I am writing this thread as a warning/advisory for current and/or future owners. This is a full exhaustive list of the issues I have faced as an owner. Many of these issues are very expensive fixes outside of TSB/warranty, which ironically started occurring after TSB ended.

1. Sunroof seal - $400 at the dealer (tech said quick fix but dealer charged more hours than said...legendary Lexus service I guess)

2. Melting dashboard - couple grand to fix, leaving this one to continue...at least the leather part won't melt

3. AC servo motors - 5k+ repair, $200 to diagnose...used cable + techstream DIY to reinitialize the servos but I will never be able to use my heater ever again without messing up my AC (and then reinitializing via techstream)

4. Timing cover leak - probably worth the KBB trade in value of the car to repair but mitigated this by doing 3k oil change intervals...all 2GR-FE and FSE have this issue eventually depending on your luck

5. Radio amplifier failure - $600 on ebay...and had to relocate the amplifier to prevent water intrusion. YOU NEED TO RELOCATE IT if you don't fix the trunk seals.

6. Nav button press doesn't work anymore - gave up trying to solve this one...

Every inquiry to Lexus made about these issues has been "we don't care". No sympathy at all. My car wears a badge that says Lexus of Glendale, supposedly to advertise how great Lexus is...which is not the case. To any Lexus CS member that views this, I will likely not be purchasing a Lexus in the future again.

That being said, if you can deal with these issues, it still gets you from A to B. Otherwise, avoid and stick with a Camry.

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I know many of you have the servo motor issue, so here are the steps to mitigate it.
You'll need techstream and a J2534 cable. You can find techstream on the 4runner forums and run it in a virtual machine. Connect the J2534 cable to your car, run techstream and reinitialize your servo motors. Try not to use your heater afterwards if it lets cool air through again.

 

What year and how many miles when you bought the car?

 

2013, 40k miles

 

Damn that’s hard to hear. My ‘15 RWD F Sport just turned over 50K and everything works just fine.

 

Yeah, just wanted to warn people. You can see a thread on the servo failures on the 15 right below this one actually.

 

Just totaled my 2013 GS with 148k miles, only issue was the sunroof seal, replaced it myself for $68 and 30 minutes of time. Best car I ever owned. Bought a used 2017 RX 350 F Sport with 120k miles, also a great ride.

 

glad it was good, timing cover leak sneaks up on you, the dashboard melting is well known and the servo motors are almost guaranteed to crap out

the combined cost of these repairs easily exceeds 10k at the dealer...hoping I have the luck to get this car rear ended and totaled out to be honest

 

These cars are known to be reliable. You must have gotten a lemon. Although any repairs at a Lexus will cost an arm and a leg. Sorry to hear about your bad luck.

 

Servo issues have plagued the brand forever. My 2GS had issues with the servos and maybe one day my current one will. To expect a car to be perfect is unrealistic. That JD power and associates award for reliable brands (which I think is a joke and flawed) even shares how many issues per 100. I don't see any brand at 0 issues.

You also have a early model GS. Most early models of any generation have issues. Hence the revisions that happen as the model ages.

 

these are all well documented issues that other owners have

i havent even included the small ones, like the fast clock, rear brake squeal and direct injection weird noises

 

i previously owned a late model GS, 2010

that one was quite flawed still

i am sure you are aware of the 2GR-FSE during that period burning oil, the 2010 I had burnt enough oil every 3.8-4k miles to the point of the low oil warning, but that wasn't the reason I got rid of it

you see, like the person below here with a 2010 GS (and others in the thread), it was in matador mica red...well, turns out that this paint is flawed...check out that 2016 RX and NX in there...what a tragedy

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-3rd-gen-2006-2011/988744-matador-red-peeling.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/Lexus/comments/1gbuh2q/2014_is_paint_fail/

my next vehicle will not be a lexus

 

I've owned several Lexus vehicles and never had issues that bothered me or out of the ordinary. Everyone has their own experience, sucks for you.

Have a good one

 

My 14 GS just over 50K with No issues. Other than replaced the battery and key phob battery once or twice. Oil changes every year. Sorry you're having these issues.

 

So you bought a 2013 GS350 in 2013 and it already had 40k miles on it? This after owning a 3rd gen that was "quite flawed still". After 10 plus years of owning two different generation GS's, you join this forum and proceed with sharing how unreliable these cars are. Thanks for dropping in and warning everyone.

I suggest selling the GS and buying a used BMW or Mercedes.

 

Many brands have servo issues, not just Lexus/Toyota...