Geoffrey Reynolds

But is there a way to input a name for those quick dial numbers? I haven't found a way to do that, though I haven't spent lots of time trying either.

Yes and there was no additional cost - they made it an even swap (as they should have, but there was no hassle about it). Maybe, but assuming you've described all the problems with your RX accurately, it's definitely time to get a lawyer involved.

Paula - sorry to hear your RX330 has been such a sour experience. To update my situation, I took delivery of my replacement LX470 this past Saturday (3/11/06) and it's been flawless so far. They made the 2nd delivery very painless - I was in and out of the dealership within about 30 minutes. I've got about 250 miles on it now and am happy with it. I'm still unhappy about how the whole situation was handled at first and about them taking back the extended warranty and free service, but I do think I'll be very happy with the vehicle now for the long term. Best of luck to you on getting your problems (vehicle and divorce) resolved.

I probably should have posted an update. The dealer has agreed to replace the vehicle. A new one is at the dealership - once the paperwork is done I'll be able to turn in the loaner vehicle and take it home. However, they changed their mind on the 7 year / 100k mile warranty and 15k service. Despite the fact that I've paid insurance for a month plus, had the loan all this time, lost time at work dealing with this, etc. they're crying poor that replacing the vehicle is costing them money. Of course it is, but it's all part of doing business. Keeping a customer happy is sometimes more important for long term profits.

For me, the GX was just a bit too small - I wasn't comfortable in the drivers seat as it didn't have enough elbow or leg room. Headroom was fine. The LX is a nice fit for me. The Sequoia was just too big. I woudln't see anything wrong with having the GX, LX, and JX in the lineup so long as the JX is enough bigger than the LX to actually make a difference. Take the LX out of the lineup and they've probably lost me as a customer when it comes time to replace my 2006 LX. No idea how many others feel the same way.

I started a thread several days ago over at the ih8mud forums, but figured others might be interested in hearing about my bad experience purchasing a brand new LX-470 from Ira Lexus in Danvers, MA a few weeks ago... My brand new vehicle has had issues since I took delivery of it and I'm having a very difficult time getting satisfaction from my dealer. When I took delivery (on Monday, Jan. 30th), the GuidePoint (similar to LoJack) installation which was contracted by the dealer to a third party seems to have been done incorrectly - the installer tapped into the same power source that the airbag system uses. The symptom is the air bag warning light flashing on the dash. This problem was noticed during delivery, and the vehicle was taken into a service bay to see if the problem could be addressed immediately. Since it couldn't be addressed immediately, I (probably stupidly) agreed to take the vehicle and bring it back later in the week to have this issue addressed. During the week, I also noticed that something in the tires or suspension felt out of balance as the ride wasn't as smooth as the test drive vehicle had been. The vehicle was left at the dealer on Friday, Feb. 3rd to have these issues addressed. When I went to get it in the afternoon, both problems remained, so I took it right back. Sometime after I left it on Friday, the rear bumper was damaged at the dealership (which I didnt' find out until Monday afternoon). On Monday, I called around noon time to check on the status and the service consultant (who I later found out knew about the bumper damage as of Friday) told me it was out for a final test drive and should probably be ready around 1PM. The salesperson called me around 2PM and told me that everything was fixed, but the bumper was damaged and they would need to keep it to fix that. Monday evening, I went to the dealership to view the damage to the bumper and to speak with the general manager. I expressed serious concerns about the air bag wiring harness as any damage to it could potentially result in the air bags not deploying properly at some point. I expressed that given all the issues (air bag, rough ride, bumper), I felt a replacement vehicle was a fair resolution, but he was unwilling to agree to that. He did agree to give me a 7 year / 100k mile warranty and to have the wiring harness replaced, which I reluctantly agreed to - replacing the wiring harness is a major operation and may cause rattles and other issues that a new vehicle shouldn't have. They had also agreed to give me the 15k service for free earlier in the day to "make up" for the damage to the bumper. Wednesday evening, the general manager, called me at home and during the conversation revealed that he had decided against replacing the wiring harness because of the cost and complexity involved in installing it - citing that doing this could cause other problems. I made it clear that something has to be done to resolve the damage to the wiring harness and the options include replacing the vehicle, signing documentation that the harness modifications that have been made will never impact proper operation of the air bag system, or replacing the wiring harness. At that point, he seemed unwilling to go with any of those options and said he would have to speak with his superiors. I got a call on Thursday afternoon (2/9) from the service consultant to tell me that the bumper has been fixed, the vibration is mostly gone (but they aren't happy with it yet), and a wiring harness has been ordered. I questioned the wiring harness because of my conversation with the general manager last night - he said that the GM must have changed his mind, but wasn't really sure. On Friday, 2/10, the service manager contacted me and asked if we could meet to discuss the wiring harness. I met with her and the shop foreman. We collectively agreed that replacing the wiring harness could cause more harm than good, so they agreed to give me something in writing that if the damage to the wiring harness ever caused any warranty related work to be refused, the dealership would cover the repairs. I wasn't thrilled with this solution, but felt it was at least reasonable. At this point, I took the vehicle home and all seemed to be going well. Saturday morning, 2/11, I started the vehicle to go run some errands, and the air bag warning light started blinking again. The vehicle is back at the dealership yet again. Each time, I get a loaner vehicle, either an RX or ES, but these are hardly satisfying when I purchased the LX. I've contacted Lexus customer care and the dealer's parent company, but don't seem to be getting very far with either. It's looking more and more like I may need to get a lawyer involved. Invoking the Lemon Law may not get me anywhere as the law is for protection from manufacturing defects - even if the air bags had issues right from the start, there's no way to prove that the GuidePoint install wasn't the cause. The more I think about it, the less happy I am with the prospect of keeping this vehicle. It's a brand new $68k vehicle that now has a repaired and repainted rear bumper, vibration issues that may or may not be resolved (I didn't have it back long enough to know), and either a hacked or replaced (with all the potential issues that brings with it) wiring harness. I've owned it for almost 3 weeks now, but haven't been able to really enjoy it for even 1 second yet. Just figured people should know...