*Batman*

As you know I am having noise issues with my new f-sport sways. The dealership won't replace the old bushings because they can't replicate the issue. I had scheduled today to replace the f-sport sway bushings. They have the part. However when we did the test drive I couldn't replicate it. The roads around the dealer are just too flat and smooth. They wont go to my area since it is an hour drive each way.

I called Lexus customer service a few days ago to preauthorize the TSIB and they also said that they won't do anything without the dealer replicating the issue.

I was disappointed this morning having taken the morning off from work to get this done, driven an hour to the dealer, and they refuse to help. I called back customer service from the dealership. Told them I was waiting at the dealer for an approval. Have been on hold with Lexus customer service for over 3 hours.

What should I do? Dealer wants to charge me 163 dollars to do the TSIB even though the sways were bought and fitted here at their dealership just 6 days ago.

BinaryJay

Read the carbon buildup TSB thread and we can share in the pain of the Lexus warranty together.

It's pretty silly -- the whole replicate issue and/or need codes when basically the things that the TSB is for is design issues. The fact that they know a design issue causes a problem, have a solution to the problem which is due to the design issue (and not regular wear and tear, etc.) I think that a customer complaint should be good enough.

In my case, they CAN replicate the issue (and even attempted to fix it doing something else unrelated) but still... even though they can replicate the issue, and I have it documented on video etc., they will not touch the car until it throws error codes - which may never happen.

twylie

iTrader: (3)

That is disappointing that the dealer won't do the right thing. Can you go up the food chain there? Is this the dealer where you bought the car?

Also, that price sounds like 1.5 hours to swap bushings. I didn't think the entire job (which would include the end links plus entire rear) was any more time than that. What did the labor charge equal last time to install everything?

*Batman*

Yes it is 1 hour of labor coming to 112 dollars. The same as the labor to do front and rear sways from scratch. The TSIB says it should be 30 minutes of labour.

I'm not buying a Lexus again. This is just ridiculously appalling service.

twylie

iTrader: (3)

I would bring both of those to the attention of the service and general manager. I would also call Lexus corp and ask them if this is acceptable practice for the service effort.

Hate that you're going through this but can understand your frustration. I have boycotted business and brands before for less.

TWong350

iTrader: (8)

I hate to tell you this but the dealers are correct in that they must replicate the issue before they can do any work regardless if there's a TSIB out for the reported issue or not. If it were a recall or service campaign then it would be a different story.

I also hate to tell you this but many of us warned you before/during the install that they were installing old bushing and that the guy at the dealer was full of it for not putting them in in the first place.

Good luck! If it were me, I'd just buy the updated bushings from the parts counter (or from Sewell) and install them myself. Really easy to do with some basic hand tools and some basic manual dexterity.

*Batman*

I brought it to the attention of the accessories manager who is the person I was talking with and he agreed to do the fix for 0.5 labor hours as specified on the TSIB which brings it down to $65 labor and $51 for the bushings. Sewell sells the bushings for 35 to CL members, but with shipping it would amount to the same and I don't want to spend a ton of time driving back and forth.

I actually asked Lexus about whether it is acceptable practice for dealers to double the specified labor hours on the TSIB, and their customer service rep, a completely unhelpful woman named Elizabeth Neumann said that it is acceptable for dealerships to charge whatever labor hours they want.

I'm sucking up the cost and paying for the fix myself. Not comfortable doing this myself without a car lift. Rather pay $65 for the labor. Plus I wasted so much time on this already, I can't take it any more.

I know you guys warned me, but I assumed that if you guys could get your dealers to do the TSIB, then I should be able to get mine. Little did I know that Lexus and their dealers are a bunch of callous money grabbing bastards.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

really sorry to hear that man... that sux.... from their point of view (and lexus policy), i can understand their position. if something is not broken, they shouldn't fix it.

but on the other hand, that's how weak and bs the whole tsib is on this sway bushings. see, they put it has a potential problem rather than calling them faulty parts (which is how i see them as). so that becomes a whether you have noise issue and then warranty comes later.

so in the end, i think i can't blame lexus or dealerships for that, they are just sticking to the policy. but i think it's complete bs that lexus doesn't think their original bushings (with COMPLETELY different dimensions) are faulty. i can't stand that

personally, i would get the bushings and install them myself or at some other shops of course, but that's just me.

twylie

iTrader: (3)

I agree and now that I have both sets of bushings in hand... the pictures don't lie - they're not slightly different, they are different parts.

*Batman*

The problem is fixed. It cost me $95 in the end for the updated bushings and labor.

I can see now how Toyota ended up with the huge NHTSA issue. If they are going to turn away a loyal customer who has purchased 2 Lexus' in the past 18 months over $95 warranty claim, how can I trust the company to do the right thing when a more expensive fix might be needed?

Definitely considering whether to go back to BMW once my car hits the 2 year mark. Their cars may be less reliable, but whenever I asked them for anything they did it.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

glad you got that fixed. though i think it might be a bit much to correlate this to the whole recall. like i said, i think lexus is making a mistake on not calling it faulty parts, but in terms of service and policy, they are following rules.

and i think it does have a lot to do with dealerships, sometimes they go out of their ways to make people happy. like sewell, they do so much to make sure customers are pleased

and on bmw? hahaha, you don't want me to bring up how many m3 owners can't get dealerships to just top off the engine oil when the warning light comes up

*Batman*

Does anyone know who I should write to about my grievance here?

I really feel badly treated by Lexus corporate. The rep, Elizabeth Neumann, was pretty rude to me. She explicitly said I was being "unreasonable". She insisted I go to one or two additional dealers to test my car, even after I explained that to do that takes out about 3 hours of my day each time. I made it perfectly clear to her that this issue was well recorded and that a TSIB had been issued. I also emphasized that this was a claim for a $50 part and 30 minutes of labor and that I had already lost 6 hours of my time, and that it isn't a good use of my time to spend another 6 hours or more on a $100 issue.

She effectively treated me as if I was a liar and showed a complete disregard for my time. To treat someone like that after he has been waiting for 4 hours at a dealership for your call back, and the last hour of that on hold in the call center, is just unacceptable service.

I really felt like I lost my soul by giving in and paying to fix the car myself. This was bald unveiled customer abuse.

twylie

iTrader: (3)

Glad it's fixed, but this points back to a crappy dealer IMO. My dealer was exception in dealing with what by all counts were some pretty minor quibbles with my car when it was just about to go out of warranty. Not only did they address all my issues without question or hesitation, they kept me informed along the way and followed up a week or two once I was out of warranty to make sure I was 100% happy with the fixes. The dealer will make or break the ownership experience. Sorry it sounds like this may have broken Lexus for you.

Can I buy your kick-a$$ detector/jammer setup when you get rid of the car?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

document everything including the rude treatment by the rep, and send in another official complaint to lexus corp.

i did that last time when we got ridiculous treatment when buying our gs350. the case was escalated to a supervisor and he called me personally to apologize and understand the situation, and offered compensation for what i went through.

state in your complaint how you have been loyal customer, how you have been patient and reasonable about things, how now you have gone out of your own way to get things done, and state clearly that now the issue is gone, explicitly proving that the fix is needed -- all at your expense. and put together any wrong treatment that you think you had to endure, and sent those over.

i can't say you will get anything in return, but at least it worked in my case

mr3gs300

yea it really sux when they know its a problem but dont wanna say its a problem and hope for our warranties to go out before the parts do, thats why its good to be friends with a good mechanic