Well guys, have my car in for service and they found the control arms bushings splitting. They have to replace the whole apparatus which will be 6k on top of the battery that is losing charge that was replaced in 2015, wipers, and completing the 40k service. Let's see how good my aftermarket warranty is on picking up the bill on this. The car is a 2009 but has only 40k miles. Shocked at the cost of the problem and would go as far to say that so far this manufacturer has led me to believe the ethos of reliability and dependability do not apply to lexus as much as it did to their older cars.

 

The "problem" is you taking your car to the Lexus dealership for these ridiculous quotes. Your car is 10 years old and you have normal wear an tear parts that are finally failing. The bushings were probably dry rotted due to age. Did your upper control arms bushings fail? I bought 4 quality aftermarket ones for $160 total and replaced them myself on my 2008. Any basic mechanic perform this task for you for a fraction of the cost of a Lexus dealership. Next will probably be your radiator failing due to the small tube at the top breaking off and then your water pump if it has developed a small leak. You should have the dealer check that while your warranty is active

Lexus LS460 "problems" are much smaller compared to a Mercedes Benz S550, BMW 750 or Audi A8. Those would be a nightmare to own used without a warranty.

 

Older Lexus cars had it' series of problems. I bought a 1999 GS400 back in 2011. That series Gs had weak ball joints that would cause the wheel to collapse and damage your fender and abs sensor. Also it had weak door lock motors that failed.
The previous owner only had his car serviced at the Lexus dealership, He saved all his receipts. There was probably about $7K worth of work done over the span of 5 years. I shook my head at some of things he agree to have fixed. I narrowed it down to $2000 if he had just gone to a non dealership.

 

My understanding of the issue is that you can not just replace the bushings, it is built into the control arms. Is my understanding of this incorrect?

 

You can replace just the control arm bushings if you want to save money on the parts. If you're having a shop do the work you will probably be charged more for labor because they're essentially doing the same work as replacing the control arms plus replacing the bushings.

 

Thanks for the heads up on water pump and radiator

 

Update:
warranty company is sending inspector out to inspect parts submitted for repair.

 

Do you have rear wheel drive or All wheel drive? The parts are not the same.

What control arm is it ? Upper ? Lower? There are 4 small upper arms for the front, 2 on each side. I replaced those myself, the WHOLE arm and not just the rubber bushing. There are 4 lowers in the front. 2 on each side. Previous owner replaced those. Lowers are the expensive ones. You could buy all of these parts aftermarket your self for well under $800 (quality ones). I see all 8 on Ebay for under $250 shipped! But I wouldn't go with those. I'd do Moog, Dorman, Mevotec. Rockauto.com has the best prices for those brands
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Upper-Lower-Control-Arm-Ball-Joint-Driver-Passenger-Kit-Set-8pc-for-LS460/312091709628?fits=Model%3ALS460%7CMake%3ALexus&epid=14017359266&hash=item48aa1d90bc:gH4AAOSw4idbnleS:rk:37f:0

Look at what this 8 piece Lexus oem kit goes for !!! $3000!!!!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lexus-LS460...Ab~:rk:35:pf:0

 

my understanding is upper control. 2wd non air suspension

 

Same drivetrain as my 2008. I see that Rockauto is selling Mevotech upper controls arms forward and rear for around $35 a piece. You told the dealership you have a warranty and they saw $$$$$$$$$$$ to file a big claim. The fact that a claim inspector is stopping by should be enough of an indicator that the estimate is way too high. They may give you a hard time approving future claims.

 

Let's hope that doesn't happen. That is the reason I paid 3k for the insurance, for instances like this. I'm not 100% in favor of parts that are aftermarket if my warranty covers oem equipment.

 

It is front lower and upper control arms on both side that need to be replaced. Do the rear ones fail over time as well?

 

Great news. Praise God they are covering repairs. Thank god I purchased this warranty. This has really saved my skin. Hopefully have my baby back by next week.

 

GREAT! You are almost getting a whole new front suspension!

 

They wouldn't be sending the inspector because the claim "sounds" too high, they are sending one to verify the failure, because the claim is expensive.
Extended warranty companies usually want to cover their a$$ on large jobs as some technicians will tend to embellish what is actually needed for the repair, and they want to make sure they aren't paying claims they don't need to be.


blkgto, How have the OEM components worked out for you??