jrmckinley

Tried searching, didn't see anything and will try to keep it brief. 2010 LX570 I bought CPO- still has the CPO platinum coverage and I also have extended platinum coverage to 5/2019 or 125k miles. Got ripped off by my Lexus dealer service dept a few years ago so take the LX and my LS to my local Toyota dealer for repairs. Today during routine oil change my guy tells me all 4 shocks/struts (air ride) are leaking and need to be replaced. He says he can't do them so it has to go to Lexus and *luckily* told me if I had warranty it would be covered. He used to work at a Lexus dealership and told me the CPO warranty would absolutely cover this since it is deemed a mechanical/electric failure. I have always trusted this guy and he has absolutely nothing to gain from this since he's telling me the Toyota mechanics can't fix it and therefore referring out the work to Lexus. But given my horrible experience at the local Lexus dealership I just want to make sure I am 100% clear on this- has anyone else had this covered by the CPO or Platinum warranty? And is there any reason the Lexus dealership would tell me they aren't leaking or don't need to be replaced? I assume not since they will get reimbursed by Lexus/Toyota for the work....but again I am very cautious with this dealership's service dept and want to be covered. Thanks,

gfcipriani

I recently purchased a used lx570 (2010). I was aware of a leaky front strut/shock from the Lexus service history (previous owner put off the repair, but the diagnosis was in the records.). I purchased a non-Lexus warranty for the vehicle which covered things like AHC. Upon reading the warranty agreement more closely , items such as shocks were not included. Long story short, I took the vehicle to Lexus to replace both front struts (both showed leaks) and because the description of the part needing replacement included the word "shock " in the part description, coverage was denied. I ended up paying about $1,000 to have this repair, and promptly canceled the extended warranty (for a full refund). Car drives much better after the repair.

Couple let of thoughts: (1) honestly, I would not trust any repair shop other than Lexus for work on the AHC. Shocks are an integral component of the AHC system on these vehicles. Too complicated of a system. Just about all non Lexus shops will not even touch this. (2) request the a Lexus master tech work on your system. The Lexus service depts do not see many repairs with this system, so make sure the most knowledgable and trained person is working in your vehicle. (3) upon reinstalling the parts, the ahc system is checked over for proper operation, including bleeding air and adding fresh hydraulic fluids. (4) there is a good chance that the Lexus warranty will cover this repair. Only one way to tell. Hopefully they don't play games with part description words like "shock".

Good luck. Report back on your experience. You will notice a considerable improvement in ride quality.

One last point - consider also replacing the springs if the vehicle experienced towing duty in the past.

jrmckinley

thanks- not what I was hoping to hear...wondering if it's different with the CPO coverage I have as opposed to 3rd party. I just read on the LS460 forum that air suspension failure is covered with the CPO and also the platinum warranty- if covered on the LS it should be covered on the LX. I will post back with an answer. Until then, if anyone else has run into this and had Lexus warranty please let me know. Thanks

gfcipriani

Given the history with LS and AHC Lexus warranty coverage, you should be OK. If you live near a large enough urban area, perhaps there is more than one Lexus service department for you to consider. I live near Seattle WA. Lexus of Bellevue is very good. There is a Lexus dealer in Seattle. Plus Toyota for routine maintenance. I feel like I have options.

Good luck!

And enjoy this amazing vehicle!

REDHORSE

Going to be hard to get the "air" shocks replaced since I believe it is a hydraulic system, just saying.

jrmckinley

I guess I shouldn't quit my day job to become a mechanic or car guru.

hankinid

I believe it is also, and I've got a factory shop manual that agrees.

A mechanic will connect your truck to TIS, aka "Toyota Information System", the truck will advise pressures on all 4 corners. Readings out of spec will identify what needs to be replaced or adjusted. Search the 200 series forum on mud for tons more info.

I am not convinced that only a Lexus dealer should touch the truck. I used indy shops in both the SF bay area and in Boise and received far more knowledge than Lexus could supply, at a much lower price. Whether OEM is better than indy is a regional thing, and a blanket statement doesn't hold water.

gfcipriani

Agree - never good to make blanket statements. Have you found a non Lexus trained mechanic that will play with your AHC system? The Seattle regional land cruiser experts at Torfab didn't want to touch mine and recommended that i take it to Lexus. The Toyota service shop that I get work done in said take it to Lexus. No experience on this system. That was what I encountered. Certainly not representative of all mechanics in all regions. I didn't feel confident I could tackle this repair myself. And given the complexity of the AHC systems on the LX, I wasnt going to trust a non Lexus-certified mechanic (independent or otherwise on this system) to learn the AHC system on my rig either. If you have had a positive experience otherwise, please share.

Sideshow90

I have a 2011 with CPO warranty and I had an issue with the ahc where the drivers side was lower than the passenger side. Sewell in Dallas took it in and said it was covered under warranty. Although nothing was deemed defective since they said it was within tolerance, however if there was a defect, it would have been covered, I was not charged.

hankinid

The indy shops I've mentioned had / have Toyota and Lexus certification. As I posted above I'd recommend A+ Japanese Import Repair in San Carlos, CA and LTS Motors in Boise in a flash.


Not unusual as the car ages...driver's side tends to lower simply because there's a single driver on most trucks most of the time. A shop can increase pressure to the driver's side rear shock to fix.

jrmckinley

Update for those who may need to know in future- I have a 2010 LX with 87k miles (purchased May 2014 with 60k): all 4 of my struts were "leaking" - the dealership mentioned that some form of minor leaking is acceptable and falls within guidelines, but once it hits a certain point it needs to be addressed (replace struts). They have to take pictures and document the amount they are leaking and send to the warranty folks (CPO) for approval. In my case approval was granted to replace everything at no charge to me thanks to the CPO coverage. I have no idea what this would cost out-of-pocket, but my Toyota service advisor (who alerted me of the leak and told me to take to Lexus) said he thought it was around $3,500-$4,000. I will update with more details once I get the truck back in a few days- curious if we will notice a difference in ride quality. I have participated on both sides of the "to buy or not buy CPO" debate, but feel in this one instance I have already come out ahead on the CPO value (plus the additional $2k I paid to go another 2 years and get to 125k miles).

hankinid

...but realize it's just like Obama care...

your AHC fix was funded by premiums from others with the same truck who've never made a claim.

gfcipriani

FWIW, I paid ~$1,000 to have both front shocks replaced (rebuild the struts essentially) and have the AHC adjusted and bleed. I'd estimate the rears would cost a little less as the labor looks like it would be less, and the shocks themselves are about $50 each (half the cost of the fronts IIRC). Although I'd be surprised that the total bill would be $3,500-$4,000 for all four corners, it is still really nice to have this covered under warranty. Good luck with your repairs.

My truck showed signs of a leaky strut at about 80k miles. The Orignal owner did not fix, but the situation was noted in the Lexus service records. So when I took ownership of the. Vehicle recently at 111k miles I had it fixed. Interesting that they are failing before 100k miles.

hankinid

I'd suggest it's cheap insurance to flush the AHC system with new fluid every 60K or so.

jrmckinley

LOL. Good point. I made out ahead on this one so I'll take it.