Hi, Did you ever get the clunk and A/C probs repaired. I have both probs on my '03 GX, just had the TSB done for the A/C issue (Lexus was super nice, covered it even though my car has 60k miles and gave me a loaner). I do notice though that the a/c keeps getting cool and then warm again still, I am taking it back this week for them to check it again. The "cliunk" parts have been on order for my car for over a month now, my car has a terrible clunk at every start/stop. They said they will cover the clunk TSB as well, they have been wonderful! Let me know how it went for you, please. Hope all is fixed! Thanks in adavance!
Just lost the transfer case at 75k miles in my wifes '04. Was getting a leak on the garage floor and the dealer first said it was a seal. Once they pulled it, said the entire transfer case had to be replaced as it was coming apart inside. $1,100 is what they estimated for the repair, should be fixed in a couple days. They had no interest in providing any good-will toward the repair which is annoying considering the huge sums of money we've spent on maintenance with this dealer. Quite disappointed in this vehicle, lots of small problems and now a drivetrain issue. I haven't had a drivetrain failure on a vehicle for almost ten years.....including several with 150k-200k miles.
I am hoping someone can help or suggest something. I've had my gx since 2004 and hardly ever used the sunroof and the other day when I did go use it, it made a noised then it slowd downed and died. I took it to the dealership and of course my warranty ran out in Jan. of this year and they said the motor was bad and the wire in the housing is bad and to fix it all would literally cost 3469.18 that is insane. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommend anything I could do because I am not about to spend that kind of money to fix it. ( by the way the got it close manually).
You could try a private mechanic and see if they could come up with something cheaper. Maybe find salvage parts, but these are relatively low volume vehicles so it's hard to find parts for them. It's an unfortunate part of owning a Lexus...when they break (and they do...) it's crazy $$. I'd just go back to not using it again! My wife has used ours all the time and no problems. Might have been a problem due to lack of use as crazy as that sounds, but it almost sounds like it jammed up and burned up the motor. They should be lubing the tracks as a part of their ridiculously overpriced maintenance....so maybe you could shift the blame and get them to pay for it. Yeah, I know I'm dreaming! They wouldn't cover our transaxle at 75k miles!
Mine was under warranty when I finally brought it in for service. Our 2005 grinded when closing after about a year of use. As we are more likely to pop it, rather than fully open it, I delayed the service until this summer. Apparently there is a tremendous amount of labor involved to expose the motor and wiring. They had it almost the whole weekend. Thankfully in my case there was no charge.
Although the routine maintenance is expensive, the perks are truly hard to want to give up; service and parts 365 days/year from 6am-11pm, unlimited supply of rentals for $5/day--typically 2008 350RX or 400h, awesome waiting room--free food, Starbucks, internet access, play area for the kids, and an entertainment room that rivals a sports bar for the big kids. When you need to have tire replaced on a Sunday night at 8pm and you can just show up, get a loaner and pick up the car the following day, it is pretty sweet. I know we for it, but the total flexibility is really, really nice. This has been my experience at Pohanka Lexus in Fairfax, VA
Wondered if anyone had done this. I am having difficulty finding the exact color match. I find Tan color codes like 315, 375 and 05 for my 2001 LX and my dealer says LM40. Nothing matches up.
2005 GX 470 if i dont drive for a while it goes down and it will not lift up unless i raised it with the hight control switch,this when it goes up to the high position for about 20 miles then goes back to normal. Any Idea?
Can anyone give me some insight on a 2005 or 2006 GX 470? I am contemplating buying a used one with about 25,000 miles. Just wanted to know what kind of maintenance and problems owners have experienced. Thanks.
My wife drives an '04 with right around 100k miles. Major repair was the transfer case somewhere around 75k miles and that was over $1,000 to fix. That was disappointing as I've never had drivetrain problems on a vehicle at such low miles. Maybe a fluke, who knows. Had some niggling issues throughout, more than I would expect on Lexus, but most of those were fixed earlier in the miles. Pretty smooth sailing the last 20k miles and it's still a solid vehicle. Maintenance is very expensive at Lexus dealer, but she likes her free loaner and butt-kiss service. I would assume you've driven one and know you like them? They drive very floaty and have a very soft suspension. I really can't stand to drive it, but I'm more of the aggressive type and she drives like an old lady.
Thank you! I have driven several of these trucks. The one I am leaning towards is a 2006 with 19,000 miles. It does have a floaty ride. However now I am driving my second Nissan Pathfinder and I feel like I should be hauling a boat or something. It's too trucklike for me. I am looking forward to a smoother ride. The GX is a nice SUV. Thanks.
I am looking at purchasing a used 2003-2006 GX470. Are there any major differences or changes in the vehicles that I should be aware of. What year did this current body style (I don't see any major changes between the 2003 and 2009) start and does anyone know or have information on the 2010 body style.
Has anyone noticed the air vents never turn off when you are moving? I have an '07 GX470. I hope this makes sense, but if you have the dial set for air come out of the face vents, then physically turn the speed of the fan to "Off", they continue to blow air when the vehcile is not at a stop. This is so bizarre! I also noticed that the far right and left vents stay on when I turn the "feet blowers" on. The repair guy said this is normal, but I don't believe it, so I have to check here. Ug!
Also, has anyone noticed a problem with the sound in the front speakers being intermittant? The service dept. told me they couldn't replicate the problem, therefore, they can't fix it. :confuse:
The air sounds perfectly normal on pretty much all vehicles including these. It's basically bringing in outside air (vent) unless you have the system set to recirculate. If you want to stop all air, set it to recirculate and it will stop. And yes, air continues out of the far left/right dash vents even when on floor. There's always some air coming from there and the windshield vents to help keep the glass clear. No idea on speakers.
My wife drives a ML 320 which has almost 180,000 miles on it and still driving well. in anticipation of her needing a new vehicle sometime soon, i've begun to research alternatives. based on these posts, the clunking sound and problems with the brakes seem to be ongoing issues that have not been resolved. were these problems ever resolved in subsequent build years?
04 GX470 seeing I never open the back windows , I did yesterday , wow a loud pounding noise to find the moon roof was like vibrating , the noise was like a helicopter , after I closed the back wondows it was completely gone , I do have extended warranty , I've heard it;s better to not have amything done with the moon roof for it can lead into more issues , :mad:
I assume you opened rear windows but had fronts closed? If so, that's pretty normal on most any SUV/minivan. Our Odyssey does it. The GX does it. Our Tahoe before did it. Don't open rear windows with fronts closed....problem solved.
I've got a 2003 GX470 with 138,000 miles. A few days ago, it blew fuse #27 under the hood which goes to interior cabin lights, running board lights, etc. Then, wife stopped to get gas a few days later and when she turned the key, the gas gauge didn't show full as it should have. She called me. I told her to turn it off and turn it back on. Second start and the gauges came back. Yesterday, I tried to replace fuse 27 and it blows on contact. Now, vehicle dies at idle, gauges lag when starting the vehicle and fuse 27 still won't hold. Any suggestions?
Hi I just found out, after ~6 months, that the lexus dealer never put the engine oil filler cap back on after they did the service on my 2008 GX470. How bad will this damage the engine?
Really can't answer that directly. The only damage would be from whatever dirt got into the engine through the filler cap opening. That damage is likely just additional wear on the engine which would be immeasurable at this point. As long as no major dirt was injected, anything would likely be caught by the filter before doing much damage. Do you drive in very dirty conditions or in the desert? Otherwise, I would just change the oil ASAP and move on with life. It's a tough engine and unless you're planning to keep it 200k-300k miles you'll likely never know the difference. It also pays to always make sure the dealers do their jobs. It's unfortunate, but even Lexus puts entry-level folks on the oil change rack.
Thanks, I just drove very lightly, around 4K miles during the past 6 months, driving conditions have been pretty good, in New England. Is it worthwhile to ask them to put on extended warranty on the engine?
Based on such low miles and easy driving as you say, I don't think an extended engine warranty would really benefit you. Like I said, this is a tried and true engine that can take some serious abuse. Wear from something like this would likely creep up LONG after a typical 80k-100k powertrain warranty was up.
Have you expressed your displeasure with the service manager? They might be likely to offer up something of more value than a warranty or perhaps you could push them for a full extended warranty as a huge discount. While the engine is quite impressive, there are some other bits that seem to not be as well made. We had a lot of little issues on ours during normal warranty and then had to pay for a new transfer case at 75k miles. But if you drive so few miles, you may never see the benefit of that either. Maybe a couple free service visits would be more valuable.
2003 Lexus GX 470 Air conditioner inoperable. 82,000 miles. Fan is working but no cool air being propelled. A/C light on console screen blinks. Any suggestions?
We love our GX 470, it just doesn’t love us back! Lexus of Seattle replaced the short block after 22K miles. I believe they failed to properly torque the nut on the main alternator wire and failed to lock the plug into place, I believe they just hand tightened them. Four years and 50k miles later, it came lose, began arching, and caused a catastrophic failure of my electrical system. I was told by a Lexus dealer in Utah (when we broke down), what and who caused the problem. Lexus of Seattle won’t help with the $3,500 repair costs and Lexus Corp, doesn’t want to get involved. Not a good way to retail loyal customers, I current own 2 of their vehicles. Anyone have same type of problem? We won't be doing any more business with Lexus of Seattle!
I have a 2005 GX 470, with 55k. I am orginal owner. I have never noticed untill now, when I drive the temperature gauge is at 1/2. I thought it was at 1/4 in the past. It stays at 1/2, and does not get hotter. No matter how long I drive. Also when I turn the SUV off, it seems very loud, before it goes off. When it is going it is fine.?
I have noticed a few times that when my sunroof is open, the sunroof motor will randomly run for a few seconds. After some testing, I have determined that when the sunroof is open, the motor will come on for about 2 seconds when i go above 55mph, and it happens again when I drop below 55mph. When the motor runs, the glass roof is not moving to open or close. I think instead the air dam in the front is doing something.
I called the Lexus dealer in my area to ask if this was by design or a problem and they didn't know. I couldn't find anything in the manual about it either. I have read of some very expensive sunroof repairs on this site so I want to make sure this "feature" is by design and not a precursor to some expensive problem. My car will fall out of warranty in a few months.
I own a 09 GX470 and I love it but occasionally while driving especially if I go through the fastlane tolls I slow down to go through but when I try to accelerate my car bucks first then goes. My husband notices this too while driving. Also when trying to go from reverse to drive the transition stalls in neutral then slams into drive. Does anyone experience this? :confuse:
GX470 Engine Immobilizer light-Engine does not stop blinking , when i take the key out. The suv, was at shop sitting for 3 weeks. the battery is 1 year old. When i take key out, it flashes red,,,stops when i put key in, and start...
Very easy place the key in ignition turn to on position. Be sure the ODO is displayed. Turn key to off position. Hold the reset button on the dash and keep hold while move the key the on position. Then the Maint Light will blink and the light is reset you can let go.
I had similar problem and I fix it after going to the dealership and getting no way. The connector for the transmission underneath on the passenger side. The connector was not snapped to the transmission properly, very loose. Inside the pig tail connector there is a rubber garment that has to be fitted properly in order to have connector snap correctly. The trick is the orange rubber piece has to be push so the excess is bulging at the open small spot. You will need something thin to position garment this way so it will snap properly.
It was working fine but now there is no sound. Casette loads and plays. Radio tuned to 83.5 FM like I was instructed. Can anyone help - my 2 yearold is complaining!
My rear end is stuck about 4-5 inches higher than it should be.(no funny jokes) Have worked with the height adjustment sensors and arms. Started after towing very heavy trailer. Feel like it is the air bag suspension. can anyone give a link on how to trouble shoot this?
"Also when trying to go from reverse to drive the transition stalls in neutral then slams into drive."
I realize this was posted three years ago, but I'm curious if the poster or anyone else has experienced the same issue?
I'm currently in L.A. visiting my sister who has a 2007 Lexus GX470. It only has 61k miles on it and has always been well maintained and never abused or used off-road.
I was driving it yesterday and backed out of parking spot, put it into DRIVE (after coming to a full stop) and nothing happened when I pressed the gas! I shifted it into Neutral, then back into Drive to make sure I had it firmly in gear. I figured it was just my error since I only drive the car once or twice per year when I visit and I'm not familiar with it.
It's due for an oil change and I told her I'd take it in before I leave for that and have them double check the brakes and fluids. That's when she told me that the transmission would sometimes pause for several seconds then slam into gear when going from R to D. I told her it had happened to me also and she said it had been doing it intermittently for several months.
She said that it would slam into gear very harshly when it happened with her. I suspect that was because she was pressing the gas and when it engaged, it did so with the engine revving rather than idling. Until we figure out the problem and get it fixed, I told her to immediately take her foot off the gas when she realized that it was happening. That would reduce the load on the transmission substantially when it did engage Drive.
But what the heck IS the problem??? Input will be greatly appreciated!
Yes, this is exactly what my 2009 Lexus GX470 would do. The car would stall in neutral and then slam into drive when backing up and also when driving it would buck when on the highway and I would slow down to go through a toll and then try to speed up after thought the toll. I complained to the dealer as it was still under warranty several times when in for service. They said they couldn't duplicate my complaint when driving it. I finally got so annoyed that I asked for a ride along with one of the mechanics. He got it to buck while driving but not stall in neutral. I asked them to keep the car for a few days and they gave me a loaner and a few days later I got a call from them saying that the car finally stalled in neutral for them and they could try to resolve the issue an if that didn't work they would replace the transition. Well I needed up with a new transition and it hasn't done the stall again. I do realize that your car my be out of warranty but this is what fixed my car finally. I hope this helps. It is a very frustrating issue considering you take good care of your car as I do and don't drive crazy with it. I felt as I shouldn't be having these issues since I had a Dodge before with nothing but issues so that is why I went Lexus this time because I was tired of car issues and Lexus had a great rep. The dealer and this forum proved that this is a very uncommon issue. The car has been great since I replaced the transmission with no issues since.
So far, the pause going into Drive from Reverse is the only issue. It hasn’t done the bucking at highway speeds or anything like that. I drove it all day today including merging into Los Angeles freeway traffic and the transmission responds instantly to throttle input and downshifts a gear or two for quick acceleration. I even drove thru Topanga Canyon over to Malibu this afternoon and it performed perfectly. (Sidebar- Topanga Canyon Road is constant S-curves and steep grades. In the first sweeping curve, I almost lost it because I was going too fast and came dangerously close to the guard rail. Then I switched the adjustable suspension from the Comfort (2) setting to Sport (4) and it handled almost as well as my Mazda CX-9! Impressive feature and very impressive handling for a body-on-frame SUV).
The vehicle only has 61,200 miles on it and the Powertrain Warranty covered 72 months or 70,000 miles. So it’s well under the mileage limit, but it was six year old (72 months) back in June, so the warranty expired five months ago! Crappy timing, to say the least.
I’m planning to take it to the local Lexus dealer and see if they might still be willing to help if it needs a new transmission. She had a 2001 Acura MDX prior to Lexus and an 1986 Acura Legend that she drove for 15 years and 228k miles prior to the MDX! If Lexus won’t help, we will probably be buying/leasing her another Acura before I head back to Georgia next week.
Hopefully it won't come to that and it can be fixed for a reasonable amount or warrantied. I know that the 4.7L V8 and 5-speed AT is a very reliable powertrain normally. My cousin has a 2004 Toyota 4-Runner Limiited V8 4x4 that shares the same engine and transmission. It has 230k+ miles on it and the transmission still shifts like the day she bought it!
Other than this issue, it has never had the slightest problem. It still looks and drives great and, best of all, it's PAID OFF! So I'm keeping my fingers crossed....I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
Comments
Did you ever get the clunk and A/C probs repaired. I have both probs on my '03 GX, just had the TSB done for the A/C issue (Lexus was super nice, covered it even though my car has 60k miles and gave me a loaner). I do notice though that the a/c keeps getting cool and then warm again still, I am taking it back this week for them to check it again. The "cliunk" parts have been on order for my car for over a month now, my car has a terrible clunk at every start/stop. They said they will cover the clunk TSB as well, they have been wonderful!
Let me know how it went for you, please. Hope all is fixed!
Thanks in adavance!
Although the routine maintenance is expensive, the perks are truly hard to want to give up; service and parts 365 days/year from 6am-11pm, unlimited supply of rentals for $5/day--typically 2008 350RX or 400h, awesome waiting room--free food, Starbucks, internet access, play area for the kids, and an entertainment room that rivals a sports bar for the big kids. When you need to have tire replaced on a Sunday night at 8pm and you can just show up, get a loaner and pick up the car the following day, it is pretty sweet. I know we for it, but the total flexibility is really, really nice. This has been my experience at Pohanka Lexus in Fairfax, VA
Any help is appreciated.
Also, has anyone noticed a problem with the sound in the front speakers being intermittant? The service dept. told me they couldn't replicate the problem, therefore, they can't fix it. :confuse:
I do have extended warranty , I've heard it;s better to not have amything done with the moon roof for it can lead into more issues , :mad:
Thanks!
Thanks!
Have you expressed your displeasure with the service manager? They might be likely to offer up something of more value than a warranty or perhaps you could push them for a full extended warranty as a huge discount. While the engine is quite impressive, there are some other bits that seem to not be as well made. We had a lot of little issues on ours during normal warranty and then had to pay for a new transfer case at 75k miles. But if you drive so few miles, you may never see the benefit of that either. Maybe a couple free service visits would be more valuable.
I called the Lexus dealer in my area to ask if this was by design or a problem and they didn't know. I couldn't find anything in the manual about it either. I have read of some very expensive sunroof repairs on this site so I want to make sure this "feature" is by design and not a precursor to some expensive problem. My car will fall out of warranty in a few months.
Thanks.
Have worked with the height adjustment sensors and arms. Started after towing very heavy trailer.
Feel like it is the air bag suspension. can anyone give a link on how to trouble shoot this?
I realize this was posted three years ago, but I'm curious if the poster or anyone else has experienced the same issue?
I'm currently in L.A. visiting my sister who has a 2007 Lexus GX470. It only has 61k miles on it and has always been well maintained and never abused or used off-road.
I was driving it yesterday and backed out of parking spot, put it into DRIVE (after coming to a full stop) and nothing happened when I pressed the gas! I shifted it into Neutral, then back into Drive to make sure I had it firmly in gear. I figured it was just my error since I only drive the car once or twice per year when I visit and I'm not familiar with it.
It's due for an oil change and I told her I'd take it in before I leave for that and have them double check the brakes and fluids. That's when she told me that the transmission would sometimes pause for several seconds then slam into gear when going from R to D. I told her it had happened to me also and she said it had been doing it intermittently for several months.
She said that it would slam into gear very harshly when it happened with her. I suspect that was because she was pressing the gas and when it engaged, it did so with the engine revving rather than idling. Until we figure out the problem and get it fixed, I told her to immediately take her foot off the gas when she realized that it was happening. That would reduce the load on the transmission substantially when it did engage Drive.
But what the heck IS the problem??? Input will be greatly appreciated!
The vehicle only has 61,200 miles on it and the Powertrain Warranty covered 72 months or 70,000 miles. So it’s well under the mileage limit, but it was six year old (72 months) back in June, so the warranty expired five months ago! Crappy timing, to say the least.
I’m planning to take it to the local Lexus dealer and see if they might still be willing to help if it needs a new transmission. She had a 2001 Acura MDX prior to Lexus and an 1986 Acura Legend that she drove for 15 years and 228k miles prior to the MDX! If Lexus won’t help, we will probably be buying/leasing her another Acura before I head back to Georgia next week.
Hopefully it won't come to that and it can be fixed for a reasonable amount or warrantied. I know that the 4.7L V8 and 5-speed AT is a very reliable powertrain normally. My cousin has a 2004 Toyota 4-Runner Limiited V8 4x4 that shares the same engine and transmission. It has 230k+ miles on it and the transmission still shifts like the day she bought it!
Other than this issue, it has never had the slightest problem. It still looks and drives great and, best of all, it's PAID OFF! So I'm keeping my fingers crossed....I'll let you guys know how it turns out.