Does anyone here have a problem with the powertrain of the GS RWD or AWD? The reason I ask is that the J D power reviews on edmunds only gave the GS’s powertrain a 3 star out of 5. Consumer report rated the GS AWD’s powertrain below average on reliability. I have owned a few Toyota and Lexus AWD vehicle before and they all have been pretty reliable. Is the AWD system in the GS problematic?

 

pretty good so far. Once though I was pushing the car pretty hard and I noticed that the car tapped the limiter before the trans shifted it. Very strange. That has only happened once but I am keeping my eyes and ears open

 

honestly, I won't be too surprise with this result. There must be some poor design with GS AWD system. If you have time, do search 3G forum for idle or vibration problem. EVEN the dealer says that there is a probability the AWD cause vibration.

BTW
My car is experiencing unusual vibration when car stop and gear in D or R.

 

But I would not consider vibration a reliability issue. I think they are talking about mechanical break down. Have anyone here have any warranty issue with the drive train or the AWD system?

 

^ True, CR is prolly talking about reported mechanical failures. But I would consider significant vibration a no-no for a Lexus . . .

 

i agree. we buy these cars with high expectations and we should expect the best

 

I'm coming up on my 2 yr anniversary for my GS3-AWD (17K miles thus far) & the vibration started immediately after I got my car back from the dealer following the complimentary 30-days check up. I've complained about it everytime I've taken it to the dealer to keep in on record, should they ever come up with a fix. I notice the rough idle smoothes out when I turn on the AC vs just running the fan for air or heat. The dealer mechanic said its just the load of the transmission on the engine, because it idles at 500 rpm, while in drive or reverse with your foot on the break. When it placed in neutral or park, it idles up a bit & the load of the trans is released, so it smoothes out. Which I've proven to be true. Nevertheless, the vibration is annoying, while sitting a traffic light; especially after experiencing a smooth feel the first 30-days of ownership. Just one of a few nagging issues that I did not expect from Lexus. The ticking engine sound due to the direct injection is another one.

 

There are problem with ticking engine noise even in Lexus's non-direct fuel injection engines, its a pretty common Toyota / Lexus V6 issue. On my 08 GS350, when I am idling and transmission in drive, the rpm is at 650. I wonder if Lexus up the idling rpm to get rid of the vibration problem.

 

I had a check VSC light issue which took the dealer 3 visits to get corrected (twice 2 purchasing dealer, where I believe they just cleared the code and sent me on my way)... It was a hairline crack in the gas cap which Lexus of Towson (5 Star dealership IMO) realized and corrected the 1st time I told them about it...Other than that I have had no issues with my GS @ all, (no rattles, creaks, or vibrations) as far as I'm concerned she is a tank...

 

Wow... 11000 miles so far and no problems at all with my AWD...

Vibration, don't recall any.

 

25,000 miles without a hitch yet, but the dashboard rattles are annoying!!!!!

 

16,000 miles and everything is Perfect, now that I got the Dash rattles and creaks fixed. - And they can be fixed!

 

Its good to hear owners with positive experience out there. My old GX470 was a rock, 3 years and no one single rattle. Does any 08 GS owners out there have the dash rattles and creaks? I am just wondering if Lexus did the TSB from the factory for the 08s.

 

its kinda funny. i chose lexus because of reliability. 3 days after purchasing my gs awd, i saw that CR article. DOH! i was thinking of returning the car too. but i dont think i could right? i mean, its not like an lcd tv.

anyways, im at 2k miles now. no problem so far

 

Like I said before, CR is not the bible, I would never return or sell the car because CR rated it low. Those surveys are not always right. Even if they were, the rating is only base on the average. Meaning some people will have problem free cars and some will not. I find forums like this is actually more useful as fast as gauging how reliable a car is.