Talked to my sales guy - the fun? begins
12-11-06, 04:35 PM
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Talked to my sales guy - the fun? begins
My first post. Been lurking for a few weeks.
Was thisclose to handing full MSRP $ over for UL ESE350 when we got hit with snow storm. During that time I got the bright idea of checking out Lexus forums for good tips before finalizing the purchas... thank goodness I found you guys!
Anyhow, the problems some of you have had has put a real damper on what I thought was the perfect car for my needs. After a few weeks of reading and re-test driving of other vehicles, I had pretty much concluded I'm in limbo until I hear of a permanent fix, esp for the tranny issue.
This afternoon my sales guy calls... I tell him what I've learned on CL and emphasize I realize the problems are a small percentage, but would it ever suck to be one of the minority (sorry all you guys dealing with it!). He's outraged, claims not a single problem with any ES350 sold so far from his dealership, claims no problems reported to JD Powers, etc, tells me not to trust anything on the web that's not from an 'official' site, blah blah blah. I tell him I heard of at least two problems in my geographic area (sorry Wanderer99!) and he says, I'll call the other dealerships around and find out.
Sales guy calls back 30 mins later: no other dealerships had to replace tranny, no problems. His service manager says some people aren't used to the drive-by-wire tranny and steering and may not like the feel of it. I give sales guy TSIB # of 3-4 gear flair. He says he'll call back.
I don't need more hassles in my life. But I really now have my heart set on this car. But certainly not without iron-clad guarantee! Thought I'd post my situation. I'll keep y'all updated. And THANK YOU to everyone for the invaluable info you've provided!
Was thisclose to handing full MSRP $ over for UL ESE350 when we got hit with snow storm. During that time I got the bright idea of checking out Lexus forums for good tips before finalizing the purchas... thank goodness I found you guys!
Anyhow, the problems some of you have had has put a real damper on what I thought was the perfect car for my needs. After a few weeks of reading and re-test driving of other vehicles, I had pretty much concluded I'm in limbo until I hear of a permanent fix, esp for the tranny issue.
This afternoon my sales guy calls... I tell him what I've learned on CL and emphasize I realize the problems are a small percentage, but would it ever suck to be one of the minority (sorry all you guys dealing with it!). He's outraged, claims not a single problem with any ES350 sold so far from his dealership, claims no problems reported to JD Powers, etc, tells me not to trust anything on the web that's not from an 'official' site, blah blah blah. I tell him I heard of at least two problems in my geographic area (sorry Wanderer99!) and he says, I'll call the other dealerships around and find out.
Sales guy calls back 30 mins later: no other dealerships had to replace tranny, no problems. His service manager says some people aren't used to the drive-by-wire tranny and steering and may not like the feel of it. I give sales guy TSIB # of 3-4 gear flair. He says he'll call back.
I don't need more hassles in my life. But I really now have my heart set on this car. But certainly not without iron-clad guarantee! Thought I'd post my situation. I'll keep y'all updated. And THANK YOU to everyone for the invaluable info you've provided!
12-11-06, 05:02 PM
#2
Lexus Champion
My first post. Been lurking for a few weeks.
Was thisclose to handing full MSRP $ over for UL ESE350 when we got hit with snow storm. During that time I got the bright idea of checking out Lexus forums for good tips before finalizing the purchas... thank goodness I found you guys!
Anyhow, the problems some of you have had has put a real damper on what I thought was the perfect car for my needs. After a few weeks of reading and re-test driving of other vehicles, I had pretty much concluded I'm in limbo until I hear of a permanent fix, esp for the tranny issue.
This afternoon my sales guy calls... I tell him what I've learned on CL and emphasize I realize the problems are a small percentage, but would it ever suck to be one of the minority (sorry all you guys dealing with it!). He's outraged, claims not a single problem with any ES350 sold so far from his dealership, claims no problems reported to JD Powers, etc, tells me not to trust anything on the web that's not from an 'official' site, blah blah blah. I tell him I heard of at least two problems in my geographic area (sorry Wanderer99!) and he says, I'll call the other dealerships around and find out.
Sales guy calls back 30 mins later: no other dealerships had to replace tranny, no problems. His service manager says some people aren't used to the drive-by-wire tranny and steering and may not like the feel of it. I give sales guy TSIB # of 3-4 gear flair. He says he'll call back.
I don't need more hassles in my life. But I really now have my heart set on this car. But certainly not without iron-clad guarantee! Thought I'd post my situation. I'll keep y'all updated. And THANK YOU to everyone for the invaluable info you've provided!
Was thisclose to handing full MSRP $ over for UL ESE350 when we got hit with snow storm. During that time I got the bright idea of checking out Lexus forums for good tips before finalizing the purchas... thank goodness I found you guys!
Anyhow, the problems some of you have had has put a real damper on what I thought was the perfect car for my needs. After a few weeks of reading and re-test driving of other vehicles, I had pretty much concluded I'm in limbo until I hear of a permanent fix, esp for the tranny issue.
This afternoon my sales guy calls... I tell him what I've learned on CL and emphasize I realize the problems are a small percentage, but would it ever suck to be one of the minority (sorry all you guys dealing with it!). He's outraged, claims not a single problem with any ES350 sold so far from his dealership, claims no problems reported to JD Powers, etc, tells me not to trust anything on the web that's not from an 'official' site, blah blah blah. I tell him I heard of at least two problems in my geographic area (sorry Wanderer99!) and he says, I'll call the other dealerships around and find out.
Sales guy calls back 30 mins later: no other dealerships had to replace tranny, no problems. His service manager says some people aren't used to the drive-by-wire tranny and steering and may not like the feel of it. I give sales guy TSIB # of 3-4 gear flair. He says he'll call back.
I don't need more hassles in my life. But I really now have my heart set on this car. But certainly not without iron-clad guarantee! Thought I'd post my situation. I'll keep y'all updated. And THANK YOU to everyone for the invaluable info you've provided!
12-11-06, 05:24 PM
#3
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wcbwcbm, welcome to Clublexus. Yes, there are some issues with the ES 350 but Lexus is working on them. Rest assured it is the minority of owners.
People that are unhappy complain and look for ways to do so. It is more common for happy owners to stay happy and not start a thread/post about it.
Good luck!
12-11-06, 05:30 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
Can this be any different than someone posting on the internet?
wcbwcbm, welcome to Clublexus. Yes, there are some issues with the ES 350 but Lexus is working on them. Rest assured it is the minority of owners.
People that are unhappy complain and look for ways to do so. It is more common for happy owners to stay happy and not start a thread/post about it.
Good luck!
wcbwcbm, welcome to Clublexus. Yes, there are some issues with the ES 350 but Lexus is working on them. Rest assured it is the minority of owners.
People that are unhappy complain and look for ways to do so. It is more common for happy owners to stay happy and not start a thread/post about it.
Good luck!
12-11-06, 06:08 PM
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I agree that most people seem to be very happy with their ES, and those people tend to be much quieter. I know that I have been kicked up a stink lately, but the ES is a really good car, I truly believe I am just one of the unlucky ones.
My Suggestion is take the car you are going to purchase for a extended test drive.. even see if the dealership will let you test drive it over night. Drive it at freeway speeds with the radio off. Also pay close attention to the first time you go from 3rd to 4th (as the problem seems to mainly happen when the car is cold). If you don't notice any problems your probably safe. When I got my car, I took a grey UL on a rather lengthy testdrive and noticed no problems.. Then silly me bought the black one w/ only testing it for 10 minutes on city streets. The next day I drove 200 miles to see my parents and noticed the wind noise right away.
My Suggestion is take the car you are going to purchase for a extended test drive.. even see if the dealership will let you test drive it over night. Drive it at freeway speeds with the radio off. Also pay close attention to the first time you go from 3rd to 4th (as the problem seems to mainly happen when the car is cold). If you don't notice any problems your probably safe. When I got my car, I took a grey UL on a rather lengthy testdrive and noticed no problems.. Then silly me bought the black one w/ only testing it for 10 minutes on city streets. The next day I drove 200 miles to see my parents and noticed the wind noise right away.
12-11-06, 06:37 PM
#6
Hehehehe. Your salesperson is pretty funny. The Sales Manager at my dealership advised me 3 weeks ago that they'd sold less than 100 ES350 vehicles, and had to replace 3 transmissions already, including mine. You know where I am, so maybe get them to call my dealer to discuss how this isn't happening and we're all just really dillusional internet people 
But you've got to hand it to them - they'll do anything for a sale. Maybe get it in writing that if there are any of the problems you already know about and mentioned, that they'll buy the vehicle back immediately with no questions asked. Lets see them put their money where their mouth is on this. Or maybe this dealer just considers wind noise, rattles and trans failures\slips normal operation, so from that perspective he would be correct in that there are no problems to be found
If they do say that Lexus will look after you, remember that you'll have to deal with Lexus yourself when you have a major problem that they can't fix. I was advised last week that if the dealer puts through a complaint it is treated with a lower priority than if a customer calls in. So their policy is that the customer should be encouraged to register the complaint, so it gets the required attention.
But you've got to hand it to them - they'll do anything for a sale. Maybe get it in writing that if there are any of the problems you already know about and mentioned, that they'll buy the vehicle back immediately with no questions asked. Lets see them put their money where their mouth is on this. Or maybe this dealer just considers wind noise, rattles and trans failures\slips normal operation, so from that perspective he would be correct in that there are no problems to be found
If they do say that Lexus will look after you, remember that you'll have to deal with Lexus yourself when you have a major problem that they can't fix. I was advised last week that if the dealer puts through a complaint it is treated with a lower priority than if a customer calls in. So their policy is that the customer should be encouraged to register the complaint, so it gets the required attention.
12-11-06, 06:43 PM
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I'm very happy with the ES350. It has over 6200 miles, mostly driven by my hubby and he has nothing to complain about. It's close to perfect. Recently, I discovered a rattling noise in the dash area, around the nav. But from what I've learned thus far, it a minor issue that can be taken care of by the dealer. If you are deciding bet. the GS and ES, the ES has a roomy back. Great for passengers. We test rode the GS, and the back of the GS is too small for us, we have small children and take frequent road trips. The ES is also a much smoother ride. Otherwise, there is a LS, which is very roomy but you have to fork out a lot more $$$.
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12-11-06, 06:51 PM
#9
Lexus Champion
Hehehehe. Your salesperson is pretty funny. The Sales Manager at my dealership advised me 3 weeks ago that they'd sold less than 100 ES350 vehicles, and had to replace 3 transmissions already, including mine. You know where I am, so maybe get them to call my dealer to discuss how this isn't happening and we're all just really dillusional internet people
But you've got to hand it to them - they'll do anything for a sale. Maybe get it in writing that if there are any of the problems you already know about and mentioned, that they'll buy the vehicle back immediately with no questions asked. Lets see them put their money where their mouth is on this. Or maybe this dealer just considers wind noise, rattles and trans failures\slips normal operation, so from that perspective he would be correct in that there are no problems to be found
If they do say that Lexus will look after you, remember that you'll have to deal with Lexus yourself when you have a major problem that they can't fix. I was advised last week that if the dealer puts through a complaint it is treated with a lower priority than if a customer calls in. So their policy is that the customer should be encouraged to register the complaint, so it gets the required attention.
But you've got to hand it to them - they'll do anything for a sale. Maybe get it in writing that if there are any of the problems you already know about and mentioned, that they'll buy the vehicle back immediately with no questions asked. Lets see them put their money where their mouth is on this. Or maybe this dealer just considers wind noise, rattles and trans failures\slips normal operation, so from that perspective he would be correct in that there are no problems to be found
If they do say that Lexus will look after you, remember that you'll have to deal with Lexus yourself when you have a major problem that they can't fix. I was advised last week that if the dealer puts through a complaint it is treated with a lower priority than if a customer calls in. So their policy is that the customer should be encouraged to register the complaint, so it gets the required attention.
Claims Lexus is working on problems can be very misleading and here are two examples.
Wind noise is not recognized as a problem, nobody has posted there has been anything done, in fact quite the contrary, they are sent away with claims it is normal, or other comments and left with it. When a problem is not recognized as such, how can it be one that is being worked on...
Diesel engine knocking tapping for miles and/or minutes every day, several times a day, is also not recognized as a problem. Again, when a problem is not recognized as one, how can it be one that is being worked on...
The transmission is recognized as a problem and it is being worked on and has been being worked on for 6 months or more...
12-11-06, 07:01 PM
#10
Sales guy calls back 30 mins later: no other dealerships had to replace tranny, no problems. His service manager says some people aren't used to the drive-by-wire tranny and steering and may not like the feel of it. I give sales guy TSIB # of 3-4 gear flair. He says he'll call back.
I bet his mind went blank when you quoted the TSIB number at him
12-11-06, 07:04 PM
#11
Lexus Champion
Yeah, anyone who actually owns an ES350 would have picked up on a lie revealed in comments he quoted attributed to that sales person.
12-11-06, 07:20 PM
#12
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im in the same boat. ive been wanting to buy an es350 but have been turned off by what ive been reading on clublexus. ive contacted a local dealer and the salesperson is telling tme the same things. at least he acknowledges a problem. however he said all the cars they have now have been fixed and that there is no longer a tranny problem. i asked him to put in writing that if there is ONE tranny isuue that their dealership will buy back the car or deliver a new one. no waiting for 3 tries to fix anything or new trannies. he actually is supposed to let me know what they can put in writing. will let you know what i hear.
12-11-06, 07:32 PM
#13
lol, i can understand that he is outraged at this notion of bad trannies on the internet, if he has not had to face that problem at their dealership. but if you are consistent and tell them that there is a problem, im sure hell do more searching than calling the janitor at each lexus dealer in his area. well, nevertheless, lexus IS a great car. and i love my es300.
Goodluck
Charley
Goodluck
Charley
12-11-06, 07:36 PM
#14
Lexus Champion
lol, i can understand that he is outraged at this notion of bad trannies on the internet, if he has not had to face that problem at their dealership. but if you are consistent and tell them that there is a problem, im sure hell do more searching than calling the janitor at each lexus dealer in his area. well, nevertheless, lexus IS a great car. and i love my es300.
Goodluck
Charley
Goodluck
Charley
LOL Charley...calling janitors...
I'm envious of your ES 300...I owned 2 of them and they were light years better than ES350 I have experienced.
12-11-06, 07:39 PM
#15
Lexus Test Driver
@cali_girl: what does GS has anything to do with the original post?!? I have 20-month old and she loves backseat of my new GS350 better than my old ES350 
@1sicklex: I completely understand that as a moderator of the #1 Lexus community closely watched by Corporate Lexus office you feel responsible for bringing a balance to all these negative ES350 posts. Please, keep in mind we are NOT critisizing LEXUS but their new ES350 and NUMEROUS problems people are having with it. This forum is the ONLY source which describes all these issues in details. BTW, your reply about "rest assured Lexus knows about the problem and working on it" reminds me of that Verizon commercial with "other" telephone company and cardboard support staff And, I do believe Lexus is working hard to fix this problem, but they still have no idea how...
@1sicklex: I completely understand that as a moderator of the #1 Lexus community closely watched by Corporate Lexus office you feel responsible for bringing a balance to all these negative ES350 posts. Please, keep in mind we are NOT critisizing LEXUS but their new ES350 and NUMEROUS problems people are having with it. This forum is the ONLY source which describes all these issues in details. BTW, your reply about "rest assured Lexus knows about the problem and working on it" reminds me of that Verizon commercial with "other" telephone company and cardboard support staff
And, I do believe Lexus is working hard to fix this problem, but they still have no idea how...
Last edited by twister; 12-11-06 at 07:47 PM.