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Lexus makes great reliable cars, but their tech/electronics/internet stuff is indeed sub par. compared to some other manufacturers
To me, I can live with that - I just don't use the things that aren't great. I don't use the Nav, and thats ok because my last ES didn't have Nav.
Not sure if I will subscribe to all this enform stuff after the first year is up - depends on whether they sort out all these bugs.
But still a great car....
Originally Posted by StevenTodd
I am beginning to wonder if they will ever get this issue fixed. Still cannot access the vehicle health report. Have had this car 3 months now and it has been this way ever since I got the car. You would think Lexus would hire some competent software people. Since Service Connect was one of the benefits of the Enform subscription they might as well not even offer the service. Have made 4 calls to Lexus but just get the response "we are aware of the issue." Would not surprise me if the issue is still not resolved by the time it is time to renew the subscription. If it is then will not renew but will stay with AAA for roadside assistance. I refuse to pay for something that Lexus seems incapable of providing.
I have no problems with the car itself. However, Lexus customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Not what I expected from a high end auto manufacturer when you need to discuss an issue with them. When I first configured the car using their Built It tool, I found out when I went to order the car that the information on the Lexus web site was not accurate and that the car could not be ordered with the features I had selected even though their Built It tool said it could be. I also relied upon information in the 2016 Lexus Specification sheet which I had downloaded from their web site. Found out from the dealership when I went to order the car the information on that was also inaccurate and that certain features were not available even though the specification sheet indicated otherwise. When I picked up the car I soon discovered the center console had black plastic trim rather than the Honey Bamboo trim which was pictured on the car using the Built It tool. (I had selected the Honey Bamboo trim during the built it process). I complained to Lexus about all of this but their attitude was they are not responsible for any inaccurate information on their web site or in their specification documents and if I relied on that information then that was my problem. I guess as a customer I am suppose to verify that any information that Lexus puts out there is my responsibility to verify to determine if it is accurate.
Also received poor customer service from the dealership. When I ordered the car the sales associate told me he would keep me informed about the order. Took 16 weeks from date of order to delivery and with the exception of when they called to tell me the car was in only heard from them once during the entire 16 weeks and that was to tell me they had received an allocation 10 weeks after I had placed the order. At the time of deliver the technology person at the dealership went over the Enform safety and service connect features, informed me about the Lexus Drivers web site, and that the vehicle health reports and maintenance alerts would be available through the Lexus Drivers web site. All of this was to be free for the first year of ownership. The Vehicle Health Report is not the issue. I could live without it. It is Lexus total lack of customer support when you have an issue or concerns. When I went to the Consumer Affairs web page Lexus has only a one star rating for customer satisfaction out of over 500 reviews. Most of them dealing with poor customer service. Guess I will be joining that group of dissatisfied customers. That is why I will never buy another Lexus. This was my first and it will be my last Lexus.
This is too bad for lexus to lose customers like this, but your opinion is fully valid.
Lexus had earned the reputation of giving a "great dealership experience" but with descriptions such as yours, that reputation may erode
Also - the issues with their website and trying to figure out specs of cars is well known - and that's the fault of lexus corporate for not making it user friendly.
When I bought my first lexus in 2005, it was a great experience, and everything was smooth, clear cut, and made sense. In this decade, that is no longer the case. But I still like Lexus cars for now....
Originally Posted by StevenTodd
I have no problems with the car itself. However, Lexus customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Not what I expected from a high end auto manufacturer when you need to discuss an issue with them. When I first configured the car using their Built It tool, I found out when I went to order the car that the information on the Lexus web site was not accurate and that the car could not be ordered with the features I had selected even though their Built It tool said it could be. I also relied upon information in the 2016 Lexus Specification sheet which I had downloaded from their web site. Found out from the dealership when I went to order the car the information on that was also inaccurate and that certain features were not available even though the specification sheet indicated otherwise. When I picked up the car I soon discovered the center console had black plastic trim rather than the Honey Bamboo trim which was pictured on the car using the Built It tool. (I had selected the Honey Bamboo trim during the built it process). I complained to Lexus about all of this but their attitude was they are not responsible for any of inaccurate information on their web site or in their specification documents and if I relied on that information then that was my problem. I guess as a customer I am suppose to verify that any information that Lexus puts out there is my responsibility to verify to determine if it is accurate.
Also received poor customer service from the dealership. When I ordered the car the sales associate told me he would keep me informed about the order. Took 16 weeks from date of order to delivery and with the exception of when they called to tell me the car was in only heard from them once during the entire 16 weeks and that was to tell me they had received an allocation 10 weeks after I had placed the order. At the time of deliver the technology person at the dealership went over the Enform safety and service connect features, informed me about the Lexus Drivers web site, and that the vehicle health reports and maintenance alerts would be available through the Lexus Drivers web site. All of this was to be free for the first year of ownership. The Vehicle Health Report is not the issue. I could live without it. It is Lexus total lack of customer support when you have an issue or concerns. When I went to the Consumer Affairs web page Lexus has only a one star rating for customer satisfaction out of over 500 reviews. Most of them dealing with poor customer service. Guess I will be joining that group of dissatisfied customers. That is why I will never buy another Lexus. This was my first and it will be my last Lexus.
I think this is a situation that was doomed from the start.
As has been said before, Lexus makes a great car but technology is something that is lacking. Not only the technology, but dealer's understanding of that technology.
Another big problem is you ordered the car. Lexus does not like special orders, in fact they do pretty much everything they can do to avoid doing them. They aren't set up to do them well, dealers don't do many of them (hardly any), and their packages and option availability isn't designed for customers to do them. Most Lexus buyers just buy something on the lot configured one of the ways they ship, or they choose something that can be allocated from another dealer, etc. Its not like say BMW or Mercedes who do a lot of special orders, encourage special orders, have very configurable options and packages, and have a great process in place for letting the customer track their order, receive updates, etc.
I've rarely heard a story with a special order on a Lexus that went well.
As for the "Consumer Affairs" website, everybody on there has a 1 star rating because people only go there to post negative reviews lol. Lexus has a very good customer service and dealer service rating from sources that poll representative populations of people. I've owned a lot of Lexus vehicles and other carmakers vehicles, I don't find Lexus any better or worse really than anybody else.
As for the issue with enform and the vehicle health reports. They don't know how to fix your issue, and most owners don't care. My vehicle health reports don't work either, I said "Heh, oh well" and I haven't thought about it since. Thats how most of their owners are.
Issue is if you want to special order a car and have it exactly how you want it, have a smooth process in place for that experience, if you want a lot of cool tech that works well...Lexus is the wrong car. If you want to be able to just buy whats available, and you value having a refined, well made comfortable and quiet vehicle thats really reliable with good quality dealer experience that offers a good value for money...Lexus is for you.
Like you said it is all about expectations. Guess I will go back to buying Lincoln. Over the last 50 years I have bought either Ford or Lincoln cars at the same Ford/Lincoln dealership (all special ordered) and I could not ask for better service. When I decided to trade in my 2000 Lincoln it was a toss up between the Lincoln and Lexus. Because I did not especially like the design of the 2016 Lincoln I decided to go for the Lexus. After I had placed the order for the Lexus I discovered Lincoln had completely redesigned the Lincoln for 2017 to be introduced this Summer. If I was buying the car today I would be definitely be going with the 2017 Lincoln. Guess I will treat this as a learning experience.
I think Lexus needs to take some pointers from GM. My brother special ordered a 2016 Camaro at the same time I ordered the Lexus. His salesman gave him a listing of production codes at the time he placed the order. Every time there was a change in the production code, his salesman gave him an updated status. He was told when the car was scheduled for production. When it actually went into production. When the car received a transport number, and a delivery date. With the OnStar system he receives a monthly vehicle report every month. Pretty pathetic you get this kind of service from a Chevrolet dealership and GM but not from Lexus.
Like you said it is all about expectations. Guess I will go back to buying Lincoln. Over the last 50 years I have bought either Ford or Lincoln cars at the same Ford/Lincoln dealership (all special ordered) and I could not ask for better service. When I decided to trade in my 2000 Lincoln it was a toss up between the Lincoln and Lexus. Because I did not especially like the design of the 2016 Lincoln I decided to go for the Lexus. After I had placed the order for the Lexus I discovered Lincoln had completely redesigned the Lincoln for 2017 to be introduced this Summer. If I was buying the car today I would be definitely be going with the 2017 Lincoln. Guess I will treat this as a learning experience.
I think Lexus needs to take some pointers from GM. My brother special ordered a 2016 Camaro at the same time I ordered the Lexus. His salesman gave him a listing of production codes at the time he placed the order. Every time there was a change in the production code, his salesman gave him an updated status. He was told when the car was scheduled for production. When it actually went into production. When the car received a transport number, and a delivery date. With the OnStar system he receives a monthly vehicle report every month. Pretty pathetic you get this kind of service from a Chevrolet dealership and GM but not from Lexus.
Yeah maybe they can take that one point from GM/Ford everything else is horrible at the GM/Ford dealerships. When I had my Tahoe, the battery just started oozing after 1.5 yrs to get this Chevy dealer to honor the warranty that the battery was defective was like going to trial for capital murder. I had explorer that I almost died in because the sway bar was defective. I had to pay out of pocket for the repairs they later put out a recall and I had to fight them to recoup my repair costs. Same thing happened with the firestone tire fiasco years ago. My point is I was always considered "guilty" and had to prove my case to these dealerships. This Lexus dealership has treated me with the upmost respect since I started dealing with them. So I guess its a luck of the draw. Good Luck with your next vehicle.
Like you said it is all about expectations. Guess I will go back to buying Lincoln. Over the last 50 years I have bought either Ford or Lincoln cars at the same Ford/Lincoln dealership (all special ordered) and I could not ask for better service. When I decided to trade in my 2000 Lincoln it was a toss up between the Lincoln and Lexus. Because I did not especially like the design of the 2016 Lincoln I decided to go for the Lexus. After I had placed the order for the Lexus I discovered Lincoln had completely redesigned the Lincoln for 2017 to be introduced this Summer. If I was buying the car today I would be definitely be going with the 2017 Lincoln. Guess I will treat this as a learning experience.
I think Lexus needs to take some pointers from GM. My brother special ordered a 2016 Camaro at the same time I ordered the Lexus. His salesman gave him a listing of production codes at the time he placed the order. Every time there was a change in the production code, his salesman gave him an updated status. He was told when the car was scheduled for production. When it actually went into production. When the car received a transport number, and a delivery date. With the OnStar system he receives a monthly vehicle report every month. Pretty pathetic you get this kind of service from a Chevrolet dealership and GM but not from Lexus.
I recently was shopping for a replacement for our Q5 and took a real close look at the Lincoln MKX and MKC. Very nice vehicles with all the equipment you could want. In the end I just couldn't pull the trigger on either of them. Maybe in the future just not now. Lincoln needs to re-establish itself first. It's probably best to treat your Lexus experience as you say, a learning experience. I don't agree with the Lincoln and GM/Chevy comparisons. Neither brand/model is at the overall level of Lexus. I currently don't own a Lexus but had very good experiences with two of them.
Like you said it is all about expectations. Guess I will go back to buying Lincoln. Over the last 50 years I have bought either Ford or Lincoln cars at the same Ford/Lincoln dealership (all special ordered) and I could not ask for better service. When I decided to trade in my 2000 Lincoln it was a toss up between the Lincoln and Lexus. Because I did not especially like the design of the 2016 Lincoln I decided to go for the Lexus. After I had placed the order for the Lexus I discovered Lincoln had completely redesigned the Lincoln for 2017 to be introduced this Summer. If I was buying the car today I would be definitely be going with the 2017 Lincoln. Guess I will treat this as a learning experience.
I think Lexus needs to take some pointers from GM. My brother special ordered a 2016 Camaro at the same time I ordered the Lexus. His salesman gave him a listing of production codes at the time he placed the order. Every time there was a change in the production code, his salesman gave him an updated status. He was told when the car was scheduled for production. When it actually went into production. When the car received a transport number, and a delivery date. With the OnStar system he receives a monthly vehicle report every month. Pretty pathetic you get this kind of service from a Chevrolet dealership and GM but not from Lexus.
Lexus is very successful, they don't really need to take pointers from anybody. It's just that different brands and different companies do things differently. Toyota/Lexus as a company likes efficiency, that's why they don't like special orders, they like to produce a set group of vehicles in specific configurations and sell those. Other companies are different, if that's something that's really important to you, you should look elsewhere. Lexus will never adopt the sort of custom order platform you're describing, it's contrary to Toyotas operational culture.
As for OnStar and this vehicle history report. If that's a huge factor for you, you should look elsewhere. Personally I couldn't care less about some "vehicle health report" sent to me every month. That is 0% of my criteria when looking for a car.
What at they do need to do is get more current with tech, and make sure that tech they do have actually works. I'm sure they will.
Remember Lexus IS alternating the #1 luxury car in the US, almost always top 3 quality, satisfaction both with car and company so it's hard to say their way of doing business is wrong. You can't please everybody...
back to the usefulness of the lexus driver's website "vehicle health status" - I have not tried to set that up or look for it. However, I see that on the lexus Enform Remote app there is a button for "vehicle status" that I can press on my phone at any time, that that works. Most of the items shown there are related to whether doors and windows are shut/locked, but there is an entry for whther there are any car hazards. Is this the same as what the web site "health status" would show?
To me this is not important because if there were any health issues, the car would have an alert on in the car to tell me, and I drive it every day.
I doubt the website thing shows anything more sophisticated than this?
As for the enform subscription - I'm still undecided on whether it is worth paying for or not - I might do it for the safety /SOS connect part and the remote, only to be able to start the car ahead of time in extreme weather....
Originally Posted by SW15LS
Lexus is very successful, they don't really need to take pointers from anybody. It's just that different brands and different companies do things differently. Toyota/Lexus as a company likes efficiency, that's why they don't like special orders, they like to produce a set group of vehicles in specific configurations and sell those. Other companies are different, if that's something that's really important to you, you should look elsewhere. Lexus will never adopt the sort of custom order platform you're describing, it's contrary to Toyotas operational culture.
As for OnStar and this vehicle history report. If that's a huge factor for you, you should look elsewhere. Personally I couldn't care less about some "vehicle health report" sent to me every month. That is 0% of my criteria when looking for a car.
What at they do need to do is get more current with tech, and make sure that tech they do have actually works. I'm sure they will.
Remember Lexus IS alternating the #1 luxury car in the US, almost always top 3 quality, satisfaction both with car and company so it's hard to say their way of doing business is wrong. You can't please everybody...
Went into lexus drivers' site - I could see my vehicle health report. There is nothing really in here that I would not see every day when sitting in my car - eg an alert on the dash if oil is low or something.
The website says I am not subscribed to "service connect" and that aspect of the website looks finicky, as my changes were not saved. But even with this - it just would send an email of things I would see when in my car. And - I have the Enform remote set up to alert me if a door is open etc.
So to me all of this stuff on the website is redundant and seems gimmicky.
I Probably won't subscribe to all the enform stuff after the free year.....
Sirius XM , on the other hand, has been very useful since its football season, and I will subscribe to that!
Originally Posted by bostonsnow
back to the usefulness of the lexus driver's website "vehicle health status" - I have not tried to set that up or look for it. However, I see that on the lexus Enform Remote app there is a button for "vehicle status" that I can press on my phone at any time, that that works. Most of the items shown there are related to whether doors and windows are shut/locked, but there is an entry for whther there are any car hazards. Is this the same as what the web site "health status" would show?
To me this is not important because if there were any health issues, the car would have an alert on in the car to tell me, and I drive it every day.
I doubt the website thing shows anything more sophisticated than this?
As for the enform subscription - I'm still undecided on whether it is worth paying for or not - I might do it for the safety /SOS connect part and the remote, only to be able to start the car ahead of time in extreme weather....
If you are upset because you aren't able to receive the vehicle health report, then you really need to see an example. It doesn't really provide any useful information and I just delete them. It does include the odometer reading though...
Since I have deleted them, I don't have one to share right now but I will try to remember to post the next one I receive. The fact that they have not been responsive is unfortunate. This behavior is not consistent with my experience with the brand but I'm sure no auto manufacturer bats 1000 on every car.
Agree.
also, there are other ways to get this info.
If one installs the "lexus remote" app, much of this info is available at any time on the app.
I also think that most if not all info can be given to you from the car when you sit in it. Not sure about "Safety recall" or "service campaign". I see on the little screen where the speedometer is, there is an option where messages can be displayed, I wonder if recalls would turn up there. Also, I would imagine if there were recalls it would show up in mailings, on other parts of lexus driver website, and the dealer would tell you.
Originally Posted by Ward6096
As promised, here is an example of my vehicle health report.
As I said, it isn't of any great value. I guess I better get fuel soon though...
As I stated above I could live without the Vehicle Health Report. What gets me upset is the total lack of cooperation I have received from Lexus on this issue. If other issues come up in the future is this an indication of the type of service one gets from Lexus? Another thing that gripes me is that Lexus advertises the Service Connect feature as complimentary for the first year. When I talked to the Technology person at the dealership 4 weeks ago I was informed Lexus was going to open up a ticket on this issue and someone would get back with me in a week to two weeks. Well it has been now 4 weeks and I have heard nothing. I intend to bring up this issue again with the dealership when I take my car in for the 6 month service which will be the first part of November. If the issue still has not been resolved by the time my one year Enfrom coverage ends, I will not renew it. Since the Enform Safety and Service Connect features are bundled together at a price of $164.89 for a one year subscription I refuse to pay for a service that Lexus refuses or is unable to provide. Since the Safety Connect coverage cannot be bought separately, I will go back to AAA for roadside assistance coverage.
If you don't care about it I'm not sure why you're making such a big deal out of it. Like I said, my vehicle health check doesn't work either, and at this point I'm already paying for enform. I just...don't care...that report above is of no value.
And you have roadside assistance for 4 years, just not tied into enform if you don't renew enform. No need to go back to AAA
09-16-16, 06:46 AM
