Corroded Rear Discs

[DTH]

IS200 SE, new in May 2001, 60k miles (it lives on the motorway!), serviced on the dot. Just had the 60k service done at the weekend and was informed that the rear brake discs were corroded (note, not warped or worn thin - corroded). Dealer spoke to Lexus warranty department after the weekend and were told that this is a wear & tear item therefore not subject to warranty.

Does anybody else out there have any experiences of trying to get Lexus to admit that brake discs should not corrode after 20 months?

Admittedly the mileage is high but I am sympathetic to the old girl, she is still on the original tyres and I don't do track days.

All comments gratefully appreciated.

[javadude]

Is it the drum on which the disks are mounted that is corroded? If so most dealers are replacing these under warranty without question. Mine were done a while back at Lexus Reading.

[jenners]

All mine were replaced under warranty for the reason that javadude mentioned. i.e. the drum was looking corroded. I wasn't sure whether it was corroding so that it was dangerous or just that it didn't look very good ! - wasn't complaining though !.

I would persue it if I were you - made a little but trickier that you have done the 60K miles though but still worth persuing - I mean if they chose to mention it at the 60K service - did they not spot it at the 50K service or had it suddenly started corroding since then ?

[ricky_is200]

I've had mine changed too, at the 40K miles service. I didn't say anything to the dealer but they told me they were corrorded and they had changed them under warranty. Seems strange they wont' change yours, might be worth going back to them and say you saw on Lexus Owners Club the lots of people had had them changed.

[Zee007]

I would definately continue to persue this to be honest - I have experienced a number of issues with claiming under warrenty, and until I spoke to Head Office, I found very little assistance. Keep at them mate.... <_<

[DTH]

Thanks fellas,

Here's an update.....

Not being mechanically minded (and sick of being bounced between Lexus Head Office / Dealer / Warranty company) I've asked the dealer that diagnosed the problem to speak to Lexus H.O. customer service. This discussion is ongoing.

No offence to Lexus customer service but they tried to blame me for a combination of:

a) Leaving the vehicle standing idle for too long

b) Using the brakes too heavily / not hard enough

c) Living in a temperate climate where corrosion is to be expected

d) Driving 60k miles which is the expected life-span for discs (the front discs are perfect)

It is safe to say that 20 months / 60k mile happy, pain free & contented Lexus ownership is slowly evaporating due to inept customer service. If I'd really wanted to be shafted like this I would have a bought a BMW, they really do know how to shaft you !!

[javaboss]

Why-oh-why do Lexus do this? You've been a happy owner for 60k miles! You'd probably no doubt buy another Lexus - and here they are doing their best to ensure you buy another make of car when you come to change it!

They ought to just shove some new discs on and shut up

[ricky_is200]

They ought to just shove some new discs on and shut up

especially as its a known problem with the original discs on the car.

[stephenc]

Just curious to know how a corroded disc looks like. Better go check mine before the warranty is over :)

[ricky_is200]

The centre part of mine was very discoloured where it had rusted. The part that is in contact with the brake pads was fine.

[Claire G]

I'd be really surprised if Lexus do as well in the JD Powers survey again. Not sure if I just had unrealistic expectations (never had a new car before), but their customer service doesn't seem that good to me. Nice but dim...

[javadude]

I'd be really surprised if Lexus do as well in the JD Powers survey again. Not sure if I just had unrealistic expectations (never had a new car before), but their customer service doesn't seem that good to me.

Claire

Odd that you don't get as good service from Bracknell as I do from Reading when it's the same franchise! Guess they need to learn from their Reading branch.

[Claire G]

The dealership are ok-ish. I was pee'd at them as I had body work done at Lexus Twickenham when I lived Slough way (they could do the car and provide a courtesey car quicker). When I moved to Warfield, 2 mins away from Bracknell, and needed the drivers window leccy motor sorting, they kept fobbing me off that it was something Twickenham had done. I was passed from pillar to post, backwards and forwards to Twickers and it didn't seem related to the work they had done.

Just really got on my nerves that Bracknell didn't really seem interested in warranty work (maybe just want the hard cash!).

As I said, they're ok but nothing startling. I had to get Lexus GB involved too and have the same opinion of them. Adequate but nothing to write home about.

[Claire G]

In fact, my comment to Lexus GB was that if I had wanted to be sodded about, I would have gone to a car supermarket and bought a Ford or Vauxhall

[ricky_is200]

The dealer does get paid for warranty work so I can't see why they wouldn't be keen to take it on.

[Bobski]

Im sposed to be getting my alloys changed at Lexus Bracknell next week, after quite a bit of 2ing and THROWING!........I'll let you all know how it goes there.

So far they havnt been bad, changed water pump and hi-fi with no problem.

[DTH]

Sorry about the delay in updating.

The discs were replaced under warranty and I can now stop on a sixpence.

Thanks Lexus warranty dept but why the hassle?

[Vlady]

I am resurrecting this thread, which is 18 years old!!!

How do you people deal with rear corroded discs? I do not drive much (for the last year) and they look rusty and heavily pitted, every 1-2 weeks I do couple emergency stops to clear the discs but not to much avail. 

At the moment Lexus Direct parts have a good deal on a full rear set but will they not corrode as much and as easy without being properly used? Or better wait for now and swap old ones to a new ones when we all go back to normal? 

I do brake maintenance twice a year but prevent corrosion of the discs is beyond my power. 

The brakes on my wifes car look pretty evenly used and clean, front and rear, fair enough she is not driving a hybrid and we drive her car a bit more often but still no sign of corrosion.

[lexus22]

The only time my rear discs got rusty was when the garage forgot to remove clamps from the rear brake rubber pipes! The rear brakes are not used as much as the fronts, but that does not make them corrode and rust, there has to be a caliper/fluid pressure problem.

[Vlady]

10 hours ago, lexus22 said:

The only time my rear discs got rusty was when the garage forgot to remove clamps from the rear brake rubber pipes! The rear brakes are not used as much as the fronts, but that does not make them corrode and rust, there has to be a caliper/fluid pressure problem.

I do clean and lubricate my calipers twice a year and did not notice any issues with brake cylinders or calipers themselfs. Just discs pitted and corroded around the circumference. 

[steve2006]

I still have the original discs on mine with hardly any lip present and no corrosion.

The only time I see rust slightly on them is after washing the car but this soon rubs off.

Admittedly it spends most of its time in a dry garage and hasn’t hit 100k yet.

[Vlady]

@steve2006 dry garage makes the big difference. 

[Malc]

I'm assuming good regular use of the car doesn't allow detrimental disc corrosion to set-in  ?

Malc

[Vlady]

6 minutes ago, Malc said:

I'm assuming good regular use of the car doesn't allow detrimental disc corrosion to set-in  ?

Malc

It does need to be used more Malc, short trips to shops do not help to fix the issue and remove the corrosion, or I need to drive like a lunatic to engage rear brakes! 🙂

[Spacewagon52]

I had my discs replaced due to corrosion recently. The garage measured the thickness of the discs and told me it was below tolerance.

I would imagine a Lexus dealer would do something similar.