engine needs 18k in repairs, lexus won't cover
#91
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kikkomanrj, to be honest i would try to go to a lawyer about this. No owner should be expected to know what a failing part looks like or feels like on a car. If the car was serviced and nothing was noted how is a customer suppose to know that there is something wrong, i feel really bad for you man couz this is utter BS.
#92
kikkomanrj, to be honest i would try to go to a lawyer about this. No owner should be expected to know what a failing part looks like or feels like on a car. If the car was serviced and nothing was noted how is a customer suppose to know that there is something wrong, i feel really bad for you man couz this is utter BS.
#93
Again there trying to pull a fast one on you...get a lawyer..you can't be expected to know how a part fails...escalate the issue with a lawyer and hopefully you'll get what you want...
#94
does your temperature gauge work propertly?
Lexus probably would have fixed it if it was justa water pump issue if they caught it ealr enough.
it usually takes a while of driving that hot for that much damage to happen. it's up to the driver to not drive while the car is running so hot. coulda happened to any of us, just gotta check our gauges. Unless yours is broken?
Lexus probably would have fixed it if it was justa water pump issue if they caught it ealr enough.
it usually takes a while of driving that hot for that much damage to happen. it's up to the driver to not drive while the car is running so hot. coulda happened to any of us, just gotta check our gauges. Unless yours is broken?
#96
Crazy! I can't believe there is not a warning that show in the driver info screen for overheating conditions.
If you are losing air pressure in a tire it will set off at least 2 warnings...a light and a message in the info screen. But you can burn your engine up and the only way to know is to be looking at the gauge and notice the needle going up? That can happen within a couple of minutes....who in the world checks their temp guage every 5 minutes?
That being said, I would think that if it had been leaking for awhile, that there would have been a time that the engine ran consistently hotter than normal....
If you are losing air pressure in a tire it will set off at least 2 warnings...a light and a message in the info screen. But you can burn your engine up and the only way to know is to be looking at the gauge and notice the needle going up? That can happen within a couple of minutes....who in the world checks their temp guage every 5 minutes?
That being said, I would think that if it had been leaking for awhile, that there would have been a time that the engine ran consistently hotter than normal....
#97
Tech Info Resource
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They don't have a leg to stand on in regards to "you should have noticed something" because they have no idea how long it took the pump to fail. If the seal failed suddenly and the coolant level dropped fast (same idea as a heater hose failing), your temperature would look normal and you would keep driving until the engine seized. It's very unlikely you'd notice anything if you were at highway speed unless you happened to notice a white cloud behind the car in the mirror. Most people do not, and I've seen this on the road many times - white or blue smoke from the car in front of me, and the owner is completely unaware there is an issue with the vehicle. Didn't you say you were on a long trip?
Since the pump had metal to metal contact, it was sufficiently damaged to make any assumption about how long it took to happen complete guesswork. As much as I dislike feeding the legal system because there are so many frivolous lawsuits, this is one case you really need to litigate.
#98
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For those of that have not dealt with Lexus corporate, it's a joke. I've contacted them regarding several different issues and it's always some type of run around. A few weeks ago I phoned them about a oil leak and was told to take it to the dealer to be "diagnosed." When I heard back from the dealer, I was told that the problem was a oil line that was left loose after the valve spring recall. Thank God I noticed it because otherwise I'd probably be in the very same situation as kikkomanrj. Out of courtesy, I called Lexus corporate back to tell them they would not need to assist with the problem, the lady took my info and said "Yes I see your claim has been denied." Really?!!! I said how is that when it was the dealers fault by their own admission. She tried to back up and say she had misread something. I called BS and told her to have a good day. I have lost all confidence and all respect for Lexus quality, especially after hearing of kikkomanrj's nightmare.
#99
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For those of that have not dealt with Lexus corporate, it's a joke. I've contacted them regarding several different issues and it's always some type of run around. A few weeks ago I phoned them about a oil leak and was told to take it to the dealer to be "diagnosed." When I heard back from the dealer, I was told that the problem was a oil line that was left loose after the valve spring recall. Thank God I noticed it because otherwise I'd probably be in the very same situation as kikkomanrj. Out of courtesy, I called Lexus corporate back to tell them they would not need to assist with the problem, the lady took my info and said "Yes I see your claim has been denied." Really?!!! I said how is that when it was the dealers fault by their own admission. She tried to back up and say she had misread something. I called BS and told her to have a good day. I have lost all confidence and all respect for Lexus quality, especially after hearing of kikkomanrj's nightmare.
My experiences with corporate have been the exact opposite...
1) I called them because lexus.com described the ML without Nav option as including a 6-disc DVD changer. It doesn't. So when my special order car arrived I had a 6-disc CD changer, instead of what I officially paid for.
Called corp- had to explain to the lady what the difference was since she thought without a screen it wouldn't matter (DVD-A)... and then she asked what I'd like them to do about it... I said either install a DVD changer (which I knew they wouldn't) or refund my money for the option.
I received a check in the mail for the full MSRP of the option a few days later. (So technically I made a profit on it, since I paid invoice for the option)
2) Short bit later I noticed lexus.com had another error... it stated the sport package for 2008 models included illuminated scuff plates (it doesn't as it turned out). Of course my car didn't have em, but the website said I should, so I called and pointed this out to them... the woman contacted my dealer, who contacted me, to ask where the car would be tomorrow so they could send someone to me to install illuminated scuff plates for free. Which they did.
Disclaimer: Both of these things happened in late 2007, not too long after I bought my new, special ordered, 2008 IS350...I'd also count the $500 gift card I got as part of the valve spring recall as a nice customer service touch though and that was only like a year and a half ago It think...it's possible they've gone downhill since with responsiveness/helpfulness... I'd be curious to hear recent stories one way or the other though.
#101
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The warranty company, im sure if you get to talk to the damn ceo himself and ask what are the symptoms of a failing water pump, if he cant answer that question then he should be able to pay for your repairs
#104
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Does the OP has any update on the outcome? We all provided valuable feedback on what his position with Lexus corporate should be, which is what I am assuming he was after.
#105
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I talked to cust service (Lexus Corp) and couple more times and they still won't budge. They said Extra Care is firm on their decision and won't cover. I reiterated how wrong this is and they're losing me as customer. They told me they'll document it and use it to improve their practices. Gee thanks. I'm currently looking at options for a used engine swap and drafting my letter to Consumerist and maybe Autoblog/Jalopnik.