Hi everyone!

I apologize to seek for input for the very first post on this forum. My car is a 2015 LS 460L which was bought new. Yesterday, the air suspension broke down. The interesting part is that I didn't even realize the car was leaning to the left until the "Check air suspension" warning was displayed. Dealer said the warranty was expired and asked for a diagnostic fee. Sure, no problem. An hour later they said they still could not find what the problem was and gave me a RX such that I could go to work.

In the late afternoon, they called back saying there was some water in the height control compressor. Really? I had performed a brief search on this forum but apparently all I could find is the inconsistent "lifespan" of the air struts. Perhaps I may have missed something but I am not aware of any members saying anything about the compressor. They managed to pull the error code C1752. Basically I am completely clueless when it comes to car repair. Performing an oil change is all I am capable of (under supervision)... I hope they have diagnosed the culprit correctly because it is a very $$$$ fix ($3000)!!

Actually I have asked them how can the "drowned compressor" can cause the car to lean toward the left (more specifically only at the driver side). Shouldn't the car drop to the ground if the compressor fails? They said that the overall height was reduced but it was the most severe on the front driver side. It seems all the struts are doing OK (as of today..) Is it worth to fix the car only to wait until one of the struts decides to fail costing another $2k? The fortunate side is that, according to what I read from this forum, having all 4 failing together is unlikely. Do I feel better? I don't know. As for the diagnostic report, it reads
"Compressor, Height Control, No. 1 48914-50031 both Filter, Height Control 48925-50080 Cushion, Height Control Tube Cover 48962-50010 (code 1752 compressor malfunction)". Not sure what those numbers mean but I hope they may be useful for you to understand the situation better.

My parents own a Toyota Celsior (a sister of the predecessor LS 430, I guess? They do look almost identical) and it still runs! Look at my LS only having ~36k miles under its wheels!! How reliable is LS 460? Are there any other horror stories besides the air suspension? Some members have also proposed the brilliant idea to convert the air suspension to a traditional spring coil system. Is it a more cost-effective approach VS ($3K for compressor and $9k for all 4 struts LOL)?

I am still struggling whether I should proceed with the $$$$ repair. Any thoughts are welcome! Thank you very much for your time.

Tiffany

 

Hi Tiffany,

I am sorry to hear about your air suspension problem. I guess it is small consolation that the air struts are ok, and the problem is the compressor motor. This part (48914-50031) is ~$1700, and the other two are less than $100 total. I don't know whether the cost of parts and labor for replacing the compressor and testing everything adds up to $3000. Maybe they are overcharging you for labor. If you are not happy with the quote, you could get a second quote from another Lexus dealer. I would hesitate to have an independent Lexus shop do this repair unless they are experienced with the auto-leveling system.

On a separate note, you should be concerned that the shop found water damage in the height compressor. I think it's located under the hood. Do you have any idea how this could have happened? What does the dealer say? I haven't read much on CL about this compressor failing, so I think this failure is fairly rare, and is not a reliability issue. Good luck with the repair!

 

Thank you for replying. I think it is fair to assume that dealers have always been over-charging customers. Their fancy glass palaces do not pay for themselves right?

They emphasized that if I decided not to fix the car, not only they would have pocketed the diagnostic fee but sooner or later my car would become undriveable. While I do understand that the car will eventually drop to the ground if the compressor completely fails, they do not need such an initimidating tactics to take advantage of those who cannot work on cars. Should I bring the car to another dealer, then I will be charged twice for diagnosis. The reason for me to bring the car to a dealer is that I would expect them to be very knowledgeable and professional because they should know their cars the best. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It took them almost the whole day to figure out what went wrong only to sell their service in such a coercive manner.

After this experience, I will never consider a Lexus again; new or used. Poor reliability (contrast - nothing really breaks in my parents' Celsior / LS 430) and after sales service. Fool me once and never again. At this moment, I don't think I have any choice but to proceed with the repair. They just called me again this morning. Within the first minute of conversation, all they care is their RX loaner. Seriously? It is not like I am going to kidnap the loaner to have a road trip across the country. I was struggling whether to let an independent shop to do the job. I am 100% with you on this - No. I need to get the job done right. You cannot really have any recourse with an independent shop if the problem remains after repair. By the way, there were no repairs within the warranty period other than regular maintenance. Great job, Lexus engineers! You people have the calculations so precise that the height compression does not fail within warranty. This is quite a slap on my face. I bought the car on my birthday....

Sorry for so much whining. I noticed that you also have the L version. How is your car holding up? Do you have any issues with the air suspension or any other issues? As for the water issue you brought up, I honestly have no clue how it can actually happen. It is a garage car. My home is elevated from the ground (there is a slope of driveway leading to the garage). I park my car in a multi-storey garage while at work. When it pours, I don't drive until the rain becomes light.

 

I am a bit puzzled by your reaction to the dealership. Did you buy it new from them? Get it serviced regularly by them? If so, dealerships generally work very hard to retain their loyal customers and keep them happy. It's not clear to me whether they are overcharging you. Does the quote specify the number of hours of labor and diagnostics for fixing the car? Maybe $3000 is a reasonable amount. You can call the service dept manager for a full explanation. You could just call a 2nd dealer for a ballpark estimate for the same job, so you don't have to take the car over for an actual diagnostic.

My car is doing fine. No issues with the suspension. However, I do have the Lexus Platinum warranty that covers all repairs for a few more years. Our parking styles at home/work are very similar. Still, you should get a clear answer from the mechanic on what might have happened to avoid a repeat problem after completing this repair. Good luck.

 

Suggest pushing the dealer and/or Lexus to goodwill the compressor whole or in part - it should not fail within 36,000 miles.

Is $1700 for the part the suggested retail or a discount price? This should not be a difficult job for any independent shop that services Lexus models.

 

Thanks for the replies again. The quote did not have any specific breakdown. I called back asking how long it takes for the repair. They said they would be charging 2.5 hours of labour. Is this reasonable? The $3k they quoted me is the total price with tax included. My car is serviced every 5k miles which includes oil changes and tyre rotations; nothing fancy. I did not get the platinum warranty. Who would expect something like that will fail that quick? To be blunt, this car was beyond my budget at that time. This is why I chose to take the bet in an exchange for sparing the $4k from the platinum warranty for something else.

Had I known this would happen, I would have managed my money better. I wonder how much is this thing worth now if I sell it? $30k? Furthermore, the dealer stands their ground firm. They said the repair would still not be covered under warranty because having water inside the compressor is more like a driver negligence / misuse issue. They said only repairs due to mechanical / design flaws were covered.

 

It's a complicated flagship car, so repairs can be pricey, almost by definition. Whether you keep it or dump it, it has to be fixed. Its present value depends on its options and condition, but it should be worth north of 30.

2.5 hours labor sounds reasonable, so the 3 grand quote should give you an idea of just how much they are marking things up. It really sounds like the best path is to buy the parts and take it to an independent.

Their stance that driver negligence is the reason for failure sounds like they are saying that the car has been in high water or the like.

 

I'd like to address your concern of struts failing one at a time after you address this compressor issue. It's a valid concern after 120k miles. This is why members have suggested and/or changed all the struts to spring type. There are quite a few posts about it. But my recollection is about $1000 for a refit kit plus labor. I also understand it's a fairly low labor upgrade that can be done at independent shops. It's sad that when the air suspension needs replacing, it's crazy expensive. Pre 2103 LS have aftermarket air struts available. Not sure if these work with post 2013 models. Just wanted you to have an option. Lot's of happy owners with regular suspension out there. I would urge you to consult an independent shop for this compressor replacement for a price comparison. I would ask if they have done this type of repair before as well rather than assume it's beyond an independent shop capability. If you need to rent a car for a few days to make a decision, it's with it IMO.

 

That's the discounted price on MyLParts, which belongs to a Lexus dealership.


$1800 for parts and 3 hours of labor should not be more than $2500 including tax. They are definitely overcharging.



I bought my car used, so the Platinum warranty was a no-brainer. I probably wouldn't have purchased a warranty in your shoes either. A 2015 LS with less than 40K miles is not a prime candidate for a failing suspension component. But it can happen. However, it seems that this compressor failure may be the result of some unusual occurrence that needs to be identified. Water damage is not common.



I would get a second quote from a Lexus dealer, as well as from an independent shop. For some repairs, an independent shop may not provide substantial savings, and getting the work done at the dealership saves you the hassle of buying all the parts etc. If going the independent route, make sure they are familiar with working on the air suspension. The auto-leveling system may need some fine-tuning after the new compressor is installed, so make sure the shop can handle the job.

 

It's possible that if there were issues with the air dryer, water could have accumulated within the compressor causing internal corrosion. The compressor is located between the front bumper and wheel well liner on the passenger side.

 

You need to take the car to an independent shop that knows Lexus vehicles. You are paying way too much at the dealer. My guess is you can get that job done for $2,000 or so, and believe it or not independent shops are better at diagnosing issues than the Lexus dealer. There may be another solution that is MUCH cheaper. Have you driven through any high water recently? If it is a result of high water you may be able to file an insurance claim.

The air suspension WILL get unlevel from time to time. Mine does, and a quick cycle from height high to normal will level it out. In fact I noticed the other day it was sitting lower on the passenger side in the garage and cycled it and all is well.

As for reliability, this car is the most reliable flagship luxury car you can buy. That caveat is an important one, its a big, expensive flagship car...and it has an air suspension option which is notorious for expensive issues across ALL cars, not just Lexus. You have to pay to play, if you bought a $90,000 vehicle new 5 years ago, putting out $2-3k for a repair 5 years in sucks but should be doable. This is not the sort of vehicle you should drive if you can't put your hands on $3k for a repair. Air suspension is a notorious issue on the LS430 and LS400 also.

I would find a good independent shop, take it there and have them look at it before I paid the dealer to fix it. Where in TX are you?

 

Perhaps OP should convert to coilovers, that will be cheaper than paying the dealer price for repair, won't it?

I also don't understand this:

 

The air struts are working fine on the OP's car. It's the height compressor that sustained water damage and needs to be replaced. At $3000, the dealer is definitely overcharging, but the OEM parts themselves cost nearly $2000, and need about 3 hours labor. Given the benefits of the air suspension, I would get a new compressor and enjoy the air ride for a while longer!

 

Yeah, I did read the thread. What I was getting at is it might be cheaper to buy coilovers and have them installed, and never have to worry about compressor issues again.

 

I feel for you, as I would not expect this from a vehicle with such low miles as yours even though it's 5 years old. Unfortunately, Lexus reliability has been in decline for a while now. A little research turned up a Technical Service Bulletin for this very issue and is to be covered under the basic warranty (which I know your car is recently out of now). It's been a while since I purchased a new vehicle, so I was surprised to learn that the Lexus Basic Warranty is only 48 months/50,000 miles.

I've attached a PDF of the bulletin, so perhaps you can use this for negotiation of the repair. Since apparently this is a known issue, and If you are still local to the dealership where it was purchased new, that might be the place to start first. Given the location of where the compressor is mounted, I find it difficult to believe that intrusion from outside water could occur (unless the vehicle was submerged or the like). However, I do not have experience with the 2013-17 model years, as mine is a 2007. And I have driven through a fair amount of standing water a few times, and fortunately, my compressor is still working strong. So perhaps it is an equipment issue, component mounting/orientation issue, etc. that is the reason for this TSB, who knows?