More time in the dealer than on the road

stevewagster · October 19, 2023

Well, so far we have had 4x breakdowns and the car has been in the dealers more than than we have had it, we purchased our UX F Sport Takumi on September 1st and from the moment it was delivered we have had problems.

We it was delivered he car was left in the road with our agreement, fine, so when the diver left we went to park it on our driveway and the car had no power at all, in the end our neighbor who also has the same car cam out and said he had a jump pack, as we had no power he used the manual key to get in and got the car started with the jump pack thingy that he has, It sprang into life all seed fine apart from finding black grease all over the interior door handle and steering wheel (White Leather) we got off as much as we could but quickly discovered that the supergard had not been done to the interior or exterior at all, no sticker to say it had been done no supergard pack and it could clearly be seen that not of this had been done, the dealer agreed to have the car back to to get this done, as we paid £700 for the privilege, this had to wait as we had a long weekend planned to the next day.

the next day and we are off to the New forest for a much needed break and all seemed fine ish, a few infotainment glitches, we didn't take to much notice of them at the time however the radio was cutting out for long periods at a time and when it was on sounded really tinny, anyway, we arrived at our destination unloaded the car and found that yet again we had no power, sunroof open, doors unlocked etc., we was in the middle of the new forest, a remote and secluded part, so by this stage, we had enough and just left the car car in the carpark open, we was luck it was the hottest day of the year, we just had enough at this point and just wanted to get in the hotel and enjoy our stay, In the morning, we went out to the car and all was fine, got in, started it up and every thing was working!!! after this we were to have 3x more breakdowns over the next couple of weeks.

we have also had this list of problems/glitches, some related to no power and some random, I also forgot to say that we have had a smell of burning electrics/plastic in the cabin, no smoke! so we this this is also a cause to the problems, and as mention the dealer had had the car now for longer than we have, listed below are a list of the issues we have had, not all as some maybe forgotten.

I would be very interested if anyone else has had these type of problems and if so, how they was resolved as then deals has not found any problems so far and i feel like I'm loosing my mind, my wife has said so won't drive the car as she has lost all confidence in it and for fear breaking down and being stranded somewhere, I fully agree with her, we are very interested in your thoughts with this, please see the list below.

Thanks

1,Failure to start
2, Loss of all displays in the car
3, Total loss of electrical and mechanical power.
4, Buttons operating different functions to what they are supposed too.
5, Loss of radio Signal when driving, the longest period of well over an hour.
6, Radio has significant periods of sounding very tinny.
7,The radio boot speaker sounds as if it is blown for long periods and then back to normal.
8,The sign recognition is glitchy, the 60mph was displayed for 3+ hours on a journey of over 170 miles, mostly motorway, with lots of variable speed limits.
9, regular smells of burning rubber/wiring
10, Not being able to turn the front wipers off, after a short Journey, I then returned to the car and they worked fine, also on occasion, the washers would not work.
11, The kick boot opener has never worked.
12, On one occasion we arrived our destination and could not lock the doors or close the sunroof, this was left all night like this and when we returned to the car in the morning, it all worked fine, we were lucky this was the hottest day of the year and somewhere reasonably secure.

An unrelated issue is, there is a feeling that something is loose on the steering, you can feel it through the steering wheel, this is not all the time, the steering is precise and responsive, I think this is worth checking as it could be a big safety issue.

fourbanks · October 19, 2023

Hi Steve.

Did you purchase this new from a Lexus dealer or direct from Lexus? There are a few poor Lexus dealers, but I know of none this bad in how you have been treated.

Your dealer sounds to be very bad to a level not seen before as the car is in a very dangerous state and should not be driven at all

As the car has caused you so many problems, the dealer should be able to take the car back as a lemon and replace it with a new vehicle. This is a first I have ever come across with a Takumi model.

The dealer most certainly needs reporting to head office as there is no way Chris Hayes, the chief executive, would allow that car to be delivered in such a poor state

Gary H · October 19, 2023

Crikey @stevewagster (welcome to the forum, by the way!). That sounds horrendous. It's a pity we don't have America's 'Lemon Law' here in the UK - as I think your car would more than qualify on that. The first four faults you list alone indicates to me some sort of serious electrical fault or faults taking place.

I remember my old 2020 UX250h F-Sport had a few 'interesting' quirks, which come back to mind after reading through your list:

The kick boot opener immediately comes to mind. That never worked properly from day one and basically only wanted to work when it felt like it - which was rarely. I gave up with it in the end and got around that in the end by simply using the 'traditional' boot button on the key. It wasn't so much an issue to me as it was a feature I'd never had until that point anyway, but I can fully appreciate anyone who wants to use it and find it handy.

The speed recognition wasn't the most accurate on mine either. It would often miss National Speed Limit signs after leaving a 50mph zone (so it stayed at 50mph) and on one particular roundabout near home it always shown up as 10mph - when no such sign exists anywhere nearby. I never did figure that one out... It used to take a good few hundred yards past the roundabout (in any direction) for it to correct itself.

Going back onto yours, if the dealer isn't taking these faults seriously or looking into some sort of internal investigation into unresolved matters than yes, I absolutely would be taking the issue higher than dealer level. Sooner rather than later, too.

Bezzer · October 19, 2023

Woefull lack of QC and PDI to let a car go to a customer in that state, as said start pushing to get it sorted and take it higher.

PS. Re your last point, are you aware of the Lane Trace Assist (LTA) system?, that corrects/wobbles the steering when it thinks you're too close to a centre line etc. That could be what you are experiencing, you can turn it off on the steering wheel to check if it happens when it's off. ( it only stays off for the journey and resets to on each time you start up)

DavidCM · October 19, 2023

Depending on how long you've had the car and how well documented your concerns have been reported,you may be able to reject the car.Even the threat(if you're within time) will concentrate the dealers mind.

Richard1200 · October 19, 2023

Shocking experience but personally I would delete this post until all options with the supplying dealer or Lexus UK have been exhausted as I feel this will not initially help your cause.
By the way, I do not think kick sensors for the tailgate have been fitted since 2021. My car does not have it, having a new one next week so I will check again.

Don C · October 19, 2023

The traffic sign recognition is a waste of time. I’ve never seen it work consistently in any make of car. There’s too many reasons why it can’t so my advice is ignore it. There isn’t a list of problems, there’s one - all the same thing. It needs a bit of testing but it sounds like the 12V Battery is low. It could be the Battery or the DC to DC converter. The car must never be left with the power on unless it’s in the “READY” mode.

fourbanks · October 19, 2023

9, regular smells of burning rubber/wiring that just in itself is most troubling and the car should never be driven. This needs to be addressed by head office in case a recall is needed at a later date for us all

JamesIS220 · October 19, 2023

I would be parking it at the dealer who sold it and giving them the keys. If on a lease, discuss with lease company.

I would write a letter, to have ready listing all faults. If possible reject the car and give them the letter there and then and follow it up with email and recorded delivery letter. State whether you want it repaired or a new car.

Certainly sounds bad.

James.

Ala Larj · October 19, 2023

https://www.themotorombudsman.org/knowledge-base/what-are-a-consumers-legal-rights-when-buying-a-car#:~:text=Under the Consumer Rights Act,date you brought your car.

David lings · October 19, 2023

Stephen

Welcome to the the joys of owning a Lexus and it’s generally poor dealerships.

Not had as many issues as you but my issues improved greatly when l stopped using the Lexus dealer and had the car ‘professionally’ serviced.

Either Lexus or their dealerships or both do not believe in preventative maintenance which when added to the general Lexus quality issues meant l had issues with my second hand car.

Your car would appear to be new, or nearly new, so a combination of poor quality car and poor quality dealership.

Lexus, nice car just a pity they are,these days, NOT a quality car.

Hope you manage to sort out your issues.

Don’t rely on the guarantee as, if like mine, it is not worth the paper it is written on.

l found that nothing seems to be covered by the guarantee or issues were brushed off as just standard for a Lexus, e.g. sign recognition.

Normally a dealer will give a refund period (7 to10 days).

If you have this my advice would be take it back, get your money back and go buy a quality car.

Good luck

david

Don C · October 19, 2023

A lot of drama here. We’re not talking about an Astra, this is a Lexus. There may be a fault and there may be a lack of understanding but I don’t think putting the social media boot in is due just yet so let’s not act like chavs. The story doesn’t stack up for one thing.

fourbanks · October 19, 2023

I know all the Kent dealers of Lexus and although not perfect they would not entertain a Lexus with a smoke burning issue as that is a very serious matter

the manager would need to report to head office for advice in going forward. The car would not be returned to the customer until that was fully resolved.

As for the other items, Steve mentions these seam to be one of a water damp ingress somewhere along the wiring? Or it could well be a major fault with the Engine Control Module (ECM)

Don C · October 20, 2023

I’ve never heard such a garbled account. The smell of burning doesn’t get mentioned near the top of the list, but the radio does and a safety concern with the steering is an afterthought. A new Lexus with damp in the wiring or a major ECU issue doesn’t exist. The car is showing all the signs of a flat Battery - it will do all of the things listed and it’s a well known fact that the Battery will go flat when not used right. It could be a fault with the charging system but even that is unlikely, it’s more likely user error.

Brian R · October 20, 2023

I think I would be contacting Lexus/Toyota HQ direct on 01737 363634

Outline the case to them and your dealers take on matters and see what they would propose.

Ken R · October 20, 2023

8 hours ago, Don C said:

A lot of drama here. We’re not talking about an Astra, this is a Lexus. There may be a fault and there may be a lack of understanding but I don’t think putting the social media boot in is due just yet so let’s not act like chavs. The story doesn’t stack up for one thing.

Well said!

VFR · October 20, 2023

The first few lines caused my eyebrows to contract.

Brand new car.

Yes leave it in the road.

Battery flat.

Grease all over.

(Or have I missed something ?)

My first call would have been to Lexus to come and pick the car up ASAP & not get a mate to start doing this & that.

HPS13 · October 20, 2023

On 10/19/2023 at 11:06 AM, stevewagster said:

We it was delivered he car was left in the road with our agreement, fine, so when the diver left we went to park it on our driveway and the car had no power at all,

I thought this was an unusual statement. Was the car delivered on a transporter? If so, I assume the delivery driver drove the car off the transporter or the car was actually driven to your home location.

Personally if I was buying a brand new Lexus, I would be at the dealership to complete paperwork and make sure that everything was good with the car.

'Stevewagster' seems to have gone quiet, I hope he updates us soon.

DavidCM · October 20, 2023

...perhaps after reading the manual....

Phil xxkr · October 20, 2023

1 hour ago, DavidCM said:

...perhaps after reading the manual....

I can hear Roy of the Rovers in the distance 😎

fourbanks · October 20, 2023

3 hours ago, HPS13 said:

I thought this was an unusual statement. Was the car delivered on a transporter? If so, I assume the delivery driver drove the car off the transporter or the car was actually driven to your home location.

Personally if I was buying a brand new Lexus, I would be at the dealership to complete paperwork and make sure that everything was good with the car.

'Stevewagster' seems to have gone quiet, I hope he updates us soon.

Indeed, Hugh, we need an update from Steve asap. I have a master Lexus technician friend Tim based at Lexus Gatwick for 20 years who should help you out if your local dealer can't for some very odd reason. All the Lexus Kent dealers should have at least one master technician employed, but for your problem at number 9 where burning is concerned unless very straight forward that would need to be addressed by head office only as a safety measure in case a full UK recall was needed

dutchie01 · October 20, 2023

Just a feeling but something here does not add up. Who is the dealer? Is the car new or secondhand and within warranty?

Short recap. The dealer delivers a Lexus on your driveway and disappears. You then find out the car does not work and there is black grease all over the white interior. You do not contact the dealer but your neigbour with thesame car starts jumpstarting it??

Next day you drive to a forest, the radio does not work, the satnav has glitches and in the middle of nowhere you cannot close the roof and windows so you walk away. Then 3 more breakdowns, a burning smell in the car and a loose feeling in the steering.

I stop here as it all sounds too bizarre to be true. Did you by any chance find any trolls in the forest?

fourbanks · October 20, 2023

53 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Just a feeling but something here does not add up. Who is the dealer? Is the car new or secondhand and within warranty?

Short recap. The dealer delivers a Lexus on your driveway and disappears. You then find out the car does not work and there is black grease all over the white interior. You do not contact the dealer but your neigbour with thesame car starts jumpstarting it??

Next day you drive to a forest, the radio does not work, the satnav has glitches and in the middle of nowhere you cannot close the roof and windows so you walk away. Then 3 more breakdowns, a burning smell in the car and a loose feeling in the steering.

I stop here as it all sounds too bizarre to be true. Did you by any chance find any trolls in the forest?

The car is new Bernard Steve, purchased in September 1st. The dealer would never deliver to an address from new, as it has to be inspected in the dealership and signed off. However, once it's been inspected by the owner it could then be driven to the owner's address that's the procedure I'm aware of

that's what I believe has happened here, Steve's inspected it at the dealership and then someone has driven it over to his home. They have then left it on the road, Steve then came out to find it won't start, and a neighbour has then come along to help out.

Not sure where the blank grease marks have come from, as the car collection staff for servicing at the dealerships are in general very good

as for everything else on Steve's list that to me, seams like water ingress on the wiring harness having either been exposed to heavy rain or having driven through a large pool of flood water that would most certainly do it