gain

My name is Marshall Hansen and I own a 1998 Lexus GS400 with a recurring steering vibration/flutter problem. I took the Lexus to the dealership where I bought it to have the problem dealt with, after an argument with the service staff regarding how my problem was everything but Technical Service Bulletin ST003R-98 the service superviser intervened and acknowledged the TSB and said they would make an effort to fix it. When I picked up my car there was a reduction in the vibration although not completely, I am not sure what procedure they performed. After my horrid experience with Lexus's Service department and also due to the fact I was living in Europe and my car was only driven every few months I did not pursue this matter any further than sending in a feedback profile detailing my experience.

I have since moved back to the USA and am driving my car on a daily basis. I have taken my GS400 to a different dealership than the one I purchased it from and they have acknowledged a vibration/flutter but Ed Oxford at the Lexus hotline(800-25LEXUS) has informed my that my lexus is no longer in warranty and I have after market modifications which the vibration is caused by so they will not fix my problem.

I am interested in starting a petition with fellow Lexus owners that have experienced this same problem. I will be posting a website detailing the situation and will offer a downloadable form that anyone may fill out and mail to me so I can compile the complaints and mail them to Lexus. Please e-mail me at marshall@gainrecordings.com if you have experienced this problem so I can build an e-mail list to update you on my progress.

If you are interested in obtaining a more detailed description of the Technical Service bulletin I am referring to please go to http://www.alldatadiy.com/ sign in under
log in name: gain1542
password: broodje
click on 1998 Lexus GS 400 V8-3969cc 4.0L DOHC MFI
click on Technical Service Bulletins
click on Customer Interest
click on ST003R-98 980619 Steering - Vibration/Flutter

you will then have four links:
. Steering - Vibration/Flutter
. Warranty Information
. Inspection & Balancing
. Field-Fix Procedure
documenting the problem and remedy.

My hope is together we can make Lexus fix our defective cars!

Marshall Hansen

BBD

hey man am sorry to hear your having this problem and you are mad about the service that you have recived ,, to be honest your thread wont cause a lot of fuss and not many experiance bad service lexus dealers...

I would try to advice you that the steering vibration problem may be caused by tyre/rim balancing ,, you can try to rebalance all 4 wheels at any good Tyre shop,, please check for cracks thrones and so on... u say this is a 1998 Lexus GS ,, my question is are your tyers in good shape if not you may want to buy new tyers..

Other Problem leads to Steering vibaration is Steerind ROD, u need to balance the rods as well.. (and please let them check if the rods are bent)

those are the only things I can think about at the momment I hope it works out for you.

DDLexus

Right on....
The vibration problem is a PROBLEM. I've also got a '98 GS400 with rims and tires that were bought three weeks ago new. I've also noticed that the larger the rims, the more vibration. When I put my 16" on, there is minimal vibration, and the 17"s are a bit worse. I've made a comment to another thread that the magazine editors of Road and Track also made mention in their long-term test of the 98 GS400. Keep all of us informed when you're site is up....

Cheers.

SC300T

Our GS4 with the 17" wheels is buttery smooth. Like an LS400. Took replacing the tires to cure the problem at first. Switched to Michelin Pilot XGTZ4. Talked to a tire guy and he said that the Michelins always seemed to be *rounder* than the competition, and ran smoother, requiring less wheel weights to get it right.

At any rate, I really think that the GS just has a suspension tuning and bushing specification that makes it WAY more sensitive to proper balance and tire runout.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

The issue seems to rear itself for those with the stock 17 inch rims. Lexus has the above TSB and one for balancing the wheels to eliminate this issue.
After finding a reputable shop to balance my wheels, I no longer experience any wheel vibration, even when cold. I have taken the GS to some other shops prior to this and was met with dissapointment.
This is just my experience.

blkgs4wnav

my ride with the 17 inch upgrades was terrible. I then bought the 16 inch chrome rims and i can now say that my car drives like a lexus.

fireballs gs400

You all prob will not believe this, but maybe it was me. I purchased my lexus with the 16" factory wheels, it rode decent. I then went out and purchased some 20" wheels. I have 245/35's which the brand is nitto 555nt. I was very shocked from the moment i drove off the car rack, there was a slight change for the better in my part. I believe the difference was the hunter wheel alignment machine they used. It was the newest model, and it would be something to check into. i am sure most lexus dealerships should have this machine, but if they don't you could check with your local tire/wheel guru. I dont know the actual serial numbers on the machine, or series, but i just wanted togive ya my opinion. thanks b

gain

please go to www.gainrecordings.com/lexus to view TSB information.

vroman13

I am also unhappy with my 98 GS400. I will get on to your petition. Let me know when where and how.

Mark

Yes there is steering vibration. My 1994 Honda accord steering feels much better than my 50m gs400..

Johnny Mo

Guys,

while I can sympathize with all of your problems, 1) this site would get shut down by Lexus Corp in a heartbeat if it was used to exert influence on TSB's/Recalls in such a manner. Ethan, the owner of the site would be personally liable for use of the Logos etc, without proper approvals from Lexus and NONE of us want that to happen, so let's just chill out with the petitions/legal talk here.

2) One member had a GREAT (I think it was SCWells72)experience with his dealership and they SOLVED the problem, apparently there are harmonics in the GS steering rack at various speeds 45mph /62mph and one other. This is caused by a little bit of slack/slop in the steering rack, that once tightened ELIMINATES the problem. edit: It is a Sticky in the Main section of the GS forum. So before we lose our favorite website, let's do some SEARCHING and understand that this is an Enthusiast website, not one setup to do a witch-hunt on dealerships or especially Lexus Corp.

Anymore threads or posts that allude to solicitation of legal action, including petitions will be locked and or deleted.

Mark

I see you like to take the easy way out. American did not get its independence by going that route.

If Ethan is using copyright logo without proper approval he will be liable for copyright infringement even if there is no petition.

Johnny Mo

Maybe so, but the fact is that Lexus knows about the site and we currently have a peaceful co-existence with them with or without permission to use the Lexus logo. What we are trying to do is maintain that.

As far as taking the easy way out I think you'd better get a better understanding of what this site is about. It is an enthusiast site, and it is privately owned. Although it is on the internet and subject to view publicly, the discretion of what is allowed here and what is not resides with the site owner, and currently solicitation for anything that alludes to legal action, or petitioning against the Company we are enthusiasts for, is not allowed.

Mark

Hmmm. I think it will be better if we refrain from our illegal use of Toyota/Lexus material. This will make this site more objective and will allow for constructive feedback, which in turn will lead to change and a better product. What do you think Johnny?

cmc5dc

I have the same problem and complained to corporate headquarters, the dealer immediately called back then took car in. He couldn't find anything wrong but did re-balance the tires. The problem was a little better but then gradually worsened.

Marshal,

Your link does not work. I'll follow up with the rack suggestion with the dealership.