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Lexus GS AWD - Tires & Wheels

18 messages,  Last post on Feb 11, 2009 at 2:32 PM

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What is this discussion about? Lexus GS 300, Lexus ES 300, Steering, Sedan

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#10 of 18 2006 GS 300 by rodagu116 Dec 05, 2006 (5:33 am)
I just purchased a "certified" pre-owned Lexus GS about 10 days ago and have complained almost from day one that the tire noise is really bad (worse than my cheap 2001 Chevy Impala).   I also complained about the car tending to veer left or right in quick jerks while I am trying to keep the car going straight. I also noticed that the road (minor bumps) can cause the steering wheel to move. It takes too much effort to simply have a relaxing drive -- I have to work too hard keeping the car from going into other lanes.   My car also has a problem with a jerky acceleration (below 20 mph) which I was told (a couple of times by JM Lexus technicians) is normal for Lexus. ...since my family (including me) has had many GM cars/trucks, I recognize this feel as a slipping transmission (like when there is low fluid).   Now for my Lexus ??!! I am getting more frustrated. Replies to this message: evel (Dec 05, 2006 7:06 am)
#11 of 18 2006 GS 300 [rodagu116] - Tracking & Jerky Acceleration Issues Reply by evel Dec 05, 2006 (7:06 am)
Replying to: rodagu116 (Dec 05, 2006 5:33 am) Rodagu116, I've had my GS300 AWD w/18" wheels & low profile low-flat tires pulled from the GS430 since Feb. '07. I now have a little over 7,300 miles. I assume you have the standard 17" wheels & all season tires that come on the GS300 line. If so, I am surprised you are experiencing the same "tracking" issues I experienced the first 6 months of ownership. I say this because, I assumed my issue was primarily caused by the low profile all season performance tires (hard rubber) which run somewhat rough until the tires heat up & the rubber softens. Within the first two weeks of ownership, it pulled to the right, while braking & it was corrected by Lexus per a TSB for this problem. I assume it was a camber adjustment on the right front brake. The drifting/tracking issue continued & I returned it to Lexus a few weeks later, & their suspension/alignment tech drove it with me riding along, on several roads (crowned, flat, rough, smooth) & he noticed the slight drift, but told me it is tracking properly & said this is how independent suspension cars handle vs. the double wishbone suspension my previous car had (Acura CL). At the free six month svc (August), Lexus corrected the mis-aligned steering wheel & told me the tire alignment was off. I took it to a nearby Goodyear for alignment ($90-lifetime) vs. $160 quoted by the Lexus dealer; and it has been tracking fine since the alignment. This past weekend, I got it out on the interstate for a short drive (under 100 miles)& the suspension & handling felt great. Once the tires heated up, the was very smooth & what is expected from a Lexus. Also, the tire noise is not bad with the tires I have & I've shut the radio off & listen on various road (ashphalt & concrete)surfaces, but then again, my previous car was a '98 Acura CL I had for 8 yrs, so a new Ford F-150 would probably sound quieter than an 8 yr old car. ( :   As for the jerky acceleration below 20 mph, I noticed it too, while driving in heavy morning rush hour traffic. I nearly rear ended a few people early on during the period of ownership, I guess I have gotten accustomed to it now. I tend to have a heavy accelerator foot (speed demon (: ), so I've learned to tap on the accelerator & coast more vs. trying to apply a light - constant accelerator pedal in slow rush hour traffic. If you get Lexus to address this problem, please let me know what they identified the problem to be & how the fixed it so I can do the same.
#12 of 18 Re: Anyone w/Tracking Problem w/'06 GS300 AWD? [evel] by newgsowner Dec 27, 2006 (3:24 pm)
Replying to: evel (Nov 13, 2006 8:06 am) It's been exactly one year since I purchased my 2006 GS330 AWD. At my first six month maintenance I had the alignment checked and sure enough, they said "it was really off." Since then I feel my car drifting to the right and the wheel sharply turns when I step on the brake. I had them check this during my most recent one year maintenance. They said my tires are "feathered" and the only way to fix it entirely is to replace all four tires. They said this was likely caused from when the car was first out of alignment. I was livid! I didn't pay this much money for a car to have to replace the tires 10k miles later. It's not like I'm jumping curbs or hitting trees, this wasn't anything I did. The service guy advised me not to buy four new tires, get some more use out of my tires, then replace them. No! You don't buy this kind of car to have to drive it with a problem! So he said at least give it a couple weeks and if I'm not satisfied, to call him back and he'll talk to his manager to see what he could do. The only thing they can do to make me happy is replace all four tires for me. Like I said, this wasn't caused by something I did and by reading this forum, apparently other Lexus owners have had the same problem. So we'll see how it goes, it's only been a few days, the problem does not feel any better, so I'm going to give them a call next week. Replies to this message: evel (Dec 28, 2006 8:59 am)
#13 of 18 Anyone w/Tracking Problem w/'06 GS300 AWD? Reply to Newgsowner by evel Dec 28, 2006 (8:59 am)
Replying to: newgsowner (Dec 27, 2006 3:24 pm) Did you see one of my earlier memos? During the 1st 2 to 3 weeks of ownership, my car pulled to the right when I applied the breaks. I took it back & they fixed it stating there was a factory TSB (service bulletin)out on this problem. I did not get an exact explanation what was done, but I believe they either replaced or adjusted the camber on front right or both front brakes. This took care of the pulling during when braking.   When I purchased the car, a sales rep, who was not assisting me advised me to check the alignment frequently. I can't recall if he said 4WD vehicles get out of alignment more frequently than FWD or RWD cars; or if it was to extend the life of the performance run-flat tires w/the 18" wheels pulled from the GS430 & installed on my car. I would press Lexus for a new set of tires. I don't which wheel & tire set you have, but the run-flat tires w/the 18" wheels priced out at $299/each online from The Tire Rack, who are usually cheaper than the brick & mortar tire shops. When the time comes for new tires, I will probably switch to another type of all season performance tires with a longer tread life & higher profile to reduce the amount of fender gap (raised look) that the low profile tires created on my car. If you have the standard 17" wheels/tires that come with the GS300, what was the advertised tread life for them? It should be more than 10K miles.
#14 of 18 Anyone w/Tracking Problem w/'06 GS300 AWD? by newgsowner Dec 29, 2006 (11:38 am)
Yes, they have the standard 17" wheel/tires. I'm not sure what the advertised tread was, I'm sorry I don't know too much about this stuff, but I would definately think it's more than 10k. They never mentioned anything about a service bulletin on this problem. The service rep was adament on me continuing to drive with this problem, but as I clearly stated to him, I did not buy such an expensive car to drive it with this problem. So I'll give them a call next week and press for a new set. I'll let you know how it goes! Replies to this message: rodagu116 (Jan 01, 2007 4:52 am) evel (Mar 15, 2007 1:57 pm)
#15 of 18 Re: Anyone w/Tracking Problem w/'06 GS300 AWD? [newgsowner] by rodagu116 Jan 01, 2007 (4:52 am)
Replying to: newgsowner (Dec 29, 2006 11:38 am) As for me, the dealership gave me new tires. That didn't solve anything So as for the veering (jerking) left/right, I received no solution. {My GS is RWD}. I noticed that my father's new Chevy Silverado (truck) has that problem also (the steering is rather sensitive and when I try to react to that movement I tend to over react -- blaaah). That truck has run-flat lower profile tires (of course, not as low profile as on the GS). My car costs twice as much and should be smoother riding (?), easier to drive, ... Replies to this message: evel (Mar 15, 2007 1:57 pm)
#16 of 18 Tracking Problem w/'06 GS300 AWD - Update by evel Mar 15, 2007 (1:57 pm)
Replying to: rodagu116 (Jan 01, 2007 4:52 am) Well, I had the next 6-month/ service performed in February (oil change & tire rotation) and noticed a slight return of the drifting problem again, so I went back to Goodyear & had the alignment checked. One of the rear wheels toe was slightly out of factory spec. On yesterday, I had the Virgina State safety inspection performed & the technician commented that I should check the alignment, because my front tires showed were from the inside out. I went to the Lexus dealer & complained that I had the car aligned when suggested in August & again a month ago, only to have visibly worn tires at only 10K miles within a 13 months period. They checked the alignment, said it was again out of spec., & said the realignment should help, but recommended replacement of the two front tires (18" run flats) $299 each. They accepted their discounted cost alignment offer, but felt they should pick up the cost of the tires. They refused stating since the alignments in August & February were done by someone else, they cannot be held responsible. Goodyear naturally defended themselves, saying factory specs are factory specs & each time they aligned the suspension within the specs. Also, Goodyear said the factory specs call for the wheels to be pitched slightly inward (top of tire & wheel)towards the engine; thus per the specs, this would cause wear to occur on the inside area of the tread. I escalated to Lexus Customer Svc on the grounds the car has a suspension flaw which causes it to become mis-aligned easily & frequently, but they refused to replace my two tires, but are currently considering refunding me the cost of the alignment performed by the Lexus dealer on yesterday. In closing, I understood the performance tires would have less treadlife under normal driving, but the wear I experienced within 10K miles was definitely caused by the suspension alignment problem & not hard driving & cornering. Based on the comments of other owners, it is apparent the problem is not caused by the wheel size or type of tires, but a steering/suspension problem. If you or anyone is lucky enough to find the magic bullet cure with their dealer, please share your success.
#17 of 18 Anyone w/Tracking Problem w/'06 GS300 AWD? RECAP [towner54] by evel Nov 09, 2007 (8:20 am)
Replying to: towner54 (Nov 12, 2006 9:15 am) Follow-up: Well all was well between Aug. 06 & Feb. 07, when I had the tires rotated (10K miles svc) and a week later during safety inspection was told I had unever wear on my tires. So long story short, I immediately complained to the nearby Lexus dealership, who escalated it up to Lexus. Lexus checked the entire suspension system (no trouble found) & concluded I received a bad set of runflat tires. The replaced all four & peformed an alignment again in June & so far, no more drifting/tracking problems.   Now, if only Eibach or some other suspension manufacturer would design lowering springs for the AWD version to lower height to eliminate some of the wheel well gap that take away from the sporty design of the AWD vs RWD. I heard of a company (racing products) located in or near Baltimore, but has been unable to find them.
#18 of 18 Replacing run flat tires by wpe Feb 11, 2009 (2:32 pm)
I have a 2006 300GS AWD w/32000miles.   I need to replace the tires. I want to replace run flats with regular tires.   Other than not having spare tire has anyone experienced any downsides or negatives of doing this.   I'm looking for a better ride and spending 50% less $.

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