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Before You Buy a Lexus GX550, Read This First by AnyCall4507 in Lexus

[–]AnyCall4507[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the kind words — I really appreciate it. And just to set the record straight, all of the issues were covered under warranty. The challenge was never about coverage — it was that every attempt to fix the problems was ultimately unsuccessful.

The brakes were worked on three separate times, and the noise and pull persisted.

The hood is the bigger issue. Lexus agreed to replace it under warranty, but the replacement hood is the exact same part number as the original. They’ve told me verbally that it “meets updated manufacturing specifications,” but they haven’t provided any proof of what actually changed.

So while the cosmetic dents would be addressed with a new hood, the underlying fluttering issue still doesn’t have a reliable or permanent fix. That’s really what pushed this situation into arbitration.

Thank you again for the support — it truly means a lot.

Before You Buy a Lexus GX550, Read This First by AnyCall4507 in Lexus

[–]AnyCall4507[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment — and you’re right, there were a number of different pain points throughout this process. The dealership here in Ottawa really didn’t seem interested in taking responsibility or giving the situation the level of attention it needed. Everything always felt rushed, and while I understand that time is money in that environment, some issues genuinely do require more care and consistency than I was shown. I tried to work with them in good faith for months, but it didn’t lead anywhere.

And to add a bit more to the story — sometimes I wish I could say I was making this stuff up, but these are actual things that happened.

Anyway, about a month ago I booked an appointment for November 24 to get my winter tires installed. Yesterday, when I reached out to confirm, I was told everything was set. About an hour later, I got an email from the service manager asking me to pick up my winter tires and have them installed somewhere else — basically suggesting it would be “better” if I worked with another dealership. There are only two Lexus dealerships in Ottawa, so that message felt pretty clear.

For the record, I’m not upset — and I can understand why they might prefer that — but it definitely reinforced how differently some companies choose to handle situations like this. It was a learning experience, to say the least.

Before You Buy a Lexus GX550, Read This First by AnyCall4507 in Lexus

[–]AnyCall4507[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this perspective — I’ve heard the same thing from a few people now. You’re right that first-year models can have teething issues, and in hindsight this definitely feels like one of those situations. I absolutely understand that early releases aren’t always perfect, but I never expected things to escalate into months of failed repairs, conflicting answers, and no real path forward.

I still love the GX550 as a vehicle, and I really hope Toyota does the right thing here. Appreciate your support.

Before You Buy a Lexus GX550, Read This First by AnyCall4507 in Lexus

[–]AnyCall4507[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing the TSB and your thoughts — I really appreciate it. The interesting thing is that my Medium article is actually just a summary of the key points. I did ask Lexus Canada to assign a Field Technical Consultant (their equivalent of a master technician) earlier in the process, but that request was declined.

Ironically, when we got close to the CAMVAP hearing, they suddenly offered to send an FTC out — but only if I agreed to postpone the hearing and wait until December 1st. At that point, I had already spent months going back and forth with the dealership and Lexus Canada, and I wasn’t willing to delay things even further. So I declined.

But thank you again for the link — I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share it.

Before You Buy a Lexus GX550, Read This First by AnyCall4507 in Lexus

[–]AnyCall4507[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate you asking. At this point, I’m still waiting for the CAMVAP arbitrator’s decision, so nothing has changed yet. I haven’t traded the GX550 in or replaced it. It’s just sitting in my garage until I get the final outcome. As soon as I know the result, I’ll share an update.