Choked sunroof drains NX200T

[Valerie Moore]

The floor of my 2016 NX200t was completely flooded during heavy rains in NYC about 6 weeks. Took it to the dealer where I have it maintained and they suggested I file a claim with my insurance. Insurance initially refused to cover it claiming that the damage was not sudden. The dealer read them the riot act and they agreed to cover it. I know the dealer was looking after his interests but since my car will be fixed, I’m good. But I felt that the bigger issue is with the design of sunroof. I drove a Nissan Murano for 14 years with a sunroof and no issues. So I called Lexus and asked what they could do. Nowhere in the manual does it say to clean your sunroof drains. They grudgingly opened a case and 2 days later called back to say they can’t help because my car is out of warranty. I know they are the #2 car maker in the world but I can’t wait to move on to a brand that cares about people. 

[Lexus-CT]

Good luck finding a brand that care more for being correct than for profit and thus accepting that there is a missing point in service manuals. If owners of cars with sun-roof themselves must take care of getting the drains cleaned it should be mentioned in manuals, but correct would be that it should be part of service plan to clean the drains.
Soon I need my yearly service in order to keep warranty of hybrid battery and will ask for having the drains cleaned at the same time. Not that it rains much here, actually almost never. But drains could be clogged by dust or other things.

[Valerie Moore]

I think some Audis have the same problem but I believe they issued a recall to take care their customers. Lexus decided to be stiff necked and if they continue to be that way they will fail. 

[JulieB]

My 2021 NX300 with 12,200 miles is still under warranty. My lease is up on October 15 th and today I was going in to sign the papers to purchase the car at end of lease. We live in the northern NJ area and had heavy rain overnight. As I drove off, water started dripping from the overhead light console at the front of the car. There was also a pool of water on the floor. The service dept. at Lexus told me it looked like the drains were blocked and I would have to claim on my insurance for it because the warranty would not. I had never heard of  clogged drains before. The service manager said they’re starting to see more cases of this as a result of the Canadian wildfires polluting the air. I cannot understand why there has not been a recall and also why this is not covered by warranty.

[Lexus-CT]

Of course, Lexus has forgotten to mention, cleaning of drains when serviced at whichever driven distance that could be needed in order to keep our cars dry, and should be held responsible for that.

That is only going to be included if more Lexus owners complain.

Just like electing politicians, the same idiots are elected again and again. Lexus owners are too lazy to demand which is obvious and when something is not going quite like hoped for, we accept it. And pay for fixing something that should be serviced automatically.

 

[Lexus-CT]

It is pretty easy, so why Lexus does not do it is plain stupid. Service is key to satisfied customers.

 

 

[JulieBurnet1]

Update regarding NX 300. Apparently my dealership has unclogged the drains and the electrics in the center console is ok. However, the water had pooled in a rubber mat on the floor and soaked the carpet underneath so estimated damage( to check for mold) is to be 6-7K which I’ll have to get from my insurance. I contacted Toyota/ Lexus and was assigned a case manager who told me that if the service manager at the dealership says the problem was due to outside causes( Canadian wildfire smog???!!!) the warranty is void. I’m also arguing that when they took my car in on Saturday. They should have tried to dry out the floor - it seems like it was just left to gather dampness over the weekend. I’m beyond frustrated. I’ve been with this dealership for 13 and a 1/2 years and this is my 4 th car. How do I prove it was a fault in the car - it’s my word against theirs.

[Lexus-CT]

17 hours ago, JulieBurnet1 said:

Update regarding NX 300. Apparently my dealership has unclogged the drains and the electrics in the center console is ok. However, the water had pooled in a rubber mat on the floor and soaked the carpet underneath so estimated damage( to check for mold) is to be 6-7K which I’ll have to get from my insurance. I contacted Toyota/ Lexus and was assigned a case manager who told me that if the service manager at the dealership says the problem was due to outside causes( Canadian wildfire smog???!!!) the warranty is void. I’m also arguing that when they took my car in on Saturday. They should have tried to dry out the floor - it seems like it was just left to gather dampness over the weekend. I’m beyond frustrated. I’ve been with this dealership for 13 and a 1/2 years and this is my 4 th car. How do I prove it was a fault in the car - it’s my word against theirs.

Extremely poor excuse from Lexus. Smoke from Canada should in no way be able to enter the sunroof, as I would not believe that you are driving with sunroof open when air is full of smog. Inside car with air condition will be far better than polluted outside air. Some could possibly believe that they cleaned the drains after you complained.

You should be able to make that understood even to a company that prefer to keep a tiny gain instead of a satisfied longtime customer.

 

[JulieBurnet1]

Further update. My insurance is refusing to pay for the damage citing some disclaimer. My insurance company representatives are not responding. I have been trying to contact my case manager for over a week with no response. I have also reached out to her supervisor with no response. They are BristolWest(part of Farmers Insurance who offered insurance to NJ teachers). My lease has run out and I was still considering purchasing the car, but now I have to come up with $5000 to either walk away or pay that on top of the purchase price. My dealership now checks the drains as part of the service but my car was serviced July 11 th and they hadn’t started doing it then. Between Lexus and my insurance company, I have been dealt a tough hand. Not sure what to do next…

[Valerie Moore]

Julie I feel your pain. It took 6 weeks for me to get my car sorted out and the insurance company Progressive only paid for 3 weeks of car rental. The difference was a very aggressive sales agent at the dealership who got Progressive to pay up. So thanks to Ray Catena Larchmont. Win for them win for me. They advised me to contact my state department of insurance and get a lawyer if the insurance company did not honor their obligation because that’s why you pay more for comprehensive insurance. This my first and last Lexus. I opened a case with them because nowhere in their manual do they tell you to maintain the drains. They did not even entertain my claim because my car was a day over 5 years and still under 50,000 miles. Rubbish!  These cars are just poorly designed. The money I paid for my car I could have gotten a Kia that is more luxurious and better designed. 
Don’t buy that car and fight the insurance company!

[JulieBurnet1]

Thank you for your response. It is very helpful. It looks like we will have to contact our state department of insurance. I am also unhappy with the treatment by Lexus. We are in the same area as you -Ramsey in Bergen County, NJ. The car is still under warranty and has done 12000 miles. We were getting it for $26K at end of lease. Yesterday, they offered to sell us another car off the lot for $31K with 18K miles as a favor if we left our car with them. After 13 and a 1/2 years and four cars, this is lousy treatment. As I mentioned they started including the drain cleanings with service in August but my car was serviced in mid- July. I’m speechless!