Dango

Hello all!

I'm a new lexus owner and my experience with Lexus just keeps getting better!  I got me a '05 ES330 in December and was invited to "An evening with Lexus" tonight at the dealership.  Lexus put up a nice light dinner followed by a slide presentation on service and maintenance of new cars.  The attendees were then split into two groups for workshops on service, maintenance and exterior/interior care. 

The service and parts department staff were on hand to answer any questions from the owners and provided good tips on vehicle wellness.  I have always kept to the maintenance/service schedules on all my other cars so I have some clue on car care, but learned a lot about my car tonight.  The wife got into it too asking questions about leather care, washing and waxing.  She even got a tire pressure gauge for filling out a questionnaire!

Getting a Lexus has truly been the best decision I ever made!

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Wow, makes my dealer (Charles Barker Lexus) look cheap. All they did was wash and dry the car and send me on my way without even a free oil change. It was a bit disturbing to later find out that the invoice on a new SC430 is $45000 while the sticker price is $65000.

i have an 02 SC430.  I have a "vibration" niose in my passenger midtone speaker.  it only wakes up during deep tones on talk radio.  the service manager at Fremont Lexus says that this is a known problem with this sound system, and that there is nothing they can do about it.  This is the same guy who has tried to fix a passenger side door rattle (cooincidentally, sounds like it is coming from behind the midtone speaker) 4 times, and can't fix it.  since it is intermitent, it always is quiet during my post service test rides, but soon after they turn me loose, it wakes up again.  I have called Lexus North America, and they just send me back to this same service manager.  I am living with both noises, but curse Lexus everytime these noises wake up.

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You mentioned a 'side door rattle'? I had a rattle like metal-on-metal when sometimes closing the passenger side door. I only heard it when people are getting in and out of the car and, of course, it didn't happen at the dealer.

Here's my car's info:

Model Year: 2002 SC430

Price when Bought: $64000

Where Bought: Charles Barker Lexus, Virginia Beach :chairshot:

Length of Ownership: 3 years, 49000 miles

Problems:

13000 mi -- Run Flats worn out -- rims damaged but still usable

-- no help from dealer -- replaced with Michelin Z-rated tires (non-run-flats)

Cost for tires: $260 per tire

14000 mi -- Pot hole on interstate blew front left tire :( and

bubble in rear left tire -- rims damaged -- rims were straigtened

and repainted with power coat paints to match original paint.

Costco replaced tires for free. Rim cost: $300

25000 mi -- Hit and Run on the interstate by a stolen car

where the theives took off running during rush hour and nobody

else paid attention -- I testified against the driver (17yo) and he

was sent away to jail.

-- stolen car was totaled while my car just needed the bumper

shell replaced and repainted. I hope there wasn't some hidden

issues I don't know about.

38000 mi -- Complained to dealer about vibration from wheels;

Dealer blames it on the tires and would not help me although

I'm convinced there is something else wrong with the car.

48000 mi -- both rims on right side bent to the point they could no

longer be balanced :cries: -- rims on right side were straitened and

repainted -- next step is replacement tires to prove to the dealer

there is something else wrong before warranty runs out.

49000 mi -- Battery is dead and all auto parts places don't carry

a replacement -- only the dealer does. :cries:

(Note: The auto parts places do carry batteries for any other car.)

-- Brakes are failing like there is air in the line -- pedal goes to floor

-- Need to pull all wheels to get the tires balanced without

adding more miles to the car before the warranty expires.:cries:

All in all, I'm sad to say this...but my experience with Lexus has been hell.

I loved the car for the first 14,000 miles...and have had nothing but

a rough ride and problems ever since. The car just doesn't stand up to the level of quality and support I was expecting from the dealer for the price I paid.

Any advice whether I can ever get the quality back that I had

when I first bought it or am I chasing a lost cause?

Where can I get a replacement battery?

Is there a good source for TSB bulletins and recalls?