I strongly advise you not to engage in the NCDS arbitration.
I went through it and all 3 arbitrers were getting into an LS460 for the first time. They were impressed with how quiet the car was - to them the wind noise was minor compared to their own vehicles. I was able to hear the noise and so did they, but the Lexus rep insisted this is all natural, not a defect and not a problem. None had been on an LS430 either. If you google NCDS you will see many postings of consumers relateing the one sided aspect of the NCDS.

I lost the arbitration and Lexus did not repurchase my leased car. Lexus on the other hand permanently lost a loyal and repeat customer base (my lease is up in 11 months at which time they will get their LS460 back). I had owned LS vehicles since 1992 but I want nothing to do with Toyota after this lease. I am well aware that other luxury brands may be even worse, but no more Lexus for me.

In the 2 years I have the LS460 I have been able to demo the wind noise to several friend and family all prospective buyers that have owned lexi cars. The demo alone cost Lexus these sales.

An otherwise great vehicle clearly has a design flaw which Lexus still claims is inexistent. I do not know the standars used to repurchase some and not others.

 

This sounds like Mercedes back during the 1990's. This is why I left Mercedes and came to the Lexus camp. Now that Lexus is charging Mercedes prices and acting like Mercedes I think they have forgotten what brought most of us to their showroom in the first place. Once Lexus has lost it's dependability and customer service they have nothing to offer me. I will crawl back to the German showrooms.
I will watch this issue closely and vote with my checkbook. For what it is worth, I would never agree to arbitration. I even mark through that on the paperwork at my doctor's offices.
Good luck to all of you.

 

Not to get off topic. I wholly agree with the above opinions. Lexus has also lost us, we too have been a loyal customer for a long time. Currently, we have in our garages a 07 LS460L, 07 RX350, 08 IS350, and a 04 LS430. Besides the wind noise which we solved using Jeffs' simple solution, the main contention has been the way the dealer and the mother corporation has been playing down including total denial of the RX tranny flare-ups. I too will crawl back but not sure which brand.

 

I know there are those who can come up with bad ownership reports but the brand I will "consider" is Audi. A VERY hard to please friend of mine has had zero problems with his A6 and A8 after 50,000 miles on both.
MY checkbook would not forgive the problems described in this thread. This is a great disappointment. Having owned 3 cars made by Lexus, 2 new since 2004, I will watch the results of this thread closely.
It seems no matter how successful a company is stupid always manages to sneak in sooner or later.

 

I could tell you horror stories about my Audi ownership experience. While the drive part of the system was fine, the electrics were awful. After replacing the great stereo system three times for the same reasons, they finally told me I would have to stick with the last one (which didn't work in the end), because they no longer stocked a replacement unit - seems I wasn't the only one suffering this fate. In addition to a faulty A/C system, failing controls & and dash, defectives lights of all kinds, I finally gave up and dumped it. So, all brands have their skeletons in the closets. Just hope you're not the one who gets stiffed with one.

 

Was your car new or used? Not that it makes a difference as to how you should have been treated, I ask because of the lemon laws. We should all make ourselves very familiar with those laws in our state.
I loved Lexus for being what it was. They used to do what they did well, but when Lexus starts putting me through what some have needlessly had to deal with I will leave. And if I am going to be charged German prices I will drive a German car. There are areas Lexus cars cannot touch the German counterparts. Lexus had better remember it was dependability, customer service, and price which made them what they are. I am afraid Lexus is losing it's focus.

 

I bought it new, and the problems began in the second year.

We don't have Lemon laws in Canada. WYSIWYG

 

Would the buy back program applies if LS has now 20k and you bought it used from Lexus credit corp but paid it off already?

 

As far as I know these buybacks are usually driven by state Lemon Laws that vary from state to state, but almost always apply just to new car purchases.

 

That's what i thought, thanks jmcraney!

 

help me please. i am also looking at a 07 LS470 buyback car. 19k miles and overall mint. 40k. can you help me with pitfalls?
finance or pay cash and what about insurance?

 

has anyone gotten a buyback in florida here?

 

i read in florida it also applies to the new owner the car was transferred to. but it must be done within 2 years and 60 days after original delivery. i need to check if i missed out.

 

I just bought an 07 LS460 that was a wind noise buyback. I just financed it through the dealer and added it to my existing insurance policy. Where's the car you're looking at? The reason I ask is that it sounds like the one I bought...