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Is200/300 Tyre Wear


im24601
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Dear All

As you may be aware from the thread "Initial Post...Treat Me Gently" I have experienced problems with the excesive wear to my inner front tyres on my IS200 SE (2001).

It has been a problem since I had it (bought at 22 months old from my local Lexus Dealership). It had new tyres at 30k (I bought it at 29229 miles, as I recall and Lexus did the 30k service, with tyres prior to selling it).

Every service since then it has required at least 2 new tyres - and always the front ones. Lexus Dealership have timelessly advised a 4-wheel alignment (done by them now in total 3 times) and still the problem persists.

I have all sorts of reasons from Lexus as to why this is from not using their recommended tyre (though compliant with the Owners Manual) to under-inflation and my driving style.

I have spoken to the previous owner and he changed tyres regularly as well. So, perhaps not my driving style after all...

The settings Lexus have used and purportedly found pre-adjustment will appear here soon for your information and interest, as will photos of the most recent set of old tyres - Dunlop SP9000, as advised by a Lexus Regional Manager in August '07. You will see the wear after less than 7200 miles.

The Dunlops were recommended as I was told they are a harder, more durable tyre than the Yokohamas and/or Bridgestones. I have got less wear from those than the previous Yokohamas.

Lexus GB have shown disinterest in this and are resolute that my car is a one-off and the liability and culpability lies firmly with me.

Of course, that may be the case...

I have asked to speak to the Director of Customer Relations at Lexus GB but no-one will put me through. Does anybody know who he/she is now that Steve Settle has jumped ship to Toyota?

However, has anybody else has experienced the same with their Lexus - if so, could they please add their names to the bottom of this post? If you have any photos of the worn tyres, please add them too if you can.

I shall shortly being taking whatever information I have to Lexus GB in Epsom to make my case. Should anybody wish to join me, please let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Chris

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wim is involved with Chris and his efforts to pursue this historic problem once and for all with Lexus.. His actions are intended to help everyone so please add your name to this thread if front inner tyre wear has been an issue for you...

As a prompt the image below is the new tyres from Chris's car after 7000 miles.

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I had exactly the same problem when I bought my Approved Used IS200SE Auto (2001) from Lexus Bromley in 2006.

In 1200 miles 2 new front tyres were needed.

After 1 simple visit to WIM to have my car set to the revised positions the problem is gone.....

Nuff said :tsktsk:

Lexus GB should be big enough to admit there is a prolem.

You can spend lots of money replacing tyres and having Lexus or local fast fit type centre reset the

alignment/geometry, but its of no help having it set to the same (wrong) positions supplied by Lexus.

If everyone who has had their IS200/300's corrected by WIM then 500+ names on the way

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I don't have my 200 any more but for what it is worth, mine had the same wear before and after the dealer alignment.

All details can be checked at the dealership. Maybe hard copies of work could be sent to head office? I'm sure there would be hundreds. Then I would imagine it to become beyond reasonable doubt....

Mine was an IS200 on an 03 plate. (First Reg. March). No mechanical modifications.

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I had heard of the front tyre wear pre WIM posting on here (LOC) with the revised settings and i took up Tonys knowledge straight away (was the first to do so) and have had no issues since.

Lexus GB must know that there is a problem unless they are not hearing customer complaints through there dealerships.

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I've had my IS200 SE for nearly 2 years. Bought it from Lexus Canterbury and had good tyres on when I bought it. They (Lexus Canterbury) noticed that the front tyres were wearing badly in March last year when I took it in for 70,000 mile service and they suggested that I needed a four wheel alignment for which they quoted £123.37. Fortunately I had read on LOC forum about this problem and after renewing the front tyres with another pair of Dunlop SP9000s I took it to Tony at WIM just after Xmas.

I probably haven't done enough miles to see if I still have the problem but I do keep a close eye on them and I can say that there doesn't appear to be any significant wear yet.

Dave

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In my search for an IS300, I was offered a test drive by one (non-Lexus) dealer in a 300 saloon with about 19,000 miles on the clock. On that car, the front tyres and the rear tyres were different makes, the rears being well worn, albeit still legal. However, the fronts were not much different to those shown in the picture above and the dealer seemed to be surprised when I refused to test drive the car on the basis that it was very illegal. Needless to say, he didn’t make a sale, although the car was otherwise absolutely fine. Having seen that, I started web surfing and found this place, where I discovered that the problem was widespread.

When I bought my IS300 SportCross in May last year, I took a trip to Hemel within 3 weeks and the good doctor realigned my new car, confirming that the settings were spot on as per the factory and that uneven tyre wear was likely to happen (although since that car only had 2,900 miles on it at the time, everything still looked OK). he made his adjustments, with my blessing, and I have just scrapped all 4 of those original Yokohamas, with absolutely no sign of uneven wear whatsoever.

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I need to stay out of this thread since Lexus accuse me of being an interested party so according to them i have a bias opinion.

What i can say is if the positions were ok on the Lexus then i wouldn't have any customers "fact" and since the positions were wrong i re-wrote them to stop the wear "fact".

After proving the problem could be solved owners were traveling to wim far and wide, even from abroad. Since i'm not trying to corner the market and the need to stop people traveling 100's of miles i released the positions to the public domain "fact".

I have set 100's of IS200/300 and here's the files to prove it.... These reports in the image are all Lexus dating back to May 06.

Chris you are welcome to see these but i cannot let you use them in an official format unless every customer allows it (data protection act)

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my tyres were brand new from lexus 4k and 8 months ago when i purchased the car....(53 plate)just popped out and can clearly see wear on front inner tyres...im due a 50k service do they swap the tyres around...?

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He is more than welcome to use my data that is held at WIM ( wheels in motion)...if need be this below can be used as signed permission as proof under the data protection act.

I hear by grant permission for all data to be used on my cars geometry to be sent to LEXUS GB in regards to the PROBLEM OF INSIDE TYRE WEAR...

VEHICLE MODEL: LEXUS IS 200 SPORT

REGISTRATION: ( if needed will put in )

YEAR : 2005 plate.

ADDRESS ( will puit in if need be )

yours faithfully

MR D J LUMLEY.

also if need be send all relevent documentation to all people on loc to sign and forward to LEXUS GB..

I.E get some official documentation written up on the LOC site for all owners to down load print and copy so to be signed and sent to LEXUS GB head office..

just an opinion :whistling:

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Probably worth you doing a search on this forum for geometry and where it shows a problem then put a link in this thread so you can find them again. If it's on here then it's public information ;)

As your car is 7 years old I doubt if you will get anywhere really with Lexus though :(

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All

Many thanks thus far for the responses. I have PM-ed a few of you and kindly asked you to put down the model and importantly the year of your vehicle which had the problem.

I understand the whole data protection issue. If people would prefer to contact me off forum via PM or email - please go ahead.

Any information I get will be used solely for the purpose described - to take to Lexus GB for their comments and hopefully, action.

We all know there was a problem and those clued-up enough have entrusted Tony to solve it, present company included. I just wish I hadn't gone through the expense of letting Lexus loose on it all those times before at my expense. I have little doubt that I am one of many in this situation.

This is a great opportunity for a manufacturer to learn that the best critics of their product aren't Messrs Clarkson, Hammond, May and Plato, nor Miss Butler-Henderson (I am more Top Gear than 5th Gear...) but you and I, the hard-working owners.

As a collective, we can do something about it.

Our best chance is if we have strength in numbers. I'll do everything I can - I just need everybody else to do a bit too!

With many thanks in advance.

Chris

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Lexus GB must know that there is a problem unless they are not hearing customer complaints through there dealerships.

The General Manager of Customer Relations at Lexus GB categorically denies any knowledge of a "problem". Apparently, when I spoke to one of the chief technicians at Dunlop-Goodyear and explained my findings to him - he discounted the "under-inflation" diagnosis of Lexus Oxford immediately - explaining that under-inflation gives excessive wear on the inner and outer edges, not just the inners. The General Manager of Lexus GB poo-pooed this giving me the manufacturer knows best spiel.

Yes, according to Lexus GB - Dunlop-Goodyear don't know what they are talking about when it comes to tyres...

You see why I am keen to have that conversation with the Director of Customer Relations!!!

In the unlikely event that someone high up in Lexus GB is reading this - please PM me. Meet me. Do your own tests on my tyres supplied by one of your dealerships on the recommendation of one of your regional managers and explain to me why they are the way they are.

I imagine I'd pass out from hypoxia before I hear from anyone so I shalln't be holding my breath waiting.

Chris

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I'm another customer of WIM,

I had to replace my front 2 tyres as a result of the inner tyre wear problem.

Im happy for you to use the data stored at WIM for my car!

Ill keep a close eye on this, and hope we get to a good outcome!

All the best!

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my first set of tyres were destroyed by the lexus geometry, I got a replacement set by WIM in November 2004 and the geometry was set to Tony's specifications.

Result - thousands of miles driving with improved handling even tyre wear and peace of mind.

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Bought my IS200 in October from my local garage, (not a lexus dealer) with 4 new tyres, after 3000miles they look like this,

CIMG0893.jpg

CIMG0894.jpg

Took it back to the garage & said the tracking was out & adjusted it, now the steering feels like its tramling over white lines & uneven surfaces.

A phone call to WIM told me what was wrong straight away, i will be making a trip to see the "doctor" in march to have it set up correctly.

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When I bought my car I had 18" aftermarket alloys on and the tyre wear was even for about 6 months, but having not declared my wheels to the insurance, and being a relitively new driver with sky high premium, I reverted back to standard 17's for the time being, 6 months on I have inner wear and i'm tramlining too, I am happy to provide pics also, and any other details required, and i'll be gettin 2 tyres swapped and my geo done when I get paid

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I managed less than 1000miles before noticing excessive wear on the inner surface of my Bridgestones, despite frequent tracking / balance checks during that time!!!! Handling is 'interesting' and rather unpredictable at the moment, as I can't afford to replace these tyres just yet (I'm told they're still legal).

My Lexus dealer have acknowledged (verbally) that this is a well recognised problem with the old IS model. (I have an 02-plate IS300).

I just WIM weren't so far away from where I live - I'd probably need a new set of front tyres to get there!

Add me to any list of 'people-with-problems'!

All the best

Amanda

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