I Almost Died~!

[Lessus]

Well, my name is TJ and I am new to the forum. I hope someone can help me. I purchased my 2008 LS460 about 2 months ago. I baby my car and take very very good care of it. I dont drive hard. One day I got a check engine light so I took it to the dealer which they claimed they fixed. then a week later the car starting shaking really bad on the highway and the check engine light came back on. Suddenly the engine cuts off on the middle of the highway. No warnings. Luckly, the car behind was far off so there was no accident. However, after getting my car into the dealer. The Diagnastic Specialist tells me "I have been doing this for a very long time... But I have never seen or heard of anything like this, We will contact Lexus and get this issue resolved". It took them 2 weeks to fix my car replacing parts here and there.

I guess my question is this. I dont really feel safe driving in this car... and now I dont feel that this car is new, almost as if It had been in an accident. It just doesnt feel the same. Is there any steps I can take in going about getting my car changed? Can I file a case for the stress I been through and my near death experience? What should I do? should I go and pick the car up from the dealer?

Thank you all for your advice in advance.

[texagun]

First of all, do you have any pictures of your car that you could post here? I'd like to see it.

Secondly, what was the diagnosis and repair the 1st time you had the problem?

Thirdly, what did they do to fix the car the 2nd time? What was the diagnosis? What parts were replaced?

You are not giving many details on this situation. Care to elaborate with some details?

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

[SW03ES]

Can I file a case for the stress I been through and my near death experience? What should I do? should I go and pick the car up from the dealer?

Melodramatic much?

Come on, your car broke down. You didn't almost die, "stress"? Millions upon millions of people have had their cars break down on them on the highway. The world keeps on spinning around.

Yes its distressing, no it shouldn't have happened but these things happen and the dealer asserts the car has been repaired. Like texasgun asked, what was the issue? What did they repair? Did they tow the vehicle to the dealer or did it restart?

You say "Should I pick it up?" Meaning you haven't picked it up yet? How do you know it doesn't feel like a new car?

Cars are machines, things go wrong. Gotta get over the whinies on this one IMHO...

[raymsixsix]

Near death experience? Man, driving everyday in Tampa you rub shoulders with death driving a car in top condition. You're from Atlanta, which is not any different, I think you need to calm down a little bit and relax. Like some of the guys asked, what did they do to your car? And I'm not sure I understand what you mean that the car doesn't feel new anymore? As it's my understanding you haven't touched the car since you dropped it off to be serviced? At any rate, let us know what transpires.

[nc211]

You know, one of these days Lexus is going to get their !Removed!'s handed to them for this type of stuff, in my opinion. The 1st lexus I ever drove, which led me to my former LS400, was a used GS300 we were looking at in 04'. We pulled out into traffic, went about a mile and were approaching the onramp to the freeway, when all of the sudden with no warning, the gas peddle went to mush, the lights came on, and it just died in the middle of the road. Luckily enough we had enough momentum to coast to the side of the road "actually in the middle of the road". We sat there for a minute, spooked pretty badly as cars wizzed by us. I tried restarting it, it started, ran fine all the way back to the dealership "immediately returned the car". One of the biggest threads in the LS400 section is about the car just dieing after a highway cruise. Granted, all cars do breakdown at some point, but man, I'd have to think there is a bit of a glitch here that could be quite deadly if it were to happen at the wrong time.

I say this, because we actually did lose family friends in 93' by something exactly like this. They were driving their new Jag down to Key West. They were on that long narrow bridge that leads down to the Keys, when their Jag just shut off while in gear. The gearing acted like a brake so they didn't have much coasting ability. Unfortunately they weren't able to pull over "too narrow of a road" and were hit from behind. The hit broke the gas line, which hit the hot brakes, caught fire, and they were killed. Needless to say, their two kids "both adults at the time" sued the living hell out of Jag for it, and won big time "took 6 years then Jag settled the night before the trial was to start". The problem? I believe was a faulty fuel relay that was clearly documented in other models around the globe for the past 3 years.

Do I think you can "sue" Lexus for this? No, I doubt it. But if the car is brand spankin' new?? then I would assume you could probably switch it out for a different one "I don't know the mileage on yours though". Furthermore, I'd suspect they would probably insist you give their repairs a chance first though.

[JENunnez]

Wow nc211 that story brings a reality check here. I've been down that road in the Keys many times and yea there's no room for error and almost all the accidents fom Florida City down to Key West are horrific. Sorry to hear that.

[Lessus]

Well, Thank you all for the fast replies. I am not trying to be give a hard time with this fix nor am I trying to get something out of it. I was just simply asking a question. I dont understand why most of your replies are negative.

as far as the job that was done.

*labor description*

customer states check engine light on...

was just in with the same problem

light stayed off for one day then came

back on

PO365 camshaft postion sensor b circuit.

sensor has eratic readings

replaced camshaft sensor b and engine light came back on.

after completing an ociliscope pattern found readings to

be very eratic. removed sensor and inspected pick up. found

that the pick up on the cam has very large nick in wheel

and wheel has been moved on the cam from broken spring and

retainers bouncing around in the valve cover.

cyl head w/o valves

spring broken on #1 intake valve

upon inspection found #1 cylinder intake spring broken and

valve bent. also pick up on the cams nicked and moved

r/p drivers head replaced with new head. replaced broken

valve. lapped in all valves to new head, replaced spring

and retaner. replaced both intake and exhaust cams.

check engine light on

p0420 catalyst efficiency below threshold bank 1

replaced bank 1 catalyst, caskets and bank 1 a/f sensor

bank 1 a/f sensor seized in manifold and theads pulled out

when trying to remove.

*Items replaced*

sensor. crank pos

super long life c

head sub-assy, cy

gasket kit, engin

camshaft sub-assy

camshaft sub-assy

valve, intake

seat, valve sprin

spring, compressi

retainer, valve s

cap, valve stem

arm sub-assy, val

gasket, water pum

lock, valve sprin

fipg oil pan

manifold sub-assy

gasket, exhaust m

sensor, air fuel

This is so far up to date. as for the pictures of the parts / areas they fixed I dont have. The car itself was not driveable when it stopped in the middle lane of the highway. I dont think i was fully explaining the situation. when I say the car came to a stop I didnt mean a it slowed down gradually to a stop. I mean I stopped... try going 60+ on a highway and slam on the brakes and see what happens. That is how I stopped. I didnt press the brakes or anything. So yea near death is correct I believe.

[texagun]

Thanks for the update. The bent valve problem has occurred before on some LS460's. It usually happens within the 1st 1000 miles or so on the car. Unfortunately you got one of the cars with the problem. Once they fix it, your car will probably be better than new. I would personally ask them to extend the factory warranty on the car as a good will gesture since you are having major problems with a brand-new car. I would ask for a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty on the engine and drivetrain. Best of luck with it, and again, welcome to the forum.

[SW03ES]

When you say the car stopped as if the brakes had been slammed on you have to understand thats not physically possible given the failure you've mentioned. You must have hit the brakes...

If the engine fell completely out of the car it wouldn't just stop...the brakes would have to engage to stop the car. If you threw it in reverse or park it still wouldn't just stop...

Thats a big repair, have you picked the car up? If so how does it drive?

[nc211]

Thats a big repair, have you picked the car up? If so how does it drive?

WOW! I agree! I'm a bit suprised the engine wasn't ruined by all of that bent valve, chipped wheel, etc... damage. I'm curious how it drives now too, and how many miles you've got on it? I would certainly have to think this was a "glitch" problem, as stuff like that certainly isn't a Toyota characteristic in general.

[texagun]

I've seen 2 or 3 instances of bent valves, usually caused by a bent or broken valve spring, exactly as you have described over on Club Lexus. It nearly always occurred in new cars within the first couple of thousands of miles. This is the 1st instance of it that I have seen in the last several months. I'm wondering how often it occurs and the news never makes it to the internet.

Here's one thread addressing the situation:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...highlight=valve

[JENunnez]

I wonder if the piston had any damage, usually a bent valve means also a screwed up piston head. There's no mention of any piston inspection whatsoever.

Thats a big repair for a fairly new engine.

[texagun]

Here is a post that was posted today on another forum that is relative to the topic:

" Since the Lexus mech who posts here doesn't seem to want to go here, I have to point out that this engine is an interference design.

This simply means that if the timing between the valve train and the crankshaft is not maintained, the valve can physically contact the top of the piston, resulting in major physical damage, including bent valve stems, damaged valve heads, piston damage, and assorted metal pieces floating around in the cylinder head.

At the very least, I would expect a full teardown and inspection of the head, the valve train, the piston top, and the cylinder walls on the cylinder in the bank that suffered the failure. An extension of the warranty would also be in order, if for no other reason than as a goodwill gesture."

[SW03ES]

Wow...

I gotta say, I'd want a new car too. In the very least you should demand a warranty extension...

[Lexusfreak]

Agreed! That's alot of stuff to happen to a 2008 LS of all cars.

[amcdonal86]

Well, my name is TJ and I am new to the forum. I hope someone can help me. I purchased my 2008 LS460 about 2 months ago. I baby my car and take very very good care of it. I dont drive hard. One day I got a check engine light so I took it to the dealer which they claimed they fixed. then a week later the car starting shaking really bad on the highway and the check engine light came back on. Suddenly the engine cuts off on the middle of the highway. No warnings. Luckly, the car behind was far off so there was no accident. However, after getting my car into the dealer. The Diagnastic Specialist tells me "I have been doing this for a very long time... But I have never seen or heard of anything like this, We will contact Lexus and get this issue resolved". It took them 2 weeks to fix my car replacing parts here and there.

I guess my question is this. I dont really feel safe driving in this car... and now I dont feel that this car is new, almost as if It had been in an accident. It just doesnt feel the same. Is there any steps I can take in going about getting my car changed? Can I file a case for the stress I been through and my near death experience? What should I do? should I go and pick the car up from the dealer?

Thank you all for your advice in advance.

Can't you attempt to have Lexus buy the car back through your state's "lemon" laws?

[lexuskid06]

sounds like a spoiled brat to me, new or used machines malfunction thats the bottom line, you dont want the car give it to me. If not stop crying over spilled milk.