2008 LEXUS LS460 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS LS460. WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BECAME INOPERABLE. THE PARKING BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEXUS OF CLEAR LAKE (18160 GULF FWY IN HOUSTON, TX) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

IN MAY 2017 I REPLACED REAR BRAKES BUT THE "SQUAWK" NOISE WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL PERSISTED. ON 6-8-17 I RETURNED TO LEXUS WH DEALER (CUSTOMER # 171829) AND THE TECH REQUESTED A TEST RIDE. AT THE CURB, I ENGAGED BRAKE, AND TECH SAW THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT. HE IMMEDIATELY DIAGNOSED THE BRAKE ACTUATOR UNIT. MILEAGE IN/PUT ON INVOICE 207972 (ATTACHED) VERIFIES THE CAR NEVER WENT ON TEST RIDE FOR DIAGNOSIS. SCOTT AT LEXUS CUST CARE CLAIMED THERE WAS NO WARRANTY RECALL AT THAT TIME AND ADVISED ME TO CONSIDER THE LEXUS WH SERVICE MGR OFFER TO REPAIR FOR $5000 LESS $1200 GOOD FAITH DISCOUNT. I INQUIRED IF THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS TOLD NO BY TECHNICIAN IT WAS JUST A NOISE. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, PROBLEM WORSENED SO I RESEARCHED ISSUE AND DISCOVERED SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED APRIL 2016 FOR BRAKE ACTUATOR. ON DEC 11 2017 ENGAGED LEXUS CUST CARE AGAIN AND ERIC YOUNG, AGENT, CHECKED MY VIN AND ADVISED MY CAR WAS INCLUDED ON THE SB. HE ALSO NOTED THE LEXUS DEALER CLAIMED IN JUNE 2017 THE CAR DID NOT FAIL YET THEY TRIED TO CHARGE ME $5000 FOR A REPAIR. WHEN I REQUESTED NOTES OR TANGIBLE PROOF TO TAKE TO THE DEALER, ERIC CALLED TO SET APPT AT DEALER FOR ME AND I DROPPED MY CAR ON 12-11-17 ON 12-12-17 THE LEXUS SERVICE MGR NOW CLAIMED THE CAR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR SB REPAIR BECAUSE NO CODES OR LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD. DEALER FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE BATTERY REPLACEMENT IN OCT 2017 WHICH WOULD HAVE ERASED CODES. LEXUS SERVICE MGR NEW REPAIR QUOTE IS $3900 LESS $1200 = $2700 + TAX. (AGAIN NO INVOICE PROVIDED) I REFUSED TO RETRIEVE MY CAR UNTIL CORP AND/OR DEALERS PUT THEIR DECISION TO DENY MY CLAIM IN WRITING. LEXUS SUPERVISOR CLAIMS THEY DO NOT PUT PROPRIETARY INFORMATION IN WRITING AND WOULD ONLY PROVIDE ATTACHED EMAIL. NO INVOICE PROVIDED BY DEALER I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY POLICY BULLETIN 16-01 AKA WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM - ZLG

MY CAR HAS A STICKY DASHBOARD AND DOOR PANELS AS WELL AS THE BLACK BUTTON THAT OPENS THE TRUNK WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT OR HUMID. ANYTHING THAT IS MADE OF THAT MATERIAL IS STICKY AND GETS THIS WEIRD BLACK STUFF EVERYWHERE. THE SHINY REFLECTIVE SURFACE THAT THE DASHBOARD IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. EVERY TIME I GET IN MY CAR I COUGH, SO I AM AFRAID THAT HARMFUL CHEMICALS MAY BE EMITTED. PLEASE HELP INVESTIGATE!

CRACKED AND/OR STICKY/MELTING DASHBOARDS (INSTRUMENT PANELS) AND DOOR PANELS AS A RESULT OF HEAT OR HUMIDITY

THIS AUTOMOBILE MANY INSIDE PLASTIC PANELS ARE MELTING LIQUEFYING AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT ARE RELEASING TOXIC FUMES. IT IS MY WIFE'S CAR AND SHE HAS A LOT OF COUGH THIS YEAR, CONTACTED LEXUS/TOYOTA AND THEY SAY ARE NOT TOXIC, BUT WE DO NOT BELIEVE THEM, PLEASE FIND CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. WE ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE A LABORATORY WHERE THIS CAR CAN ANALYSE THE AIR INTERIOR, WE FOUND ONE BUT THEY WANT TO CHARGE $750 TO DO THE TEST. TOYOTA THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS LEXUS HAS NO CREDIBILITY WITH US, THEY USE PLASTIC COMPOUNDS IN PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE MINIMUM TESTING AND THIS IS THE END RESULT. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED OUR NOTES REGARDING THIS ISSUE.

ALL DOOR PANELS MELTING, INCLUDING GLOVE COMPARTMENT, DASH BOARD, CENTER CONSOLE CAUSED BY USE OF DEFECTIVE AND SUBSTANDARD MATERIAL. NAVIGATION SYSTEM DIED LEAVING NO ACCESS TO AIR CONDITION CONTROL, BLUE TOOTH, REAR CAMERA , HARD DRIVE, MAP AND OTHER FUNCTIONS.LEXUS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE CITING WARRANTY.

WHILE BRAKING GRADUALLY, WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL IN A STEADY POSITION, THE CAR LURCHES/PULSES, THE TIRES MAKES LOUD SKIDDING SOUND THEN THE CAR COMES TO A HARD STOP AS THOUGH IT HAS SLAMMED INTO SOMETHING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AT LOW SPEEDS, WHERE IT FEELS LIKE IM PRESSING THE BRAKE AND LETTING GO, AND PRESSING AGAIN, BUT IN REALITY, THE BRAKES ARE BEING PRESSED AT A CONSTANT PRESSURE. THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE ABS FEELING, AS THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT TRAVEL BENEATH MY FOOT, AND THE RELEASE AND GRABBING OF THE BRAKES SEEM VERY SLOW. IT HAPPEN THE FIRST TIME WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES, GOING ABOUT 25-30 MPH. THEN WITH 86,000, GOING ABOUT 5-7 MPH.

THE BRAKES HAVE A CHATTERING NOISE AND FEEL THROUGH THE PEDAL WHILE STOPPED, WHEN YOU RELEASE THEM. THE CAR CAN BE IN PARK, AND IT STILL DOES IT. IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT TOYOTA IS DOING THEIR BEST TO AVOID REPAIRING IT UNDER THE NEWLY EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE "BRAKE ACTUATOR". IT'S 100% REPEATABLE, AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE, IF THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED AND RELEASED.

I HAVE 111000 MILES ON MY LS 460 2008. I NOTICED A SQUEALING SOUND WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE AND SLIDES A LITTLE WHEN U PRESS THE BRAKE IT FEELS LIKE IT DON'T WANNA STOP AND I WAS TOLD IT'S THE BRAKE ACTUATOR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (70 MPH) I ENCOUNTERED ILLUMINATION OF BRAKE/ABS WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ADVISING ME THAT THE SAFETY BRAKE/ABS/TRACTION FEATURES ON MY CAR ARE NON OPERATIONAL. UPON PULLING OVER, I READ A MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE DASH ALERTING ME TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE NEAREST LEXUS DEALER. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP, I WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL AND MORE LIKELY THEN NOT THE FAULTY BRAKE ACTUATOR WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS CONFIRMED THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS DAY WHEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR CONFIRMING THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR HAS FAILED. UPON QUESTIONING THE ADVISOR OF THE CAUSE, HE ONCE AGAIN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT LEXUS HAS ISSUED AN UPDATED PART AS A REPLACEMENT. IT CONCERNS ME THAT LEXUS HAS NOT PERFORMED A VOLUNTARY RECALL ON SAID BRAKE ACTUATOR SINCE THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY DEVICE AND THEY (LEXUS) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS DEFECT TO THE ORIGINAL PART BY PROVIDING AN "IMPROVED" BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. FURTHERMORE, BY PERFORMING A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH I ENCOUNTERED NUMEROUS TOPICS ABOUT IDENTICAL ISSUES AS MINE ON THE MODEL/YEAR (2007-2010 LEXUS LS460). I WOULD LIKE TO DULY REQUEST THAT NTSB PERFORMS AN INQUIRY WITH LEXUS REGARDING BRAKE ACTUATOR ISSUES STATED ABOVE.