^ another good reason before taking delivery of a new car, to inspect and demand defects be corrected (or at least acknowledged) before driving off the dealer's lot.

 

well when you look at the JD powers, it is not the dealer reporting it. they take their data from the owners. Usually have you buy a car, you may be randomly sent a survey about your buying experience and any problems you have.

lexus usually ranks in the 80-90 problems per 100 vehicles. So far, some owners here probably dont have this bumper issue, some do, some probably dont have the headrest issue, some do, some have both.

but 1-2 problems in the first model year is still good

 

good point. btw, saw your signature. looks like you are due for a new RX very soon (assuming you upgrade in the same # of years).

 

Is there really anyone out there that thinks a J.D. Powers award means anything? In most enthusiasts circles they are considered to be just what they are, nothing. Each survey I have received from them almost beat me home from the dealership the day I took delivery of my car. They should check with owners after some time has past. With them it's all about money.
I like my Lexus but I see no need to defend them with this Friday night football game attitude. There is no excuse for bumpers to be failing off $50,000+ cars. For those of you old enough to remember; Lexus was introduced to the market claiming exceptional quality. They have gotten off track for whatever reason despite what a plastic award reads.

 

Where Lexus is going wrong is not building all their cars in Japan, customer service is still outstanding, but the work ethic is so much better in Japan

 

I thought I was the only having such thoughts. With four Lexus's (two 07, one 2009, and a 2005) in our driveway, we can definitely see the gradual decline in quality. We are considering looking at other manufactures for the next year replacements. INMHO Lexus is getting complacent and seems to be taking our loyalty for granted.

 

teehee. Yes, im looking at an RX450h, probably will buy it sometime in december

 

I think you have summed it up with that one line. I don't "need" to drive a Lexus. What I need is a quality car for my money. The new RX has me rethinking my choice.

 

To me, its all about which car has the best quality, its not which brand. Lexus as a brand has cars that are better in quality than others in their lineup. The old RX happens to have pretty good quality, the quality on the new RX is too soon to tell.

 

quality to me is not the number 1 priority, it just so happens that lexus makes products that I like. Let me tell you, when you like something (based on looks, utility, brand), you are much more forgiving for the other stuff

 

Storm: great advice--it is amazing how quickly work can be done to fix these things when the dealer wants to get paid for the car.

for those that order a car and know when its due--try to be there just after its delivered to dealer before customer delivery is scheduled. It takes a little time on your part but little things are taken care of b4 delivery.

I do recall years ago (more than I want to admit) you would buy a new car and go back to dealer a week later with a list of 15-20 things to fix.

 

the new RX is a quality car. there is not one brand of car (mb, bmw, audi, jaguar, etc, etc) that does not have a defect or something wrong when it first comes out of the manufacturing factory. quality car mean the fewest defects, not zero defects. and based on consumer reports (if you believe their unbiased opinions), lexus is still considered the top brand for the fewest defects.


if past history is any indication, track record for the new RX should be fine.


true enough. but the product you or i like gotta have quality too, or it's gonna get frustrating real fast if you have to bring your beloved car constantly back to the dealership for warranty work and repairs. former mercedes benz owner here: once bitten, twice shy. only way i'll consider mb again is if the quality track record improves. and it's still too early to tell yet.

 

One thing Lexus is really good at is to repeatedly contacting the customer until a the customer say he is satisfied, it’s almost to the point of borderline harassment. So does Lexus really have higher initial quality or is it just the fact that Lexus will bent over backwards to make sure the customer will give them a very satisfy rating.

 

You are correct that these kinds of things happen with other brands, but there is a very definite decline in quality with Lexus. Just spend some time on this blog and others. This bumper issue should have already been address by the company. With issue like this Lexus is becoming like the rest you mention.

 

This kind of statement leaves me speechless.