17 Months In - New Issues

[Dayglows]

Having discussed this at home and having slept on it, I feel brighter!! sinceSunday evening - all rattles seem to have gone...cooler temperature makes it OK...When it happens it makes you so mad!! At the end of the day - it's only a car and can be fixed.

Think of the England Football team, that can't be fixed! Bring on the qualifiers...

Going back to what Curtisp said about building to a standard rather than a price, its funny but I am sure that is what the Lexus sales rep said to me about Lexus when he was selling me on them. He said that all the other manufacturers manufactured to a price while Lexus made the car and then put a price on it. Was anyone else given this spiel?

Going back to the paint issue Jamboo is correct in thinking that the paint/clear topcoat is too soft as against other manufacturers. I don't know why unless it is because someones nephew works for the paint company or something because there is no reason behind it. It is quite possible to make a water based topcoat every bit as hard as a solvent based one. The only downside of WB topcoats is that in hot weather, some of them turn thermoplastic and soften slightly, however as our paint is soft all year round I don't think that is the problem. Yes you guessed it I am in the paint business and on the other thread long ago when we were discussing the paint and I asked the Lexus guy to give us his comments about the paint. I was only having a chuckle as to how big a hole he was going to dig for himself.

In short, what we seem to have are Luxury cars with rattly engines (diesel) crap paint and wobbly rear view mirrors that rattle a bit inside as well. Not too bad really is it.

The point you make about the paint is an interesting one. The next door neighbour has 7 cats. Now I hate cats for the sole reason on what they do to my car when they walk over it. I have about 4 deep scratches and 6 not so deep scratches over my bonnet where the cats have slid on it. You can see the white primer on the 4 deep ones. Now even though the cats walk over the Audi there are no such scratches. You can see the foot prints and even where they have slipped however it's just my Lex that get the scratches. I will need both front wings and the bonnet resprayed before long but I don't want to do it just yet because I know the cats will just do it again. Arrgghhh, I HATE CATS.......

[Exiled]

Having discussed this at home and having slept on it, I feel brighter!! sinceSunday evening - all rattles seem to have gone...cooler temperature makes it OK...When it happens it makes you so mad!! At the end of the day - it's only a car and can be fixed.

Think of the England Football team, that can't be fixed! Bring on the qualifiers...

Going back to what Curtisp said about building to a standard rather than a price, its funny but I am sure that is what the Lexus sales rep said to me about Lexus when he was selling me on them. He said that all the other manufacturers manufactured to a price while Lexus made the car and then put a price on it. Was anyone else given this spiel?

Going back to the paint issue Jamboo is correct in thinking that the paint/clear topcoat is too soft as against other manufacturers. I don't know why unless it is because someones nephew works for the paint company or something because there is no reason behind it. It is quite possible to make a water based topcoat every bit as hard as a solvent based one. The only downside of WB topcoats is that in hot weather, some of them turn thermoplastic and soften slightly, however as our paint is soft all year round I don't think that is the problem. Yes you guessed it I am in the paint business and on the other thread long ago when we were discussing the paint and I asked the Lexus guy to give us his comments about the paint. I was only having a chuckle as to how big a hole he was going to dig for himself.

In short, what we seem to have are Luxury cars with rattly engines (diesel) crap paint and wobbly rear view mirrors that rattle a bit inside as well. Not too bad really is it.

The point you make about the paint is an interesting one. The next door neighbour has 7 cats. Now I hate cats for the sole reason on what they do to my car when they walk over it. I have about 4 deep scratches and 6 not so deep scratches over my bonnet where the cats have slid on it. You can see the white primer on the 4 deep ones. Now even though the cats walk over the Audi there are no such scratches. You can see the foot prints and even where they have slipped however it's just my Lex that get the scratches. I will need both front wings and the bonnet resprayed before long but I don't want to do it just yet because I know the cats will just do it again. Arrgghhh, I HATE CATS.......

Word of advice. After the Lex is resprayed, and before you drive it home, GET A DOG!!!

[SiWhite]

Word of advice. After the Lex is resprayed, and before you drive it home, GET A DOG!!!

[Dayglows]

Hey Exiled - the cats are my next door neighbours. Second sentence - "The next door neighbour has 7 cats". I don't have any pets so I certainly wouldn't get a dog. :P

[BlueyIS]

Hey Exiled - the cats are my next door neighbours. Second sentence - "The next door neighbour has 7 cats". I don't have any pets so I certainly wouldn't get a dog. :P

Looks like you need a cage for your Lex then, gotta keep them cats away somehow.......

[Dayglows]

Hey Exiled - the cats are my next door neighbours. Second sentence - "The next door neighbour has 7 cats". I don't have any pets so I certainly wouldn't get a dog. :P

Looks like you need a cage for your Lex then, gotta keep them cats away somehow.......

I have seen some pads that you can put on your bonnet with a small charge in so it gives the cat a small shock when they jump on the car...... I wonder if they can be wired up to the mains......

[Dayglows]

Ok, got the car back last week after Lex had it for a couple of weeks. Had the front tyres changed (I had asked for Dunlop tyres not Brisgestones that are on there already as one of the loan cars I had used them and was quieter) whilst it was in as they were worn around the edges. The dash now looked flush (i should hope so as this is the 3rd dash i have had). The instrument cluster was also changed as the dialed rattled when they turned when the start button was pressed and they whizzed around. The gearbox also had a new gater system fitted to fix the crunching when going into 6th. The seat belt plastic cover next to the drivers ear was also changed as it rattled and the driver side air vent was changed as this too was buzzing. The foot rest next to the clutch pedal was also meant to be changed as this was also loose.

Anyway, picked the car up looked at the dash and was really pleased with what i saw. I paid for the tyres and drove home. The car was quiet at last. There was the odd creak from the centre console but I thought that the odd creak from the plastic was better than the rattles that it replaced. Anyway, I got home and went around the car. I first noticed that the car didn't have dunlops on but had bridgestones on. When I looked closer I also noticed that one of the alloys had been damaged. It looked like it was damaged when the old rubber was being levered off the rim. I also noticed that the centre console next to the arm rest had popped up and you could see where the fixing was broken so there is an unsightly gap. I'm sure it didn't leave the dealer like that as I'm sure I would have noticed it. It must have happened on the 4 mile jouney home. I also noticed that the foot rest was still loose. The steering wheel was also pointing slightly to the left and when held straight the car veered off to the right.

Anyway, I called Lexus and I took the car back in. On closer inspection we noticed that the alloys were bubbling so Lex has agreed to change them all. The car is now booked in for end Sept as I am off on hols soon. So that's the end of it, not quite. When we had the hot weather the other day I realised that the air con wasn't getting cold. Sure enough it was blowing cool air out when the temp settings were on 'LO' but it seems to have lost it's efficiency. So this will need looking at too. When I got to work a friend of mine gave me a DVD and so I went to the car to see what it sounded like. When I tried to eject a disc the disc wouldn't eject and was making some very strange noises. Even when i turned the ignition off it still made the noises. None of the bottons worked either. I then looked inside and could see the top of the disc. I pushed a key in and lifted the disc slightly and it came out. I then pushed one in and ejected it again and it seemed fine again. Then to top it all off on the way home from work tonight the airbag light came on. It was on all the way home. I phoned Lexus service at 5.45 and service was with a customer so I left a message for them to contact me urgently as I have an 11 month old baby and I am worried that the car may not be as safe as I would hope it to be. I was told that they would call me right back. At 6pm I still hadn't received a call so I called back again, a salesman answered and told me servcie was outside with a customer and would call me right back. By 6.30 I still did not have a call so I phoned again. No answer... When I got home I tried restarting the car again to see if the light would reset. Funnily enough it did. But now I am wondering whether there is an issue or not..

Is it me being over finiky and 'in the pursuit of perfection' or am I driving a lemon?

[Exiled]

Ok, got the car back last week after Lex had it for a couple of weeks. Had the front tyres changed (I had asked for Dunlop tyres not Brisgestones that are on there already as one of the loan cars I had used them and was quieter) whilst it was in as they were worn around the edges. The dash now looked flush (i should hope so as this is the 3rd dash i have had). The instrument cluster was also changed as the dialed rattled when they turned when the start button was pressed and they whizzed around. The gearbox also had a new gater system fitted to fix the crunching when going into 6th. The seat belt plastic cover next to the drivers ear was also changed as it rattled and the driver side air vent was changed as this too was buzzing. The foot rest next to the clutch pedal was also meant to be changed as this was also loose.

Anyway, picked the car up looked at the dash and was really pleased with what i saw. I paid for the tyres and drove home. The car was quiet at last. There was the odd creak from the centre console but I thought that the odd creak from the plastic was better than the rattles that it replaced. Anyway, I got home and went around the car. I first noticed that the car didn't have dunlops on but had bridgestones on. When I looked closer I also noticed that one of the alloys had been damaged. It looked like it was damaged when the old rubber was being levered off the rim. I also noticed that the centre console next to the arm rest had popped up and you could see where the fixing was broken so there is an unsightly gap. I'm sure it didn't leave the dealer like that as I'm sure I would have noticed it. It must have happened on the 4 mile jouney home. I also noticed that the foot rest was still loose. The steering wheel was also pointing slightly to the left and when held straight the car veered off to the right.

Anyway, I called Lexus and I took the car back in. On closer inspection we noticed that the alloys were bubbling so Lex has agreed to change them all. The car is now booked in for end Sept as I am off on hols soon. So that's the end of it, not quite. When we had the hot weather the other day I realised that the air con wasn't getting cold. Sure enough it was blowing cool air out when the temp settings were on 'LO' but it seems to have lost it's efficiency. So this will need looking at too. When I got to work a frined of mine gave me a DVD and so I went to the car to see what it sounded like. When I tried to eject a disc the disc wouldn't eject and was making some very strange noises. Even when i turned the ignition off it still made the noises. None of the bottons worked either. I then looked inside and could see the top of the disc. I pushed a key in and lifted the disc slightly and it came out. I then pushed one in and ejected it again and it seemed fine again. Then to top it all off on the way home from work tonight the airbag light came on. It was on all the way home. I phoned Lexus service at 5.45 and service was with a customer so I left a message for them to contact me urgently as I have an 11 month old baby and I am worried that the car may not be as safe as I would hope it to be. I was told that they would call me right back. At 6pm I still hadn't received a call so I called back again, a salesman answered and told me servcie was outside with a customer and would call me right back. By 6.30 I still did not have a call so I phoned again. No answer... When I got home I tried restarting the car again to see if the light would reset. Funnily enough it did. But now I am wondering whether there is an issue or not..

Is it me being over finiky and 'in the pursuit of perfection' or am I driving a lemon?

BY THE SOUNDS OF IT I'D SAY THE LATTER!!

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I thought it could only happen to me and only me...

All of your issues seem like poor quality control. If you'd paid for dunlops, then dunlops is what you should have had....as for everything else, well it just seems like your car, with all known problems, is still treated like anyone elses car...

BTW - apparently it's now "Discovery of Perfection" not "In Pursuit..."....apparently they found it

[Dayglows]

I thought it could only happen to me and only me...

All of your issues seem like poor quality control. If you'd paid for dunlops, then dunlops is what you should have had....as for everything else, well it just seems like your car, with all known problems, is still treated like anyone elses car...

BTW - apparently it's now "Discovery of Perfection" not "In Pursuit..."....apparently they found it

"Discovery of Perfection" - Not in my car it's not Jamboo. :duh:

To be honest I have become resignedto the fact that as I had one of the first off the production line the robots were not as accurate as they could have been. The early compononents for the car were still being deveoped whilst their quiality was also being improved whilst they ramped up production. I think it's just unfortunate that so many things have gone wrong on one car. I have to admit that when the airbag light came on I was spitting feathers. To be fair Lex are courteous even though I must be a royal pain in the backside by keep going in with more issues. I'm sure they think "oh here he comes again, what has he broken now."

I do feel like a pest keep asking for things to be checked and changed but if it's not right, it's not right.

I like the car and the brand but i don't like the issues. Perhaps I should try and request a 'special deal' with LOex to try and get into another one. The problem is that the Garage is there to make moneyand are unlikely to compensate me for the problems I have had by a loss of margin on another car. Perhpas Lex GB could add some assistance? Worth a shot I suppose.

[Exiled]

I thought it could only happen to me and only me...

All of your issues seem like poor quality control. If you'd paid for dunlops, then dunlops is what you should have had....as for everything else, well it just seems like your car, with all known problems, is still treated like anyone elses car...

BTW - apparently it's now "Discovery of Perfection" not "In Pursuit..."....apparently they found it

"Discovery of Perfection" - Not in my car it's not Jamboo. :duh:

To be honest I have become resignedto the fact that as I had one of the first off the production line the robots were not as accurate as they could have been. The early compononents for the car were still being deveoped whilst their quiality was also being improved whilst they ramped up production. I think it's just unfortunate that so many things have gone wrong on one car. I have to admit that when the airbag light came on I was spitting feathers. To be fair Lex are courteous even though I must be a royal pain in the backside by keep going in with more issues. I'm sure they think "oh here he comes again, what has he broken now."

D

I do feel like a pest keep asking for things to be checked and changed but if it's not right, it's not right.

I like the car and the brand but i don't like the issues. Perhaps I should try and request a 'special deal' with LOex to try and get into another one. The problem is that the Garage is there to make moneyand are unlikely to compensate me for the problems I have had by a loss of margin on another car. Perhpas Lex GB could add some assistance? Worth a shot I suppose.

Anything is worth a shot, they know about all your problems. Don't worry about becoming a pest, it's the car that's the pest it should be right. You're certainly making me think.

If you basically like the car push them to give you a good deal, they may have a customer for life alternatively you'd probably never go near the brand again. Keep on and on at them, what have you to lose!

As an aside, if you left the brand the neighbour's cats wouldn't half be miffed, cold bums this winter.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I agree - give it a go...try other dealerships too. You never know.

Having said this, I would buy another Lexus again. Whilst my car has had the issues, it is still a pleasure owning one, and it still makes me feel like like a millionaire.

So even though my dealership now know me very very well, for the wrong reasons I might add, I would still consider doing business there. The staff are always polite, courteous, and in spite of the sharp stick I have at times poked at them, they remain focused and try their best to delight me. I can't ask for more than that. It's not their fault!!

So yes - all told, I am a very satisfied Lexus customer now.

Mine still has the odd temperture related groan and rattle from the dash, and the drivers side vent still rattles and buzzes like mad at times, but hey - I just turn the MLS up to 35 and I can't hear them...

I still have one eye on a GS450/RX400h, and another eye on the Audi RS4...if I had a third eye it would seriously be a 7 series BMW - ugly but awesome - but it's looking more like a Hybrid Lexus now...

PS - I love the LS430, but the engines just a tad too big. If there was a diesel, I would have one...and the LS460/600h are too expensive for me...need those 6 numbers first!!