Steering Issue Finally Resolved - LONG, LONG POST
03-20-18, 12:22 PM
#1
Driver
Thread Starter
Steering Issue Finally Resolved - LONG, LONG POST
FYI – this is a suuuuupppppperrr long post about an annoying issue I had with my car. I finally resolved it after owning the car for several years and I’ve been meaning to share my story for a while. I’m only sharing this in case it helps anyone else on the forum in dealing with the same issue, which was difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to have repaired under warranty. I’ve read at least 2 really old posts describing the same issue by others on here.
My car is a 2014 is350 F-Sport. I had an ongoing steering issue that was only present when driving on the freeway and had no impact while driving on the streets. At times, it was just a subtle annoyance when making short freeway trips, while other times it was a real pain in the a** if traveling on the freeway for more than 15 minutes, especially long road trips. Although it was limited to the freeway, a car that retails for $45-$50k should not have any such defect. Also, it might not have felt as subtle to someone who was not used to it.
At times, while traveling at freeway speeds, I experienced a non-binding notchy steering feeling. It would only occur at highway speeds when changing lanes or coming out of long, sweeping turns. When it would happen, the steering wheel would not smoothly self-center and it wanted to stay in the turning position. When I would force it to re-center, it would initially give me a slight notchy/sticky feeling. It would feel as though a very light amount of force wanted to keep the wheel situated in that position. It would also make it difficult to keep the car going straight and required constant focus, which is something I just got used to.
I took it to the dealer multiple times (at least 3) and they repeatedly told me it was normal. I knew it wasn’t, but I let it go, making sure that I was at least documenting my complaints. I took it back a fourth time just before warranty expired and they told me a technician adjusted the torque steering sensor, which did nothing. I was adamant about getting it fixed before warranty expired. I did a lot of research online and speculated that I had a defective steering gear rack. It made sense because the steering gear rack uses some type of magnet(s) to work with the electronic power steering. The dealership advised me to make a claim with Lexus corporate so that they could send out a field technician. Lexus corporate instructed me to return to the dealership for further testing.
After 3 test drives with the service dept. foreman, he finally experienced the problem while driving. I was in the passenger seat when it happened. He looked at me and said, “wow, this feels like ****!” I was relieved to say the least. Little did I know that Lexus would try to screw me since I was technically out of the warranty period at that point. What they didn’t realize is that under CA law, when a defect exists on a vehicle within the warranty period, the warranty for that issue/defect does not expire until the problem is fixed. This specific language is written into the law under the Song-Beverly Warranty Act. A snippet of the applicable statutory code section is even written on the back of every dealership service invoice.
The dealership attempted to characterize it as a “goodwill” warranty claim, which required approval from Lexus corporate. I didn’t want to be difficult, so I allowed them to handle it their way and assumed it would be covered based on what I said above regarding warranties. After waiting 3 weeks for the dealership to confirm it would be covered, they contacted me and said Lexus corporate agreed to offer me a “goodwill” warranty exception and cover 50% of the cost. I was seriously pissed off at that point. I told them that would not cut it. I would rather pay for 100% of the cost and sue for reimbursement.
Before going that route, since that should always be an absolute last resort, I wrote a demand letter to the general manager of the dealership and Lexus corporate. I copied the service department manager and my service adviser on the letter, which I sent to all parties by email. I explained the law to them, my history of documenting the issue, made sure to characterize the defect as a “serious safety concern,” and threatened to sue if they didn’t agree to cover the repair. As straightforward as it was, it shocked me that they were clueless as to their liability. The next day Lexus corporate contacted me to let me know they would cover 100% of the cost. They replaced the steering gear rack, which proved to be the problem. The saga was finally over and my car drives as it should have from day 1.
My car is a 2014 is350 F-Sport. I had an ongoing steering issue that was only present when driving on the freeway and had no impact while driving on the streets. At times, it was just a subtle annoyance when making short freeway trips, while other times it was a real pain in the a** if traveling on the freeway for more than 15 minutes, especially long road trips. Although it was limited to the freeway, a car that retails for $45-$50k should not have any such defect. Also, it might not have felt as subtle to someone who was not used to it.
At times, while traveling at freeway speeds, I experienced a non-binding notchy steering feeling. It would only occur at highway speeds when changing lanes or coming out of long, sweeping turns. When it would happen, the steering wheel would not smoothly self-center and it wanted to stay in the turning position. When I would force it to re-center, it would initially give me a slight notchy/sticky feeling. It would feel as though a very light amount of force wanted to keep the wheel situated in that position. It would also make it difficult to keep the car going straight and required constant focus, which is something I just got used to.
I took it to the dealer multiple times (at least 3) and they repeatedly told me it was normal. I knew it wasn’t, but I let it go, making sure that I was at least documenting my complaints. I took it back a fourth time just before warranty expired and they told me a technician adjusted the torque steering sensor, which did nothing. I was adamant about getting it fixed before warranty expired. I did a lot of research online and speculated that I had a defective steering gear rack. It made sense because the steering gear rack uses some type of magnet(s) to work with the electronic power steering. The dealership advised me to make a claim with Lexus corporate so that they could send out a field technician. Lexus corporate instructed me to return to the dealership for further testing.
After 3 test drives with the service dept. foreman, he finally experienced the problem while driving. I was in the passenger seat when it happened. He looked at me and said, “wow, this feels like ****!” I was relieved to say the least. Little did I know that Lexus would try to screw me since I was technically out of the warranty period at that point. What they didn’t realize is that under CA law, when a defect exists on a vehicle within the warranty period, the warranty for that issue/defect does not expire until the problem is fixed. This specific language is written into the law under the Song-Beverly Warranty Act. A snippet of the applicable statutory code section is even written on the back of every dealership service invoice.
The dealership attempted to characterize it as a “goodwill” warranty claim, which required approval from Lexus corporate. I didn’t want to be difficult, so I allowed them to handle it their way and assumed it would be covered based on what I said above regarding warranties. After waiting 3 weeks for the dealership to confirm it would be covered, they contacted me and said Lexus corporate agreed to offer me a “goodwill” warranty exception and cover 50% of the cost. I was seriously pissed off at that point. I told them that would not cut it. I would rather pay for 100% of the cost and sue for reimbursement.
Before going that route, since that should always be an absolute last resort, I wrote a demand letter to the general manager of the dealership and Lexus corporate. I copied the service department manager and my service adviser on the letter, which I sent to all parties by email. I explained the law to them, my history of documenting the issue, made sure to characterize the defect as a “serious safety concern,” and threatened to sue if they didn’t agree to cover the repair. As straightforward as it was, it shocked me that they were clueless as to their liability. The next day Lexus corporate contacted me to let me know they would cover 100% of the cost. They replaced the steering gear rack, which proved to be the problem. The saga was finally over and my car drives as it should have from day 1.
The following 5 users liked this post by Luisvm:
ISTreeFidi (12-17-19),
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03-20-18, 01:39 PM
#2
Lexus Test Driver
Very interesting. What was their specific response to the CA law? Did they say "oh well it doesn't apply here because..."
If the law applied, and sound like it did, I would've also made them write me an apology letter.
I feel I'm in your boat but with my brake pedal feel. There's a definite notch at the top of my brake pedal when pressed I've never felt in every other car which has a smooth pedal. The pedal is also visibly loose more so than your typical tolerance allowed (I'm familiar with engineering standards). Took it to Lexus and they say it's normal. I know it's not but I also don't have time to argue and let it go. It's just one of those things hey this car shouldn't feel like this.
Glad you got it fixed.
Was there a part # difference between your old and new rack?
If the law applied, and sound like it did, I would've also made them write me an apology letter.
I feel I'm in your boat but with my brake pedal feel. There's a definite notch at the top of my brake pedal when pressed I've never felt in every other car which has a smooth pedal. The pedal is also visibly loose more so than your typical tolerance allowed (I'm familiar with engineering standards). Took it to Lexus and they say it's normal. I know it's not but I also don't have time to argue and let it go. It's just one of those things hey this car shouldn't feel like this.
Glad you got it fixed.
Was there a part # difference between your old and new rack?
03-20-18, 01:40 PM
#3
drives cars
Awesome! Good work hanging in there until they got it done. 
I am always annoyed with service departents in general (not just Lexus) being 'unable to reproduce' issues, which would have solved your case much earlier. But now it's all said and done, so hope you enjoy it.
I am always annoyed with service departents in general (not just Lexus) being 'unable to reproduce' issues, which would have solved your case much earlier. But now it's all said and done, so hope you enjoy it.
03-20-18, 03:23 PM
#4
Instructor
i also fell like this and i thought its normal LOL , in a cold day, exactly what i fell as Luis stated, mine goes straight it was just the steering wheel doesn't wanna go back to Center Point, i knew Lexus gonna say its Normal, didn't wanna waste time, i hate dealing with Non-Car Guy/Girl Receptionists, most of them don't know what i say. To be honest, beside Invulnerable Engine+Tranmission+Electrical , Toyota/Lexus Steering system, Braking system and Suspension SUCKS ! Nice Body style designs but PAINT is so thin easy scratch.
i'm looking at "KIA Stingers GT and a Mustang GT" ,Loud/Low exhaust included you can turn on and off, Track mode Race Mode, everything. in Lexus IS Fsport muffler 2k$ and its sh-t , can't turn on/off.
i'm looking at "KIA Stingers GT and a Mustang GT" ,Loud/Low exhaust included you can turn on and off, Track mode Race Mode, everything. in Lexus IS Fsport muffler 2k$ and its sh-t , can't turn on/off.
03-20-18, 07:47 PM
#5
drives cars
i also fell like this and i thought its normal LOL , in a cold day, exactly what i fell as Luis stated, mine goes straight it was just the steering wheel doesn't wanna go back to Center Point, i knew Lexus gonna say its Normal, didn't wanna waste time, i hate dealing with Non-Car Guy/Girl Receptionists, most of them don't know what i say. To be honest, beside Invulnerable Engine+Tranmission+Electrical , Toyota/Lexus Steering system, Braking system and Suspension SUCKS ! Nice Body style designs but PAINT is so thin easy scratch.
i'm looking at "KIA Stingers GT and a Mustang GT" ,Loud/Low exhaust included you can turn on and off, Track mode Race Mode, everything. in Lexus IS Fsport muffler 2k$ and its sh-t , can't turn on/off.
i'm looking at "KIA Stingers GT and a Mustang GT" ,Loud/Low exhaust included you can turn on and off, Track mode Race Mode, everything. in Lexus IS Fsport muffler 2k$ and its sh-t , can't turn on/off.
I think they offer some of the same benefits as the IS for less $. I am concerned about some of the other aspects of the vehicles, though, namely the seats, the interior styling and materials, and the dealership experience. I have heard Kia dealerships are not great - probably should ask my father what he thinks (he's owned 2 Kia Optimas in a row now).
03-20-18, 07:59 PM
#6
Pole Position
i also fell like this and i thought its normal LOL , in a cold day, exactly what i fell as Luis stated, mine goes straight it was just the steering wheel doesn't wanna go back to Center Point, i knew Lexus gonna say its Normal, didn't wanna waste time, i hate dealing with Non-Car Guy/Girl Receptionists, most of them don't know what i say. To be honest, beside Invulnerable Engine+Tranmission+Electrical , Toyota/Lexus Steering system, Braking system and Suspension SUCKS ! Nice Body style designs but PAINT is so thin easy scratch.
i'm looking at "KIA Stingers GT and a Mustang GT" ,Loud/Low exhaust included you can turn on and off, Track mode Race Mode, everything. in Lexus IS Fsport muffler 2k$ and its sh-t , can't turn on/off.
i'm looking at "KIA Stingers GT and a Mustang GT" ,Loud/Low exhaust included you can turn on and off, Track mode Race Mode, everything. in Lexus IS Fsport muffler 2k$ and its sh-t , can't turn on/off.
Yes...2 k and it's a axelback....they are on drugs ! lol
03-20-18, 09:15 PM
#7
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: California
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My 2015 IS 350 had an issue similar to this. It was almost the opposite though. It would stick when I started to turn. It was generally on long sweeping turns at freeway speed, after a long straight away. It was very unnerving, because it would resist the turn in and then “snap” loose when I applied more force to get it to turn, which then caused a little over correction.
Took it to the dealer, they drove it a few miles and then tried to tell me it was the lane departure alert...my car did have the LDA, however, it was not the auto-steering kind. All it would do is beep if I crossed a lane marker. It did not ever beep when I experienced the steering problem, and it wouldn’t have caused it anyway. This was one of the few times I felt like I wasn’t getting the “Lexus” service experience. That answer showed a complete lack of familiarity with their own product and was honestly just lazy.
I ended up turning the car in at the end of the lease, steering issue still there. Maybe the next owner will see this and get Lexus to swap out the rack...
Took it to the dealer, they drove it a few miles and then tried to tell me it was the lane departure alert...my car did have the LDA, however, it was not the auto-steering kind. All it would do is beep if I crossed a lane marker. It did not ever beep when I experienced the steering problem, and it wouldn’t have caused it anyway. This was one of the few times I felt like I wasn’t getting the “Lexus” service experience. That answer showed a complete lack of familiarity with their own product and was honestly just lazy.
I ended up turning the car in at the end of the lease, steering issue still there. Maybe the next owner will see this and get Lexus to swap out the rack...
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03-20-18, 09:30 PM
#8
Very interesting. What was their specific response to the CA law? Did they say "oh well it doesn't apply here because..."
If the law applied, and sound like it did, I would've also made them write me an apology letter.
I feel I'm in your boat but with my brake pedal feel. There's a definite notch at the top of my brake pedal when pressed I've never felt in every other car which has a smooth pedal. The pedal is also visibly loose more so than your typical tolerance allowed (I'm familiar with engineering standards). Took it to Lexus and they say it's normal. I know it's not but I also don't have time to argue and let it go. It's just one of those things hey this car shouldn't feel like this.
Glad you got it fixed.
Was there a part # difference between your old and new rack?
If the law applied, and sound like it did, I would've also made them write me an apology letter.
I feel I'm in your boat but with my brake pedal feel. There's a definite notch at the top of my brake pedal when pressed I've never felt in every other car which has a smooth pedal. The pedal is also visibly loose more so than your typical tolerance allowed (I'm familiar with engineering standards). Took it to Lexus and they say it's normal. I know it's not but I also don't have time to argue and let it go. It's just one of those things hey this car shouldn't feel like this.
Glad you got it fixed.
Was there a part # difference between your old and new rack?
03-21-18, 05:02 PM
#9
Instructor
This may be off-topic, but it's funny, the Mustang GT and Stinger GT are on my list for next go-around as well. I think they offer some of the same benefits as the IS for less $. I am concerned about some of the other aspects of the vehicles, though, namely the seats, the interior styling and materials, and the dealership experience. I have heard Kia dealerships are not great - probably should ask my father what he thinks (he's owned 2 Kia Optimas in a row now).
I think they offer some of the same benefits as the IS for less $. I am concerned about some of the other aspects of the vehicles, though, namely the seats, the interior styling and materials, and the dealership experience. I have heard Kia dealerships are not great - probably should ask my father what he thinks (he's owned 2 Kia Optimas in a row now).
03-21-18, 05:18 PM
#10
Instructor
Mother of god, their FSport Intake costs 734$ CAD, Spoiler 500$+ CAD.
in CANADA Toronto : for 2018 Lexus IS350 AWD F-sport series 3 costs you $64,564.35 CAD$ CASH , If you Finance it will be around $70,000 CAD$ , i think it costs 2,2000$ CAD for Fsport Axleback.
Those guys in Toronto Mechanic shop whined at me, they drives Mercedes they loved them, they tapped on my head and said, Why didn't i buy a Mercedes CLS or the new C300 Coupe, man just because ive been with Toyota for so long so i bought Lexus, next time try American Girl or KOREAN girl
you get bore playing with one toy lol hahahaha
in CANADA Toronto : for 2018 Lexus IS350 AWD F-sport series 3 costs you $64,564.35 CAD$ CASH , If you Finance it will be around $70,000 CAD$ , i think it costs 2,2000$ CAD for Fsport Axleback.
Those guys in Toronto Mechanic shop whined at me, they drives Mercedes they loved them, they tapped on my head and said, Why didn't i buy a Mercedes CLS or the new C300 Coupe, man just because ive been with Toyota for so long so i bought Lexus, next time try American Girl or KOREAN girl
you get bore playing with one toy lol hahahaha
03-23-18, 09:53 AM
#11
Nicely done! I've had a 2014 and now a 2017. Totally agree, they both fell very notchy. Worst times would be when there are deep grooves on a heavily used lane, I'm always 'fighting' the car just to stay straight. Wife often thinks I'm sleepy and can't keep lane discipline anc swerving all over the place.
10-30-19, 12:29 PM
#12
Driver School Candidate
Steering stIcks
FYI – this is a suuuuupppppperrr long post about an annoying issue I had with my car. I finally resolved it after owning the car for several years and I’ve been meaning to share my story for a while. I’m only sharing this in case it helps anyone else on the forum in dealing with the same issue, which was difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to have repaired under warranty. I’ve read at least 2 really old posts describing the same issue by others on here.
My car is a 2014 is350 F-Sport. I had an ongoing steering issue that was only present when driving on the freeway and had no impact while driving on the streets. At times, it was just a subtle annoyance when making short freeway trips, while other times it was a real pain in the a** if traveling on the freeway for more than 15 minutes, especially long road trips. Although it was limited to the freeway, a car that retails for $45-$50k should not have any such defect. Also, it might not have felt as subtle to someone who was not used to it.
At times, while traveling at freeway speeds, I experienced a non-binding notchy steering feeling. It would only occur at highway speeds when changing lanes or coming out of long, sweeping turns. When it would happen, the steering wheel would not smoothly self-center and it wanted to stay in the turning position. When I would force it to re-center, it would initially give me a slight notchy/sticky feeling. It would feel as though a very light amount of force wanted to keep the wheel situated in that position. It would also make it difficult to keep the car going straight and required constant focus, which is something I just got used to.
I took it to the dealer multiple times (at least 3) and they repeatedly told me it was normal. I knew it wasn’t, but I let it go, making sure that I was at least documenting my complaints. I took it back a fourth time just before warranty expired and they told me a technician adjusted the torque steering sensor, which did nothing. I was adamant about getting it fixed before warranty expired. I did a lot of research online and speculated that I had a defective steering gear rack. It made sense because the steering gear rack uses some type of magnet(s) to work with the electronic power steering. The dealership advised me to make a claim with Lexus corporate so that they could send out a field technician. Lexus corporate instructed me to return to the dealership for further testing.
After 3 test drives with the service dept. foreman, he finally experienced the problem while driving. I was in the passenger seat when it happened. He looked at me and said, “wow, this feels like ****!” I was relieved to say the least. Little did I know that Lexus would try to screw me since I was technically out of the warranty period at that point. What they didn’t realize is that under CA law, when a defect exists on a vehicle within the warranty period, the warranty for that issue/defect does not expire until the problem is fixed. This specific language is written into the law under the Song-Beverly Warranty Act. A snippet of the applicable statutory code section is even written on the back of every dealership service invoice.
The dealership attempted to characterize it as a “goodwill” warranty claim, which required approval from Lexus corporate. I didn’t want to be difficult, so I allowed them to handle it their way and assumed it would be covered based on what I said above regarding warranties. After waiting 3 weeks for the dealership to confirm it would be covered, they contacted me and said Lexus corporate agreed to offer me a “goodwill” warranty exception and cover 50% of the cost. I was seriously pissed off at that point. I told them that would not cut it. I would rather pay for 100% of the cost and sue for reimbursement.
Before going that route, since that should always be an absolute last resort, I wrote a demand letter to the general manager of the dealership and Lexus corporate. I copied the service department manager and my service adviser on the letter, which I sent to all parties by email. I explained the law to them, my history of documenting the issue, made sure to characterize the defect as a “serious safety concern,” and threatened to sue if they didn’t agree to cover the repair. As straightforward as it was, it shocked me that they were clueless as to their liability. The next day Lexus corporate contacted me to let me know they would cover 100% of the cost. They replaced the steering gear rack, which proved to be the problem. The saga was finally over and my car drives as it should have from day 1.
My car is a 2014 is350 F-Sport. I had an ongoing steering issue that was only present when driving on the freeway and had no impact while driving on the streets. At times, it was just a subtle annoyance when making short freeway trips, while other times it was a real pain in the a** if traveling on the freeway for more than 15 minutes, especially long road trips. Although it was limited to the freeway, a car that retails for $45-$50k should not have any such defect. Also, it might not have felt as subtle to someone who was not used to it.
At times, while traveling at freeway speeds, I experienced a non-binding notchy steering feeling. It would only occur at highway speeds when changing lanes or coming out of long, sweeping turns. When it would happen, the steering wheel would not smoothly self-center and it wanted to stay in the turning position. When I would force it to re-center, it would initially give me a slight notchy/sticky feeling. It would feel as though a very light amount of force wanted to keep the wheel situated in that position. It would also make it difficult to keep the car going straight and required constant focus, which is something I just got used to.
I took it to the dealer multiple times (at least 3) and they repeatedly told me it was normal. I knew it wasn’t, but I let it go, making sure that I was at least documenting my complaints. I took it back a fourth time just before warranty expired and they told me a technician adjusted the torque steering sensor, which did nothing. I was adamant about getting it fixed before warranty expired. I did a lot of research online and speculated that I had a defective steering gear rack. It made sense because the steering gear rack uses some type of magnet(s) to work with the electronic power steering. The dealership advised me to make a claim with Lexus corporate so that they could send out a field technician. Lexus corporate instructed me to return to the dealership for further testing.
After 3 test drives with the service dept. foreman, he finally experienced the problem while driving. I was in the passenger seat when it happened. He looked at me and said, “wow, this feels like ****!” I was relieved to say the least. Little did I know that Lexus would try to screw me since I was technically out of the warranty period at that point. What they didn’t realize is that under CA law, when a defect exists on a vehicle within the warranty period, the warranty for that issue/defect does not expire until the problem is fixed. This specific language is written into the law under the Song-Beverly Warranty Act. A snippet of the applicable statutory code section is even written on the back of every dealership service invoice.
The dealership attempted to characterize it as a “goodwill” warranty claim, which required approval from Lexus corporate. I didn’t want to be difficult, so I allowed them to handle it their way and assumed it would be covered based on what I said above regarding warranties. After waiting 3 weeks for the dealership to confirm it would be covered, they contacted me and said Lexus corporate agreed to offer me a “goodwill” warranty exception and cover 50% of the cost. I was seriously pissed off at that point. I told them that would not cut it. I would rather pay for 100% of the cost and sue for reimbursement.
Before going that route, since that should always be an absolute last resort, I wrote a demand letter to the general manager of the dealership and Lexus corporate. I copied the service department manager and my service adviser on the letter, which I sent to all parties by email. I explained the law to them, my history of documenting the issue, made sure to characterize the defect as a “serious safety concern,” and threatened to sue if they didn’t agree to cover the repair. As straightforward as it was, it shocked me that they were clueless as to their liability. The next day Lexus corporate contacted me to let me know they would cover 100% of the cost. They replaced the steering gear rack, which proved to be the problem. The saga was finally over and my car drives as it should have from day 1.
Frank @ mellofrank63@aol.com
Last edited by arentz07; 08-01-23 at 12:01 PM.
12-16-19, 09:37 PM
#13
Driver School Candidate
Hey there - hope you're still on this forum. I've had the same issues with my 2014 GS350 and have gotten nowhere with my local dealer or corporate. Would you mind sharing who you communicated with at Lexus corporate?
12-17-19, 04:25 AM
#14
Nicely done! I've had a 2014 and now a 2017. Totally agree, they both fell very notchy. Worst times would be when there are deep grooves on a heavily used lane, I'm always 'fighting' the car just to stay straight. Wife often thinks I'm sleepy and can't keep lane discipline anc swerving all over the place.
Turned it off and forget that I even have it. Issue went away.
12-17-19, 06:14 AM
#15
drives cars
I had this quite similar issue and turned off my LDA with steering assist completely. It's an annoyance and a life safety concern. Car sensing false lines that didn't even existed in the first place (I know these roads in my area). LDA was not beeping for Lexus have this vibrate option (aside from beeping) and the lowest settings is sometimes unnoticeable. I tried playing with the settings and still had a mind of its own.
Turned it off and forget that I even have it. Issue went away.
Turned it off and forget that I even have it. Issue went away.
