Well, I have been thinking after owning 2 Lexus's and knowing a friend who has owned 2 and living with a brother who has owned 2 -- why is it that Toyota/Lexus quality is so high yet they can't get their electronics right?

From the introduction of Lexus in 1990 up to today, the abundance of problems in Lexus automobiles seem to be isolated to electronics. The audio display, the climate control display, ECU problems, gauge cluster, HID ballasts, TPS, MAF, come to mind. Granted, Lexus automobile electronics systems are becoming more and more complex. And the actual existence of the problem no longer strikes me, but the actual reoccurrence or resurfacing of problems is more surprisng. For example, the early LS400's had no problems, but the second-generation LS ECU's did. Some electronics issues come and go while some others just stay over years and years of production across the board.

As good a quality as Lexus/Toyota can get, why does it seem like they do not listen to customers? Is it because they have established their reputation as a top-notch brand and they just don't care anymore? Is it because they have exceeded in the mechanical quality that they are skimping on electronics? Is it right for them to charge excessive amounts for something they got correct and outsource other things, like electronics, to simply gain more profits?

I have examples in both Toyota and Lexus. The Lexus, I have already listed some above. For Toyota, I have seen many many Celica taillights that do not light up all four bulbs when braking, or the combination of bulbs lit is just wrong. Electronics, I tell you.

I don't understand their philosophy.

 

One thing that is a BIG deal when it comes to forums like this, especially new cars is that people will come for one reason only, to post their problems, therefore there is a false sense of how many people are actually having these types of problems.

I think that one of the biggest things people look at when they look at quality is "is this car going to leave me stranded" And while yes, every car company will have cars that break down, Lexus is the one with the least problems per 100 cars off their production lines. How many times have you seen a Lexus broken down on the side of the road? Me...never where I live. I know it happens but from all the nissan sentras, saturns and older ford's i've seen broken I've never seed one Lexus. I don't keep statistics on it or anything, thast just what I've seen and noticed.

My car has never left me stranded except for things that I did to it when trying to fix it (lug bolts...engine in peices and figuring out how to reassemble it, things like that).

Every car and every car company will have problems, but when you look at Lexus compared to the rest, it is at the top for a reason, its not just a fluke.

 

Sorry, wrong. The LS LCD's bled just like all other lexus, as well as the cathode needles dying. look in the LS forum for that huge thread on the same problems as all the other early lexus.

The electronics are GREAT, they hold up 8+ to 10+ years. Then people buy a 15 yr old car and complain

I don't see any quality problems in products that work flawlessly for 10+ years. I call B.S.

 

I agree with you totally, but in the sense of my rant, we're not necessarily saying the same thing.

I think carmakers need to improve the quality of their cars as well as their parts, especially if the parts are so similar. In the case of the audio displays, it has very little to do with Toyota, but you'd think by now Toyota would have received the message and passed it onto Panasonic. Other things such as the gauge clusters, why did the fuel gauge work properly on the 90-92 LS400's but have capacitor problems on 93-95? Those are the things that just doesn't seem characteristic of a high-quality manufacturer.

 

Well, you really can't blame LEXUS. Nakamichi built ALL the clusters and most all the climates and radio's with the exception of the lower model pioneers.

I'm sure Lexus did their research as Nakamichi was cream of the crop in the early 90's.

 

man you should go buy a BMW or mercedes and then come back and count your blessings. I got caught up in the whole "euro cars are better". But they have so mnay electronic quirks it's not even funny.

I'm sticking with toyota and lexus. Minimal issues, and when they occur 98% are resolved with simple part replacements, as needed.

 

Yea, my Dad's 1997 BMW 740IL had too many electronics problems to list. Just a few, on some days the hazard lights would randomly come on and not turn off. Some days, the turn signals decided not to work, Often times the gauge cluster wouldn't turn on at night. Sometimes the Nav Screen would forget that it needed to turn on with the Ignition.

The car was a company lease, in a type of contract where all repairs came from the leasee's pocket, since the company paid the principle lease, so we never got it looked inot because it wasn't THAT serious.

 

Aside from a tail light bulb going out, I've never had an electronic problem with my '99 or '06 GS. My sister's '02 RX has been rock solid as well.

No car manufacturer is perfect, but Lexus is probably as close as it gets. Sorry to hear about your experiences.

 

My radio display lights went out on my 1997 ES300 and I was heart broken....so I sold it and got a GS. Now my bulb behind the button for ECT went out.

 

Me too, I've had Nissan's, Pontiac's, Chevy's, and other cars that were all newer than my 92 Lexus....and they were all crappy cars once the odometer started to creep past 60k. No other car I've owned has come close to the quality of my SC and I have damn near 200k on the odo. I learned my lesson. Lexus all the way

 

My mom's RX 300 or my GS have not had any problems, electric or other.

 

Me too, I've owned 3 lexi's and the only "problems" I've had were the audio LCD's going out. I've had a 92 es300, 94 sc300, and now a 97 es300. I can say that I will loyaly stay with lexus for a long time, they are the most reliable cars I have ever had.

 

my ect button light went out too, and the light behind the mirror adjustment buttons. nonetheless, i would STILL take my car over my previous bmw any day...

 

And what philoshophy is that?

I feel bad that you've experienced some issues with Lexus cars. Did the issues you wrote up happen on the same car? Or is it one or two on different cars? Did Lexus address the issues you have with through warranty, recall, or TSB? My radio LCD is dead in one area but that's about it. There are others that were taken cared of via TSB. Taillight bulbs going out? That is an item that eventually needs to be replaced and just because the owners are not aware or did not replace them does not constitute a lack of quality on the part of the car manufacturer.

I know others have a few problems here and there. Lexus cars are not perfect but I don't think Toyota/Lexus as a company has a philosophy to build cars with less quality.

 

+1 my friend you should be given an award ... everything you mentioned is right on the money .. LS400's that I have come across that are about fifteen years old holding up so well