Vibration in steering column: 2017 LS 460 AWD

[LexusUserV8]

Hello there from Pennsylvania. In July 2021, I purchased a certified pre-owned 2017 LS 460 AWD/non-F Sport model. It's a great vehicle and has approx. 36k miles on it. I know these vehicles are well known for their superior build quality, craftmanship, and reliability. There's an issue though... there is a slight vibration coming through the steering column when driving at speeds around 20-40mph. This can also be felt by the passenger.

The dealership is aware of my issue, test drove it with me (as to duplicate the issue), and said that they do not think it's the control arms, in need of alignment, balance, wheel weights, etc. To date, this issue is still unresolved with my local Lexus dealership as the Tech needs to further research to see what the root cause is and wants to drive another LS 460 to see if the same issue occurs in that vehicle. I'm hoping the Lexus dealership doesn't get back with me and say that this is normal - I can't see how this would be normal for an LS.

I'm not mechanically savvy, rely on the Lexus Tech's experience, and also hoping that someone on this Forum can provide helpful suggestions...

If anyone has experienced a similar issue, has information to share, needs more info from my end, etc., please advise.

Thank you for your time!

T from PA

 

[RX400h]

Did they check the wheel balance for each wheel? This is what I would suspect - out of balance wheel.

If they did not, you can always take it to a trusted alignment shop. Many are expert at troubleshooting wheel and suspension-related issues. 
The local tire shop (Discount Tire) can typically check wheel balance and fix it for free, especially if you've bought tires from them.

[LexusUserV8]

Good morning Dave,

Thank you for your reply. I will revisit that with the dealership. I originally brought that up to them... mentioned the wheel weights and possibly out of balance wheel(s), and they totally discounted that. I'll request they recheck those areas. Thank you again and I'll reply as soon as I figure out the root cause. 

[LexusUserV8]

I’ll keep you posted as soon as I get details from the dealership; to date, they are telling me that a slight vibration in the front seats and steering column is a normal thing for this year/model due to something related to the center damper opening, etc. I’ll need to get more details b/c this doesn’t make sense to me…

[John_L]

My LS460 has 19k miles and since 8k has had a similar vibration. It typically occurs between 50-70 mph and occurs briefly and inconsistently.  The vibration is primarily through the steering wheel.  It is difficult to recreate so I have not asked a dealer to investigate.