#Vibration / #Shake Issues
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,669
Likes: 4
From: Palos Verdes, California
Went to dealer, looked at other gx460 chromes.
Found that my car, bought new from lexus dealer, has 2009 4runner chrome wheels.
Of course other rims were balancing out, but the rims were not correct.
Waiting to see, what dealer;s next step is. Are michelin tires any better for a smooth ride.
I exchanged my stock GX 460 wheels for chromed ones.
While conversing with the owner of the shop, I discovered that the GX
460 wheels are different than the 4Runner wheels.
Had I known that, I would have gotten the 4Runner wheels for my GX 460.
I had 4Runner wheels on my GX 470
~ Cap
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,241
Likes: 63
From: MO
here is an update. Went to dealer, looked at other gx460 chromes.
Found that my car, bought new from lexus dealer, has 2009 4runner chrome wheels.
Of course other rims were balancing out, but the rims were not correct.
Waiting to see, what dealer;s next step is. Are michelin tires any better for a smooth ride.
Found that my car, bought new from lexus dealer, has 2009 4runner chrome wheels.
Of course other rims were balancing out, but the rims were not correct.
Waiting to see, what dealer;s next step is. Are michelin tires any better for a smooth ride.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: VA
I really liked the Michelins on my 470...they wore great and I never had an issue. I have the dreaded vibration at 147 miles on my 460 and am taking in tomorrow. Mine starts as soon as I go over 52 MPH. Keep us posted on what the regional folks say!
Racer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 35
From: Pennsylvania
FWIW, some folks prefer the 4Runner wheels.
I exchanged my stock GX 460 wheels for chromed ones.
While conversing with the owner of the shop, I discovered that the GX
460 wheels are different than the 4Runner wheels.
Had I known that, I would have gotten the 4Runner wheels for my GX 460.
I had 4Runner wheels on my GX 470
~ Cap
I exchanged my stock GX 460 wheels for chromed ones.
While conversing with the owner of the shop, I discovered that the GX
460 wheels are different than the 4Runner wheels.
Had I known that, I would have gotten the 4Runner wheels for my GX 460.
I had 4Runner wheels on my GX 470
~ Cap
the 2010 4runner has totally different rims. would never put one of those sets on the gx.
2009 and other later 4th gen 4Runner limited rims are similar to the gx 460, but not the same. As i said, the gx spokes are not as square/rectangular as the 4runner spokes. They are also the same size. Not sure however about the backspace and offset. I had a brand new set of these as i thought I would use them on a 2010 4runner. Changed my mind and sold them. Now i wish i kept them for my gx!
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: CA
update. dealer now wants to replace and install rack and pinion steering.
This is major surgery, on a vehicle that only has 1,200 miles. ,, than wants to replace wheels, and who knows what after that. I honestly believe, after having the car in the shop now for 14 days, i have a lemon. Any suggestions, on getting a new car.
This is major surgery, on a vehicle that only has 1,200 miles. ,, than wants to replace wheels, and who knows what after that. I honestly believe, after having the car in the shop now for 14 days, i have a lemon. Any suggestions, on getting a new car.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,717
Likes: 89
From: FL
update. dealer now wants to replace and install rack and pinion steering.
This is major surgery, on a vehicle that only has 1,200 miles. ,, than wants to replace wheels, and who knows what after that. I honestly believe, after having the car in the shop now for 14 days, i have a lemon. Any suggestions, on getting a new car.
This is major surgery, on a vehicle that only has 1,200 miles. ,, than wants to replace wheels, and who knows what after that. I honestly believe, after having the car in the shop now for 14 days, i have a lemon. Any suggestions, on getting a new car.
Since this just started recently, I continue to believe that your wheels were balanced incorrectly by your dealer. Try the wheel swap and go from there. Depending on how that goes, I would also consider seeing another dealership.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: tx
any updates
update. dealer now wants to replace and install rack and pinion steering.
This is major surgery, on a vehicle that only has 1,200 miles. ,, than wants to replace wheels, and who knows what after that. I honestly believe, after having the car in the shop now for 14 days, i have a lemon. Any suggestions, on getting a new car.
This is major surgery, on a vehicle that only has 1,200 miles. ,, than wants to replace wheels, and who knows what after that. I honestly believe, after having the car in the shop now for 14 days, i have a lemon. Any suggestions, on getting a new car.
they already did road force balance too.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 626
Likes: 12
From: DE
However, if the dealer is talking about replacing the steering or similar "major surgery" on a new vehicle, something much worse may be at issue. It would be easy for us to tell you to demand a new vehicle ... we're not doing the demanding. As the expression goes ... nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it. ;-)
However, there may be good reason for you to demand a new vehicle and there may be good reason for your dealer to concur. Certainly, your state's "Lemon Laws" are your first line of defense ... they are in your glove box. In most states, a vehicle that can not be repaired and returned within a certain number of days makes it a 'lemon' and you are entitled to a replacement. It worked for me.
In addition, your dealer may be like Br'er Rabbit ... don't throw me in that briar patch! If the dealer can convince Lexus USA that they sold you a lemon, the dealer may be the winner. The dealership gets another unit allocated, you get what you deserve, the dealership benefits from the good will ... and eventually your first unit gets fixed and re-sold as a low-mileage used vehicle to some lucky (new?) Lexus customer ... everyone wins! Well, at least that is what the GM of the dealership told me when they agreed to replace our unit.
So, if you are "on the right side of the law" in your state and you are a valuable and reasonable Lexus customer, you may prevail. However, don't "draw a line in the sand" and get yourself into a position from which you can not retreat. As in any business, some customers are more trouble than they are worth ... if you burn your bridges with one dealership you are likely to be persona non grata at all dealerships for that brand. That's fine if you are willing to switch brands ... it is not fine if your current vehicle is inoperable ... and unsaleable.
Regards,
SaniDel
Last edited by SaniDel; Aug 27, 2010 at 06:01 PM.
I have just done my 5k free service which included tire balance and rotation. As soon as they have done it I had a bad front vibration (wheels completely out of balance). They have checked again and told me that one of the tires had a flat spot. They have replaced both tires and the truck runs perfect. I have Michelins. They have told me that this happens often to cars which sat on the parking lot for a while before the vehicle was sold.
It is a heavy truck and maybe the problem resolution is as simple as replacing tires. I would ask to check for flat spots.
It is a heavy truck and maybe the problem resolution is as simple as replacing tires. I would ask to check for flat spots.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 626
Likes: 12
From: DE
It was the LX that got replaced, not our current GX. Two things happened that made it a "no brainer" for our dealer to get us a new one:
1. Within only a few months of taking delivery of a new LX it developed a problem that was "not dealer serviceable"! Specifically, a wiring harness developed a short circuit. Wiring harnesses are not designed to be replaced ... repaired, maybe ... with a soldering gun and more wire, but not replaced.
2. While on the dealer's lot as they puzzled over how to solve the wiring harness problem, the LX was vandalized! The neighborhood kids threw bricks over the dealer's fence and smashed the windshield. In addition, the dashboard was disassembled to search for the short circuit, so the broken windshield glass fell inside the dashboard.
We took one look at that mess and told the dealer we didn't want it back. Fortunately, we were driving their loaner, although not an LX, but it gave us some leverage. Our lawyer told us to be nice, but firm ... accept nothing less than a new LX and keep driving their loaner. That's an advantage to having only one vehicle at a time and relying on the dealer to provide a loaner ... it is leverage in a situation like this.
After about a week of silence, the GM called to assure us we would get a new LX at no cost. They traded our almost-new, but trashed LX for a new LX, adjusted the trade-in value so that even after taxes, tags and title the balance due was zero. We signed the purchase agreement for no money, turned in their loaner and drove off with a brand-new LX.
In a face-to-face, but "off the record" discussion with the GM, he explained how everyone wins. The LX was and still is a rare and hard-to-get model and he had only a limited allocation. He used our situation to convince Lexus USA to allocate one more to his dealership. We obviously were happy with this, his dealership and Lexus in general got lots of goodwill ... we're still re-telling the story ... and someone else got a used, repaired, but almost-new LX. Granted, they may wonder why they hear rattles in the dashboard and every now and then a chunk of broken windshield glass falls on the carpet, but they got it for a great price. ;-)
Regards,
SaniDel
1. Within only a few months of taking delivery of a new LX it developed a problem that was "not dealer serviceable"! Specifically, a wiring harness developed a short circuit. Wiring harnesses are not designed to be replaced ... repaired, maybe ... with a soldering gun and more wire, but not replaced.
2. While on the dealer's lot as they puzzled over how to solve the wiring harness problem, the LX was vandalized! The neighborhood kids threw bricks over the dealer's fence and smashed the windshield. In addition, the dashboard was disassembled to search for the short circuit, so the broken windshield glass fell inside the dashboard.
We took one look at that mess and told the dealer we didn't want it back. Fortunately, we were driving their loaner, although not an LX, but it gave us some leverage. Our lawyer told us to be nice, but firm ... accept nothing less than a new LX and keep driving their loaner. That's an advantage to having only one vehicle at a time and relying on the dealer to provide a loaner ... it is leverage in a situation like this.
After about a week of silence, the GM called to assure us we would get a new LX at no cost. They traded our almost-new, but trashed LX for a new LX, adjusted the trade-in value so that even after taxes, tags and title the balance due was zero. We signed the purchase agreement for no money, turned in their loaner and drove off with a brand-new LX.
In a face-to-face, but "off the record" discussion with the GM, he explained how everyone wins. The LX was and still is a rare and hard-to-get model and he had only a limited allocation. He used our situation to convince Lexus USA to allocate one more to his dealership. We obviously were happy with this, his dealership and Lexus in general got lots of goodwill ... we're still re-telling the story ... and someone else got a used, repaired, but almost-new LX. Granted, they may wonder why they hear rattles in the dashboard and every now and then a chunk of broken windshield glass falls on the carpet, but they got it for a great price. ;-)
Regards,
SaniDel
Last edited by SaniDel; Aug 28, 2010 at 10:59 AM.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 35
From: Pennsylvania
It was the LX that got replaced, not our current GX. Two things happened that made it a "no brainer" for our dealer to get us a new one:
1. Within only a few months of taking delivery of a new LX it developed a problem that was "not dealer serviceable"! Specifically, a wiring harness developed a short circuit. Wiring harnesses are not designed to be replaced ... repaired, maybe ... with a soldering gun and more wire, but not replaced.
2. While on the dealer's lot as they puzzled over how to solve the wiring harness problem, the LX was vandalized! The neighborhood kids threw bricks over the dealer's fence and smashed the windshield. In addition, the dashboard was disassembled to search for the short circuit, so the broken windshield glass fell inside the dashboard.
We took one look at that mess and told the dealer we didn't want it back. Fortunately, we were driving their loaner, although not an LX, but it gave us some leverage. Our lawyer told us to be nice, but firm ... accept nothing less than a new LX and keep driving their loaner. That's an advantage to having only one vehicle at a time and relying on the dealer to provide a loaner ... it is leverage in a situation like this.
After about a week of silence, the GM called to assure us we would get a new LX at no cost. They traded our almost-new, but trashed LX for a new LX, adjusted the trade-in value so that even after taxes, tags and title the balance due was zero. We signed the purchase agreement for no money, turned in their loaner and drove off with a brand-new LX.
In a face-to-face, but "off the record" discussion with the GM, he explained how everyone wins. The LX was and still is a rare and hard-to-get model and he had only a limited allocation. He used our situation to convince Lexus USA to allocate one more to his dealership. We obviously were happy with this, his dealership and Lexus in general got lots of goodwill ... we're still re-telling the story ... and someone else got a used, repaired, but almost-new LX. Granted, they may wonder why they hear rattles in the dashboard and every now and then a chunk of broken windshield glass falls on the carpet, but they got it for a great price. ;-)
Regards,
SaniDel
1. Within only a few months of taking delivery of a new LX it developed a problem that was "not dealer serviceable"! Specifically, a wiring harness developed a short circuit. Wiring harnesses are not designed to be replaced ... repaired, maybe ... with a soldering gun and more wire, but not replaced.
2. While on the dealer's lot as they puzzled over how to solve the wiring harness problem, the LX was vandalized! The neighborhood kids threw bricks over the dealer's fence and smashed the windshield. In addition, the dashboard was disassembled to search for the short circuit, so the broken windshield glass fell inside the dashboard.
We took one look at that mess and told the dealer we didn't want it back. Fortunately, we were driving their loaner, although not an LX, but it gave us some leverage. Our lawyer told us to be nice, but firm ... accept nothing less than a new LX and keep driving their loaner. That's an advantage to having only one vehicle at a time and relying on the dealer to provide a loaner ... it is leverage in a situation like this.
After about a week of silence, the GM called to assure us we would get a new LX at no cost. They traded our almost-new, but trashed LX for a new LX, adjusted the trade-in value so that even after taxes, tags and title the balance due was zero. We signed the purchase agreement for no money, turned in their loaner and drove off with a brand-new LX.
In a face-to-face, but "off the record" discussion with the GM, he explained how everyone wins. The LX was and still is a rare and hard-to-get model and he had only a limited allocation. He used our situation to convince Lexus USA to allocate one more to his dealership. We obviously were happy with this, his dealership and Lexus in general got lots of goodwill ... we're still re-telling the story ... and someone else got a used, repaired, but almost-new LX. Granted, they may wonder why they hear rattles in the dashboard and every now and then a chunk of broken windshield glass falls on the carpet, but they got it for a great price. ;-)
Regards,
SaniDel
I have just done my 5k free service which included tire balance and rotation. As soon as they have done it I had a bad front vibration (wheels completely out of balance). They have checked again and told me that one of the tires had a flat spot. They have replaced both tires and the truck runs perfect. I have Michelins. They have told me that this happens often to cars which sat on the parking lot for a while before the vehicle was sold.
It is a heavy truck and maybe the problem resolution is as simple as replacing tires. I would ask to check for flat spots.
It is a heavy truck and maybe the problem resolution is as simple as replacing tires. I would ask to check for flat spots.
I started to have slight vibrations again and have noticed that a lug nut is missing (the screw holding it broke off). Came back to the dealer (another store in the city) to have this repaired and I've asked to rebalance wheels again just in case.
Of course had vibrations after even worse. On the way home decided to go to a local Discount Tire store where I buy my tires for all my cars to have them re-balanced there ($40 gave me lifetime balance and rotation). What a difference. The truck never been as smooth before and the steering wheels doesn't feel loose anymore as well.
My conclusions is that dealers do not know how to balance wheels. Go to a pro shop and if you have the problem, most likely it will be resolved by pros. Lack of experience or good balancing machines by dealers shows.
Racer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,717
Likes: 89
From: FL
Couldn't agree more about some dealers... Read my story on post #3.