2003 LEXUS GX470 Complaints

MY LEXUS GX470 HAS BEEN RETURNED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE SAME DEFECT, THE LAST TIME(4TH) MY CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE FOR MY CAR AT THIS CURRENT TIME. ACCORDING TO LEXUS, THE THUMPING SENSATION FROM THE DRIVE SHAFT IS NORMAL, DESIGN CHARACTERISTIC I BELIEVE IS WHAT ONE LEXUS REP. REFERRED TO IT AS. OTHER LEXUS REPS. SAY IT IS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ALL GX 470'S. REGARDLESS, AFTER ATTEMPTING FOUR (4) SEPARATE TIMES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM 1ST TIME- LEXUS DISASSEMBLED THE DRIVE SHAFT AND RE-PACKED IT, SEEMED FINE FOR 3000 MILES THEN THE PROBLEM REAPPEARED. 2ND TIME- LEXUS REPLACED THE PROPELLER SHAFT, PROBLEM REAPPEARED AFTER 1500 MILES. 3RD TIME - LEXUS REPLACED THE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT, PROBLEM REAPPEARED AFTER 6000 MILES. 4TH TIME - SORRY! I WAS TOLD BY MY LOCAL SERVICING DEALER THAT AT THIS TIME ACCORDING TO LEXUS MY VEHICLE HAS THE MOST CURRENT UPDATE ( DRIVE SHAFT ) THAT LEXUS HAS TO OFFER AT THIS TIME. *NM

THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM MADE THE VEHICLE LIFT ON ITS OWN. MANUFACTURER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, AND AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS STILL DEFECTIVE. *AK

I PURCHASED A 2003 LEXUS GX470 AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A SERIOUS CLUNK/THUMP IN THE REAR TRANSMISSION. I BROUGHT IT INTO MY LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND THEY LUBED THE DRIVESHAFT. AFTER THIS IT WAS FIXED FOR APPROX 3 MONTHS BUT THIS THUMP/CLUNK IS BACK. I AM AFRAID THAT THIS MAY BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SEEMS THAT LEXUS IS AVOIDING A FIX ACTION, ONLY PERFORMING A TEMP FIX. *JB

STRANGE THUMPING SOUND ON MY LEXUS GX470. EASY CRACKING OF THE WINDSHIELD ( A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL).

PURCHASED GX 470 JULY 03, BEGAN NOTICING THUMPING WHILE DRIVING AND ACCELERATING FROM SLOWING DOWN AND/OR STOPPING APPROVXIMATELY 5 MONTHS, 9000 MILES LATER. DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO FINISH MY SENTENCE WHEN FIRST ATTEMPTING TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM & VOLUNTEERED TO REPLACE THE DRIVESHAFT, WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. SERVICE TECHS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT REPLACING THE DRIVESHAFT DOESNT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. RETURNED TRUCK AGAIN, DEALERSHIP KEPT TRUCK FOR 10 DAYS WITHOUT ONE WORD, DID NOTHING AND THEN SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. SENT LETTER TO MANUFACTURER WHO IS PUSHING ARBITRATION THRU NCDS. BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS, I HAVE NO FAITH THE LEXUS WILL ACCEPT REPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT FOR WHICH THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF. *AK

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED STEERING WHEEL FAILED, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL THE VEHICLE, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING 50 MPH. CONSUMER TOWED THE VEHICLETO DEALER TO BE INSPECTED, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT STEERING COLUMN BOLT SNAPPED. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE LUNGES AND THRUSTS FORWARD WHILE THE BRAKE IS FIRMLY ENGAGED AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECT WHICH IS QUITE STARTLING. THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT ALLOWS THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE FORWARD CAUSING A LOUD THUMP AND PROPELLING THE VEHICLE IN A FORWARD MOTION SEVERAL INCHES DESPITE HAVING THE BRAKE ENGAGED. THE SPLINES ON THE SLIP YOKE FOR THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT ARE NOT DESIGNED APPROPRIATELY.*AK

WHEN HARD ACCELERATING SULFUR SMELL ENTERS CABIN MAKES ME NAUSEATED... WONDER IF CARBON MONOXIDE IS ENTERING CABIN ALSO . WHEN STOPPING OR STOPPED DRIVE SHAFT BUMPS HARD LIKE SOMEONE HITTING BACK OF VEHICLE. *JB

I HAVE OWNED 2 GX470'S AND BOTH HAVE HAD A "KNOCKING" WHEN YOU STOP THE VEHICLE. IT FEELS AS THOUGH SOMEONE HAS TAPPED ME FROM BEHIND MY VEHICLE WITH THEIR VEHICLE. LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE, DEALER AND TECHNICIAN CLAIM THIS IS NORMAL FOR AN SUV. I HAVE OWNED A MERCEDES ML 430 AND THERE WAS NEVER A THUMP FROM THE REAR. *CB

THERE WAS SEVERE SHIMMYING/VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE WHEN IT OCCURRED ON A WET SURFACE. DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED, BUT COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK