Yes it is body flex but with also a noise when accelerating or stopping same as reported in above posts.

 

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I just got my car back from the body shop and the squeaking is no longer happening in my 2018 LC. Here's the summary:

• I could hear a squeak from the rear of the vehicle, specifically on the passenger side.
• The body shop removed the back seats, removed the bolts from the cross-bar, applied squeak tape, then re-attached the bolts and tightened them according to the specs and order that was outlined here: https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/fo...lunking-noise/ (note they did not apply the grease and used squeak tape instead).
• They indicated this was the 3rd LC they fixed with this issue, and so far none have returned.
• The cost was over $900 for them to fix, which to me is quite excessive since it didn't seem like much work at all. I did shop around and very few places were willing to take on this work given most are inexperienced with this specific vehicle, so I was okay paying for their expertise instead of their time. I also had a very specific warranty on this vehicle when I purchased it (not CPO) which [thankfully] covered the cost of repairs.

If this squeak does return, I'll likely attempt the repair myself since I'm now much more educated on this than I was going into it.

 

Appreciate the update👍🏽

 

I’ve been lurking this and every thread related to this clunking noise to help inform a fix on my own 2018 LC, and after many different attempts, I have finally come to a lasting solution. It’s only right that I pay back the knowledge my fellow owners have shared.

As some have mentioned already, the only thing that worked for me was welding. Refastening the bolts on the brace has only ever been a temporary fix which ultimately led to wearing down the bolt over time.

The weld points are where the bolts connect the brace to the B pillar. These can be accessed by lifting the rear seats and removing the pillar trim.

To help illustrate the location, I’ve screenshotted a mechanic report from a fellow on the UK Lexus Owners Club site, where the bolt points are circled in red.



I think the bottommost two bolts are not required, as those weren’t welded but the problem was fixed. I don’t recommend welding those two either, as it is significantly more difficult to get to those than the other bolts which sit at the top of the brace.

Best of luck to you all!

 

Many thanks ST1NKY and your post endorses my experience. Curiously, mine goes back in on the 12th July. It appears the clicking might be coming back, but as Lexus said, if it re-appears then we will weld the other side.
From experience, I think this will be done and dusted within an hour, start to finish. I'd also like to button this up given I may well sell the car during the course of this year and I don't want to pass it on to someone without this being finalised.

 

Hope you keep us updated. Do you think welding the other side will help? That is, are you hearing it on the other side now?

I did hear some flexing noise on the same side after the weld, likely was happening simultaneously with the clunk so it was never picked up beforehand. It happens much less frequently and loudly. What I found was that the upper side of the B-pillar on the passenger side flexes outward.

You can confirm this by pressing firmly on the rear quarter window from the outside of the car, close to the B-pillar. If you hear a pop while doing this, you likely have this same flex. You might hear it only once though. After the pressing with some force, it has been very quiet for me, but your mileage might vary and obviously do it at your own risk.

 

I sure will keep you updated, and I was told if the click/clunk call it what you will re-appeared, then Lexus would weld the opposite side of the car. However, I am convinced it is the same side as was previously welded, i.e. your passenger side/my driver's side. It is not quite as was the original problem but tends to sounds off when cornering and occasional accelerating.
Thanks for the tip regarding the "pop" and I will give that a go later today, that would be something else if I could replicate it at will.
Many thanks for your input it's much appreciated.

 

Well, the noise/squeak has returned for me. The fix lasted just about 5 months

I'm not sure I want to have the braces welded quite yet. I may try to tighten the bolts myself, since if it's a relatively easy fix I may not mind adjusting the bolts every few months.

If anyone has attempted to tighten the bolts themselves, I'd love to hear from you!

 

I had a feeling it would eventually fail, but hold on a while because there are a number of us in the UK who are pressing Lexus for a definitive solution. Forget the welding because it now seems that lasts for a number of months before the click/clunk returns. We are expecting to hear more in the coming week and we are aware this is a growing problem which seems to be affecting older cars. We feel that ultimately as these cars age, many others may eventually suffer in the same way. As I said, hold fire for a while and I'll share with you the latest solution from Lexus.

 

I'm supposed to take my car back to the body shop and was thinking of asking them to weld the points, but may have them just re-tighten the bolts for now since I'd hate to weld it and have the squeak return.

Do you know if what you're working on in the UK will apply to the US?

 

The fix that will be applied will be applicable to all LC's left or right hand drive, given it will be something to do with the rear cabin, which of course will not differ in any way. As for the welding, then I wouldn't be too concerned, and in reality it will look something like the attached photo. As you can see no "removable" parts are permanently welded or in other words the brace can still be disassembled.However, it appears there might already be some news which I can hopefully share with you later today.

 

Is this issue appearing on the coupe only or coupe & convertible?

 

This sounds promising and I'm going to hold on taking my 2018 LC back to Lexus until I hear more. Have you had this fix applied to your Lexus? If so, did it work?

 

Matters are moving on but the definitive fix (we hope) has yet to be established but as I understand it a Lexus representative will be visiting an affected car later this week. The Lexus tech(s) where the car currently languishes would it seem exhausted the previous brace tightening/welding solutions and I guess all but admitted defeat, hence the visit by a Lexus rep. I'm hoping, as I am sure the owner of said car is, that the rep will either be a tech type or at least someone who can and will assess the situation before either fixing the car or at least reporting back to Japan requesting a solution. Importantly, Lexus are not washing their hands and acknowledge they have numerous customers with the same problem, and as some suspect, will have more as time passes. Over here, we have a ten-year guarantee which should cover the problem.
So I am afraid the final solution is not quite there but so it would seem getting closer, and I will advise more as soon as possible.