Hi Guys

My standard 53 plate IS200 SE Auto with 14K is becoming a total nightmare,
I'm having problems keeping the damn thing on the road at times, the steering is all over the place.
I've had it since new and was well pleased to start with but this problem seems to have been getting progressively worse for the last 4-5000 miles.
Lexus ipswich have had it back twice and on each occasion told me there was "something" out of line and I should no longer have a problem, the last time it went in the service manager drove it himself and quietly admitted that it wasn't right so even another day in the workshop and full 4 wheel alignment later, it still seems to have a mind of it's own!
I have had further contact with Lexus Ipswich and they have said that they are going to escalate the problem up to Lexus GB but that was 6 weeks ago, I think they have thought they would leave it and the moaning old bugger will go away!

I was getting paranoid that it was all in my mind until I hit a slight change in camber on a country road at the weekend and the steering twitched again and threw me in the path of an oncoming car!

Is it me, am I daft or has anyone else had these problems, if so how have they been rectified?

Any help appreciated!

Thanks

Paul

PS Tyre pressures are all ok!

Try another dealership maybe

Thanks Jim, it's worth a shot but I'm just awaiting another reply from Ipswich before I get totally out of my pram, I'd assumed (perhaps wrongly!) that it would have to go back to them as they supplied it in the first place.

go direct to Lexus GB , and tell them of your dissapointment at Ipswich

Thanks for your help Mate, I'm hoping to have a bit of ammo from other owners to hit them with at the same time, I'll collect what info I can and get with them on Friday.

Cheers again....

are your front tyres wearing excessively on the inside?

if so the geometry is out

Yes, they were but this was aparently fixed by the 4 wheel alignment that I had done a month ago, it's a bit too early to tell whether it's solved the tyre wear problem or not but it's made no difference to the handling.

Cheers

Have you got 14k from the original tyres ? If so, count yourself lucky.
Out of interest are they bridgestone or dunlop ?

They may be shot to the point where even correcting alignment doesn't stop them wearing unevenly.

On the handling front, other than alignment / tyres, maybe worn bushes or a duff shock ?

i'm on 22k and still on original tyres they are on 2mm but still legal makes for interesting driving on wet days.
got to get some new tyres this week as my new alloys are in at lexus hadleigh

I've got a similar problem with my Y2000 'W' IS. Its done a lot more miles than yours (56k) but was nice & tight when I bought it 18 months ago.

I had 2 front shocks replaced under warranty about 6 months ago. The last few months its not felt right - noticible tramlining, needs steering adjustment in corners and I can feel the steering loading & unloading through the steering wheel.

I asked the dealer to check the suspension & pay particular attention to ball joints, bushes & shocks.

4 visits, 2 wheel alignments & £250 later & its as bad as ever. Its going back in next Wednesday but I'm not holding my breath. I've never had tyre wear problems - even wear across all tyres and fronts & rears wearing evenly (left it a bit late to rotate them though as the rears were 2.5mm / fronts 5mm)

I wouldn't have thought it would be rocket science to diagnose but this doesn't seem to be the case. I've asked them to recheck the ball joints and tie rod ends as I can now hear a faint clicking if I turn the wheel with the engine off - hopefully this may put them on the right track.

As noted above, keep taking it back & consider another dealer - they should all honour the warranty.

Good luck getting it sorted.

click on the link BRAKES AND SUSPENSION then click the link for 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT
My story is in here currently 2nd from bottom

Sounds like you maybe toeing out too much

[quote name='stellaman' date='Nov 24 2004, 05:06 PM']I was getting paranoid that it was all in my mind until I hit a slight change in camber on a country road at the weekend and the steering twitched again and threw me in the path of an oncoming car!


PS Tyre pressures are all ok!
[right][snapback]184680[/snapback][/right][/quote]


What do You mean steering twitched? what was the speed?

My understanding is that you cannot do the tracking correctly if the car is sitting on unevenly worn tyres - they may be doing the tracking on the 4 wheel alignment rig but the readings may be compensating for the tyre profile.
Mine is lively but not in a dangerous way with even tyre wear now I 've had it tracked (on Bridgestone RE040 CZ's) though it is very tyre pressure sensitive - I run 35 PSI all round.

[quote name='apsaauga' date='Nov 25 2004, 07:14 AM'][quote name='stellaman' date='Nov 24 2004, 05:06 PM']
I was getting paranoid that it was all in my mind until I hit a slight change in camber on a country road at the weekend and the steering twitched again and threw me in the path of an oncoming car!


PS Tyre pressures are all ok!
[right][snapback]184680[/snapback][/right][/quote]


What do You mean steering twitched? what was the speed?
[right][snapback]184817[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

It was a country Lane and only 35-40 MPH, I'd just felt a change in camber and the whole vehicle pulled to the right!