Seattle350

My IS350 went in for the 15k oil change - get a call from the service rep - says the front pads/rotors need to be repleced - I'm like wtf - at 14.6k miles? he says they very common on the 350's because drivers tend to brake aggresively - anyway I went to the dealership - chatted with the service manager - says although its toted to be a performance car, it isn't really! The pads are a soft compound for a soft braking experience - what a load of thrash he goes on to say that the IS isn't really a competitor to the 3 series.
Why does't Lexus have a full maintenance option - when comparing a similarly equipped 335, the Lexus seems more reasonable up front, but we get bent over with all the maintenance crud later.

Ramon

I've got nearly 19k on my 350 with the original pads and rotors.

Of course if you drive super aggressivly, they will need to be changed more often. Weather it's in a 3 series, Infinit GS, or an IS350.

Technique

Unacceptable. Toyota should pay for the rotors under warranty.

NGG

Seattle 350

See thread "Brake pads and rotors need to be changed" post #19 on page 4 of this forum for Lexus' reason for early brake wear. Hope this helps.
NGG

kensteele

Maybe so but this is hardly common as there are not THAT many IS350s on the road with 15k miles on them.

Evitzee

Hard to say if pads/rotors should be worn out in that few miles. I thought the pads were 'performance oriented' and it was a given that they weren't going to last as long as most pads. But I would have thought the rotors would last a lot longer, so don't know what's up with that.

Since no one here knows how you drive it is all conjecture. If one drove very aggressively and in a lot of traffic they could wear out in 15k miles. But someone else who drives a lot of freeway miles will find they can go a long way between brake jobs.

I think the statement from your service advisor about the poseur aspect of the IS series is nonsense. Brake performance from what I've read in the magazine reviews has been very good. And my own experience with the brakes has been very positive with good modulation, feedback and stopping power. Sounds like he was just trying to justify the wearing out of the system in so short a mileage. BTW, how much is a new set of pads and rotors going to cost?

TimboIS

Shouldn't really be a surprise, if you read the brochure/web before purchase...

High-friction brakes are standard equipment for the front brakes only and require periodic inspection and measurement as outlined in the Warranty and Services Guide. The pads and rotors are expected to experience greater wear than conventional brakes.

Hartawan

iTrader: (1)

If I were you, i'd go to a brake specialist and get it checked out there. My car has 17000+ miles and its screeching and squeaking. I went to the dealer and they said I still have a lot of brake left. They say the squeaking and screeching is normal due to the more metal to metal contact. I drive quite aggressively.

This is off topic but how is that 997 turbo doing? I am running out of patience waiting for it.

Seattle350

The Turbo was related to the service manager's excuse - tells me that I'm used to the performance and braking of the TT and I should not expect the same of the IS - I agreed totally - just to explain to the other responses - my driving is perhaps a bit more aggresive, but the IS is my daily driver, so plenty stop/go traffic in Seattle - my point with the post is that Lexus wants to take on the benchmark of the entry sports sedans, so it should be able to play in that space in all areas, and one way to satisfy buyers is to provide a full maintenance program.

Seattle350

Thank you NGG - will be on the horn to Lexus 1800 later today...

NGG

Seattle350;
Let me know how you make out. Not sure why Lexus cannot design and supply brakes with a longer life and less brake dust. Other manufacturers do, including Toyota...I had a MR2 Turbo and have a 4Runner.

High performance capability of the car is no excuse, as stopping power is just as important for lesser performance cars as higher ones. The extra capability is only really needed for track use and that can be satisfied with upgraded competition parts for the small percentage of owners who so participate. The majority should not have to pay for the use of the minority...same issue with tires. Check the brochure for a similar disclaimer re tire life.

Hope it is resolved to your satisfaction. Let us know. Good luck.
NGG

15951

If Lexus had used smaller rotors and less aggressive pads, then everyone would be complaining about that. They stepped up, put large calipers and nice big brakes on the front of this car, and the performance difference is noticeable. It's conversations like these that make automakers water down great cars and make them more vanilla.

I'll gladly clean my front wheels more often and buy brakes every 15k miles if it means I get GREAT brakes as a tradeoff. In my opinion, the brakes on this car are fantastic, and if you want smaller brakes for added longevity, please consider an ES350.

This car is supposed to be geared towards performance...please let Lexus keep it that way.

TimboIS

^^

golfproatl

Bingo!!!

VikH

iTrader: (5)

Mogen, that sucks! Sorry to hear that you are having so many problems with your IS. My 996 has 20k+ miles and the brakes are perfect. Totally unacceptable. Dealer might be jerking you around. Have you tried a different dealer?