Toyota made in Indiana better quality than Lexus made in Miyawaka, Japan
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Toyota made in Indiana better quality than Lexus made in Miyawaka, Japan
Purchased a brand new 2013 Lexus ES 300h and observed buckling in the stitching of the leather in the passenger side. Very disappointng. My 2012 Toyota, made in Indiana, which I purchased five months ago has smooth seamless stitching on the passenger side leather seat. Don't know if Lexus is rushing the ramping up of production in Miyawaka, Japan or are the quality assurance inspections slipping.
First three photos are of the Lexus ES 300h and the bottom two are of the 2012 Toyota Highlander.
First three photos are of the Lexus ES 300h and the bottom two are of the 2012 Toyota Highlander.
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Did u bring it up to the dealership when u got the car? I wouldn't have noticed anything was wrong until u posted the Toyota pics.
Would perforated leather vs non perforated have anything to do with it ?
i tried doing a google image search but all i see are stock photos or "real life" shots of the exterior.
perhaps other people would post pics of their seats.....
Would perforated leather vs non perforated have anything to do with it ?
i tried doing a google image search but all i see are stock photos or "real life" shots of the exterior.
perhaps other people would post pics of their seats.....
Last edited by uicandrew; 11-07-12 at 10:08 PM.
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After reading this post I went out to my car and noticed I have the same problem (if it is a problem). I am going to contact my dealership tomorrow and see what they have to say about it.
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Toyota is considering moving ES production from Japan to their Ky plant. It would be built alongside the Camry and Avalon. No surprise there, I'm sure the quality would be good. Honda/Acura has been doing it for a long time with good results.
Given the choice though I'd prefer a Japanese built ES.
Given the choice though I'd prefer a Japanese built ES.
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Did u bring it up to the dealership when u got the car? I wouldn't have noticed anything was wrong until u posted the Toyota pics.
Would perforated leather vs non perforated have anything to do with it ?
i tried doing a google image search but all i see are stock photos or "real life" shots of the exterior.
perhaps other people would post pics of their seats.....
Would perforated leather vs non perforated have anything to do with it ?
i tried doing a google image search but all i see are stock photos or "real life" shots of the exterior.
perhaps other people would post pics of their seats.....
Drew,
The Highlander is a limited edition with perforated leather seats. It might have to do with the type of leather they are using. Japan might be importing from Australia while Indiana from the US. Still love my 300h, its buttery smooth acceleration. Its just one of those things that catches your eye. The Highlander's perforated seat is firm and taught with no errors in the stitching.
Thanks Jerry for checking on it, my dealer is quite a distance from my home, so I can't readily visit.
They probably can't do anything about it, but probably notify the manufacturer to step up quality assurance.
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Jerry,
I got this photo from the is forum, as you can see in this promo photo, the leather is taught and firm, no buckling in the leather seats.
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Tedster, thanks for pointing out. This is not acceptable to me either. I recalled when we picked up my MDX from my Acura dealer years ago, my wife complained about the "buckling" in the back seat which was clearly poor workmanship. I took it back to the dealer, they then have their local shop replaced the leather for us (as a matter of fact, they did it twice to make it right). Turn around time was two days. I suspect your Lexus dealer can do the same for you.
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#8
Toyota is considering moving ES production from Japan to their Ky plant. It would be built alongside the Camry and Avalon. No surprise there, I'm sure the quality would be good. Honda/Acura has been doing it for a long time with good results.
Given the choice though I'd prefer a Japanese built ES.
Given the choice though I'd prefer a Japanese built ES.
I know this does not mean much but...
I had a Japanese built 2007 ES350 for 5yrs. & no problems.
I had a NON Japanese built 2013 RX350 for 3 months when it started a engine oil leak. After 4 times trying to fix it the dealer could NOT.
4 times was more than enough for me ( that is a lemon by the book ) I traded it for my ES300h.
I know after the first try the next 2 or 3 could be the dealers fault not the cars.
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