Hi, I have 2017 nx 200t fsport. its been certified pre-owned. Bought it in FEB 2019 from napleton lexus WI. I live in IL, so took it for my 30k service at woodfield lexus. Told them the right rear passenger tire seems more inward than usual. Just FYI also like a month before the service my tire went flat (same side), so had it replaced there. They told me it was the control arm and its not a mechanical defect so warranty will not cover it. This sounds like total BS. There has been no accidents on it. What are my options? is it really worth buying certified preowned?

 

if its broken they should fix it.

 

oh...maybe not....I have platinum plan...https://www.sc.toyotafinancial.com/w...l_Brochure.pdf

 

A 2017 car should still be under the original warranty, so it's not really a Certified Pre-owned issue. Now if you're questioning whether they should have determined in advance the control arm was damaged from the original owner's driving prior to selling the car, I'm not sure how much they could figure out or if they even tried. I think this falls under the understanding that the car isn't new, it has been driven and maybe we should get a third party to check on it though I did not do that when buying my 2016 CPO. Did you get a quote on how much the control arm repair would be?

 

Would you expect the dealer to fix damaged suspension under warranty from hitting a curb or driving through a pot hole? Nope. So why would you expect them to fix a bent out of shape control arm? It's almost guaranteed to be caused by hitting something or impact, whether or not you did it.

 

I agree, a bent control arm points to an impact of some sort. Defective control arms usually do not bent when they fail.

 

yes they quoted me for a little over $500 just for the part. To clarify its a right rear upper control arm.

 

I never mentioned in my post it was bent. This is a defect of the part, thats why it is included in the warranty. Thats all speculation the part broke from a pot hole or from hitting a curb, but nothing else but the control arm was damaged....

 

All car manufacturers perform a wheel alignment out of the factory, if the rear wheel is leaning inward, it would have been pick up by a front wheel alignment. Give Lexus USA a call or try another dealer.

 

Probably a prior accident not repaired properly (could be unreported) maybe driver slammed into a curb, bent a wheel, repaired wheel, and then traded in car. then dealer doesn't detect it/discover it.

If it's that obvious to where you notice it, then, it sounds like a decent hit.

And if you think dealer would've picked it up, think again. i went with my friend to look at CPO BMWs at a local high end BMW dealer here in socal, and the car she was test driving (BMW 2 series convertible) had a VERY obviously sagging front suspension on one corner. it was low. And there was corresponding fender damage underneath and a torn liner which backed it up even more that it hit something.

i showed the salesman and he goes wow. i don't know how we missed that. the friend i was with was clueless. she didnt even knnow. and it was top end certified pre owned with stickers and balloons and everything.

I think prior owner hit something and decided they didn't want to fix it and hope the dealer didn't notice.

CPO doesn't mean much really. don't put too much faith in it. dealers and their techs are often young kids running around. they'll check a few things sure but beyond that it's just some car that's being traded in that they have to put stickers on. they want to go home at the end of their shift like every one else. they aren't going to really inspect every single thing.

I'd handle it like this...

If there's no damage to your wheel or tire, then the dealer can assume YOU did not cause the damage. This means they SOLD the car like that. that means you definitely should tell them to fix it.

 

update: I spoke with Don at Lexus Corporate. He spoke with the technician. He was giving me numbers that it was bent at a 90 degree angle other technical terms. Conclusion: It had to be from something hitting it. Although, I found it interesting when I asked him how could he tell if it was a mechanical defect. is there a certain criteria that makes it a mechanical defect? and he didnt have response. I have a 2015 RAV 4, and had a great experience so far with the dealers. However, with Lexus I see no point to their warranty. Seems like they will find a way not to cover you. Does the dealer not get reimbursed if they fix it under warranty?

 

If I hand you a chunk of metal and you come back to me later with a chunk of metal that is completely bent out of shape, am I going to assume that the metal just happened to spontaneously change shape like that?

Warranty doesn't cover damage, this is obviously damage, stop complaining about Lexus, this has nothing to do with them and entirely to do with your unrealistic expectations. No mechanic anywhere would cover this.

 

Can you clarify, was the control arm physically bent? From this thread I am having a hard time understanding if it was actually bent or not. If it is bent, I would think it would be hard to make a case for a warranty claim. The suspension parts are very sturdy to carry the weight of the vehicle on various road surfaces. It would be hard to imagine it bending under normal wear/use. So it could easily lead to a conclusion of some sort of impact damage, which isn’t anything the manufacturer should be responsible for.

 

every dealer is different...yes they can get reimbursed but most dealers cost them more to fix than paid back. file a claim with insurance for hit/run in parking lot.

 

Lol yes you are covered for everything.they will give you a loaner and fix everything. I had both front struts and lower control arms replaced under the platinum warranty. Read your contract for the warranty it gives detailed description of what is covered