Fred J

I own a 92 LS 400. I bought it in '99. At the time, the compressor on the A/C had a bad bearing, and I replaced it in '01 at the dealer, along with other parts, at a cost of $1500. In May '04, the system stopped blowing cold, and I had it serviced again at the dealer at a cost of $880.00. This year, it stopped blowing cold again, and I took it to the dealer again. They informed me that basically the entire system was leaking, and the compressor, clutch, evaporator, and a bunch of other parts needed replacing at a cost of $2600 plus.

I asked the dealer if they would give me a break considering the enormous expense I had incurred previously, and they said no, due to the outdated warranty. I went to the service manager and then the general manager, and both declined.

The car is 13 years old. I'm now on my 3rd compressor, 3rd clutch assembly, and 3rd receiver tank. I've now spent $5,000 repairing this A/C system. Does anyone besides me find this ridiculous for the #1 rated brand in reliability? I have a 17 year old Toyota which is still on its original AC system. And I've spent less in repairs on that car than I have on the AC ALONE on my Lexus.

Anyone have any advice, other than to replace the car? I am utterly shocked at the dealer's refusal to accept any responsibility for poor longevity. They won't even answer my questions about reliability, and instead choose to hide behind the duration of the warranty (a whole year!).

I find this to be utterly embarrassing for Lexus. But the dealer is unapologetic and shameless.

Are there other avenues for appeal?

Thanks.

Fred

LEXkid

The 1991 lexus which i just bought had the whole system replaced by the previous owner , but not the compressor (whihc of course leaks!)

My advice would be to DIY refil it - get some r134a at walmart, and top it up for the season.

or get some r12a - www.redtek.com. I am currently very satisfied with it, and it operates at lower pressures so should leak out slower.

Sorry to hear about your A/c woes.....

jeffl

Fred, I feel your pain! Although, not to the extent that YOU feel your pain; $5,000 is a lot to have to spend to fix your A/C (or anything, for that matter)!!! I have a '90 LS and opted to go with an independent shop for the repairs. I also went with rebuilt parts, etc, and it was still $1,500 (no, I can't compete with you on the cost) and it works "okay"...that is, unless the temperature happens to be over about 87F. I agree with you 100% when you say Lexus ought to be embarassed about it. In fact, if I were in their shoes I would be downright ashamed of myself! I was at Lowe's yesterday and saw a room air conditioner for $175. One has to wonder: How is it that somebody can manufacture an air conditioner that will out cool the system in your Lexus by at least ten-fold, for so little money. I understand that it's largely an issue of the economy of scale, plus it's relatively easy to install a window air conditioner in a room but COME ON, LEXUS!!!! Have you NO SHAME?!?!? I really don't know how they sleep at night. So, as I stood there in Lowe's, the thought actually went through my head: Now, let's see...$175 for the A/C; $395 for the portable generator to power it...and do I really need all that trunk space?

jmblimo

iTrader: (1)

You need the A/C bad today! Heat Index in excess of 110F.

$5000! That's a Lexus dealer for you. That pretty much totals the car. You could buy a parts car and switch everything, but I think I would replace the car with another one and sell that one to a Canadian, as long as the heat still works. You could give someone a great deal.

Lexs400

why dont you try another dealer or a private shop to see what their estimates are ?
lexus dealer just overprice everything while doing to same work any mech could do.