psing23

hey everyone i frequently lurk here and post very rarely but my dad has a gs430 since 2001, he went yesterday to get his tires rotated and the people told him that he has to change his ball joints. has anyone ever heard of a problem like this for this vehicle? it just seems strange to me that a 2001 car, especially a lexus would have a problem like this. he never had an accident or anything that would cause anything to the suspension to get messed up. it just seems strange to me. i frequent the maxima.org forum so i am not new to the car community. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanx

-Danny

BananaGS

never heard of it, but your dad should still be under manufacture warranty. why don't you take it in for lexus to check, it's free anyway under warranty, also get a free lexus rental to drive around for a change. See if he can get an is300 when he makes the appointment, then you take the IS out and test its ball joints

Jackco711

Just got my Lex inspected by dealer service who claimed I have the same problem but failed to note why it happened or what it means to the car. I had it checked out by my local mechanic who said its BS. Seems as tho some dealers are looking for some extra cash. Maybe maybe not....can anyone else shed some light on this subject?
BTW the dealer considers the lower ball joint to be a wear item hence not under warranty.

psing23

well i had my local mechanic check it who is actually a friend of the family so it wasn't the dealer looking to get some extra cash... i was just wondering if anyone else has this problem or what it could be caused from... i know if you drive on bad roads it could happen but he never drives anywhere out of the ordinary and he is extra cautious with the way he drives his car... thats why its strange and it seems like its some kind of manufacturers defect...

kvoman

If your car is less than 4 yrs old or less than 50k miles on the odometer, Lexus warranty is comprehensive (Bumper to Bumper) - take it to the dealer and have them fix it. If it's more than 50k miles but still under 70k miles, read your warranty manual under the drivetrain/powertrain section. I believe the ball joint is part of the drivetrain/powertrain component. You'd have to read that section to be 100% certain.

Any dealer or mechanic that tells you the the lower ball joint to be a wear item, ask him/her to point that out to you in writting from the Lexus warranty manual. That's like saying a bad wheel bearing is a wear and tear item and is not under warranty during the warranty period!!!

The warranty manual spells out specifically what is considered a wear and tear item (e.g. tires, brakes) so don't take their word for it.