2007 LEXUS GS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS GS350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD MALFUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL RELATED TO THE SAME FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN AT NIGHT. I AM TOLD THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, WATER GETS INTO THE SEALED HEAD LAMP AND SHORTS OUT THE BALIST. *TR I WAS ALMOST HIT AS ANOTHER CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME BEFORE I REALIZED BOTH HEAD LIGHTS HAD SHORTED OUT. THEY TURN BACK ON ONCE RESET BUT GO OUT WITH OUT WARNING.

MY CAR WAS PARKED INSIDE OF THE PARKING STRUCTURE OF MY CONDO. WHEN MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND TRIED TO MOVE THE CAR BACKWARD TO LEAVE THE PARKING STRUCTURE, ABOUT A SECOND LATER, WITH HUGE BOOM NOISE, THE CAR JUST COLLAPSED. THE REAR TIRE ON DRIVER SIDE WAS LEANING OUTSIDE AND IT SEEMS EITHER BALL JOINT OR UPPER OR LOWER CONTROL ARM IS BROKEN AND THE CAR IS OFF THE BALANCE WITH REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE BODY FRAME IS LOWERED DUE TO THIS. MY WIFE PANICKED AND WE WERE ALL SHOCKED WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS CAR. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE 18-MONTH OLD DAUGHTER AND IT WAS VERY VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF SHE WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY GOING ON 65-70 MILES PER HOUR AND IF THIS HAPPENED, WE WOULD'VE NOT BEEN HERE. I HAVE TAKEN MANY PHOTOS AND VIDEOTAPED IT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF EVIDENCE BEFORE MOVING THE VEHICLE OR TOWING. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I HAVE NOTIFIED THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND EXPLAINED IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT MANAGER WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND ALSO NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY ABOUT THIS WHOLE ISSUE. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW THIS KIND OF INCIDENT CAN HAPPEN TO ME AND THIS IS VERY SERIOUS MATTER AND RARE INCIDENT ESPECIALLY THAT THE CAR IS ONLY 4 1/2 YRS OLD AND WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR COULD HAVE KILLED MY FAMILY IF WE WERE DRIVING IT ON THE FREEDAY GOING OVER 60-70 MILES PER HOUR. THIS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY DUE TO HIGH RISK OF AUTOMOBILE SAFETY ISSUE AND FULL INVESTIGATION IS MANDATORY TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHETHER THERE WAS ANY MECHANICAL DEFECTS FROM LEXUS WHEN IT WAS MANUFACTURED. *TR

FUEL FEED LINE TO PASSENGER SIDE FUEL PUMP BECAME DISCONNECTED WHILE DRIVING. WAS STOOPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND START SMELLING GAS, THOUGHT WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT CAR. AS LIGHT TURNED GREEN START TO MOVE AND ENGINE STOPPED. FORTUNATELY WAS ON THE DOWN HILL SO CAR ROLLED TO THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND PULLED OVER. TRIED TO START COUPLE OF TIME AND GAS WAS DRIPPING UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE. WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND ALL THEY CAN FIND IS FUEL FEED LINE TO THE FUEL PUMP WAS DISCONNECTED INSPECTED O-RINGS AND PIPE RETAINER WHICH WAS FOUND OK. NEEDLESS TO SAY LUCKY FOR US THAT THERE WERE NO SPARK OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE IGNITED THE CAR. AFTER BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION WITH LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE, ONLY ASSURANCE I CAN HAVE IS DEALER CAN SHOW ME THAT THE FUEL PIPE IS CONNECTED WELL AND THERE IS NO SAFETY ISSUE. MY CONCERN IS WHAT CAUSE THIS FAILURE AND NO DEALER OR LEXUS ENGINEERING HAVE ANY IDEA. THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING ENGINE FOR THIS MODEL AND WORK WAS DONE BY DEALER ABOUT FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A PLAZA BY MAKING A RIGHT TURN, I TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES WHILE TURNING, BUT THE CAR JERKED INTO A SUDDEN ACCELERATION. SUDDENLY, THE CAR ACCELERATED BECAUSE THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. I CRASHED UP INTO THE CURB AND INTO A TREE AND INTO A PARKED CAR. WITH SUCH IMPACT AND FORCE, MY CAR PUSHED THE PARKED CAR TO THE NEXT PARKING LANE, THUS DAMAGING THE CAR PARKED NEXT TO THE FIRST CAR I HIT. THEREFORE, THE FIRST CAR I HIT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE SECOND CAR HAD SOME DENTS AND DAMAGES. MY CAR IS STILL IN THE BODY SHOP AND STILL NEEDS TO BE FIXED. *TR

LOW BEAM XENON HEADLIGHT ON DRIVERS SIDE INTERMITTENTLY SHUTS OFF. AT TIMES BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND SHUT OFF COMPLETELY CAUSING NO VISION AT NIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE SWITCHED OFF THEN BACK ON THEY WORK ONCE AGAIN BUT USUALLY FOR A FEW MINUTES ONLY. *TR

I BOUGHT A PRE-OWNED CERTIFIED 2007 LEXUS GS 350 IN SEPT 2010, I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A POP AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO THE CORNER LANE TO AVOID A TRACTOR TRAILER HITTING ME FROM BEHIND. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE NEAREST LEXUS DEALER, I WAS TOLD BY THAT DEALER THAT A RECALL WAS PERFORMED JUST PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AND SOME SCREWS WERE MISSING FROM THE REPAIR. WHICH CAUSE AN ENGINE FAILURE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE LEXUS DEALER THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM, INSISTS THEY FIX THE NEW ENGINE, THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE LEXUS DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. NOW THEY ARE SAYING A CHAIN WAS CUT IN THE ENGINE AND THEY WILL JUST REPLACE THE CHAIN AND NOT THE ENTIRE ENGINE, I WAS EXPECTING A NEW ENGINE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT VARYING SPEEDS I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS ON MY CAR CHANGE POSITION WITHOUT ANY INPUT ON THE SWITCH. DURING THE WEEK OR SO PRIOR TO THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED, I HAD NOTICED THAT WHEN RETURNING TO THE CAR AFTER LEAVING IT PARKED OVERNIGHT THAT THE MIRRORS, AND OFTEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT WOULD BE OUT OF THEIR SET MEMORY POSITION. SELECTING THE MEMORY SWITCH WOULD RETURN THE SEAT AND MIRRORS TO THEIR PRESET POSITION. HOWEVER THIS HAS NOW PROGRESSED TO WHERE THE MIRRORS WILL CHANGE POSITION WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE DRIVER'S MIRROR WILL NOT CHANGE POSITION DRAMATICALLY, HOWEVER THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR WILL FREQUENTLY TILT UP TO NEARLY THE FULL EXTENT OF ITS' TRAVEL AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INPUT FROM THE DRIVER. THIS HAS LED TO SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE A QUICK GLANCE, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, DID NOT SHOW AN OBSTRUCTION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND NEARLY LED TO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE COMPLAINED TWICE ABOUT THIS TO ONE LEXUS DEALER, TRI COUNTY LEXUS, AND ONCE TO ANOTHER LEXUS DEALER, LEXUS STORE OF LEXINGTON. NEITHER CLAIMED TO BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT I DID POINT OUT TO THE LEXUS STORE OF LEXINGTON WHEN I PICKED MY CAR UP THAT THE PASSENGER MIRROR WAS TILTED FULLY UP AND THEREFORE USELESS TO VIEW THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AS I HAVE POINTED OUT TO BOTH DEALERS, PRESSING THE MEMORY RECALL BUTTON NUMEROUS TIMES WILL EVENTUALLY BRING THE MIRROR BACK TO THE SET MEMORY POSITION. NOW THAT THE VEHICLE HAS PASSED ITS' 50,000 MILE NEW CAR WARRANTY LEXUS CLAIMS NO FURTHER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS OR SEVERAL OTHER CONCERNS WHICH I RAISED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, ONE OF WHICH I JUST PAID $569 FOR OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND I WOULD LIKE MY VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED.

RECENTLY, TOYOTA HAS OFFICIALLY FILED A GOVERNMENT RECALL ON OVER 138,000 LEXUS MODELS DUE TO ENGINE PROBLEMS. THE RECALL AFFECTS 2007-2008 LEXUS GS 350/450H, 2008 LEXUS GS 460, 2006-2008 LEXUS IS 350, 2007-2008 LEXUS LS 460/460L, AND 2008 LEXUS LS 600HL MODELS. THE PROBLEM STEMS FROM FOREIGN MATERIAL THAT MAY HAVE CONTAMINATED THE VALVE SPRING CAUSING IT TO DEGRADE AND POSSIBLY BREAK. IF THAT OCCURS, THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AND STOP WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. (ARTICLE FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS DEC. 23, 2010: LOS ANGELES ' TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. AGREED TO PAY $10 MILLION TO THE FAMILY OF FOUR PEOPLE KILLED IN A RUNAWAY LEXUS CRASH THAT LED TO RECALLS OF MILLIONS OF THE AUTOMAKER\\\'S VEHICLES, AN ATTORNEY SAID THURSDAY. THE AMOUNT WAS RELEASED THURSDAY BY ORANGE COUNTY LAWYER LARRY WILLIS, WHO REPRESENTS THE DEALERSHIP THAT LENT THE LEXUS TO THE FAMILY, ATTORNEY JEAN-PAUL JASSY SAID. JASSY SPOKE WITH WILLIS AND REPRESENTED SEVERAL MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THAT FILED A MOTION OPPOSING EFFORTS TO KEEP THE DETAILS SEALED.) I LEASED A LEXUS GS350 SEVERAL YEARS AGO (4/12/2007). MY LEASE DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL 4/12/2012. I WROTE LEXUS A LETTER STATING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN MY LEXUS GS350 TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND END MY LEASE BEFORE THE EXPIRATION DATE OF 4/12/2012. LEXUS RESPONDED BY INDICATING THAT IT WOULD NOT LET ME RETURN MY CAR. PLEASE ASSIST ME AND ORDER LEXUS TO END MY LEASE DUE TO THE UNSAFE VEHICLE THEY PROVIDED ME. *TR

CAR: 2007 LEXUS GS450H, FACTORY CERTIFIED. HAD A SERIOUS ISSUE WHICH WARRANTS A RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED CARS, WHICH MAY NOT BE LIMITED TO THE GS HYBRID. THIS HAPPENED ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER BUYING THE CAR. PER LEXUS, IT IS A DEFECT WHICH WILL IMPACT ALL OF THEIR HYBRIDS, AND PROBABLY ALL TOYOTA HYBRIDS AS WELL. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT RUSH HOUR, THE CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF. NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES... NO POWER PERIOD. FORTUNATELY, I USED TO DRIVE RACE CARS PROFESSIONALLY AND WAS ABLE TO HANDLE IT, BUT I SUSPECT THAT MOST DRIVERS WOULD HAVE CRASHED. BECAUSE THE PUSH-TO-START BUTTON DOESN'T WORK UNLESS YOU'RE IN PARK, I HAD TO COME TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FAST LANE OF THE FREEWAY. NOT SAFE. TO BE CLEAR, THERE WERE NO INJURIES ETC., BUT, SPEAKING AS A PRO DRIVER, THE SITUATION WOULD NORMALLY HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. PER LEXUS, IT APPEARS THAT THE CAR COMPUTER SHUTS OFF THE CAR WHEN THERE IS A FAULT IN A SENSOR WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO MONITOR THE TRANSMISSION. THEY CONSIDER THIS TO BE 'CORRECT' BEHAVIOR AND REFUSE TO FIX IT. MY PERSPECTIVE: YOU SHOULD NOT DESIGN A CAR TO TURN ITSELF OFF WHEN IT'S MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED JUST BECAUSE A SENSOR HAS A GLITCH. THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OF DAMAGING THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS THE TYPICAL CASE SCENARIO OF LOSING STEERING AND BRAKES ON THE FREEWAY. RECOMMENDATIONS: (1) COMPEL TOYOTA TO RECALL ALL AFFECTED CARS TO FIX THAT "FEATURE" SO THE CAR DOESN'T SHUT ITSELF OFF UNLESS THE ENGINE IS IMMINENTLY ABOUT TO EXPLODE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND (2) IF THE CAR IS POWERED OFF WHILE MOVING, ALLOW THE PUSH-TO-START BUTTON TO WORK WITHOUT FIRST PARKING THE CAR. *TR