2019 ES350 Luxury Bluetooth Issue
 

I took my car in for its 30,000 service and mentioned a Bluetooth issue I’ve been experiencing, where it acts like the audio isn’t buffering properly. Lexus makes their firmware updates available online and I was able to show my service advisor mine was several versions behind, so they agreed to do them in the hope it’d correct the problem. Unfortunately it didn’t and the issues have gotten worse. Now the volume control on the dash and steering wheel are randomly inoperable when listening to Bluetooth. It’s back at the dealership and they seem stumped. Only positive is, they gave me a 2024 LS 500 F Sport as a loaner. LOL Has anyone else had anything resembling this experience and reached a successful resolution? What did it take?

Sure, some issues are mysterious and take time to fix. This can happen to any car. Sometimes a different dealer is needed. Are you still under warranty? Ask service to escalate it up the chain to regional techs who go around to dealers with tough problems. Have you tried plugging your phone in to aux. to bypass bluetooth? Have you tried a different phone bluetooth? This should help narrow down the problem. Buffering sounds like an internet connection issue with the phone or provider. Try a different music service.

So.... what did you think of driving the LS? For the money, is the difference big enough to really make it worthwhile?

This is subjective. It is much smoother, more powerful, quieter, comfortable. Fuel economy are town is 13mpg but highway is 25pr higher. If you can find one with lower miles and in your budget, I'd consider it. Taking a test drive will tell you the most. from my signature you'll see I've had several models of Lexus.

Sure. Totally get this! These scenarios just keep getting more and more complicated as tech does too. :sad:

Nowhere near this point yet.

Yes. Bought it CPO, with 26,000 miles. Also bought extended coverage and service out to 100,000.

They completely wiped the system and reloaded it. Then, they tried three different phones in the shop and several audio sources. All of them exhibited the same issues. Now, they've escalated it to Lexus tech support.

Yes. Apple CarPlay and aux input work flawlessly through the USB input.

Still have it, and I've only put about 30 miles on it, but it's a weird mix of better and worse than my ES. I LOVE the red and black interior...except for the piano black center, right where you want to rest your hand. The ride is quite a bit more harsh than my ES. I'm guessing that's the F Sport suspension, but even in Comfort mode it never gets as nice as my ES. This one is AWD, so it certainly puts the power to the road. It's very easy to speed. I find I really miss the front and 360° views below 5 mph and 360° view when parking. It's also a couple of inches higher when entering and exiting the vehicle. Overall, frankly, if I had to put my money on one or the other and wasn't concerned about how much, I think I'd choose a fully specced-out ES 350H Ultra Luxury and use the spare $30,000 over a base LS 500 F Sport to go on a luxurious vacation. LOL

I think the F Sport is a considerably rougher ride and you hear a lot more road noise. Yeah. Fuel economy sucks. I've put around 30 miles on it and used over two gallons. Most of that was on the highway. No way I'd spend $30,000+ on this over an Ultra Luxury ES. But, performance is far less important to me. Not everything needs to be an Audi or BMW. LOL

Same thing happens to mine on my 2021 ES 350 since I’ve begun using a wireless Apple Car Play adapter. I returned the first one thinking it was the fault of the adapter. Happened identically on one of a different brand. I’m resigned to it. Let me hear if they diagnose the problem. It may be relevant to me.

Thanks for the feedback. The regular model, since changes they made a few years back, does have a smoother ride, at least with the air suspension. Clearly the interior materials are step above, and the one I sat in at the dealer last year (non-F) was the plushest car seat I’ve ever sat in. Once out of warranty these are expensive to maintain if something big goes. Overall I guess I’m happy with my UL.

Well...I just got word Lexus authorized the replacement of the unit. So, hopefully, that'll be the end of this. Glad it's under warranty. That's a $4,000 part! :eek1:

Great news. Do keep us posted on the outcome. It will help others here.

I got it back on Friday. So far, no Bluetooth glitches and everything's working as it should. :)