xillaphl

Hi all.

I recently procured a 2015 IS 250 AWD L Certified from a local Lexus dealer. I have a few concerns that have come up and I'm hoping you all wouldn't mind providing me with some guidance.

1.) I noticed that when I'm in a parking garage or close to another vehicle to my right or left side, I can hear a metallic (faint) almost scraping noise coming from wheels when moving at low speeds... it doesn't sound BAD, but it doesn't sound RIGHT either. The brakes were replaced and the rotors re-finished before I bought the car - any idea what this could be?

2.) I noticed this morning that the analog clock was WAY off.... I am really hesitant to have it even looked at because I am against replacing anything on the dash given dealer employees don't exercise the correct level of care when re-assembling... I anticipate rattling, etc. from a shoddy job. (Based on my experience with dealers)

3.) They had records showing the car was aligned during the certification process, but the car seems to pull to the right and requires the steering wheel to be slightly to the left to drive straight. Could this be a combination of the low profile tires and natural road grade variations? Or should it be straight the majority of the time?

Thanks! There are a few other things like a scratched instrument cluster lens (thanks to the dealer employees using a dirty towel), some exterior paint correction needs done, etc. but overall, I am happy with the car.

Also - a side note - I really love Tesla's business model - corporate owned "Dealers" only... really helps with quality control. Even the best car dealers are just so shady sometimes - would much prefer a corporate structure instead of individually owned.

Thanks guys!

arentz07

Congrats on the new car!

Curious, what does Tesla have to do with anything? Having driven a couple of Teslas, I am not sure their quality control has really been figured out yet either... though I will say they are fun to drive and have a "wow factor" about them.

Anyway... With respect to the metallic grinding noise, is this when you are pressing the brakes, or just coasting? The only thing I have ever experienced like that is right after a car wash - there is a slight grinding sound from the brakes due to rust on the rotors. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.

I would personally get the clock fixed at the dealer. If you just got the car, and it's L-Certified, that thing should be working. I wouldn't fear them doing a poor job - it's on them to get that repaired being L-Certified and all.

If you think the steering wheel needs to be slightly to the left all the time, that sounds like an alignment issue for sure. But to confirm, have you tried:

• Holding the steering wheel with both hands (i.e. 9-and-3)
• Holding with your left hand only
• Holding with your right hand only

The reason I ask this is that I felt the same way for a while about my car, but I had a habit of sometimes just holding the steering wheel with my left hand on the left side of the wheel, and it felt like I was always having to make small corrections.

Another thing to keep in mind, too, is what you mentioned about the tires following imperfections in the road. When my last set of tires were wearing down, this was especially noticeable - when on the brakes, I would often have to make minor corrections. I think this is normal and a result of the wide, low-profile tires and soft lower control arm bushings in the IS.

Now if the wheel is pointed straight, and the car is still moving to the right - then I have no doubt you have an alignment issue. If you are on a smooth road, and you have the wheel pointed straight, the car should always go straight.

Welcome again and best of luck.