jrmckinley

Found an old thread on this forum but want to ask again. This is actually for my 2010 LX570 but I know LS's have air ride so question is the same. I posted on the LX board but the LS board has a ton more activity in general so hoping for quick response before I take into dealer.

I had a bad experience with my local Lexus service dept several years ago and take my LS and LX to Toyota. Service advisor told me all 4 shocks are "leaking" and air ride needs to be replaced. They can't do it so they said take to Lexus. Questions:
1) Can someone please re-confirm this is covered under CPO? I have 13k miles left on CPO plus I have the platinum coverage once that expires that takes me to 125k total miles or May 2019.
2) My Toyota dealer has always been honest with me (Lexus dealer- not so) - and they are gaining nothing by telling me these need to be replaced since they are admitting they can't do the work on it. My service adviser came from Lexus and knows his stuff - he said " it will be covered under CPO because it's considered a mechanical or electrical failure of the air ride system". Is there any reason that my not-so-trustworthy local Lexus dealer wouldn't admit that the problem is covered under the CPO warranty? I operate under the assumption they want the work because it'll be reimbursed by Toyota/Lexus.

Praying the old thread I found on here saying air ride is covered by CPO is still true as I think it would cost about $4k to repair. Thanks for any tips on how to prepare for the conversation with the dealership,

caha14

For what it's worth, LX has a hydraulic system, not air ride, and this system is (as I understand it) less costly to repair. Having said this, moot point... I do not see any indication that you will not be covered. And your hunch is right: folks on here have had air suspension components replaced on their LSs under CPO.

This is what I found online (consistent with what's on my CPO/VSA papers). In essence, only wear-and-tear items are excluded, and these are (broadly speaking) batteries, belts, brakes, clutch components, lights and trim-type things. There is no mention of anything suspension-related.

Covered Items
SUSPENSION
(Front and Rear): Bushings/Bearings; Control Arm Shafts; Electronic
Suspension Actuator/Motor and Compressor; Front and Rear Coil Springs;
Front and Rear Stabilizer Bar; Front Leading Arm; Front Spring Assembly;
Radius Arm; Spindle; Spindle Support; Suspension Spring Shackles;
Steering Knuckle; Strut Rod; Sway Bar Link; Torsion Bar Spring; Upper and
Lower Ball Joints; Upper and Lower Control Arms; Upper Arm Shaft

NOT COVERED
Accessory Drive Belts; Batteries; Body Panels; Brake Linings, Pads and
Shoes, Rotors and Drums; Bumpers; Carpet; Chrome; Clutch Friction Disc
and Pressure Plate; Dash Cover and Pad; Door Fabric; Door Trim; Filters;
Fluids; Glass (including Windshields); Headliner; Heating Hoses, Lines
and Tubes; Hoses; Hybrid Vehicle Battery Pack; Hybrid Vehicle Battery
Plug Assembly; Hybrid Vehicle Relay Assembly; Hybrid Vehicle Supply
Battery Assembly; Interior and Exterior Trim and Moldings (including but
not limited to: Ashtrays, Covers, Cup Holders, and Vents); Lamps, Light
Assemblies/Housings, and Light Bulbs; Nuts, Bolts, Clips, Retainers, and
Fasteners; Paint; Rust and Corrosion Damage; Seat Covers; Sheet Metals;
Shiny Metals; Spark Plugs; Structural Framework and Welds; Tires; Vacuum
Hoses, Lines and Tubes; Weather Stripping; Wheels and Rims; Windshield
Wiper Blades (Rubber component); All interior and exterior cloth, leather,
and stitching including convertible tops and/or vinyl tops including but not
limited to: any vibration, deterioration, discoloration, disfigurement, warping,
fading, staining, stretching, ripping, punctures, tearing, and/or scratches

jrmckinley

OK, that's helpful- I couldn't find my paperwork. I'm hopefully being overly worried about taking it to the Lexus dealership and them trying to hose me and tell me some loophole as to why it isn't covered. They were shady with me on my LS and I busted them on it and had a very frank conversation with the general manager of the dealership about what they tried to do. I haven't been back since...but being forced to go there for this instance. Already don't trust them and I'm picturing sirens going off when I give them my name..! Trying to make sure I have all of the info I need.

BTW- El Jefe had me laughing. What a great name for the LX.

comotiger

Sorry, don't know where you live in FL, but consider taking it to a different dealer. If you don't enjoy dealing with this dealer, why bother? Maybe it will take you longer to travel to a different hopefully better dealer, but you will get a loaner and you should be set.

jrmckinley

You are probably right. I may have mis-understood the process when I called Lexus about getting an appointment. It sounded like I needed 1 appointment for an inspection to verify the problem and then would have to come back for the repair. There is another dealer that would add about an hour to the drive, but if I could get it handled all in 1 visit with a loaner it would make me sleep better going somewhere else. I will call them back.

enoch861

Call the other dealer and see if they'll come pick up your car especially if they're a bit further than you'd like to drive. I've never tried it since I like explaining to the tech all my concerns when I drop off my cars but I've heard of people getting Mercedes, BMW, and Audi to do it. They'll essentially come and pick up your car while dropping off a loaner for you. Makes your life that much easier.

caha14

comotiger took the words right out of my mouth (or my keyboard, to be more precise). I drive just shy of 30 miles for service even though I have a different dealership less than 4 miles away from my house.

In most cases, the dealership will need to order parts. However, unless there is a system-wide backorder of some sort (it happened with air shocks on the LS in 2011, after the earthquake), I have been amazed at the quick turnaround (a day; occasionally two). My experience has been that they take the car in, diagnose it, order parts and repair it, all while you're out and about - presumably in a loaner - and all done within a single work order/appointment. Now, if for some reason (as in my example above), parts were to take a lot longer, I would understand the need for multiple visits, but otherwise, this is just not what I've become accustomed to (or spoiled by?) with Lexus.

Glad you like the name!

enoch861

In this case they typically have you keep the loaner for an extended period of time to prevent the inconvenience of multiple visits. I've had a loaner for 2 weeks from both Audi and Lexus with no issues.

comotiger

Yes, I also kept my loaner RX for 10 days twice for different warranty repairs on my previous 2012 LS. Moreover, the dealer provided concierge service so I didn't have to drive over to pick up my car.

caha14

Yes, absolutely (and ideally), that would be the case. However, dealers' loaner-to-customers ratio can vary heavily across dealerships, as do their policies (on loaners, vehicle pick-up/delivery, etc.), and the nature of your car's problem can also influence how things play out. Ultimately, as the OP hints at, not all dealerships think similarly about a customer's convenience.

Thus, my point (hopefully a non-issue in this case, anyway) is that if my car is driveable, and I was asked (hypothetically) to come back in two or three weeks, it wouldn't bother me in the least. If there's a serious issue, or the turnaround time is much shorter, it would be a different story.

I've been in a loaner for over a month before.

jrmckinley

Update: although this was on an LX it may help LS owners - everything was covered by CPO for my leaking struts. Took it to the dealer that had not been truthful with me in the past (took it to them out of convenience) but had my Toyota guy who found the leaking struts on stand by on the phone just in case there was a dispute. No idea how much this is saving me by having CPO coverage but I know it's substantial- will be in loaner for another 2 days while they get parts and do the work.

Thanks for everyone's help.