Bob New Jersey. Welcome to the forum. Just a courteous reminder, next time to not type in all caps. Just to avoid any misunderstandings as some people take it as a shouting message or an angry message. Thanks.

Denslexusgx470

Den,
Easier to read, bu t I''ll take your advice and type normal.

Thank you for explaining G-Man!


Now that I understand what might be the clunk problem is, now every thing is clear why whenever I come to a full stop (not too slow and not sudden or abrupt). I feel some weird movement coming from the lower back to the lower mid-section of the truck. I thought some thing is wrong with the transmission not down shifting smoothly.....somewhat like a vibration in the lower back. It's annoying and feels like a big defect by the car manufacturer.

So, I'm going to my local dealer for them to replace driveshaft and control arm (if needed). I will post it here when the dealer has fix this issue.

Any way, mine is a 2007 GX 470. I bought it two weeks ago as CPO with only 2,500 miles on it.

Thanks for all your help and contribution to this wonderful and helpful forum.

We purchased a 2008 GX470 in March and most definitely have the "clunk". So thanks to this forum, I know what the issue is and what to call it. Hopefully they'll fix it without any issues.

Overall, we're pretty happy with the vehicle with the notable exception of the navigation system, which I find unintuitive. But that is off-topic for this thread, so I'll check out the other areas to discuss.

It's ok Bob. We've had issues in the past with arguments between other members because they typed in all Caps. But no harm done, and feel free to ask me anything at your convenience.

I took my 2008 GX 470 in yesterday for the 5k service and told the SA about the Clunk. He special ordered the parts and it should be arriving next week. Frustrating part is that Lexus is waiting for people to complain instead of putting the driveshaft and control arms into line production. SA said that he's already done a couple of 2008's already.

I called the closest dealer in my area to fix the clunk problem for GX470 and I was told that before they can do or order any thing, they need to see it for a test drive to identify the problem. I know there's a TSB for this problem but why I still have to drive 30 miles down for a test drive with them before they do the job?

I just bought a 2004 GX with 63k on it, but not from a Lexus dealer, it was an independent. Carfax report tells me the car had one previous owner (lease vehicle), it came from GA and was auctioned through Lexus finance once the lease was over, that's where they bought it.

I noticed the clunk during the test drive, very slight during stops and some starts, wish I would have researched this before the purchase, but the car was such a good deal, it would not have lasted past 1 more day.

Can I now take it to a Lexus dealer and have the clunk fixed under the warranty (until 72k right?) ? or do I have to be the original owner.

Thanks for any insight. The closest dealer to me is Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly, VA.

You don't have to be the original owner to get this fixed under the powertrain warranty (72 mos or 70K miles - whichever comes first).

Just call your local Lexus dealer and tell them you have the "clunk" problem in your GX. Tell them there is a TSB for it.

They will fix it at no charge.

I am speaking from personal experience with my GX. The Lexus dealer in my area fixed the "clunk" in my GX and even gave me a loaner RX350 for a day.

OK thanks a lot, I will give them a call.

Just an update on my situation. 2008 GX bought in January. Took car in at 1K for Clunk which couldn't be duplicated and SR refused the fix. Took car in for 5K service and a different SR (same dealer) OK'd the fix without even a test drive.

Parts are in and clunk will be fixed Saturday.

I bought an '05 in January and started having the symptoms you describe for the past couple of weeks. I too thought the transmission was not down shifting. Mine feels like a pulsing from behind. It does this up to 4 times and you can feel the rear of the truck lowering at each pulse. They have not diagnosed the problem yet. It is in Lexus right now being looked at.

I called the dealer, Arlington Lexus, and told them that I thought the issue I was having was the infamous clunk. They agreed to implement the FSB. They even had the parts in stock. It was fixed the same day. I guess they don't have a back-log on parts any longer.

Please can you email me a copy of this TSB, My 2004 GX-470, Dealer says is out of comprehensive warranty - I havd 60k miles on it.

Any further information or help will be apprcaited.

s_naidu1@yahoo.com

Thx

There have been maybe questions about rather the TSB is cover under the bumper to bumper warranty or the power train warranty. My dealer said the drive shalf is cover under the powertrain warranty but the control is cover under the bumper to bumper warranty.

Hi,

Can you email me a copy of the TSB

Or point me to location where I can download. I have a 04 gx470 with the famous sound.

s_naidu1@yahoo.com.

Thanks

The US TSB doesnt apply to Canadian models.

I am new to the GX forum and so far no clunks, i better be prepared. Honestly What is this clunk and when does this appear and what sort of troubleshooting is to be done( stupid query) . If anybody has got the TSB copy please have it emailed (mann68@gmail.com) or posted on this forum.

It's available on pg 9 of this thread.

I bought a CPO '05 GX470 two nights ago. The salesman was a jerk - over and over again he crowed about the 161 point inspection. When I mentioned that there could be a problem with the drive shaft he interrupted me and said, "there's not. This car has had a 161 point inspection performed by a specialist who has been trained in Lexus, blah blah blah."

And then, yesterday I slowed to a stop and CLUNK.

Now I am worried to even get it fixed. I have had bad luck with cars. When I get this fixed is it going to cause another problem? And then another?
Yes, I have a warranty but taking my car to the shop once a month isn't what I bargained for.

I can't decide whether to get this clunk fixed. Thoughts?

Go get it fix, its free. Some owners have experience a tad rougher ride in the back after the fix.

I went through the same dilemma. After finding out about the TSB for this GX470 clunk last year. A little background- we bought a 2004 GX470 with about 58k mi. in June 2008. I debated if I sould get the clunk fixed before it hit 70/72k miles. Since the clunk does not happen every time I stop and was not very severe I decided not to have the fix done.

Some may argue that it is a 'free' repair and I am a fool not to have it done, but I did not want to risk having more things wrong (e.g., the rear suspension, overall ride) AFTER the repair than before.

My suggestion is -- if your 'clunk' is really bad or happens a lot, then get it fixed. If it is only once in a while and you are happy with the overall ride & everything, then you may be better off not doing it.

Also, if your dealer's service dept. is really good & helpful, then you should probably do it -- if anything goes wrong after they will take care of it. BUT, I would have them document (in writing if possible) that there are no other suspension/drive issues BEFORE you do the fix, so if something ELSE is not right after they do it, you can say that it was a direct result of the TSB fix (some places try to say it is unrelated & not caused by their repair, etc.).

When does this clunking sound happen, my warranty is almost up and I want to get it fixed before the warranty expires. going over bumps, does the sound come from the back of the car?

The clunk, as described numerous times in this thread, is the "bump" you feel when you are at a stoplight and it feels like you were lightly rear-ended. There is a TSB but I'm pretty sure my TSB on page 9 of this thread is a little out dated. Print it out and give it to your local Lexus dealer if you need it.

OK the latest TSB is out...here it goes...cheers to all the clunk sufferrers...
I am also attaching the previous TSB for reference, to know what has been revised. cheers

And here goes the 2008 TSB for clunk....ceeyaa

Just had mine done on Friday. TSB 37110-60A40. Works like a charm! It's just the driveshaft assembly now. I guess they stopped changing the control arm. Took about 4 hours. I'd recommend everyone going to get this done whether you need it done or not...before they stop the TSB. Cheers!

It's free for who? Original owner? Within warranty? Or just plain free? Just take it in and have them fix it? Thanks in advance.

It's free for owners, original or not, with the factory warranty (or extended warranties also)... And it is only free thru warranty if the clunk happens on your particular GX. Not all GX470s have the clunk but a good majority of us have gone through it.

Good Lord, did you read that repair manual for fixing the noise for the 70mph+ issue? I've got the sister version, an 05' 4runner V8, and it too has the clunk and the droaning noises "I actually like it though, sounds muscular", but I didn't pay what you guys paid for the Lexus version, so I'm not quite as sensitive to it. But, man oh man, that second repair for the 75mph fix, looks intense, and if you're out of warranty, way too expensive to mess with. The 55mph fix seems easy enough, just a different mount. But the other one, with all the digging you have to do, no way jose'. If I had a GX out of warranty, and wanted this repair, then I'd simply trade the GX for one that was in warranty, and then fix that one. That repair has got to cost around $2k all-in!

ok so i took my GX in for repairs today, but with the OLD TSB in hand. the clunk i have actually originates from right under the brake, and is prominent when stopping and pressing on the brake. so it seems that i got work done for a completely different problem. problem is, i still have the clunk under the brake, and am afraid they might have used outdated parts to repair the "rear clunk". i have to schedule another appointment with lexus first thing tomorrow, so i'll keep you guys updated. when parking my car at my apartment, i noticed a terrible grinding noise when easing up on the brake. i don't know if this is normal, but i'll have to bring this up with the Lexus technician asap.

anyone else have the clunk originating from under the brake? thanks.

Brakes? Do you think that your brakes are still somewhat sticking to the rotors? Well I know there's also a problem of warping brakes (depends on the driver's driving habits) on the GX. Bigger more heavy vehicle, more heat, energy, and brake pads to go thru.

i have absolutely no clue what the source of the problem could be. i actually got new brake pads a few months ago, so yeah...

well as far the "old" tsb is concerned, it seems that the only difference between the two is that with the new one, only the propeller shaft is installed, instead of both the propeller and the control arms as in the previous tsb. so i think im good

Got mine repaired yesterday and it's now smooth as silk! I would highly recommend you do this before the warranty expires but make sure you walk in there with the TSB or they will try to pull some B.S. about this not being covered by the 7 year warranty or it being another unrelated problem. On another note, I also had to have my radiator changed. Thank God I bought an extended warranty!

So, I was at the Lexus Dealership last Friday to pull the service history on my GS. I had a nice conversation with the service writer and asked about the clunk issue. I asked "are you still seeing a lot of driveshaft problems with the GX series?" He knew what I was talking about, when he replied "you mean the clunking/tap from behind feeling?" He said since Toyota finally reengineered the driveshaft, they're not seeing any return after this repair. He made comment about the other methods issued to fix it in the past, as "lipstick". I found his comment regarding the motivation for Toyota to finally fix the problem quite interesting, with "when Consumer Reports and media start downgrading their products, they listen and get moving to fix it". If you recall, CR recently cited the Tacoma as having a vibration and driveability problems "the clunk". So, maybe it's finally fixed for good, as it has affected practially all of their truck based vehicles, including my 4runner.

Well that's good if the Toyota division is going to consider the clunk fix on the 4runners. I know the 4Runner guys have been complaining that they are not getting any remedy to this problem even if they print out the Lexus TSB.

It is my understanding that the clunk problem on the GX stems from the variable height suspension and hence the 4runner should not have the same issue (as it lacks the variable height suspension). Isn't that accurate?

Not really. The clunk, in essence, is simply the slider sleeve of the driveshaft sticking in a forward postion from it's seat against the rear differential. The "clunk" you feel, is when that slider sleeve releases and hits against it's seat. That is the core of the clunk. Now, lexus has also added updated rear cushion bushings in some of the rear suspension components to help as well. But at the end of the day, it's a sticky driveshaft slider yolk. The 4runner guys, me included, simply go buy a $20 grease gun and a tube of Mobile One Synthetic grease, and "inject" it into the greasing points of the driveshaft every so-often "usually around 5-10k miles, depending on how bad it is". This temporarily fixes the slider sleeve from sticking, and it seats correctly, but it's only temporary. Think of the drive shaft as an accordian, which expands and contracts with the travel of the rear suspension. The lower the suspension, then the short the distance from the rear differential to the center differential "the two connecting points of the driveshaft". In that, there are parts that are supposed to slide back and forth in concert with the movement. Sometimes some of those parts get stuck, and "clunk" when they release. This driveshaft is the same setup that has been used for years across the Tacoma, 4runner, GX470, and quite possibly the other rear wheel drive truck-based vehicles of Toyota. But to answer your question, you can see where the variable height setting could be considered a problem, as it will adjust that distance bewteen the center diff and the rear diff, causing the drive shaft to expand/contract. But if you asking the advice to replace variable height sensor to fix it is correct, then I would have to disagree.

Took my 2003 to the dealer this morning - they had it fixed by the afternoon. Warranty covered it. Rides smoother now and no more clunk!

NC is right. the Clunk does not originate from the height control. That does instigate the clunk sometimes but the main problem is coming from the driveshaft, which is shared between the GX and 4Runner.

Tooms, glad you got yours fixed! Feels great to drive it now isnt it?

Oh Yeah - its like im not always waiting to hear a clunk now when stopping.

We are about to take delivery of an 06 GX470 sometime within the next couple weeks. I'm not sure if it will have the clunk or not. It has 67k on it. So it is out of warranty.

If it does have the clunk will Lexus still take care of it or do you have to have some warranty left in order for the TSB to be done?

Honestly I'm not sure under which warranty it falls under. I presume powertrain but check with the dealer first.

Some dealers MAY do a "Good Will/Deed" service for you (aka either pay for the whole thing or work out a 50/50 split, depends) but that depends on how close or what is your relation with that Lexus dealership.

You never know, maybe the GX you are about to acquire does not have the clunk.

All, it feels like a have the clunk problem as well. There is no dealer in my place (NOT the U.S.) who would replace the shaft for free. Anyone has any idea how much it could cost (at least on the US market -- materials plus work).


The key question I believe is how critical is it to repair the clunk. What can happen (at least theoretically) if I go on as it is? (the clunk feeling does not discomfort me much).

Many thanks for replies in advance.

I'm not a real mechanic but it's not really a safety issue. It's more of an annoyance issue that you feel when driving the car but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

The clunk repair is covered under the 7 year 70,000 mile power train warranty so make sure you get it repaired before you hit the 70k mile mark. Make sure you have the TSB in hand when you walk into the dealer and tell them you would like the problem corrected.

Thank you! I'm a new GX owner and took my vehicle to have the clunk repaired today. I really appreciate the great information.

I also complained about a rattle in the drivers side door and they replaced the front door check which was bent. The tech told me this is a common problem in the GX470s - for what it's worth.

:cheers:

I too am a recently new GX owner. Purchased a 2007 with 42,000 miles. It had a terrible water leak into the rear of the vehicle. Lexus has it now replacing the roof rack seals after having replaced the rear door seal to no avail. There was also a cracked rear window (concealed hinge) channel, they are replacing under warranty as well. I've only driven it a few days --- before the rain --- so when I get it back we'll see if there is a clunk noise or not. I'm not sold that the roof rack grommets were the cause of the leak, as I've heard and read horror stories on the sunroof leaking.... we'll see how this all goes.

The bad part is I don't have a Lexus near me.... he's 130 miles one way.... however, my local Toyota dealer (where I purchased the Lexus) is working with me very nicely providing exceptional service. My fourth purchase from them.... Camery, 4runner, Tundra, and now Lexus. They take the car to the lexus dealer for service and provide me with a loaner.

Fun Stuff.....

Hi all. Just had the drive line replaced in my gx 470 because of the infamous clunk. They changed just the drive line and not only did the clunk go away but it use to bottom out in the rear suspension over some bumps which also sems to be gone. The car seems to drive better. It was done under the power train warranty 6 years 70000 miles.