Problems On My Is (satnav, Squeaks, Clutch Etc)

[PaulFromSwindon]

Hiya,

I've had my V Reg IS200 nearly a year (has 52K miles on it, with Full Service History), and I'm starting to wonder about Lexus' supposed build quality. I'm about to go see my dealer in Swindon with a list of faults. Am I alone in wondering whether these jind of problems are right for a car of this supposed quality? Here are my list of woes, I'd be interested to know if any other have sufferred, and what the solution is:

Firstly, one that the dealer did fix: The good old knocking steering, they replaced the balljoints for me at the last service. Good service from the dealer, but I don't accept they should be going at under 50K miles.

Here's my latest list:

1) Sat-Nav: Display stopped working for 4 days, now has a blue tinge permanently.

2) Sat-Nav: For some reason has started sending me ridiculously long routes some times and good routes others. No pattern, tried it lots of times on same route from Reading to my house in Swindon to test the theory. Sometimes sends me correct way - literally turn off at motorway, go down dual carriageway and I am home. No Brainer. Other times want to send me via completely different motorway junction which would be a 12-mile detour, and won't even revert to the correct route when I ignore it. Played with the preferences (avoid motorways etc) and this didn't help. The routing was faultless till a few month ago, now I have to confirm the routes with a map.

3) Sat-Nav: After 8 months of being really impressed, I am losing trust. On two recent journeys, the system got me to within two miles of my city-centre destinations, then kept telling me I had reached my destination, even though I clearly had not - I could see the marked point on the screen, and I was nowhere near it - the routing had evidently stopped way short for some reason. Highly, highly annoying!

4) Squeaky Seat: My drivers seat is now squeaking like a squeaking thing.

4) Rattles: It sounds like my old 1973 Marina. Rattles from the Sunroof, both nearside door panels, and somewhere in the back that I can't quite place.

5) Clutch: Judders when in traffic and when pulling off, much much worse on wet days. The dealer who sold me the car and the one who serviced it have both road-tested it and cannot find anything, so apparently I'm an idiot and must be imagining it. It'd not as though it's minor - sometimes it feels like the car is shaking itself to death. Reading these forums suggest it's a well known problem. The words fobbed and off spring to mind.

I love the car anyway, but bought it because of it's percieved quality and reliability. Now I'm not so sure. Am I the only one to find this?

I will be seeing the dealer to get this lot sorted under my warranty. If I get fobbed of, then I will lose faith in the 'Lexus Ownership Experience' and sell the old girl. I'll let you know...

Have fun

Paul

[Whitebeam]

My clutch judders & I've been told by the local dealer that there is no problem

I bought mine from Swindon as well, going to see what they say 'though not holding my breath

[kev dood]

I am not familiar with the systems on the IS but can it show you the number of satellites it has aquired? If it has a low amount then its ability to show your position will not be as accurate. That may also be the cause of wrong routes though I doubt it. That sounds more seriouis! Colour wise, wounds like a wire or connector has come loose, if not then screen has gone belly up!

On the other points, the seat rattle is usually the seat belt stalk, dealer will replace if under warrenty as common fault. If not then a drop of oil usually helps (workshop section I think has a bit on this).

The rattles you suggest - take it to dealer. I have a small annoying one in the bottom right corner, under and to the right of the ignition key, and also one from the rear. I think the rear is the seat back of the rear seat (nearside) If I bang it hard, I can reproduce it, so will have to get that sorted out soon!

Try another dealer about the clutch, some are better than others, Reading is not that far from you, why not try them? They have been good for me. Just keep taking it back if you are not happy.

Good luck

[Damer]

The first point about your Sat Nav is apparently common. Caused by the wires aging and cracking caused by the opening and closing motion. I recently had my screen replaced under warrenty.

[gazza200]

I got the Squeaky Seat too paul on my 28K miles IS and also got that rattle in the back, it does my head in!!! Let us know when you find out where its coming from. Seems you aint the only person with these problems STILL A GREAT CAR THOUGH :D Wouldnt swap it for the world.

[g3tag]

juddddddddddddddering clutch !!!!!got one of those meself.gets on your nerves but still a nice motor to drive.im waiting for a reply on mine from lex stoke... B)

[BESTY]

my clutch was bad for the old judder,i put a new one in and has cured it 99 percent,with the 200 you must give it a bit of revs when setting off,they dont like very low revs .i love mine but wouldnt pay 22 grand for one ,would rather spend the money on a boat :P

[gib]

I have a similar problem with the clutch - dealer says you just need to give it more revs when pulling away - had a similar problem on a bmw (sorry) and a clutch replacement did the trick

[SteveAudioX]

I updated my Navi CD ROM. It directs me a lot better now..

[TonyGoose]

4) Squeaky Seat:  My drivers seat is now squeaking like a squeaking thing.

Yep - got that... somewhere down in seatbelt thingy where you plug it in.

When creaking, if i pull belt tight or slacken off a bit, noise stops.. briefly!

4) Rattles:  Rattles from the Sunroof, both nearside door panels, and somewhere in the back that I can't quite place.

Mmm, well i get some creaking from sunroof when open. It's the plastic surround.

If you prod it, you can easily tell where the noise is coming from.

5) Clutch: Judders when in traffic and when pulling off,

Ahhhh one of biggest gripes. How can anyone say this is normal..

Sit shuffling in traffic having to keep revving just to move a few feet

Need more revs??? BOLLOX - Just needs good quality parts more like.

Had 2 clutches + flywheel + slave cyl. Now it's worse than ever...

Poor dealer is doing his best - it's Lexus letting the side down here badly.

This.. praps alongside flakey transmission really should be a 'recall' job!!

Think i may suggest they fit another brand of clutch - TRD perhaps ...

It's pretty clear the standard part is of very poor + inconsistent quality

[greeneyes]

Shuddering clutch is very much a model fault, right from the early days!!

Very bad when cold and better when the car warms up.

The clutch plate is a solid disc, like a (very shuddery) racing unit. The flywheel is a dual-mass unit, made of two great circular lumps of steel with springs in between them.

It weighs 31lb! Should weigh about half that!

A local clutch manufacturer here in Auckland makes hundreds of dual mass replacements, converting them back to standard style flywheels and plates. He says Subarus are also bad for it. He is waiting for the first Altezza/Lexus to come in so he can design a replacement system.

I will let you know what happens in a month or two, but it would be worth looking at this replacement once your car is out of warranty.

After all they are still just a Toyota!!

[Rob]

I got the Squeaky Seat too paul on my 28K miles IS and also got that rattle in the back, it does my head in!!! Let us know when you find out where its coming from. Seems you aint the only person with these problems STILL A GREAT CAR THOUGH :D Wouldnt swap it for the world.

squeaky seat????????????/ THEN HAVE A LOOK HERE - SQUEAKY SEAT FIX

[james2210]

Whats a clutch??

Only got 2 pedals in my GS-stop and go :P

On a loan IS200 that I was given one of the multitude of times I've been back to the dealer, the clutch was terrible. On a few hill starts I think that some of my fillings fell out it was juddering so much. :duh:

Would an aftermarket racing clutch be any better? I read somewhere that heat is a major contributor to clutch judder so no slipping or riding the clutch at the lights might help.

[PaulFromSwindon]

Thanks chaps - a bit of an update, though no fixes yet:

Took it to swindon, but after spending quite some time trying to help by contacting warranty people, he's recommended I take the car to Reading, where I bought it from, because it may need some goodwill on the seller's part in case the warranty won't cover the clutch (see below). He recommended I discuss all the issues with Reading. In fairness he was very helpful, if it weren't for the clutch issue, he would have sorted what he could for me.

The first point is that it was pointed out that the Lexus used warranty is not as good as the main warranty- it's a third party warranty (insurance policy) that does not cover anywhere near as much. They have to accept the claim before a repair can be carried out.

1) Sat-Nav screen: Basically needs a new screen - apparently there is a spacer that can be installed to fix it, but he said do not accept that, as it is not effective. Cost for a new screen? £1800!!! He said it should be covered by the warranty but will require an engineer from the insurance company to look at it.

2) Sat-Nav bad routing - he did not know why this may be, and it may or may not be covered by the warranty.

3) Sat-Nav stopping short of destination - same as point 2 above

4) Squeaky seat: Suggested it was probably the seat belt buckle and said this would be covered. If it's the actual seat, it would not be covered under the warranty. Grrr!

5) Various Rattles: None are covered under the warranty. Grr Grr

6) Clutch Judder: Right, are we sitting comfortably? Apparently this is much more of a problem with cars built before 2000, after which a modified flywheel is fitted (he did not know what was different about the newer ones). He said straight away that a new flywheel and clutch (not just a new clutch) would probably solve it. He felt that the warranty insurers would probably accept a claim for the flywheel, but that I would have to pay £180 for the clutch kit. When he phoned them, they actually said they would cover the whole cost, but on one condition. If the flywheel is removed and checked for warps etc, and none are found, then I would have to pay.

The dealer's view is that this is risky - he cannot guarantee that the flywheel could be proved to be warped (else why is it so much worse some days, and almost non-existant on others - a warp is a warp is a warp). Incidentally, the cost of this work would be just over £1000!

He felt that due to the risk of the warranty claim not getting accepted I should take it to Reading, where I bought the car. I noticed a judder on the test drive and asked for it to be checked - I know this fact is on thier records. Therefore, in my (and the guy in Swindon's) view, Reading may be more inclined to ensure the matter is resolved as a matter of goodwill, especially as it was raised by me when I bought the car. They also told me at the time that any faults on the sat-nav were covered (not just the screen).

I'll try to get there this week, or the week after next, and will let you know what happens. If I get no joy, I intend to take it up with Lexus.

I have to say, I am not impressed with the extended warranty, it is clearly nowhere as good as the original one, and importantly, it is not controlled by Lexus, so clearly one cannot expect the same kind of service, however helpful the dealers try to be. (how many warranty claims do Lexus themselves quibble over, I wonder?). I am between a rock and a hard place though - will probably have to renew it, because I cannot risk the cost if the Sat-Nav goes wrong! Bah!

Take care

Paul.

[UKPulse]

Interesting - the problem with the satnav.

Mine has worked flawlessly since March when I bought the car, as did the satnav in my previous 2002 IS200 - until recently that is. Most days it's fine (although I do get LED down the occasional farm track!)

However, some days it just gets a sulk on and won't co-operate. Most commen symptom is deviating from the suggested route. It's supposed to recalculate the route almost instantaneously, and it normally does, but as I'm demo'ing the thing to a mate and deliberately take a wrong turn it just ignores me and goes silent! Mate says... "You paid how much for this?!"

Have had this happen a few times in the last six weeks or so

[Damer]

Paul

Don't get fobbed off about your screen. I got mine changed under warrenty within a week.

[ColinBarber]

Sat-Nav bad routing - he did not know why this may be, and it may or may not be covered by the warranty.

This is not a fault but a limitation of the software. They all will do it. The instruction state that the best route may not be chosen. Later software improves it.

[TonyGoose]

6) Clutch Judder:  Right, are we sitting comfortably?  Apparently this is much more of a problem with cars built before 2000, after which a modified flywheel is fitted (he did not know what was different about the newer ones).  He said straight away that a new flywheel and clutch (not just a new clutch) would probably solve it.

Don't count on it. Mine is a 2001 build and has a judder.

Clutch was replaced under warranty and was no better.

Then clutch + flywheel + slave cylinder and now worse.

Dealer has requested the car back in later this month.

Think they're getting techies from Lexus in to investigate

I just dare them to say 'they all do that' or 'needs some revs'

They'll be mentally scarred for life if they try that bull with me

[BESTY]

6) Clutch Judder:  Right, are we sitting comfortably?  Apparently this is much more of a problem with cars built before 2000, after which a modified flywheel is fitted (he did not know what was different about the newer ones).  He said straight away that a new flywheel and clutch (not just a new clutch) would probably solve it.

Don't count on it. Mine is a 2001 build and has a judder.

Clutch was replaced under warranty and was no better.

Then clutch + flywheel + slave cylinder and now worse.

Dealer has requested the car back in later this month.

Think they're getting techies from Lexus in to investigate

I just dare them to say 'they all do that' or 'needs some revs'

They'll be mentally scarred for life if they try that bull with me

tell you what this clutch issue must be embarrasing for lexus,they wont admit its a problem cause the cars cost so much,they should get there act together

[PaulFromSwindon]

6) Clutch Judder:  Right, are we sitting comfortably?  Apparently this is much more of a problem with cars built before 2000, after which a modified flywheel is fitted (he did not know what was different about the newer ones).  He said straight away that a new flywheel and clutch (not just a new clutch) would probably solve it.

Don't count on it. Mine is a 2001 build and has a judder.

Clutch was replaced under warranty and was no better.

Then clutch + flywheel + slave cylinder and now worse.

Dealer has requested the car back in later this month.

Think they're getting techies from Lexus in to investigate

I just dare them to say 'they all do that' or 'needs some revs'

They'll be mentally scarred for life if they try that bull with me

tell you what this clutch issue must be embarrasing for lexus,they wont admit its a problem cause the cars cost so much,they should get there act together

Considering that the IS200 has just won the Top Gear Car survey, and always do well in JD Power etc., they probably are a tad embarrassed.

I am a bit fed up with being fobbed off by dealers on this issue. I'm going to Reading when I get back from my Hols, and if they don't sort it, I'm contacting Lexus. Then Toyota in Japan if I have to, and everyone else I can think of. I don't intend to let it lie. I bought a 3-year old IS instead of a brand-new Rep-mobile purely because of the supposed quality. I have yet to see the Bullet-proof Build-Quality and Reliability or the legendary customer service. Every service advisor in every dealer knows this flaw exists, Lexus just don't have the will to sort it as far as I am concerned. In fairness the guy in Swindon was helpful, but that's little consolation when my gear-lever tries to jump out of the car when I pull away. However helpful he may have wanted to be, I spent nearly an hour with him, and have a grand total of zero of my problems resolved.

Perhaps everyone who has the juddery clutch should write to Lexus. Power in Numbers.

I'll keep you posted...

have fun

P

[g3tag]

I think 95% of IS200 drivers have the same clutch problem ,you would have thought the problem would have been rectified by now .contact lexus direct could be good , more people to do it the better.they might get it sorted then.

[PaulFromSwindon]

Phew,

Finally got my probs resolved.

After some degree of persuasion on my part, Lexus Reading changed the clutch and flywheel under warranty. I now have a judder-free IS200.

They also fixed the Sat-Nav screen. I am now firmly convinced the the problems of it stopping short of the destination a few times is a bit of bad mapping on the electronic maps. I have spoken to others with completely different systems who have the problem occasionally - they probably all buy the maps from the same place.

The rattles I have resolved myself, just by tightening a few screws.

The only thing Lexus Reading would not fix is the squeaky seat-belt holder, even though Lexus Swindon was sure it was covered under warranty. Particularly tight of them considering it only costs a tenner.

So - persistence pays it seems. I now have a faultless car. The only sad ending is that I have been made redundant, so I have to sell it. REluctant would be a suitable word.

Have fun

Paul

[Scorpion]

Glad to hear you had most of the problems sorted out but if the seat belt holder only costs a tenner

for such little money put it right yourself you tight git!!

[kev dood]

glad to hear you are on your way to normality.

Reading will change it, cos they did mine. Southampton will too, cos they also did mine!! Changed once, then about 6-8 months later came back so changed again!!

No probs either, just asked!

[Unity_neil]

Sorry to hear about that Paul, I had to let mine go recently because of the fiscal requirements so I know how you feel.

On the wheels front however I urge you all to be aware that the refurbed set I got when mine were changed under warranty suffered from poor laquer adhesion. I had new tyres on them and the Chimp fitter managed to get the tyre machine too close resulting in a scrape. this however chipped a lot of laquer off the rim even in places where there was no damage to the alloy.

upon closer inspection 3 of the 4 wheels on the car (I only had 2 tyres fitted) had Milky patches appearing around the wheels some on the rim and some on the spokes.

I was told this is probaly due to a stone chip. to which I replied "is thiss what will happen if I get a stone chip on the bonnet then?"

Needless to say the wheels will be replaced under warranty again. Are dealers being pressured to fight back more by Lexus GB here I wonder? I hope not as the Customer service reputation sells more Lexus than they realise and if they lose it then it will be very difficult to get back.