Hey TM8000,

Sounds like you learned the hard way. My dad owned a Toyota Landcruiser and has always owned Toyota, now that I think about it our family has always owned Toyota . They are reliable cars and very easy to fix . My dad is no mechanic and he managed to fix his Toyotas all the time.

I was born in a Toyota (not literally) and I'll always stick to what I know and that is Toyota is very reliable and well worth the money.

But I'm surprised to hear that you were disappointed with both the Lincoln and the Escalade. Well I would never spend much coin on an American car, I'd rather stick to what I know works and that is Toyota....

Although I lost $17,000 in 6 months with Escalade ESV Platinum,
I was kind of lucky since I did not purchase it brand new.
MSRP of Escalade ESV Platinum 2005 was about $70,000(brand new)
but I purchased certified pre-owned @$47,000 and sold it @$30,000,
which means that its value has lost more than $40,000 within 1.5 years!!

I don't believe that it will happen to Lexus, that is why I purchased GX470.

Nica, Toyota is reliable and my Japanese friend who is the repair
specialist said that Japanese vehicle is much easier to repair than
American. He is in Japan and he told me that I should never bring
American car back to Japan when I return to Tokyo after a few years
as it will cost me a lot for repair. When I was in Tokyo, I used to drive
Toyota Crown Estate Athlete which isn't sold here in the U.S. but
most of Toyota's luxuary cars are very quiet like GX470.

Here is the lates,

Just thought I'd share with you guys that I received a phone call from the service manager telling me that my baby is ready to be picked up. Service manager said everything went smooth and confirmed that no one tampered around with the factory hieght of the vehicle....since I was so uptight about it.

I'm going to pick it up in about 20min. so I'll let you guys know how it rides on the way home. Can't wait to get my baby back...I feel as though I'm recieving the vehicle for the first time.

Nica, I am glad to hear that you finally got your GX fixed. I will check
when mine would be.

Has anyone with the TSB for the clunk noticed decreased fuel economy? I have been monitoring my fuel economy before and after the TSB repair. I have been experiencing a loss of approx. 2 mpg in overall driving conditions. Anyone else?

Also, I have heard from mechanics that they do change the height of the rear of the vehicle because the splines catch due to the angle of the factory setting. Nissan had the same problem a decade ago and finally solved it by changing the hieght differential on the 4 wheel drive vehicles. Maybe Lexus learned it from Nissan!

No not really. Did your driving habits changed in any way lately?

No change in driving habits other than to drive less due to HIGH fuel costs.

Well as far as I know, my mileage is about the same when i was computing it when prices were over $3 a gallon. Since now it's down to about $2.25 a gallon, I haven't computed my gas mileage lately.

I just got my TSB done to my vehicle and I did not notice any difference fueld economy.

I do have to admit though, having the TSB done is wonderfull. The car feels great...smooooooooth.

denslexusgx470, that's not how to deal with a problem. To just say, look at the other cars problems, ours is not so bad, is just deflecting from the real issue. I chose to spend $50,000.00 on a Lexus so I wouldn't have to worry about any problems. If I wanted to risk problems, I would have bought a 2006 Ford Explorer Limited with nav and all wheel drive for about $34,000.00 and the with the money I saved, I would have bought a Honda Fit for my everyday use car. That would have been 2 brand new cars for the price of 1 car. We should be putting pressure on Lexus to "put this away" and either fix these vehicles right away or put some type of disclossure on the sticker advising customers of the problems they are having. Kind of a like when you buy a house. The realtor and the seller has to diclose what problems exist with the house. It is lexus that has the power and resources to "put this away". I am sure we all work hard for our money and have yearned for the time when we can have the money to buy a vehicle like our GX470, and to have all that tarnished by a problem that has gone of for years and not fixed or disclosed to the unsuspecting customer that put down their $50,000.00. I am 100% positive that if you bought a home from a realtor and found out that the home had a "undisclosed defect" and it caused you problems, you would sue or demand it get fixed, like yesterday. Premium price for a premium product demands premium products, not defective premium products. Thanks for your time.
Manowits

i have a clunk that happens in my 2002 es300. it happens when i start it and reverse or drive . i can time it its so frequent. wonder if it applies here?

Manowits,

No car is perfect. Yes we made the decision to buy a $50,000 Lexus, and not a 4Runner and Sienna combination that equals about $50,000 also. But remember, products nowadays are not made to last as old cars. They used to be metal, now they're plastic. It's a business thing. They don't want you to just buy once, and keep the car for the rest of your life. Yes, we pay a lot but these cars only have a limit and a certain life. That's why it is the "Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" or "Passionate Pursuit of Perfection".

Drive train and suspension parts are all metal. My TSB 470 is a 2006 with about 4500 miles on it.

I know they're metal. What i meant by metal to plastic are other parts (i.e. bumper, some interior stuffs) but the moral of the story is as i mentioned, they're not perfect vehicles. Yes we pay a lot to expect a lot. If you had about $225,000 would you go out and buy a Bentley Flying Spur? Those things, yes look nice, but I could only imagine the quality in those. No consumer reports on those, and plus there are only a handful of dealerships and mechanics that can work on the car. And wouldn't you complain if there was even just ONE LITTLE rattle in a $225k car? Just remember, "Passionate PURSUIT of Perfection"

That clunk is most likely a U-joint or a transmission problem. Is there a delay from the time you put the trans in gear and the time it engages? If there is a delay, it's a trans problem, if there is no delay and a clunk, it's most likely U-joints.

If I am not mistaken, Bently is owned by VW and uses VW's W configuration engines. VW has a poor reliability record and I would not buy a VW or a Bently based on that itself. When you can afford $225k for a car, having them in the shop is a non issue. I am sure you would have numerous other cars to fill in when your everyday drive Spur was being worked on. Maybe you would drive your Maybach 62s in the mean time, ha ha.

Below is a quote right off the Lexus website. If this is their mission statement, they should stick to that. So far they failed to do the GX470 right the first time by not doing it right the first time(3 years of clunk problem), they have not met many of the GX owners on this forums Expectations for quality(3 years of clunk problem) and if the customer is so important to Lexus, why are they giving some of it's customers the brush off when it comes to "parts availability"(3 years of clunk, you would think they would make enough parts to cover the TSB or after the first year of clunk, they would re-engineer the faulty parts).

Don't get me wrong, in the big picture, Lexus makes the best vehicles in the world. If you look at their history, the GX falls way below their benchmark for quality and reliability in my eyes. Like I said in one of my first posts, my 2001 LS430 has had not ONE mechanical problem in all they years I have owned it and it has about 51,000 miles. That my friend......is what Lexus should be all about. The TSB 470 is not up to Lexus standards.

Lexus has revolutionized the luxury motoring experience through its passionate commitment to the finest products and the most satisfying automobile ownership experience. We vow to value the customer as an important individual; to do things right the first time; and to always exceed expectations[u]. We brought together these principles in the Lexus Covenant, which inspires our dealers and associates to treat customers as they would treat guests and to go to any lengths to serve them better.

The Lexus Covenant is the basis for every decision we make, from cars that are designed with the driver in mind to dealers that make customer satisfaction their most important goal. This commitment to excellence not only makes a Lexus more enjoyable to drive, but also a joy to own.

How long do you need to wait for the parts nowadays?
Can't help it - need to make a comment as far as "exceed expectations". I had ordered the parts back in August. Got my GX470 to the dealer at the end of September and few hours later received the call - ooops, we are sorry, but your parts are not here.
So, they had promised to do whatever they can to order the parts ASAP. According to their manager they had contacted Lexus headquaters and had pull some strings to get the parts shipped the same week. Of course, they had also promised to pick up my truck from my house and deliver it back.
It has been almost another 2 months now - I had neither got my parts nor phone call so far - way to go Kuni Lexus in Denver!! ))

That is unsure..... because I think they've discontinued the TSB for the moment. I feel bad for the 4Runner guys.... they never had a shot at this TSB.

Ajbolit,
That is my point exactly with my last post. I have numerous other problems with my TSB 470 as well. I also lucked out with my TSB fix. I waited 6 weeks for my parts and they never came in. After numerous phone calls to the service department, they gave me someone else's parts. They told me the person that they belonged to did not respond to the dealers followup to have their GX fixed, so I got those parts. It's nice to have my "clunk" gone. I wish you all the luck with yours.

Thats a good one, a disclossure on a new car. What would the disclossure say on a Ford explorer? Vehicle may flip over during high speed travel or the ABS brake module may catch fire for no reason and cause a fire in the engine compartment? My point is that, you can find many luxury SUV out there that cost more than the GX and have alot more problems.

G Man,

How did you know about the problems on a Ford Explorer? The problems were in the news media. None of the problems ALL of the GX470 owners are having are in the news media. They have not fixed the clunk problem for 3 years. You failed to address that issue. And for your information, ALL high profile vehicles, the GX included WILL "flip over" at high speed. I am passed by on the freeway here in California all the time by SUV drivers that are driving at least 15-25 miles per hour over the speed limit. They will all flip over with ANY sudden steering wheel movement to avoid a collision or in the event of a tire failure. My point is, if you don't want to flip over, buy a low profile sports car.

yeah theres a normal deley of like 1/2 a sec b 4 the gear will engage which i see as normal cause its like that on all cars. shifts ok also

Hi, I recently went through the TSB for my Lexus and yes I do agree with you guys it's a real disappointment not to mention frustration I got my parts by phoning the parts manager numerous times, I think I averaged about twice a week but you know what it was worth it. After about a month of phoning the parts manager consistently he got the point that I was not going to go away and it was about 6 to 8 weeks before I got my parts. Seems though that they have plenty of shafts, what they are missing are the other components to complete the assembly. I can't understand for the life of me why there is plenty of driveshaft but not enough of the rest of the parts to complete the TSB. I too went through a brand new 2006 GX470 with less then 2000KM and out of the blue the "clunk" came up....it is a complete let down and not to mention a judge to spend so much and to have a "noise". Well in my scenario though I re-searched the vehicle for at least 1.5years and I knew all about the "clunk" but I still choose to buy the vehicle why? Because I believe in Toyota and even though the vehicle may have it's downfalls in my opinion it's still a good car. It's not perfect but it beats any luxury SUV out in the market....well that's just my opinion though and I think some of you will agree with me.

So I'm one of the fortunate ones that did get the TSB and I was very skeptic about the TSB. I didn't really trust it, but I'm glad I did get the TSB done to my vehicle because the way it drives with out any noise it's like a brand new feeling all over again...yes...yes...this is the way it should feel but give Toyota some credit at least they are doing something about it rather then ignore it...well maybe they did ignore it but I think that Toyota received a huge eye opener once they released the TSB and perhaps that's why they are short on parts. I just don't think they expected to have so many vehicles return...but then a gain that's just me and my opinion...I'm not sure if there are any others that feel the same way as I do

I agree, Toyota got caught off guard by the hugh demand. At the same time, its not a safety issue, so it is just a matter of time before it gets fix. Other auto manufacturer would have just ignore it and fix it on their next re-design. I have experience it first hand with Acura and Jeep myself.

Nica, you are lucky. I am still waiting for the parts. After I pushed parts director once every week, he disclosed that there are still 10-11 people waiting for the parts ahead of me. Now it has been 2 months. Hopeless!!

Yes, I was very fortunate to have the TSB done on my vehicle. Apparently, in my area only 3 or 4 vehicles actually got the TSB I thought it was weird but I guess some people don't really notice it. I'm definitely enjoying my car.

Hope you get yours done soon....that goes out to all of you out there, wish you luck.

Well, I had finally got it done .
And as promised - they did bring me the loaner, picked up my truck and brought it back. At the end - problem fixed. It does drive so much better than before.
After all - I would probably be happy to stuck with Lexus for the rest of my life. GX rocks!!

i have it done on the 9th of november but what they told me that i might still experience some clunk but not as bad as before. they told me that nothing is wrong with it and just upgraded the questionable parts. anyway i still have 5 years on the warranty..

That seems a little odd to me, I had mine done and I have no more clunk. What did they replace?

I think to be in the safe side thats what they told me. they replaced Rear Propeller shaft and rear suspension control arm.

You may be right erick because if I'm not mistaken that is what they did on my vehicle...I'm going to check my paper work again.

Well here's my paperwork that i scanned and edited because the guys at the 4Runner forum are having nightmares in trying to get their clunk fixed....





P.S. Notice the other work i had done on my GX, WEATHERSTRIPS.

denslexusgx470, I am still trying to be patient. It has been almost
3 months but you waited for 3 years! So, I should not complain it.
However, I am getting tired of receiving the same reply that my
name is on the list without any promised delivery date...... I do not
really understand what is going on at Toyota/Lexus. Does 4Runner
also have the same problem "clunk"?

Yes unfortunately(but i only have 2wd so it doesnt concern me). They're even worse. At least we are entertained at Lexus for the clunk, guys at the 4Runner forum, none of them are even close to getting the new shaft, and control arm, and whatever else is needed. All they get is greasing. They have already printed my service write-up many times, and the dealers will not accept them, nor even read them. So it's better to be waiting for something, rather to be not waiting for it , or to be waiting for nothing, know what I'm sayin?

It's like waiting for your car, your excited to get it, especially if it just came out. I had that same waiting process, and it seemed like eternity to get a GX but it only took a month before i got one.

Thank you for your comment, denslexusgx470. I understood what you meant. I did not know about the story of 4Runner. I will anyway wait for the parts being patient.

TM8000, there are a lot of owners from another forum reported the parts have came in for the cluck TSB. You may want to call your dealer again or call other dealers in your area.

Hi, I'm new to the forums. I bought a used 2004 GX. Stupid me I started researching after I bought the vehicle. Anyway, took mine to my dealer and they said I had the "clunk". Said I might be lucky because they had may have an shaft lying around that a customer ordered and never came back to get fixed. So, unlike some of you poor guys who have been waiting years for the part, I might just get it done my first week. Sorry to bum you out.

Question regarding the "clunk" TSB. What's this I was reading on another thread about when they fix the driveshaft they do something with the factory height adjustment settings? Do I need to talk to my service advisor about this? What exactly should I be concerned about?

Make sure they replace the drive shaft and the lower control arms, thats what the TSB calls for. They are suppose to check the rear ride height and adjust if necassary on the air suspension when they do the TSB.

The 2 upper control arms also get replaced.

The G Man,
Thank you for your advice. I don't know how many times I sent
reminders to the dealer. Anyway, today Lexus seems to have
released(shipped) the parts and I hope it will be just a matter of
a few more weeks that I must be patient. Maybe, X'mas present
....if I am lucky.

Has anyone recently noticed delays in the parts required for this TSB, going to take mine next week.

thanks

dacf, yes unfortunately i think it's been a little tough lately to get the parts in. As you may notice if you read the last 2 or 3 pages before this, member Nica had a hard time getting the parts for the car.

But since you have a new GX, it doesn't matter and you have plenty of time to get it fixed.

We have been waiting for the parts for over 15 weeks. The lexus dealer in MN told us they send out a bad batch of parts and had to recall them due to they were not fixing the problem. The said it could be another 6 weeks.

Has eanyone come across this?

Went to dealer today, was told that they must confirm problem first before any parts can be ordered, then allow 2 weeks for parts to come in......we will see.

I finally received a good news that the parts have just arrived.
I will bring my GX to the dealer next Monday. It has been 3 months
since the parts were ordered. Obviously, parts are now being gradually
released.

TSB for my GX has been completed. Very smooth and nice ride.
I am very happy now. Thanks everybody who has kindly given
me comment on this clunk issue.

Still nothing from my dealer in Austin, TX and it has been more than 6 Months!!!!! Everytime I hear same comment, "the parts are on back-order"

Hello,
My dealer( in SF Bay area) finally got some (was told they received four) in stock and I just dropped mine off at the shop. Hopefully when I get my rig back today, it should be fix. So for those of you that are still waiting, I hope you'll get your parts soon.

Good luck.

Once Nica mentioned about the height of the vehicle relating to TSB
for the clunk in the past.

Lexus dealership has completed TSB of my GX but it looks like the
height of rear part of my vehicle has been changed and it is slightly
higher than before(or factory setting). I will bring it to the dealership
tomorrow, but has someone experienced the same thing? Is there any
problem due to the change of height, fuel economy etc.?

Not that I know of. Is the height difference so significant that the dealership should ought to look at it? Mine's the same height difference. Sometimes the system has the rear end higher when you turn the vehicle off, just the system adjusting to weight, road clearance, etc.. It's normal. Once I did load about 20 or 25 boxes of Pergo laminate flooring and the height throughout the trip was at normal but once I removed the boxes, the height was waaay much higher to compensate for the weight. lol.