400h - 1st Service Fine, New Tyres Not Fine

[jbanfie]

All,

Had the legendary customer service experience from Lexus Poole, 1st service, 10000 miles. They delivered the courtesy car at 8 in the morning, an IS250 SE and took the RX400h the 40 miles to Poole - I like this a lot.

Service was absolutely fine, £240 inc VAT and inc £10 for the insurance of the loaner (saves me the bother of organising 1 days cover - nice).

Now, mid way through the afternoon I get a phone call saying I need new front tyres (scrubed down to 1.6mm on the inside edge) - I hit the roof.

They 'reckon' the alignment is all out and think we've hit a pot hole or curbed the car knocking it out ????

I start my negotiation on the lines of - 'well if thats what it's going to do, I'm not having another one - am I?' and 'so you're telling me I shouldn't drive a Lexus on the roads of the UK?' - this gets me the alignment work for free, so I only cough for 2 new tyres - which they say are discounted (£117 + VAT).

They get all the work done and deliver the car back home - usual clean and hoover.

So great service, but what's the deal with alignments being 'knocked out', my wife drives the car mainly, and is very conservative?

Thoughts, opinions?

I've been told to keep and eye on the tyres - never had to do this on any other car before??????

Cheers

Jon

[Tony-Bones]

All,

Had the legendary customer service experience from Lexus Poole, 1st service, 10000 miles. They delivered the courtesy car at 8 in the morning, an IS250 SE and took the RX400h the 40 miles to Poole - I like this a lot.

Service was absolutely fine, £240 inc VAT and inc £10 for the insurance of the loaner (saves me the bother of organising 1 days cover - nice).

Now, mid way through the afternoon I get a phone call saying I need new front tyres (scrubed down to 1.6mm on the inside edge) - I hit the roof.

They 'reckon' the alignment is all out and think we've hit a pot hole or curbed the car knocking it out ????

I start my negotiation on the lines of - 'well if thats what it's going to do, I'm not having another one - am I?' and 'so you're telling me I shouldn't drive a Lexus on the roads of the UK?' - this gets me the alignment work for free, so I only cough for 2 new tyres - which they say are discounted (£117 + VAT).

They get all the work done and deliver the car back home - usual clean and hoover.

So great service, but what's the deal with alignments being 'knocked out', my wife drives the car mainly, and is very conservative?

Thoughts, opinions?

I've been told to keep and eye on the tyres - never had to do this on any other car before??????

Cheers

Jon

Lexus certainly got the Geometry wrong on the IS200/300 resulting on violent inside tyre wear... the New250 seems to be following the same path... What i advise is be sure to get a print out of the Geometry so that we can determine if the car has incorrect positions or like the IS200/300 Lexus wrote the wrong positions.

[jaroph]

It is always a good idea to get the alignment done soon after you collect the car, even if it is new. Same goes for the tyre pressures - Dealers, Lexus and others, do not always get these two items right - perhaps because they are not visible to the customer.

In any case, it is very easy to get the tracking out of alignment especially when parking aginst a kerb. My tyres lasted until 23k miles on an RX300 and 20k mles on an RX400h. I do check the pressures weekly and take the car for alignment twice a year and it seems to help. I also get the dealer to rotate the tyres at evry service. (Although it usuallymeans having to change 4 tyres at once because they were evenly !)

Think you got a good deal on the tyres. Micheldever tyres are the best in the south and they quoted £130 including fitting, valves and VAT. They also charge under £30 for full four wheel laser alignment.

Jaroph

[Tony-Bones]

It is always a good idea to get the alignment done soon after you collect the car, even if it is new. Same goes for the tyre pressures - Dealers, Lexus and others, do not always get these two items right - perhaps because they are not visible to the customer.

In any case, it is very easy to get the tracking out of alignment especially when parking aginst a kerb. My tyres lasted until 23k miles on an RX300 and 20k mles on an RX400h. I do check the pressures weekly and take the car for alignment twice a year and it seems to help. I also get the dealer to rotate the tyres at evry service. (Although it usuallymeans having to change 4 tyres at once because they were evenly !)

Think you got a good deal on the tyres. Micheldever tyres are the best in the south and they quoted £130 including fitting, valves and VAT. They also charge under £30 for full four wheel laser alignment.

Jaroph

Be wise with Laser Alignment, this is not the same as a full Geometry and gathers much less information.

[jbanfie]

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for your input, seems Lexus have this a common feature? I too was expecting about 20,000 miles out of the front tyres, got 30,000 out of fronts on my 4 wheel drive Jag X-Type, so 20,000 or so seems fair.

Can't say I'm happy about the RX being so easy to 'break' the tracking, it's supposed to be a tough 4x4!!!

Anyway, it's history now, but I recommend everyone put their wheels on full lock, and have a look at the inside tyre wear, if it's uneven accross the tyre, get thyself back to the dealers and insist on a check!

Cheers

Jon

[leedsunited]

Had 4 wheels changed today due to corrosion, car returned with steering wheel of centre and now pulling to the left, absolutely perfect when left with dealer, anybody any thoughts on what may have happened, it did go for a test drive as mileage was up on how it was left.

[martinjc]

I had the same situation, it was noticable that the tyres were wearing on the edges so I replaced them and had them tracKed by Lexus at the first service. They said it was marginally out. What was most alarming was that the mpg went from ave 32-34 to 27-28 after the service which I find hard to understand!

[Tony-Bones]

Had 4 wheels changed today due to corrosion, car returned with steering wheel of centre and now pulling to the left, absolutely perfect when left with dealer, anybody any thoughts on what may have happened, it did go for a test drive as mileage was up on how it was left.

I think you will find the tyres have not gone back in the same places as before generating 'tyre drift'.. Read this link it explains a little more....

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...p?showtopic=165

[Rillo]

All,

Had the legendary customer service experience from Lexus Poole, 1st service, 10000 miles. They delivered the courtesy car at 8 in the morning, an IS250 SE and took the RX400h the 40 miles to Poole - I like this a lot.

Service was absolutely fine, £240 inc VAT and inc £10 for the insurance of the loaner (saves me the bother of organising 1 days cover - nice).

Now, mid way through the afternoon I get a phone call saying I need new front tyres (scrubed down to 1.6mm on the inside edge) - I hit the roof.

They 'reckon' the alignment is all out and think we've hit a pot hole or curbed the car knocking it out ????

I start my negotiation on the lines of - 'well if thats what it's going to do, I'm not having another one - am I?' and 'so you're telling me I shouldn't drive a Lexus on the roads of the UK?' - this gets me the alignment work for free, so I only cough for 2 new tyres - which they say are discounted (£117 + VAT).

They get all the work done and deliver the car back home - usual clean and hoover.

So great service, but what's the deal with alignments being 'knocked out', my wife drives the car mainly, and is very conservative?

Thoughts, opinions?

I've been told to keep and eye on the tyres - never had to do this on any other car before??????

Cheers

Jon

Out of interest did you notice any unusual vibrations at all?? My new RX seems to send full details of the road surface through the wheel and pedals but not sure if this normal for the air suspension or if I should get a full geometry done??

[jbanfie]

Hi,

We noticed absolutely nothing at all, and the car feels no different following 'alignment'. No air suspension on 400h, if in doubt get it checked, you should get it done for free!