

[fourbanks]

20 minutes ago, B1RMA said:

Just received this from Lexus UK.

Dear Mr Wiltshire

Thank you for contacting Lexus UK. 

We hope you have been enjoying driving your Lexus RCF what a fantastic car! 

We are sorry to hear of your disappointment in having to replace the shock absorber in your vehicle, this is unusual on such low mileage. Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong even with the reliability that Lexus vehicles have. 

Although we are unable to reimburse you for repairs that have already been carried out, should you require repair in the future please do get in touch or ask your Lexus Centre to raise this with us as we would be more than happy to assist and review the case. 

Thank you for your feedback and allowing us the opportunity to reply directly to your enquiry.  

Kind regards

 

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

Like all manufactures or those working for the council or social housing always a negative response by those who have grown up in a negative environment with nothing to offer, giving negative responses in a negative work place 

 

[ColinBarber]

1 hour ago, Pielight said:

As regards, the 10-15 years warranty, I've seen it talked about on this forum, but can't see it anywhere on Lexus websites. Some seem to suggest it's done at individual dealer level? Do you know the approximate price?

It's not on the website for some unknown reason. The warranty is from Lexus though, not individual dealers, and it seems most dealers are unaware it even exists (or even some people in Lexus customer services). Here the latest thread on the subject - it lists some dealers that are able to sell you a policy.

Not sure on the price for an F - it used to be around £1,100 for two years but they only sell it yearly now. In the thread above an IS owner states it is around £500 per year when previously it was £800 for two years, so maybe around £700 for a GS F.

 

 

[Malc1]

2 hours ago, Pielight said:

and then binning it if any expensive repairs arise.

none ever do with the older Ls400s , the Mk1, 2 and 3  ( I've not had a Mk4 )   .....  most expensive repairs are the UCAs at maybe £500 max  a corner which will last another 150/200k miles ...... engine and gearbox are just " invincible "  ...  it's the possibility of rust that might be the eventual killer but not if caught sensibly early enough 

and it's simply a 4ltr V8 that quietly purrs along irrepressibly lurking behind it's Wolf in Sheep's clothing 🤩

Malc

ps I've had a Ls400 now almost every day for about 25 years as my main driver and pre covid averaged about 12/15k miles annually 

[Rob RCF]

11 hours ago, Malc1 said:

on my 2 X Ls400s they are of course simply glass and I'd imagine only available from a breaker tbh .  the bulbs, well the last pack from Halfords incl fitting was about £15, 3 ? years ago ..  I've still one of those bulbs spare ........  they actually light up the road quite well in the dark 

The Ls400 Mk4 ( and later Lss' ) plastic headlamp might be available on-line from somewhere, probably a Breaker I'd have thought .  and bulbs can be individually replaced ....  so I'm thinking maybe a couple of hundred squid for a replacement unit !

£3000 would have bought me one whole Ls400 in fine fettle I'm thinking 🤣  ..... and with a robust brilliant V8 4 ltr engine that's as quiet as a mouse 😇

 

Malc

In fact £3000 would have bought me 2 and a bit of my recently acquired Mk1 Ls400 👍

You can still buy certain LS 400 parts, I found one example on megazip for an early model. $706 per side:

https://www.megazip.net/zapchasti-dlya-avtomobilej/toyota/lexus-ls-42404/ucf10-55847/ucf10l-aepgkw-926197/headlamp-17919805#/il-414850157-6491966-6491966

[Malc1]

9 hours ago, Rob RCF said:

You can still buy certain LS 400 parts, I found one example on megazip for an early model. $706 per side:

https://www.megazip.net/zapchasti-dlya-avtomobilej/toyota/lexus-ls-42404/ucf10-55847/ucf10l-aepgkw-926197/headlamp-17919805#/il-414850157-6491966-6491966

Rob thank you so much for this link, I've popped it into another Forum Post here for owners of our aged steeds  ....  should anyone need to buy one brand new ....  these must be sooooo elusive now ...........  not quite £3k thank heavens eh !

Malc

[Pielight]

On 9/22/2023 at 4:34 PM, B1RMA said:

Just received this from Lexus UK.

Dear Mr Wiltshire

Thank you for contacting Lexus UK. 

We hope you have been enjoying driving your Lexus RCF what a fantastic car! 

We are sorry to hear of your disappointment in having to replace the shock absorber in your vehicle, this is unusual on such low mileage. Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong even with the reliability that Lexus vehicles have. 

Although we are unable to reimburse you for repairs that have already been carried out, should you require repair in the future please do get in touch or ask your Lexus Centre to raise this with us as we would be more than happy to assist and review the case. 

Thank you for your feedback and allowing us the opportunity to reply directly to your enquiry.  

Kind regards

 

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

How can they acknowledge that it failed prematurely compared to the norm, allude to paying for costs if a similar issue arises, but not reimburse you. If they agree it's a quality issue, what's the difference between them paying for the repair at the time or retrospectively.

Seems like a ploy to get you to stay loyal to the brand, without doing anything meaningful to address quality issues.

[Pielight]

On 9/22/2023 at 6:46 PM, Malc1 said:

none ever do with the older Ls400s , the Mk1, 2 and 3  ( I've not had a Mk4 )   .....  most expensive repairs are the UCAs at maybe £500 max  a corner which will last another 150/200k miles ...... engine and gearbox are just " invincible "  ...  it's the possibility of rust that might be the eventual killer but not if caught sensibly early enough 

and it's simply a 4ltr V8 that quietly purrs along irrepressibly lurking behind it's Wolf in Sheep's clothing 🤩

Malc

ps I've had a Ls400 now almost every day for about 25 years as my main driver and pre covid averaged about 12/15k miles annually 

Amazing! Those cars are the pinacle of Lexus engineering (or any automotive engineering for that matter) with all stops being pulled out to build the best quality product possible to put them on the map. I doubt there's any other car that could have served you so well for all those years and miles.

[Pielight]

I wonder if there are businesses who could repair faulty headlights for much less than the cost of a new unit? 🤔

[B1RMA]

6 hours ago, Pielight said:

How can they acknowledge that it failed prematurely compared to the norm, allude to paying for costs if a similar issue arises, but not reimburse you. If they agree it's a quality issue, what's the difference between them paying for the repair at the time or retrospectively.

Seems like a ploy to get you to stay loyal to the brand, without doing anything meaningful to address quality issues.

Yes I agree, Lexus have gone down in my estimation. I'm not happy with Snows at Hedge End for not suggesting it may be worth contacting Lexus about it.

Unfortunately I had a whole lot of things going on at the time so didn't keep my eye on the ball.

[Pielight]

9 minutes ago, B1RMA said:

Yes I agree, Lexus have gone down in my estimation. I'm not happy with Snows at Hedge End for not suggesting it may be worth contacting Lexus about it.

Unfortunately I had a whole lot of things going on at the time so didn't keep my eye on the ball.

I'm noticing customer service niggles that weren't there when I became a Lexus owner just 7 years ago. I have a BMW motorcycle and like the cars they have issues (none that affect riding), but the fuss free way they've dealt with these and the sheer competence of the bike itself has more than compensated for my move away from Japanese bikes.

If satisfaction with Lexus continues to slip, I could well be tempted to go the same way with my choice of car.

[Malc1]

Paul....... in Hornchurch there's a Mk3 Ls400 at £1500 on Autoafraider  ..  why don't you go buy her and dump ( sorry, sell )  your existing Lexus ?

You'll be getting heaps of V8 fun and probable reliability methinks 

Malc

I'd sure go to see her if I hadn't now got my 2   .....  Hornchurch can't be too far from you !

[DAW]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:29 AM, ColinBarber said:

Once Relax ends you can purchased the old used warranty again - between 10 years and 15 years old, which has better coverage than Relax.

Thanks for that bit of info Colin, as that was something else I didn’t know & TWG didn’t mention when I contacted them at the end of my extended warranty in February.  

I was considering what to do on my cars tenth year & now I know!

TWG also gave the impression that they were no longer dealing with Lexus warranties, so does that mean some other group are dealing with the 10yr+ warranty you mention?

[ColinBarber]

1 hour ago, DAW said:

TWG also gave the impression that they were no longer dealing with Lexus warranties, so does that mean some other group are dealing with the 10yr+ warranty you mention?

It seems to be a secret, most dealers don't know about it and even some Lexus customer service agents. See this thread for more info:

 

[DAW]

8 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

It seems to be a secret, most dealers don't know about it and even some Lexus customer service agents. See this thread for more info:

 

Thanks Colin that’s very helpful.  I will contact my dealership next year & see how knowledgeable they are 👍🏻

[rayaans]

On 9/25/2023 at 4:19 PM, B1RMA said:

Yes I agree, Lexus have gone down in my estimation. I'm not happy with Snows at Hedge End for not suggesting it may be worth contacting Lexus about it.

Unfortunately I had a whole lot of things going on at the time so didn't keep my eye on the ball.

I would snap back at that email with a reply and CC it to the CEO along with your views on Lexus customer service. 

Has always worked for me.

[Bluemarlin]

On 9/26/2023 at 9:19 AM, DAW said:

Thanks for that bit of info Colin, as that was something else I didn’t know & TWG didn’t mention when I contacted them at the end of my extended warranty in February.  

I was considering what to do on my cars tenth year & now I know!

TWG also gave the impression that they were no longer dealing with Lexus warranties, so does that mean some other group are dealing with the 10yr+ warranty you mention?

I don't know if things have changed recently, but according to my 10yr + extended warranty paperwork, the warranty is  provided by Toyota GB (Lexus Division) and administered by TWG.

That said, as I understand it, you can't get it from TWG direct, and have to go through a dealer. The issue with that is that a lot of dealers are unaware that such a warranty exists; I had to get my dealer to contact Lexus to get the details and set it up. If your dealer is unable/unwilling to do so, then I know Lexus Guildford are aware of it, and I believe Reading too,  and I suppose  it doesn't matter which dealer you get it through, as it's a central thing and not dealer specific.

Cost is give or take £500 per annum, depending on model, and of course is conditional on Lexus servicing for the duration.  Depending on service history, they might also want to carry out an approval inspection first.

[DAW]

6 hours ago, Bluemarlin said:

I don't know if things have changed recently, but according to my 10yr + extended warranty paperwork, the warranty is  provided by Toyota GB (Lexus Division) and administered by TWG.

That said, as I understand it, you can't get it from TWG direct, and have to go through a dealer. The issue with that is that a lot of dealers are unaware that such a warranty exists; I had to get my dealer to contact Lexus to get the details and set it up. If your dealer is unable/unwilling to do so, then I know Lexus Guildford are aware of it, and I believe Reading too,  and I suppose  it doesn't matter which dealer you get it through, as it's a central thing and not dealer specific.

Cost is give or take £500 per annum, depending on model, and of course is conditional on Lexus servicing for the duration.  Depending on service history, they might also want to carry out an approval inspection first.

I found TWG very helpful when I spoke to them regarding my Quicksilver exhaust / extended warranty, so TBH I’m glad it’s them administering the 10+ warranty. 

Thanks for the heads up on the dealerships that know about  the 10+ and will try them if I have any issues with Lexus Woodford👍🏻