Originally Posted by mikeper

Promblem solved! But, it's not a happy ending. After weeks of going back and forth with the dealership and paying for a new set of tires + an expensive alignment that didn't fix the problem. I wound up returning the car which was a recent CPO purchase. The only reason I was able to do this is that the title for the the trade in the contract is in my wife's name. This left outstanding paperwork that needed to be done to transfer the car to my name, so I could then give to Lexus. After all the problems, my wife ultimatley refused to sign the papers, thus making the contract invalid. So, I picked up "her" car and returned "their" car.

It's a lose, lose, lose situation. I'm out $1,400 on a new set of tires and alignment (not to mention all the time I invested) and the dealership is out on sale plus the overhead of the vehicle for the duration of all this. But, the biggest loser is the poor guy or girl that they wind selling this car to. It's not only dangerous vehicle to drive, it also has a fundamental flaw in it. I really hope they don't put it back on the lot, but suspect they will as a CPO.

Lessons learned include the following:
-Don't let the Lexus nameplate at the dealership fool you, they look nice, but operate just like any shady no-name dealer
-There is no easy way to contact Lexus corporate - don't even have an @lexuscares account
-Certified Pre Owned is worthless: "factory inspection" is done at and by the dealership after they purchase the vehicle from auction -- doesn't protect you from anything.

At this point I'm done with CPOs and Lexus. Currently looking into lease options on a new Cadillac VSport, BMW 540i or Mercedes e350. All very different cars, but also very nice cars in their own right. Thanks for all the responses to this thread. This seems like a wonderful community and has honestly been the only positive thing I've experience in my intro to Lexus. I wish everyone the best of luck!