Brakes And Paint And Brakes And Paint

[msetyon]

I am driving a 2001 Lexus GS300, this is my fourth lexus and it is by far the worste Lexus I have ever owned. The paint is eating away at itself and Lexus decided to be fair they will pay 1,000 of the 6,000$ paint job, so now I have a corroding black car. Besides that, after only 24,000 miles my brakes are completely worn and I need new rotors? Aren't brakes supposed to last longer than that? I am doing mostly highway driving and I want to know if something is wronge with the car.

So here is my question, approximatley how many miles do you get before changing your GS brakes?

[SKperformance]

You may do highway driving but you lie in New jersey. Not the most steady speed to drive at.

Brakes last long when the owner knows how to brake properly not just press a pedal with constant force.

What is gone on the paint and brakes in more details.

If they are only going to pay 1/6 it means tehy are throwing goodwill at you even thought they know it has nothing to do with them.

[sizzler25]

On a side note to that paint... I believe Toyota may have used some bad black paint as my friend's 2000 Corolla looks like it's 50 years old now. The paint is flaking off like crazy. I have seen SEVERAL black toyotas with fading/oxid black paint.

Toyota said this is normal and that you should wax more. WTF?

Maybe if enough people speak out.. they'll own up to using some inferior paint.

[MrSypher]

Damn, sorry that your having trouble with your GS.. IMO the paint Toyota/Lexus uses really does suck.. And if you don't wax it often you'll notice it'll weaken and fade or even start to chip off.. I remember a few years back when I had a Black RX300, I always would wax the crap out of it but rarely ever wax'd the roof.. I'd say after about 1 year the paint on the roof started to chip and peel.. After I saw that I couldn't believe it because the car was still almost new to me.. Another thing that I notice with my GS is that I get rock chips like crazy.. All my other cars that I had never acquired so many, but my GS has them all over the front.. So the paint they use really sucks and they need to try to get their crap together and figure something out.. I guess you can't be perfect with everything.. Lexus/Toyota have the most reliable cars on the road it's just that their paint is no good..

[MrSypher]

one more thing.. Where in NJ are you at?? I have a shop in NY that will paint your car for less than 6 grand.. They do all my work and they also have the Bodyshop account with Lexus of Greenwich.. So most of their cars are Lexus's..

[GuyTelefunken]

Woah, woah, woah. What the hell is up with all the negative comments about Lexus paint? I've been in the automotive field in one form or another for over 15 years. My family has been in it since the '70's.

Only one time did I see a problem with Lexus or Toyota paint to the extent that msetyon has described. That is not to say that is doesn't or hasn't happened, but it is certainly by far not the norm. As a matter of fact, I have seen Lexus cars ten years old or more with absolutely beautiful paint.

The one case in point that I did experience was a friend of mine who bought a GS400, alpine silver, brand new. About 16 months after he owned it, a spot on the hood started to peel. He immediately went back to the dealer he bought it from. The body shop analyzed it. To get a confirming opinion, they called out a rep from the Lexus head office (flew his !Removed! across country to PA). He came out, measured the paint thickness on the hood and found it to be below specification. My friend was given the option to have it refinished (free of charge) or get a new car. He opted for the new car, as anyone would.

If you aren't receiving this level of service from your dealer, you might want to start calling around. Find another dealer(s) and get their opinions. Alternatively, call the head office:

The Lexus Customer Assistance Center

Monday - Friday, 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT

Phone: 1-800-255-3987 prompt #4

Fax: 1-310-468-2992

Address:

P.O. Box 2991 - Mail Drop L202

Torrance, CA 90509-2991

In any case, you should get more consideration than you did, especially if you bought your previous cars at the same dealer.

As for the brakes, that's a variable thing. I got my '98 GS300 used with 59K miles on it. It was a NY car. When I got it, it needed brakes all around and rotors (and shocks and ball joints) in the front. I expected this considering the origin of the car. It's been fine ever since. I have 70K on it at the moment.

I considered it a "gift" seeing as how my BMW ate rotors for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner (even a set or two for a snack).

[MrSypher]

Woah, woah, woah. What the hell is up with all the negative comments about Lexus paint? I've been in the automotive field in one form or another for over 15 years. My family has been in it since the '70's.

Only one time did I see a problem with Lexus or Toyota paint to the extent that msetyon has described. That is not to say that is doesn't or hasn't happened, but it is certainly by far not the norm. As a matter of fact, I have seen Lexus cars ten years old or more with absolutely beautiful paint.

The one case in point that I did experience was a friend of mine who bought a GS400, alpine silver, brand new. About 16 months after he owned it, a spot on the hood started to peel. He immediately went back to the dealer he bought it from. The body shop analyzed it. To get a confirming opinion, they called out a rep from the Lexus head office (flew his !Removed! across country to PA). He came out, measured the paint thickness on the hood and found it to be below specification. My friend was given the option to have it refinished (free of charge) or get a new car. He opted for the new car, as anyone would.

If you aren't receiving this level of service from your dealer, you might want to start calling around. Find another dealer(s) and get their opinions. Alternatively, call the head office:

The Lexus Customer Assistance Center

Monday - Friday, 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT

Phone: 1-800-255-3987 prompt #4

Fax: 1-310-468-2992

Address:

P.O. Box 2991 - Mail Drop L202

Torrance, CA 90509-2991

In any case, you should get more consideration than you did, especially if you bought your previous cars at the same dealer.

As for the brakes, that's a variable thing. I got my '98 GS300 used with 59K miles on it. It was a NY car. When I got it, it needed brakes all around and rotors (and shocks and ball joints) in the front. I expected this considering the origin of the car. It's been fine ever since. I have 70K on it at the moment.

I considered it a "gift" seeing as how my BMW ate rotors for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner (even a set or two for a snack).

Well, see personally I have had bad luck then when it comes to the paint and finish.. But I must say that there's nothing wrong with my GX470, I've had it for over a year now and not one scratch or rock chip.. But that's because it sits so high and the rocks just go under it instead of hitting the bumper and hood.. I'm hoping when my GS gets out of the bodyshop this weekend I'll have better luck with the paint.. Man, when I went today to go checkout my baby I was impressed.. I thought I would go there and see it still in pieces but I was wrong.. It was the first time I saw her dressed up in her new bodykit.. She looked absolutely gorgeous, I can't wait to get in her and ride her the way she's supposed to be ridden. :D ;) I was thinking about holding off on the pics till she was totally completed but that won't be for atleast a month so you guys might be seeing her 1/2 way completed.. Sorry for getting off topic but I couldn't help myself..