lexyblue

Apparently Lexus has this problem on several models going back at least as far as 03. The GX even had a Tech. Serv. Bulletin issued but apparently the rest of owners are not so lucky--at least not yet. A $50K car with features the manaufacturer knows don't work--. And the local dealers apparently are required to go through a script, suggesting that driver side mirrors don't tilt as much etc., which in turn suggests that the owner doesn't actually know how the mirrors performed prior to the problem. I think the tilting mirrors are a great and useful function but it has to work. I discovered in this process that the seat memory buttons don't operate properly when this is happening with the mirrors. Each time you push the button, the mirror moves as if it does not have memory of an actual position. I had the bright idea to set one of the buttons I had never used--button 3. The mirrors worked perfectly like when the car was new for about 1 1/2 to 2 days. Then back to the same problem. Perhaps this is a clue to Lexus on how to repair an fix the problem??? Perhaps someone could use this post to figure out the problem rather than editing the post. I'm desperate for a fair solution and I would think Lexus would take pride in resolving--I wouldn't post this if I weren't desperate and disappointed. I was also told that the mirrors can't be worked on--only replaced--but the TSB for the other model showed how to repair--not just replace.

No--the post is incorrect as it was edited. The first replacement was under warranty. A little over a year later, the mirrors don't work again. There is no warranty. Service knows there is a problem as is apparent from all the forum posts--(not just this string but others too), but goes through an exercise of trying to convince me that driver's side mirrors do not tilt more than 1/4 inch when I know how they performed when they were new. Now there is no warranty. Why can't/won't Lexus go ahead and recall and come up with a fix that won't cost owner's up to $2000 dollars? And why can't Lexus reps just tell us there is a problem rather than suggest that the owner/driver doesn't know what she is talking about when she explains how the mirrors aren't performing? Clearly my complaint is no where near the first that Lexus is aware of. And this malfunction is dangerous when trying to merge onto busy highways

If driver's side not tilting as much, it is because the mirror is starting gradually to fail and you it has been gradual enough that you didn't realize it was happening. Eventually, it will move only about 1/4 inch or almost not at all.

I generally love my GS300 2006 model purchased in 05. Toward the end of 07, both mirrors were replaced under warranty due to a single complaint that they would not always adjust properly when switching between park, drive and reverse. I thought replacement without even checking them out was odd--but that was the immediate response. ( I have since learned it is because they say they never work on them--just replace them if there's a problem--high cost) The mirrors didn't operate exactly the same after being replaced but it was really good enough (acceptable) because they went up and down as they were supposed to and I didn't need to adjust them much beyond that. Well some time in early 09, I thought I noticed the drivers side mirror kept pointing up. At first I was not sure of the problem but eventually the problem was more noticeable and there was no doubt. Plus--the driver's side mirror would not go down so that I could see the ground in reverse. The problem combined to be very dangerous when trying to merge onto interstate in heavy traffic--sometime I would not have noticed until the critical moment. I explained all this at the dealer's service shop. I got the same LAME excuse given above in this string--"the driver's side mirror doesn't point down as much as the passenger side!!" Absolutely false--if it ever was not as much, it was by an unnoticeable difference. It galls me that the service manager thinks I don't know my own car after years of driving. I should have made him go crank a new one but I didn't think of it at the time. Later I determined that when I hit the preset, the mirror would move each time I hit the preset--as if it had no memory of the actual setting. So I thought that preset 1 was burned out or something. I reset the mirrors and seat position using preset 3. This worked! The mirror did everything it was supposed to (pointing down to the ground and all) FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS!!! Then the same problem. I have not explained any of this to the dealer who will act like he doubts I know what I know since I can't show him a properly functioning mirror and he claims they can't duplicate on demand. I have loved my Lexus experience except it infuriates me that dealers act like they haven't heard about these problems (I had a similar dealer experience in the past related to tires) when they have and have pre-rehearsed answers like "mirror on driver's side doesn't point down as much." The dealer ultimately said well we can replace but that's 8 or 900 dollars--of course the warranty is gone. I BELIEVE THIS IS UNFAIR BECAUSE CLEARLY THESE MIRRORS HAVE A FLAW--it isn't just wear and tear--it appears these mirrors are failing. As a Lexus owner, I'm entitled to a car with all its features working properly. Does anyone out there have any advice on getting the company to repair or replace--at least for a reasonable cost? Any chance of any type of recall?

Good points and thank you all for your replies.

Unfortunately, I scraped my car--just over the right rear wheel and just a tad bit on the lower portion of the right rear door (actually just at the door seam). Received 2 estimates for repair today. One at an independent--it was about $750. He said it would take him two days. I didn't ask him a lot of questions but he has done work for me one other time on another car and he did a good job as far as I could tell. Then I went to Toyota for an estimate. The guy spent a lot of time telling me how nice my car was and how he would want to do a very good and careful job. He gave me a few more details, like how he would take off the door handle and not tape it and he would replace the seal around the wheel well though it appears to have no damage. He would also apply new clear coat after blending the paint and he would apply the clear coat along the panel just over the windows all the way down to the the bottom of the front windshield. All this for about the same number of labor hour and it would be over $900. He said he would need the car for 5 days--wanted extra drying time. The truth is that at this point I don't know that the independent won't be doing the exact same thing. I, of course, can ask him. Anyone have any thoughts or advice about what is needed? I just want the best "like new" outcome I can get. By the way, I did ask my Lexus salesman whether I should use the dealer. He said there was really no need because often they just take them out to a non-Lexus dealer down the road to do their work. He thought a good body shop would do just as well. Thanks for any insights.

I had the same problem with my 06 model. When I complained, no one told me it was a known problem but service immediately offered to replace under warranty --BUT if this is a recurring problem what will happen when there is no more warranty ? Can't Lexus just fix this so we won't keep having the problem?