First of all, I love my '99 GS 400 and think it's the best car I've ever had. My criticism lies with the people behind Lexus Service.

A little background:

At only 7200 miles, my car's brakes mysteriously went out on me and had to be towed in to be replaced. When I got my car back, I noticed the brakes were SIGNIFICANTLY HARDER TO PUSH DOWN.

Despite numerous complaints, Lexus Service told me their was nothing different about my brakes.

Finally, at my latest attempt to get them to fix the problem, they admitted that the brakes were different than the '99 ones that originally came on my car. The mechanic stated that they "had to replace my brake system with that of the 2000 since those were the latest ones in production at the time."

I then told him that I paid for the '99 and the brakes that I want are those of the '99 (smooth and easy to press down on). To which he replied "as long as your brakes work, our job is done."

Ever since then, I have been urging all my friends who are in the market for a new car to steer clear of Lexus, which they have done. It's not only the car, but the people behind servicing it that matter in my opinion. And to this, Lexus has done a poor job in making sure everyone is treated fairly.

Why I'm posting here:

I want to check around and ask everyone if this explanation the mechanic gave me about the 2000 brakes being different than the 99's makes any sense or if he's just bs'ing me. The brakes they gave me (supposedly the 2000 system) are significantly hard to press down, and I feel like the car is dragging, not braking. The '99's were very smooth and allowed me to stop with more of a snap.

Opinions? Solutions?

Thanks,

 

sTWO - maybe they're 2001 brakes - I drove RealMarty's 2001 GS430 and the brakes engaged with a very short travel but more pressure I think, compared to my longer travel less pressure 2000 brakes. Granted this could just be because mine have 16K on them and his are brand new.

I expect you'll get used to them, particularly as they brake in [sic].

Lexus or their dealers are not going to stock every variant of parts throughout the years.

As far as bad service though, not all dealers have bad service departments. One bad service experience is not really enough to write off an entire brand of cars (well maybe in the case of GM cars ).

 

im sorry you have had bad service but lexus' really are great cars

 

bitkahuna,

Thanks for the quick reply. Unfortunately, I know for certain they're 2000 brakes because at the time of the replacement, the 2001 was not on the market.

What you describe about more travel and less pressure on the brakes is exactly how my '99 brakes felt, and damn I miss that feeling. I've been having the 2000 brakes for about 24,000 miles since the brakes were changed, but unfortunately they still feel the same.

Any solutions on aftermarket work that could make them less hard to press down on, and have more snap at the same time ? Thanks,

 

maybe if you found a 1999 Master Brake cylinder it would work better, or it might be the whole brake itself.

 

I don't know exactly what was replaced on your car, but this may be as simple as an over pressurized system. When you step on the brake pedal, you basically force fluid out of the brake reservoir into the brake calipers, which then compress to apply the pressure to the rotors and slow the car. If you have too much fluid in the system, then it becomes harder to depress the pedal. It could also be possible that your master cylinder is faulty or blocked somehow. I would imagine that any reputable brake shop would have specs for your car and could tell if there was too much fluid, etc... Maybe if you're lucky, it might be as simple as bleeding the brakes

 

My 2000 GS4's brakes are far from hard, in fact I would say they were on the soft side. I have not had into Lexus for service since aquiring a few hundred miles ago but I was going to ask them if it was normal for them to feel this soft! They do, however work great.

 

LexusRules:

Thanks for the suggestion. Where would I go about finding a '99 master brake cylinder for the GS?

mumbles:

Lexus Service claims they changed the entire system because they couldn't identify what exactly caused the brakes to go out. I've tried bleeding the brakes and changing the fluid also, but unfortunately there hasn't been any sort of change.

Do you think I should go somewhere like Brake Check and ask their advice? I'm somewhat skeptical of all mechanics at this point and am worried about being hustled.

Thanks,

 

hm... you could call dealers up, or you could look on www.parts.com

 

sTWO,

Is there another Lexus dealer in your area? If so I'd bring it to them to have it checked out. Don't tell them the whole long story - just that you had them worked on (they'll see that in the computer) and they don't feel right to you.

 

I'm sorry, but this a pretty sorry excuse for telling everybody that Lexus is a bad car. That is almost as bad as I've ever heard. I really think that if your brakes are too hard for you to push-then I can promise you there is always going to be something wrong with any car you drive. I would suggest you sell it and buy a Saturn because they have been the only company close in service customer satisfaction. SORRY- thats just dumb!!

 

RealMarty:

Thanks for the advice. I'll try that out and see if it helps.



1SICKLEX:

I may not be an expert in brakes, but I do know when something feels different than it did before. Do I have "quantifiable data" to back that up? No, of course not. That's why I'm asking everyone else on this board.

And yes, the Lexus Service mechanic is a moron (he had previously adjusted my HID's without asking me for permission, toned them lower and stated they were way too bright, another mechanic at a different Lexus told me my lights were significantly out of focus and restored them back to original condition).

Assuming it is just a case of too much brake fluid, then Lexus should have been knowledgeable enough to identify the problem in the first place.

When you pay $50,000 for a car, it should be accompanied with top notch service. I'm sorry you don't feel the same way.

 

I am not trying to flame, but did you not just say that another Lexus mechanic fixed the other problems youve had? -take it to him!!!

 

I don't understand this. Firstly, that first Lexus mechanic is a dumb ****. You've told all your friends to avoid Lexus based on your bad experience with this one guy. Did you complain to the Service Manager? Did you complain to the Lexus hotline? If you complain to the guy that messed it up in the first place, I hardly think your going to get him to admit he was wrong. It seems to me that your problem is w/ that one mechanic and not Lexus.

My mom had problems w/ her S500 at the dealership. She doesn't go to the dealership anymore. She goes to a Mercedes only mechanic that kicks much *** over the dealership. But her experience at the MB dealership didn't sour her towards MB. Just don't get it serviced and worked on there.

Oh, and for your question, I thought that the 2000 and 1999 brakes were exactly the same. I think they changed (a little!) for 2001.

 

I take it you live in the New Orleans area? Why don't you take it to Price Leblanc Lexus in Baton Rouge? They have an excellent service dept. and you get something to drive (if you make an appointment) so it won't be too inconvenient for you.