jlexy

Jbrow ... I'm sure glad your dealer was able to fix your problem! And I hope in your case it was all covered under your warranty! Yes, it sounded at first like the pinging was coming from my back windshield too, but after two people rode in the car with me, they determined it was coming from above in the sunroof area too. The one specific tech my car was left in the hands with solely alone to fix could not fix the problem after 5 months of trying back and forth. I then switched to a second dealer, but it was now the Summer of '09 and I couldn't duplicate the problem in the heat when things expand. I had to wait an agonizing 4 months until the noise came back with the cooler weather in October, and I was now able to prove it to dealer number 2. But then HQ decided they FINALLY wanted to get the factory involved, but I had to wait an entire month for that appt. at whatever time was convenient for them! Although the factory heard the noise minimally that day, they couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from and the factory guy wasn't available for more testing for another 2 1/2 months! Unbelievable! I believed they just needed to replace my entire sunroof too, but in the end, and after an incredibly stressful ordeal, HQ decided to repurchase the car from me!!! I turned around first part of March and bought a brand new 2010 IS250 the same day I surrendered my 2008 broken car. Soooo much better!! This one is roomier, has the lights on the sideview mirrors, comes standard with blue tooth, 3 months free satellite channels, new tires, etc. And best of all, no pinging issues!!! Finally, I'm getting what a Lexus should feel and drive like!!

I previously posted a thread here last November regarding my 2008 IS250 sunroof ticking/pinging issue (but doesn't look like I can modify the topic title, so am starting over). Turns out, Lexus has agreed to repuchase my car after all! Really excellent news. Now I'm debating on whether to take my chances on a 2010. I can only hope two years later the car is being made a whole lot better.

As fate would have it, they couldn't give me a preferred morning appt. when the car acts up the most driving it cold. Had to take a 3:30pm appt. and so we only got a couple of minor ticks out of the car, but both the factory rep and the parts specialist acknowledged hearing them but could not say for sure where the noise is coming from (no surprise there). Now I have to wait until January for the factory rep who is booked until then to take possession of the car for a day or so and try to solve the mystery (have strong doubts although he did say that he wants to be my hero). They were extremely nice though and are comping me my next service which is due now and also a tank of gas. Still going to see if I can get either a replacement vehicle or the car bought back. That's a 4-6 week process and since I have to wait until January anyway, minus well get the process rolling.

Yup PoolGuy I'm here in sunny NorCal and that's exactly what I thought I was getting too when I bought the car ... a normal brand new soundproof cabin. Again, my sunroof area was tampered with 45 days after I bought the car which probably caused this issue. The 18th can't come soon enough to meet with the factory reps. Our current temperature of high 50s to low 60s is perfect ticking weather. Grrrh.

Oops, I failed to mention that 45 days after I bought the car there was a very loud popping sound on the roof (as if a softball were coming down on it) pulling in and out of driveways. Dealer held the car for 16 days and opened up the sunroof like a sandwich and put in 3M soundproof tape. Got the car back end of June '08 and although it solved the popping issue, not sure if that is what is now causing problem #2 - this ticking/pinging issue - because of them messing with the roof to begin with. I would have never known right away either because it was now Summer and I have learned that is when you don't hear the noise when things expand in the Summertime. Then, 5 months later, last December, is when I first heard the defect. Spent 5 very frustrating months road testing in/out of my dealer and ultimately they could not fix it. Turned to dealer #2 in June '09, but unbelievably I could not duplicate the noise because of the heat and it now being Summer! Now, here we are, 4 months later, and sound is back again with the cooler weather. Something is definitely loose/unsecure in the upper roof area and it's making a constant correction or metal-to-metal tick. Fortunately I caught it as soon as possible this time. Thanks for your tip Avitash. I will mention that to my factory guy when he tests my car on Nov. 18th. And Clay1, I agree ... very good looking car and no mechanical issues ... but this ticking noise is something I do not think I can live with. Will be very interesting to hear what the factory rep has to say.

Grrrh. Two days later dealer now calls back telling me I need to go pick up my vehicle. Now they've scheduled a date mid-November for me to do yet another road test with a factory tech before they can start any work or even know how to tackle the problem. Stay tuned.

Finally, road test was successful today. Something definitely needs to be insulated on the roof. Extremely happy dealer #2 acknowledges it and is willing to work to try to resolve it.

Just back from dealer #2 for roadtest during lunch and although car pinged/ticked on my 10 miles drive there, it barely did it on demand. Always the way. Techs can't come to you anymore either because they cut their insurance coverage. They agreed to hold my car overnight since it seems to act up most when the car is cold. Gave me a nice brand new '09 to drive until then. Stay tuned to see if car will show it's true colors tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm all set to arbitrate. Not normal, and competely unacceptable.

Thanks again. I think my problem is much more serious. I'm road testing with second dealer today. Rained yesterday here and car acted up again this morning on way to work. Seems to be a contraction issue. Something definitely needs to be padded or felted in the sunroof area. Everybody told me to buy a Lexus. Why am I having regrets?

Thanks bartkat. Although my pinging noise sounds more like metal-to-metal or metal hitting glass. What I've read here people seem to be talking about the rubber accordian creaking and needing lubricant. Can't believe that would solve my issue. Also took me a long while to figure out it was the sunroof area above me, and not far behind me like the back windshield. I'm hoping to get in a road test with dealer #2 very soon. GRRH.

Extremely disappointed. Noticed a very annoying sunroof ticking issue about 6 months after I bought the car. Started in the Winter time. Dealer tried 4 times to fix but couldn't. Problem stopped in the Summer months but has now recently returned. Appears to be a contraction issue. Having a second dealer check it out. Closed my sunroof shade on my commute home tonight and the problem seemed to have subsided. Still monitoring the problem. Anybody else having this issue?

Definitely a problem. I had my brand new '08 swapped out immediately for a new part, and it still didn't fix the annoying vibration. Went back to the dealer again and this time a tech and a rep and I all got into another brand new '08, and just from the tech simply shutting the front passenger door when he got into the car, we could tell it was a universal problem. Seems to happen more with the radio on and the bass at higher levels of 3, 4 and 5 vs. 1 or 2. Very disappointing on a brand new car and I agree ... totally unexpected on a car of this caliber.