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Also, what do you mean by the dash board looks like a fat laday trying to fit in a tight jean? When they took it apart and put it back it's suppose to look like the way it was. If not, tell them to fix it. I am not trying to criticize you here but look to me you weren't demanding enough at the dealer. Dude, you paid 40 grand for that car so if you find anything wrong with it, tell them to fix it.
wowo.... i feel better already.. let me drive myself there, waste some time, while you're looking at it, have a cookie and water, go home, and try to feel better. wowowwwww.. what's an advice. i love his advice. i wish i'm being paid by lexus to go there and sit while my car is being checked. he's pissing me off bad.
i call HQ, and as usual (meaning, when i told them my engine shake, samething, but nothing is resolved), they will have "specialist" come out to check. i hope they fix my problems... cuz i'm so sick of driving myself to the dealer... i don't really want to have Longo as my second home, if someone is trying to make it. lexus??? or longo??? someone, if you're planning to buy a lexus, talk to service consultant first, cuz they know less about the car than you, when that happens, don't get that car... or brand. trust me, it happened to me at lexus dealer.
get something else.. G35 sounds good to me right now. even a audi is better. thanks louiswei. i already mentioned that to them, but they insist that it supposed to make that squeaking sound. yes.. and i don't lie, i wish i have him on tape and play to you all.
Just like when you had OPTIONS to buy the car, you also have OPTIONS to fix/service the car.
As for squeaky brakes.. it does happen. Ask the advisor to ask the tech to check for glaze on the rotors and/or pads. Sometimes after sitting on the boat or the lot, rotors & pads can have a tendency to glaze over. This glaze can cause the brakes the squeak when the pedal is applied. Also, don't "lite foot" the brakes. Don't baby or go easy with light pressure. USE 'EM!
Lastly, as long as the pad life is over 50% and the car has less than 12K and you have owned it LESS THAN 12 months ... IF you SPEAK loud enuf to the service mgr the brakes (pads & rotors .. IF glazed) should be replaced by the 12/12 warranty. But remember, if they do this and the brakes STILL squeak after that then you are SOL. The brakes are safe, they operate the way they were designed & they stop the car. Squeaking is an annoyance that has NO EFFECT on the saftey or operation of the system ... so they will tell you to POUND SAND!
Sorry to sound harsh but it's just the way it is...
Quibbles and comments (some reported previously in this forum):
Yes, the driver's outside mirror does have a slight optical distortion somewhere in the middle, difficult to locate and only slightly distubing when I see it;
Yes, the inside rearview mirror vibrates with various road bumps and certainly from stereo bass;
The dash emits an occasional loud "pop" usually in the first 5-10 minutes of operation, presumably due to temperature change after being parked in the garage;
The steering seems to wander (not pull), does not have a good on-center feel;
The brakes are over-boosted and touchy - but very good at hauling it down;
The seat bottom is thin and lacking significantly in padding - I attribute this to the ventilated seat feature.
I will ask our dealer to check the alignment in hopes of curing the steering wander (all tires are at correct pressures). Everything else is pretty much a design issue that will be difficult to change. Looking for a dash "pop" might only make things worse. For the most part, my wife does not see these issues, therefore HER CAR DOES NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS!!!
On the plus side, the styling of the car (inside and out) is killer compared to the "sport sedan" competition she evaluated: Audi A4, BMW 325, MB C230.
All in all, she is very happy with the car, and therefore I too am very happy!
i'm gonna bring it in, hopefully the fix the problemsssss.
i'm starting to hate lexus already....
If the VDIM cheat does not disable the governor, is there another cheat?
you guys are so helpful here.
I purchased Sport Pedals from a well known Lexus parts dealer off the Web. I installed the Brake pedal and the Foot rest with no problem. My next install is the Gas pedal.
Has anybody done it without disassembling the whole gas pedal assembly ? Thanks.
So did you have any problems installing the brake pedal and foot arrest or they are really simple?
I saw the diagram from the website that I ordered mine and it shows that for the gas pedal you do need to disassemble the whole thing. I really hope not but if that's the case I'll take it to the dealer for them to do it.
Manny
My next mod will be replacing the chrome badges with the black pearl ones. I think after that I should be satisfied for the time being. :P
the same outside mirror distortion on ALL the IS 250's that I have test-driven
and when pointing it out to the 3 different sales people, they all acted surprised,
and said they didn't see the problem (imagine that) ! Has your wife pointed it
out to the dealer/service dept too ? Any responses ? Has she had it replaced ?
I am about to order an 07 and am curious (concerned). Thanks !
Wash it off, wipe it off, whatever it takes
It is what it is.
If you like the way the car stops, that great stopping power has a tradoff ... excessive brake dust.
at this rate i'll probably only get 5,000 miles before i have to replace the brakes.
For example, when the previous gen GS430 was released, it had very sticky but soft tires that wore down quickly. Though it wasn't any sort of design flaw and were performing as meant to for increased tire traction, Lexus gave everyone a new set of slightly harder tires that would wear more slowly free of charge.
Likewise, the breaks on the IS sedans are amazing. However, part of the draw backs to such soft and performance orientated pads and rotors is easy wear.
The average in LA stop & go driving is approx 10K to 12K .. now this is AVERAGE
I have seen people get 2 to 3X as much and I have seen people get as little as 8K..
Most higher end manufacturers' have an adjustment period of 12 months or 12K from when the car was originally delivered (the original in service date)
IF the brakes have problems but NOT due to wear MOST manufacturers' will replace the brakes under warranty BUT ONLY IF THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, NOT FOR WEAR.
Pulsation, warped rotors and horendous brake squeal (if verified) will ususally be "covered" but again, it depends upon the manufacturer.
Pads usually need to be ABOVE 50% remaining for the manufacturer to 'step up' and replace them under the 12/12 warranty.
But for xcessive brake dust ... I highly doubt it.
But like I tell my girls ... "If you don't ask .. You don't get"
GOOD LUCK
lol. Good advice. That's the amazing thing about Lexus. They have in the past replaced parts due to wear because of customer dissatisfaction, such as the tires in the old GS 430/400(?).
They are pricy though but I think it's worth it. Especially on dark paints.
Also...why in the world did they put the homelink on the mirror? The stupid thing moves all the time. Other Lexus models put it where it belongs on the front overhead light panel...further...why isn't it illuminated? Acura does this.
After unlocking the doors...the interior light does not come on until the doors are opened...very poor engineering here. Acura illuminates all interior lights when the doors are unlocked with a bright light...not dim like the Lexus. Seems small but my wife parks in an underground garage and this unnerves her.
Memory seat 1-2-3 settings are not illuminated...why not?
Why are the voice commands NOT listed in the owners manual?
Why do you have to go to the dealer to set some options (pg 400) while the Acura lets you change whatever you want whenever you want.
We had a dead battery the morning after we bought it. The installation of the XM radio has been a nightmare and been in the shop 3x now to get it fixed.
Pete
Regards,
Netwon
Pete
as for the lexus personalized settings that the dealer changes instead of do it yourself - i totally agree. what's worse, they will only adjust those settings for free for 12 months after purchase.
minor annoyances, for sure, but truly odd to see this kind of oversight on a $40k luxury car. But then again, the TL just got autoheadlights for 2007. and still no keyless start. so each vehicle has its pluses and minuses. you have to wonder though what the engineers are thinking.
the light thing maybe can be solved by a software reprogram?
Pete
Pete
Hope that helps,
Netwon
satellite radio? I ask because I was having an
intermittent problem with my sattelite radio on
my '07 RX350. The sound would go out although
the screen was showing the song title, etc., but no "no signal" message. I had to turn the
car off and turn it back on to get it to work
again. I took it in to Lexus and they went ahead and replaced my tuner/receiver and made
sure to tighten some wiring harnesses. Working
okay so far!
My XM radio initially was cutting out, sometimes in the middle of an interstate (i.e.- not while passing under a bridge). They had to move the antenna from inside the car, under the back window, to outside the car on the trunk. The sound quality is still terrible and it sounds like I'm listening to internet radio. The Ss are exaggerated and it has a very tinny quality. I'm no audiophile and it sounds so bad that I barely listen to it. FM sounds a thousand times better. It's nothing close to the "CD quality" sound that the advertisements guarantee.
What don't you like about the bluetooth?
Thanks.
If you have your instrument panel brightness control on the highest setting the navigation will not dim. Lexus IS Navigation Tutorial > Go to the "How To Menu" > "Adjust the Screen Brightness" (top of menu).
Hope that helps,
Netwon
Anyway, after setttling my case, I started looking at the 2007 TL-S, 2007 G35, 2007 IS250/350, and Volvo S60.
So here is my low-down:
IS250 -- way under powered compared to my IS300 and feels huge even though it is only a few inches bigger. 0-60 in >8sec?? Slower than my IS300 by over 1 sec. More money + less performance=PASS
IS350-- Why did they put the TCS button in the most hard to get to place. My IS300 had it in finger reach from the shift knob. Quality: seems like $35K-$40K at lexus does not buy quality any more. Same irritational issues reported--- RATTLES, rear mirror vibrating, and traction control comes on way too soon. These ODDITIES the dealer is shrugging off because they are not used to seeing issues and are ill-trained to deal with them. High cost+problems=PASS
G35-- great performance but snobby and unrealistic dealers with outrageous pricing schemes. These guys think the car is G-d and MSRP is it. The engine and tranny are excellent but the car controls you, not you controlling the car unless you get rear steer package which I have yet to see. The Bose sound system sucks. Where is the mid-range vocals? Every package relies on another package except for premium package which has features you would expect at the base price. Sorry people, you can do better with the M35 or G35 coupe.
If the price was more reasonable, I would take it over the IS350 due to rear room and a higher sporty appeal. By the way, the G35 I drove (G35s) had a rattle/creak in the front right corner.
2007 TL-S -- The car has every bell and whistle. If they would have made this AWD with the SHaw system, Lexus and Infiniti would be crying. However, the FWD is a concern due to torque steer in the AT. Why did they not put the LSD on the AT as they did on the MT? Over priced but dealers are willing to deal since sales are slow. Way over priced for segment. However, it seems like it the best built of the Japanese brands. No rattles noticed. Best combination of features, performance and price as long as you can get it for just over invoice. GOOD CHOICE
2007 Volvo S60R -- This car is the most solid car I have driven. AWD, 300Hp turbo, adjustable air shock settings(comfort, sport, advanced). There is some turbo lag but there are companies out there that sell ECU re-programmers to boost power, MPG, and lower turbo lag for about a $1k. Volvo is discounting them quite a bit and the lease payments are on par with the others, in some cases lower. The only gripes I have is more wind noise than others, Not bleeding edge but trying, bluetooth is an add-on accessory, no voice commands to set items, and the NAV is uesless. The body kit is awesome but scrapes. It comes with adaptive headlights and headlight washers and wipers. The sound system is Harman Kardon and has dolby prologic II which in my opinion sounds more natural than the Acura and Infiniti. One feature it does have that the others do not is passthrough and split fold down seats. If you choose to get this one, kill the nav and bluetooth and get a garmin with those features built in for ~$800. All in all a good choice if you want reasonable handling, comfort and the knowledge that being hit by an 18 wheeler will result in a walk away situation. GOOD CHOICE.
I have not bought anything yet but will in the next week.
Bornracer
Yep. Delayed shifting upon cold start is par for the course currently - get the motor up to operating temp ASAP by delaying the final one or two shifts to reduce cold engine emissions. Even my lowly four+ year old Hyundai Sonata with its archaic 4-sp auto-tranny uses that transmission shift control algorithm.