Lexus LS 2007+ :: 2013 - Brakes Shudder - A/C Malfunction

Lexus LS460

Issues:

1. Just put her in for the SECOND brake actuator replacement at 45k miles. First failed at 22k miles, so they DO have that consistency thing nailed.

2. Also had to replace BOTH B-pillar trim pieces which have soft facing material that cannot withstand the constant barrage of seat belt buckles banging into them during retraction. They start by showing marks, then dents, and finally the material gives up altogether and begins to shred.

3. Brake shudder due to "rotor warpage." I believe this problem is due to production engineering (or lack thereof) during final assembly. Hub runout at maximum combines with rotor runout at maximum, even though both are within tolerance, to produce a stackup tolerance outside the spec which results in warpage given enough thermal cycles. The reason the problem occurs only rarely is due to hub and rotor tolerance variations AND the various stackup combinations arbitrarily selected during final assembly of rotors to hubs.

4. The recirculation-biased AC causes mold (and odor) buildup in the AC system. Since this "choice" was made by Toyota to gain U.S. CAFE credits, the fault lies more with EPA and DOT than with TMC. Still, the unsuspecting Lexus customer is the one who suffers.

I'll buy an extended factory warranty on the car, run it for another year (20k), then sell it before the chickens come home to roost.