Beniffnee

Having the dealership withing 20 minutes of the house helped I think. I'm still evaluating thier fix. I'd like to know how your issue comes out also. Best of luck.

B

Ed,

They replaced all four tires. It's better. Much better, but it's not gone. Is it in the acceptabel range? I'm trying to convince myself. Jury is still out. Bummer - $72 Grand.

B

Ed,

Thanks for the input. My latest visit resulted in replacemant of all 4 tires. Still the Bridgestones. It definetely helped - got rid of 90% of the problem. It turns out that each of the tires was more than 14 pounds (not sure of the termonology, but I'm thinking foot-pounds or some out-of-round centrifugal force measured in pounds)out-of tolerance. One was upwards of 27 pounds according to the maint report. Why did it take them 5 visits to find it? One can only speculate.

So I think I'm in my tolernace zone, but still, for 72k I was expecting a smooth as glass ride. That's not the case, but we're doing much much better.

I suspect there may be one or more wheels/rims that is pushing the upper limit on out of round tolerence.

B

Beniffnee

I have a 2009 LS460 AWD with only 7500 miles. I have posted topic "2009 LS460 AWD – Bad Ride Quality..." in this forum on a similar if not identical problem. I at first suspected a "gear searching" problem around 20-25 MPH where the car had a continuous,mild hesitation as if the car was searching for the right gear. After driving the car more I now see it also very often occurs at 60-65 MPH.

I have also noted in another Lexus forum other owners who report similar vibration/hesitation sensations in the AWD model. From my reading of the TSIBs the 2009 and later models should not have the earlier transmission and driveshaft problems that occurred with the 2007 and 2008 years but there does seem to be definitely something wrong that is still unresolved with 2009+ AWD models.

I have only had the car a couple of weeks so I need to drive it more so I can tell Lexus service when the problem does and does not occur. Nothing worse than going in with an intermittent problem that refuses to appear during the service.

Regards,

Ed

WOW! That is exactly what is happening. I also hear it but have been trying to convince myself otherwise (kind of a low rumble). I will try your idea of taking it for test drive with four new wheels and see what happens. I can't believe after all these years of no new car issues, that this would the car to give me a problem like this. I really apprecaite you taking the time to chime in. Thanks again,

I was wondering if you ever got your LS460 vibration problem resolved. I too feel the sustained vibration at 70-75 mph. I only have 4800 miles but my frustration is growing. I'm begioning to think it is something other than tires. Would love to hear that you found the source of the problem.

Lexus issued a service bulletin that affected my 2008, sorry I don't have the bulletin number. The purpose of the bulletin was to resolve a harmonic type vibration that was intermittent depending on vehicle speed and road conditions. This was the exact issue that I was having. The fix was to remove the interior headliner and beef up the bracket that was attached to the gps antenna. This bracket would start vibrating and the entire car would feel like there was a drive line vibration or a tire/wheel vibration problem. You could hear it and feel it in the seats. Sort of like being in a barrel with it vibrating around you. I decided that I did not want the dealership to tear apart my new $75000.00 car, knowing the detail and workmanship that could be destroyed during the process. Possibly creating several new problems to cure one existing problem. So, my wife and I just decided to wait until the refreshened 2010 hit the street and decided to give it one more try as we liked the car over all disregarding the problems that we had. The gps bracket issue should have been addressed at the factory on your 2010. If I were in your shoes, I would ask your dealer to remove all four wheels and tires and replace them temporarily with a new set from another new car or demonstrator. If this does not resolve the issue, contact customer service and ask them to send a Lexus factory tech rep. to inspect and do the diagnostics on it. Depending on the state that you reside, your legal recourse thru the "lemon law" may have to be exercised if they can not fix it. This could be much more than wheels and tires, but until the homework is done it's anybody's guess. Insist on closing out the work order on the car after each repair attempt and do not accept "customer states that there is a vibration". "No defect found-car operates as designed". This happened to me several times. The mechanic would test drive the car and acknowledge the vibration and when they could not find it that is what they would do to protect themselves. Best of Luck

Thanks all for your replies. The tires and wheels are stock (I only have 4800 miles). I think the guy on the Road Force Balancer is trained. Hard to verify that but they've been at for a few years so likely they have overcome the typical errors.

Fourthlexus - that's a scary story. This is my 3rd one; One 2004 ES for my wife (still has it - great car), one 2004 RX for me ( I traded it for the LS), and now the LS. Never had a problem before now. I'm cringing at the prospect of dealing with this for months on end after spending that kind of money.

In the absence of others weighing in with simiilar stories and similar resolution, I think I will continue to focus on the tires. I thoough I might learn from others about a drive train problem, trans issue, dampers etc, b ut no such revelations as of yet.

I appreciate all the ideas and I will continue to probe ... Ughhhh,,,,I'd rather be driving and not thinking about it.

I bought a 2010 LS 460 AWD in April 2010. I've been back to the dealer 4 times for tire balancing since I detect a vibration. They applied "Road Force" balance to the tires which seemed to help a little but an annoying vibration, most evidnet at 70-75 MPH persists but I can feel it at other speeds too. The car 4800 miles.

A bottle of water will reveal the vibration while driving on a smooth road. Also, the headrest will transfer the vibration to my hand if I place the back of my hand against the passenger's headrest while driving. I'm begining to think this a chracteristic of the car since I am reading similar stories from others. I thought for $72K I would not be experiencing that kind of thing but go figure. I'm still considering my options. Has anyone experienced this with the LS 460? Any resovled cases?

Couple of things first, are your wheels and tires stock?

I had a friend that owned a tire shop when he bought his 9700 road force balancer the boys in the back ended mis balancing tires until they figured out the problem. You need to be trained on the balancer and follow the procedure. The dealer normally does not have a tire guy anyone ends up balancing the tires making for errors. The only way to be sure is have them take a set of wheels off an new car and put them on yours and make sure they torque them with a torque wrench not the torque sticks.Then drive it. Many roads can feel smooth but have ripples in them try many roads if you find a road that does not do it then it is not the car. Good luck I have been down this road with other cars it is not fun.One of the main reasons I buy LS's is for the lack of NVH.

I bought a 2010 LS 460 AWD in April 2010. I've been back to the dealer 4 times for tire balancing since I detect a vibration. They applied "Road Force" balance to the tires which seemed to help a little but an annoying vibration, most evidnet at 70-75 MPH persists but I can feel it at other speeds too. The car 4800 miles.

A bottle of water will reveal the vibration while driving on a smooth road. Also, the headrest will transfer the vibration to my hand if I place the back of my hand against the passenger's headrest while driving. I'm begining to think this a chracteristic of the car since I am reading similar stories from others. I thought for $72K I would not be experiencing that kind of thing but go figure. I'm still considering my options. Has anyone experienced this with the LS 460? Any resovled cases?

I was wondering if you ever got your LS460 vibration problem resolved. I too feel the sustained vibration at 70-75 mph. I only have 4800 miles but my frustration is growing. I'm begioning to think it is something other than tires. Would love to hear that you found the source of the problem.

I'm having the same problem with my LS460L. I purchased it in early March 2009. At about 72 mph, the vibration is sustained. Also, I notice whenever I go over a bump, there seems to be a sustained vibration which I have never felt in my 2005 LS430. I'm sure there must be a problem in the springs/shocks design. This problem is very annoying. I'll try another time to get Lexus to fix it. If they don't, I'll try putting different shocks in it myself. If this doesn't work, I'll trade it in on a new Mercedes.

Hello, and opinions greatly appreciated. I bought my wife a new LS460 in January and upon the trip home from delivery we both thought that there was a vibration present in the car. We were so caught up with the excitement of the delivery and the beauty of the car that we sort of blew it off as rough road surface or the cold weather-as it was very cold. The vibration is not constant, but comes and goes depending on vehicle speed. I called our sales person and told him that the car seemed to have a harmonic vibration at various speeds and possibly road conditions. The car was delivered with 38 pounds of tire pressure and he said that was probably what we were feeling. We drove the car out on the open road one time for a trip of about three hundred miles, out and back, to a farm that we own. Upon return we knew we had a definite problem with our brand new LS460. The car went back to the dealership the next day-we had put just over 400 miles on it. During the test drive the tech said it felt like the drive line was shaking. I waited about 4 hours and was told that they found a bracket loose and that they thought the car was fixed. On the drive home the vibration was still there. I called the service manager and took the car back the following Monday. I was given a loaner car and after a couple of days they called and said the car probably had a bad transmission or torque converter and that they were waiting for Lexus to tell them what to do. The car sat all week at the dealership, out on their back lot in snow and ice, waiting for Lexus to come up with a fix. On Friday, I called them and was told that they were still waiting for Lexus to send a tech in to look at the car for a possible fix. I went and got the car so I could put it in out of the weather until Lexus got a tech here. After about a week the dealership called and said that the Lexus tech rep will be here to fix the car in about a week-that means our new LS460 has been out of service for about three weeks now after being defective on delivery. I have called Lexus customer service and the dealership general manager asking for assistance in getting a new car and have been told that the car should be fine if it gets a new transmission or that Lexus legally has the right to try and fix the car prior to replacing it. We are quite frustrated and wonder if we are the only ones that have had this problem. We feel that we deserve a new car under the circumstances. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance---Forthlexus

I recently bough a 2010 LS 460 AWD in April. I've been back to the dealer 4 times for tire balancing since I detect a vibration. They applied "Road Force" balance to the tires which seemed to help a little but There is this annoying vibration, most evidnet at 70-75 MPH, but since I've come to "know" the car, I can feel it at other speeds too.

A bottle of water will reveal the vibration while driving on a smooth road. Also, the headrest will transfer the vibration to my hand if I place the back of my hand against the passenger's headrest while driving. I'm begining to think this a chracteristic of the car since I am reading similar stories from others. Honestly for $72K I did not think I would be experiencing that kind of thing. I'm still considering my options. Has anyone been able to make it go away?

I'm having the same problem with my LS460L. I purchased it in early March 2009. At about 72 mph, the vibration is sustained. Also, I notice whenever I go over a bump, there seems to be a sustained vibration which I have never felt in my 2005 LS430. I'm sure there must be a problem in the springs/shocks design. This problem is very annoying. I'll try another time to get Lexus to fix it. If they don't, I'll try putting different shocks in it myself. If this doesn't work, I'll trade it in on a new Mercedes.

Hello, and opinions greatly appreciated. I bought my wife a new LS460 in January and upon the trip home from delivery we both thought that there was a vibration present in the car. We were so caught up with the excitement of the delivery and the beauty of the car that we sort of blew it off as rough road surface or the cold weather-as it was very cold. The vibration is not constant, but comes and goes depending on vehicle speed. I called our sales person and told him that the car seemed to have a harmonic vibration at various speeds and possibly road conditions. The car was delivered with 38 pounds of tire pressure and he said that was probably what we were feeling. We drove the car out on the open road one time for a trip of about three hundred miles, out and back, to a farm that we own. Upon return we knew we had a definite problem with our brand new LS460. The car went back to the dealership the next day-we had put just over 400 miles on it. During the test drive the tech said it felt like the drive line was shaking. I waited about 4 hours and was told that they found a bracket loose and that they thought the car was fixed. On the drive home the vibration was still there. I called the service manager and took the car back the following Monday. I was given a loaner car and after a couple of days they called and said the car probably had a bad transmission or torque converter and that they were waiting for Lexus to tell them what to do. The car sat all week at the dealership, out on their back lot in snow and ice, waiting for Lexus to come up with a fix. On Friday, I called them and was told that they were still waiting for Lexus to send a tech in to look at the car for a possible fix. I went and got the car so I could put it in out of the weather until Lexus got a tech here. After about a week the dealership called and said that the Lexus tech rep will be here to fix the car in about a week-that means our new LS460 has been out of service for about three weeks now after being defective on delivery. I have called Lexus customer service and the dealership general manager asking for assistance in getting a new car and have been told that the car should be fine if it gets a new transmission or that Lexus legally has the right to try and fix the car prior to replacing it. We are quite frustrated and wonder if we are the only ones that have had this problem. We feel that we deserve a new car under the circumstances. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance---Forthlexus