forthlexus

Hello, just came across your post regarding the front end noise. I have a 2010 ls460 with just about 10,000 miles. While on a recent trip to Arizona I was going about 20 to 25 mph slowing in traffic for a stop light. It was actually just slow moving rush hour traffic with a slow moving pace of tops maybe 40 mph. Anyway, all of a sudden I had a really loud reverberation from under the hood that sounded as if something was beating the side of the car with a hard rubber hammer. It was very rapid in sequence and really seemed as if it was not far from my feet. There were no warning lights or fault indicators on the instrument panel. I am sure that I did not hit anything in the road so I was very concerned. I took the car to 2 different Lexus dealers and they looked it over and said that they were concerned that it sounded like a brake actuator issue that had occurred on one of the other Lexus models--but they had not heard of any issues with the ls460. The problem has only occurred once and I have been driving the car about 6 weeks since then with no other problems. Regardless, it sounds like the same thing that may have happened to you. I hope this might support any other issues that you might have. If you have found out your problem I would appreciate you posting the fix. Best regards forthlexus

There is a tech bulletin regarding the gps antenna bracket that is under the headliner next to the rear window. It sets up a harmonic vibration. The fix is a removal of the interior to beef up the bracket. I had this exact same issue with a 2008 LS and decided to trade it rather than have them do this knowing what would probably happen to the detail of the car. Best of luck in getting it fixed----------------forthlexus

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

Interesting I would sure like to hear the other side of this story. This is not normal for Lexus CS. Still no help for the OP. Just so you don't misunderstand me, my issues were not with my local Lexus dealer. This is not an ususual posting in reference to the way the factory handles their customers. Half truths, denials of problems, covering up of issues is exactly the treatment that I got with wind noise, and engine noise. I am sure that if you read this board you will see that they have treated many others the same as me. Eventually, after they refuse to admit that they have a problem, [the valve spring issue is a perfect example] it comes back to bite them. Everything made has issues and problems, it's how the company deals with them that matters. Yes, unfortunately, with all due respect, this is normal for Lexus/Toyota customer service. The cover ups tell the story better than I can begin to.

I am on my third ls 460, the lastest a 2010 rwd. My first 2008 ls was delivered with a vibration. After numerous test drives and being sent home from the dealer 3 times with them telling me that they had fixed it they finally determined that the transmission was defective from the factory. This took about 6 weeks of lost time waiting on a Lexus tech rep, on a brand new car, and a cancellation of a winter Arizona vacation. After going to the mat with Lexus factory I was given a new car about 10 weeks later. My second 2008 ls had an intermittent vibration that would usually show itself on very good smooth roads. After numerous test drives and load force balance and a replacement of the Bridgestone tires it was determined to be a bracket that holds the nav antenna to the top of the car. To fix it they wanted to completely remove the headliner and seats and stiffen up the bracket. The car had the clicking engine noise that I was told numerous times was normal [now its revealed that all along the factory knew that it was bad valve springs]. It also had bad air noise around the front doors that I was told was unfixable, at times it sounded like the windows were down. So, after about 15 months-13,000 miles I traded it back to the dealer for a 2010 so that I just did not have to deal with it any longer. One might wonder why I would give them another try after such dismay on a 75,000.00 car and I a guess that it boiled down to liking the general manager at the Lexus dealer who stood behind me on the fight with the factory to get the first car replaced. The Lexus Customer Service people are really arrogant, rude, and disrespectful to the degree that it is almost comical. The feeling that I got was "this is what we will do-take it or leave it. I was actually told by a lady in customer service "Calif. office-her name was Marilyn" that I was not being truthful and she did everything but use the word "liar". They told me that I would qualify for a customer loyalty reward of about $1000.00 on the 3rd car, but Marilyn said "NO" and I received nothing. It is now becoming apparent with Toyota/Lexus that they will do what ever with their customers. The disrespect that customer service shows their customers will eventually ruin the brand even though they do have some good cars. So far the 2010 is good with only a little driver window air noise, a high pitch whistle, that I can live with. Good luck if you have to deal with Factory Customer Service.

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