So it's a design defect. Many cars have "design defects" that result in many more repairs than most Lexus cars, and the standard warranties do not cover them.

As I mentioned earlier from actual experience (a couple of real examples with design defects):

Porsche - they paid 50% of the total cost to replace top mechanism with bad design.

Mercedes - they paid 0% for failed brake light assembly, a known bad design.

So I think Lexus (and Porsche in my example) covering 50% is good.

Yes, I'll be checking for damp carpets.

But the easier check is to glance underneath for the usual small puddle of water where the AC normally drains on the ground. Often I see that water as I walk up to the car. It's not like I'm sticking my head under the car.

A/C drain design failure? Lexus is fixing it for free under standard warranty, so I'm a bit confused why they're not just fixing it period. If you worked in a traveling job and put 70k on the car in two years, then it fails, is it your fault the design was defective? It's not like the failures are mileage related, they're humidity related. Are we owners or beta testers?

Whomever told you the gearbox had to come down lied 100%. Review the LSB - there's nothing about dropping the gearbox to fix this. Yes, the whole dash comes out and you'll be draining the coolant, depressurizing the A/C system, and removing the entire HVAC control unit, but you won't be dropping the gearbox.

When I first saw this LSB, it just made me all the happier I traded my 350 for the F. I could definitely envision this happening to me after the warranty expired. And I surely didn't want to go through yet another iteration of noisy cam sprockets either.

Interesting, sort of like saying Lexus is the tallest midget, still short, but relative to the others, tallest of the group.

If that floats your boat, cool. Good luck. And try not to let 1/2 gallon of water accumulate in your car before taking action next time, the smell alone can be annoying.

I agree with the OP.

Furthermore, after reading the TSIB for this issue, I believe this should be a voluntary recall for the affected VIN's, or (at the very least) the TSIB should be in effect past the factory warranty period.

This is a known defect, and the owner shouldn't be punished because they are slightly beyond the warranty period. I'm sure if the OP knew this issue was essentially a ticking time bomb he probably would have bought an extended warranty and/or traded the vehicle in.

We all know that random mechanical failures happen, but there's a huge difference between saying 0.5% of transmissions will randomly fail within 10 years, and a company knowing about a design defect but choosing not to deal with it unless it happens to fall within the warranty period. That's not good customer service, and Lexus is better then that.

Do I think Lexus is legally right? Yes because they put out a TSIB for the issue, and said they will do the repair work for free if it falls within the warranty period. Do I think they are morally right and/or providing good customer service? No.

Then why isn't the flipside true for granny who only puts 4,000 miles per year on her car driving to and from bingo and the Shop Rite? If there is a "defect" that may not exhibit itself until 40,000 miles (on a Lexus warranty), then isn't it unfair to Granny that it took her 10 years to get to the point when the failure occurs?

The warranty is YRS/MILES, whichever comes first for a reason. It's a calculated gamble by the consumer and the company. If there is truly a "design defect", it is most likely that the problem will appear within the warranty period--whether it's miles or years. When a problem does appear frequently, and is known by the company, they may issue a TSB, have a recall or extend the warranty for the known problem. Acura had lots of tranny problems on TLs, and extended the warranty--but if your transmission went bad after the extension, you are still SOL.

Sometimes, things just happen. The car company isn't responsible for everything that might go wrong with the car for life.

Here's the brakedown:
windshield moulding: $24.84
2 roof drip moulding: $146.22
glass: $913.23
6 windshield clips: $38.16
labor: $240.00
tax: $98.21

BTW it is OE glass with a sticker on the outside that says MADE IN JAPAN.
Not to mention a loaner 09 IS had the same glass on it as my replacement.
So there is no way in hell that $370 is for OE

To the OP if you're not happy with Lexus then sell your car and get a BMW or whatever else you think would pay 100% for any issues after your warranty expires

I knew the gear box didnt have to come down. Thank you for confirming it.

I use weathertech floor mats in the car, which pretty much covers most of the carpeting. The weathertech mats stayed dry, but the carpeting and the padding soaked up the water when it backed up. The carpet can hold quite a bit of water. Other than the "sloshing" sound, there is is no way I would have known that water was backing up into the interior of the car. For what its worth, there was no odor either.

Really? You must be pretty hard on the brakes if this is true. I had my pads replaced under the TSB at 5,000 miles and have not needed to replace them since. I now have 69,500 miles. I have not ever had a car that needed to replace the rotors. My Camry had 138,000 miles and my Integra 99,000 miles all original owner - me. I just don't understand how you could go through them so fast. BTW, I have a surface street commute and autox'd my car a few times.

Also, one other point.... readers of this thread should take the time to look up their VIN on the TSB in this thread - Page 2. I had never heard of this TSB and other people might have also missed it in posts on this forum.

I don't think it matters if your VIN is affected by the TSB. People have mentioned that dealerships won't bother fixing it unless you are experiencing the problem. Most dealerships will keep your car for a day and say that they couldn't replicate the problem. The only thing you can do is periodically check for puddles OR pour some water on the floor and show them the TSB.

Hey when you find the company that will pay 100% in this situation, please let us know.

And for those that buy the BMW over the Lexus, often they will buy an extended warranty that will cost plenty too.

Actually you are giving us ISx50 owners some good advice and that I do appreciate. Don't use anything but OEM carpet mats in the IS. And watch for the normal drips of AC water under the car or damp carpet.

I happen to use carpet mats in mine because I have an older SUV for the few weeks per year of bad weather driving that we experience here.