Rx350 Bouncy Ride

[gmz98]

There are so many things I like about my Lexus; however, the ride is very bouncy, particularly on the interstate. If the road has an uneven surface, it begins to bounce and it bounces like a bus ride. I've even had to apologize to passengers as they ride in my new car, passing if off as the road; however, I've driven this road for many years in various vehicles and have never experienced such a problem. My husband's 2007 GMC Envoy goes over the same road and the car is very smooth. I've asked the dealer to look at it, and they say everything is okay--tires, springs, whatever. I swear I didn't notice it until they rotated the tires at 5000 miles. Others say it is just a Lexus and its design, but I can't imagine this car being so highly rated and having such a bounce at highway speeds. This is my first Lexus [previous Mercedes, Seville, etc.] so is this what I should expect? Thanks

[SW03ES]

What are your tire pressures? I bet they're high. A lot of times they're set REALLY high when the car is shipped to prevent flat-spotting and the dealers never air them down. Make sure they're aired to the PSI noted on the driver's doorframe.

What you'll find with a Lexus is that, unlike the Cadillac Seville you had previously (dont know about the Mercedes, never had one) the tires are very important when it comes to the ride. you can put pretty much any tires on a Cadillac or Lincoln and air them to whatever and it'll ride fine, a Lexus needs the right tires and the right air pressure to ride correctly.

[LEXIRX330]

What are your tire pressures? I bet they're high. A lot of times they're set REALLY high when the car is shipped to prevent flat-spotting and the dealers never air them down. Make sure they're aired to the PSI noted on the driver's doorframe.

What you'll find with a Lexus is that, unlike the Cadillac Seville you had previously (dont know about the Mercedes, never had one) the tires are very important when it comes to the ride. you can put pretty much any tires on a Cadillac or Lincoln and air them to whatever and it'll ride fine, a Lexus needs the right tires and the right air pressure to ride correctly.

I also was going to say check the Tire pressure...or at least get your husband to check them! :D They are more than likely to high...especially since you said you did not notice until you got your tires rotated....good luck!

[Rillo]

If you have the air suspension make sure it is not set to high or get Lexus to check the sensors are working correctly.

[gmz98]

What are your tire pressures? I bet they're high. A lot of times they're set REALLY high when the car is shipped to prevent flat-spotting and the dealers never air them down. Make sure they're aired to the PSI noted on the driver's doorframe.

What you'll find with a Lexus is that, unlike the Cadillac Seville you had previously (dont know about the Mercedes, never had one) the tires are very important when it comes to the ride. you can put pretty much any tires on a Cadillac or Lincoln and air them to whatever and it'll ride fine, a Lexus needs the right tires and the right air pressure to ride correctly.

I also was going to say check the Tire pressure...or at least get your husband to check them! :D They are more than likely to high...especially since you said you did not notice until you got your tires rotated....good luck!

Thank you for the input and response. I will check the tire pressure. Right now the weather is so cold, I'm not driving much. When the weather moderates, I'll check the pressure and respond.

[gmz98]

My husband bought a new tire pressure gauge and measured the air pressure. All tires were at least 30-31 psi but the left front was 32 psi. As I understand this is within the recommended tolerances. They are Michelin tires which I have always liked. The ride still bounces and bounces along particularly on blacktop interstate sections. You cannot drink from a cup of coffee while riding in the car when it is in its bouncing mode. Even at a very slow speed, you can even get a feel of an uneven ride.

[retired00]

My husband bought a new tire pressure gauge and measured the air pressure. All tires were at least 30-31 psi but the left front was 32 psi. As I understand this is within the recommended tolerances. They are Michelin tires which I have always liked. The ride still bounces and bounces along particularly on blacktop interstate sections. You cannot drink from a cup of coffee while riding in the car when it is in its bouncing mode. Even at a very slow speed, you can even get a feel of an uneven ride.

I'd take your cup of coffee along to the dealer's, ask for a tech or service advisor to ride with you and go where you feel the problem. If they say it's normal, ask to ride in another new car on the lot to compare. You definitely should not have any bounce unrelated to road surface irregularities.

[JIBBBY]

If you wanted a smoothe ride you should have bought an Escalade or Navagator...Those SUV's you can fall asleep while driving they are so cosy...

I am suprised to hear that the Lexus is offering you a bumpy ride..That stinks... Tire pressure is not going to change the suspension feel that much.... I would talk to the Lexus dealer about this and see what they have to say about it...

[idoc]

There are so many things I like about my Lexus; however, the ride is very bouncy, particularly on the interstate. If the road has an uneven surface, it begins to bounce and it bounces like a bus ride. I've even had to apologize to passengers as they ride in my new car, passing if off as the road; however, I've driven this road for many years in various vehicles and have never experienced such a problem. My husband's 2007 GMC Envoy goes over the same road and the car is very smooth. I've asked the dealer to look at it, and they say everything is okay--tires, springs, whatever. I swear I didn't notice it until they rotated the tires at 5000 miles. Others say it is just a Lexus and its design, but I can't imagine this car being so highly rated and having such a bounce at highway speeds. This is my first Lexus [previous Mercedes, Seville, etc.] so is this what I should expect? Thanks

Funny, after about 5000 miles in our AWD RX 350, we noticed a strange jerky motion even on very smooth pavements. Regardless of speed, it seems to sort of dip and rise on smooth surfaces. We will make an appointment soon with the dealer to have this looked at. The pressure on the tires are 30 psi in all the tires. Anyone else have similar ride qualities.

[chiks]

In my experience driving 2 stiffly tuned Lexus cars (rx300 and IS250), this bouncy nature can be alleviated by keeping the pressure down by about 2 psi.

try it.

[Satz]

It might even be something to do with the transmission not shifting smoothly.

That could give rise to a pitching motion at low speed, which could be felt as the "dip and rise on smooth surfaces".