jeffofla

I sure hope you're really from Lexus. It would be great to have an official rep here on the board. Hopefully you can verify your status with the moderators.

At the very least, welcome to Club Lexus. I'm sure you'll know we're very passionate about out cars and this is clearly one of the primary sources for information on Lexus automobiles.

I participate on the primary frequent flier bulletin board, and several of the hotel and airline s have reps on that board. It's an incredible way to keep in touch with the customers.

Pheonix

It's not an ill welcome at all. Re-Read what I said...
I suggested it because the vast majority of people reading the post will not figure out that TMS = Toyota Motor Services, nor will they click his profile to see that it states he works there. I was simply not wanting to actually write that.
sheesh Come on guys... Get off my butt.


Welcome man.

This is the same TSIB that's out for the rest of the Camry platform. Just an FYI you guys.

ES350Bob

Pheonix: I find it odd or worse that this supposed Lexus official has been on here for months and only after you posted an actual TSIB did they offer statements of spin to discount it's seriousness directly relating to an actual problem people have been experiencing for quite a while. Simply because it has an asterisk disclaimer to dealer to address this issue only if a customer complains about it he/she can say it's not a recall. What about those who do not realize they have this problem and think it's something else like I did and still do, my out of control automatic idle? I would not have known from Lexus or the dealer unless I had specifically complained relating to my transmission if not for you posting this TSIB as you did. Bravo, and thanks. I feel sorry for the people who own these and don't know about this wonderful forum and are left in the dark with a lurking transmission problem because Lexus does not have the decency to do a mailing to it's supposed highly valued customers.
In my case I am still waiting for a return call from Lexus yet he or she posts to call the 800 #. Now I know Lexus has known all about my engine's problems and the horrible wind noise and have known for months about it. Only after this ends up in a TSIB will these supposedly caring people post something on here or only after it ends up on ABC news that there are dozens of people who have been hoodwinked and outright lied to about their diesel sounding engines and wind noise issues will there be some posting.
That person's job is spin, put a spin on your post, only AFTER you posted an actual TSIB, no spin to help those on here who were very concerned about their car prior in weeks or months on here. If this were not about spin and they truly were trying to be helpful and caring to people on here distressed about their vehicle or it's reliability, the TSIB would have been posted by him/her before you had a chance to do it.

tmsusa

Those are good points. Please keep in mind that this effort to be a little more proactive in our nontraditional means of communicating to consumers is new--Never before have we gone to online forums or blogs or other 24/7 internet-based channels to get accurate information out to the public in such a transparent manner.

Yes--It seems to tmsusa that it would be right and proper to disclose such things as Technical Service Information Bulletins; however, some areas within the organization remain sensitive to publicizing technical materials. This material should be readily available via our own corporate websites, IMO. And while it is copyrighted, the documents are available to the public by accessing our Technical Information Service website.

There definitely is value to us and our customers in participating and monitoring discussions on forums like this. You should be aware that tmsusa has been engaged in several other online enthusiast forums, such as Edmunds, FJCruiserCruiserForums, PriusChat and ToyotaNation, has posted relevant information such as Special Service Campaigns--and will be happy to be involved to the extent possible within this forum.

This is not spin control, either. We could hire a PR firm for that if needed. And while it is inappropriate and impractical to address individual issues within this space, I'll do my best to identify you and get the folks in our Lexus CAC to get back in touch with you.

Thanks much for your input.

tmsusa

Hey . . . no problem at all from this end. It was just kind of a drop-in unannounced post . . . But you have to start somewhere. Actually, the "tms" part is for Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.--the U.S. distributor for Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles in the United States (Puerto Rico & Mexico, too) under Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan.

While I work within the Corporate Communications area of TMS, I did spend 10 years on the Lexus side, including leading the national dealer rollout during the launch phase of the brand in 1989. In fact, that small photo of a Lexus dealership and sign on the home page of Club Lexus is actually computer rendered with a photograph of a 3-foot replica of the Lexus pillar sign currently housed in my office!

Thank you for the welcome.

wanderer99

Welcome TMSUSA. It is always a great thing when we have a company representative on any discussion forum. ClubLexus is the premiere Lexus forum (that I've seen), so this is a great place for you to gather candid real world discussions on your products. You can see from the RollCall thread how many of us have already purchased the ES350. I love my car

For those of us experiencing problems - both now and into the future - we are trying to address this with our dealers. What I'd like to know is that for larger issues that affect multiple users here, how we can get a status from Lexus as to what is being done to research and fix these issues.

Specifically I'm talking about:
- Trans flaring - now addressed by the Official TSB that is contained in this thread.
- Trans dying - user reports here tend to suggest you'll either get a new car, or new trans with extended warranty and possibly other compensation. Nothing official from Lexus.
- Wind Noise - ???? No TSB. No comment from Lexus. Dealers attempting to repair using shims (which doesn't really solve the issue) - or say it's just normal.
- Engine noise (clatter\tapping\etc) - ???? Dealers explain this as 'normal' as it uses the direct injection system as per the IS, but we know that isn't the case.
- Nav voice commands not working well - TSB is out I believe.

SO, how can we really get an idea as to if Lexus is investigating these issues and what the current status or outcome is of those investigations?

tnfan

Great idea! I previously owned a BMW and was a member of a couple of BMW forums for several years. BMW did a good job of monitoring the forums and addressing issues via their customer support. Really appreciate you taking the interest in your customers and listening to their feedback. Thanks!

Gromulus

Hello and welcome tmsusa. Can I aasume you are the same indivudual who has posted on the Edmunds forum dealing with the 07 Camry transmission issues?

Thanks

ES350Bob

TMS... When you have been on here since May and the only posting you have done is to this TSIB thread that Pheonix posted, it does not seem you are proactively helpful, or up to now have not been anyway, it comes off more like spin with the variety of issues posted by genuinely concerned owners on here you might have responded to in the past several months, but did only to this TSIB.
Not discounting others on here, but I wish I only had a problem with a rattling window or I'd even take a clear coat peeling problem over the daily, at least twice daily, experience of drving my car with a diesel engine sound. Heck, I'd even wear ear muffs to drown out the wind noise if the engine didn't sound as it does. My auto idle has a problem too, a safety hazard I believe as it spikes the RPM when I am trying to break for a stop and or does it to the transmission otherwise when it is trying to do it's job or i have the transmission problem in addition to the engine noise and wind noise.
What really angers me is having been told I am the only person to have brought this up or that up and worse to have been told it's all NORMAL operation of an ES350 by the dealer who claimed to have spoken to Lexus TAS before I found this website and realized my car should be as quiet as the cold started demonstrator I drove and that there are some with double bad luck like me who got them also making horrible wind noise, and I mean horrible, unlike any noise from wind you've experienced.
There are many others who let us know on this forum they don't have these problems at all and I am genuinely glad for them but also sad for me I didn't get one that operates like their's does.
If I had not owned Lexus for over 11 years, 2 of them, I'd swear Lexus was a fly by night company producing inferior cars, but those 2 vehicles I owned prove to me something is simply wrong with this 3rd Lexus of mine, yet I was told it's all normal when I darn well knew better.
Then I find this website forum where I am not the first to complain, where I am not the only one to have gotten a vehicle like this and realize many, many others got one working great as mine should have been and it really angers me I was deceived, I guess in an attempt to avoid doing anything about it for me.
You can see by having monitored there are some new owners being told all manner of stories to get them to go away with their complaints about the engine noise, wind noise. You can also see there are many who do not have diesel engine noise, no wind noise either so something is very wrong to try to get people who do have these legitimate problems to just go away with deceptions of oh it's the new timing chain, or oh it's the fuel injection system or another excuse told to me it's a piston but it's clearance is ok when so many got one that works as it should and has no engine issue, no wind issue and have never had to be subjected to the stories about timing chains, fuel injection needing to warm up or a piston with clearance mumbo jumbo or to be told the wind noise is buffeting you simply aren't used to.
Lastly and I'm sure this is me being petty, but whenever I picked up my last 2 Lexus, I was like a kid with a new toy the next day, for weeks actually, reading up on them in the manual early am next day first before taking off in them. Started that way with this ES350 picked up early evening all excited early am next day and the first place I go I hear the diesel engine knocking etc. That experience of all other just bought new cars has been lost to me in this car.

tmsusa

Yes.

(And I just learned that to enter a reply on this forum, you must input a minimum of 10 characters.)

tmsusa

Yes, I know the feeling. Drove a GS-hybrid for the first time this weekend and am still going through withdrawl now that I am back in my Prius. And I read the owner's manual, too, from front to back.

What you described at the end of your post here is really the essence of the Lexus customer experience--more than just the product; but the emotion, the excitement, the relationship between the brand/dealer/customer. I don't have all the details of your situation, but I will look into this--Clearly, the third time has not met what you come to expect from Lexus, and I regret that.

What you may not realize is that "lurker" mode is actually a good thing--if that is the MO of a car manufacturer. Not many actually do that. I'm a consumer, too, and so I wish, for instance, that someone from DirecTV would be lurking around the Tivo Community forum so that issues that I and others have with one of their receivers would not have to be repeatedly validated by a representative from their 800-line--over a two-year period. I think our TSIB speaks for itself and is representative of the types of actions we do take in response to customer feedback here and elsewhere. We can do a lot better, and this new consumer generated media initiative should help to continue to push our brands forward in a quest to be more consumer/customer responsive, engaging and transparent.

Thank you very much for your candid comments, and I hope that your Lexus ownership experience this time around might be salvaged as a result of our dialog.

tmsusa

I think you will gradually find us/Lexus to be more active in this regard. It's not very reassuring for me to tell you that we're taking notes on everything we hear on the forums, like Club Lexus, but then you see no visible indication that we are doing anything about anything. The fact is we have many intake sources, not the least of which are our owner surveys, field technical engineers, a new web-based technical reporting tool that allows our field people to literally download product and owner feedback directly to a database actively utilized by our product quality and technical experts at our HQ in Torrance, CA and in Japan at the engineering and manufacturing levels.

Toyota has long been known for reliable & dependable vehicles--and Lexus took that to the next level, building on a foundation of very high customer service & satisfaction to create the #1 luxury brand that it is today. We remain as committed as ever to this mission.

I'll do some homework reviewing the history of the issues you ID in your post and will get back with any relevant and timely new information that has not already been published here.

Thank you for your insight.

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Welcome tmsusa and thank you very much for contributing!

Pheonix

I got two words for you TMS...


















































































Turbo Prius

28% more fuel effecient on the highway.
466 miles per 11 gallons combined average economy.
50% improvement in peak engine torque.
Turbo allows the engine to spin the genirator with no penalty, ensuring the battery pack doesn't drop below half full.

And that's on just the old original NWH10 prius, using a panzy ihi rhb4 turbo.

tmsusa

Gosh, for a moment I was afraid to scroll down your post to see just what those two words were . . .

But thankfully no Bs and Ss and just a T for Turbo and a P for Prius. Very impressive. But just wait for the plug-in!

Thanks for sharing.