Rust on frame of GX 460

[Diane Sweeney]

I have a 2016 GX 460 and with 93,000 miles on it and the Lexus dealer ship just told me that the frame has excessive rust and is not safe.  I am beside myself.  I have only had it for 3.5 years and bought it from this same dealership.  It was Lexus certified when I bought it.  I have never been on a beach with it.  I live in MA and am 64 years old and only put 20, 000 miles on it in 3.5 years.  Does anyone have any suggestions????

[McBrian]

You can try, but go in knowing there might not be much satisfaction... You live in a salt state (uses salt a LOT for ice and snow) and that destroys cars faster than any region in the US. Unless the first owner (then you) cleaned the underneath EVERY TIME and within days of salt exposure this is going to happen. To EVERYONES cars in these regions regardless of make/model, etc. Northeast and Coastal areas (salt-water vapor/spray) are two places to be VERY careful about used cars for this very reason...

Lexus Certified is only a checklist that I can guarantee the technician pencil whipped to get an easy hour and get the car to sale as fast as possible and off of their insurance policy. Only glaring visible things might've been replaced (brakes, tires, wipers, etc.) NEVER put any faith in it. At the time it might have been passable. There's that. Again, all of that is up to the sales department only putting in the bare minimum to get the maximum profit as well as the mood of the tech that day. 

Unless it becomes a nationwide problem and unless Lexus gets enough complaints to even think about investigating and even then admitting fault and then...

If this is keeping you from getting your annual state inspection you might have some argument at the dealership level. That is the place to start. THEN threaten and go to corporate, but again all of that is going to be dependent on how nice they want to be that day. NOT ever about doing the right thing. That costs money.

Sounds like I'm being overly negative, but this is the reality of the car industry. Best to have all of the positions in your pocket.

[Diane Sweeney]

Thanks for taking the time to respond to me, Brian.  I have two older Lexus with higher miles and have owned longer and live in the exact conditions as this GX460.  I am just so baffles how much rust there is on this one compared to my other two.  It had to have been sold to me with rust, there is now way this could have happened in just 3.5 years.  I did not go to this Lexus dealership for my last two state inspections because it is not convenient.  I wish I had, so I could ask them why they passed it. 

[McBrian]

'It had to have been sold to me with rust.'

100% agreed.