[B747fan]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to know from owners of the Lexus ES about how their overall experience has been. A few things that I would like to ask include how is the behaviour of the CVT gearbox, how seamlessly does the hybrid to engine transfer work, and how does the hybrid system perform in general. Also wanted to ask if anyone has faced any issues with the battery, and if there is any insight in the long term durability of the same.

From what I have heard, the fuel efficiency and comfort levels are excellent for a car of this size and price point.

Any inputs will be highly appreciated.

[revsperminute]

Originally Posted by B747fan

. A few things that I would like to ask include how is the behaviour of the CVT gearbox, how seamlessly does the hybrid to engine transfer work, and how does the hybrid system perform in general. Also wanted to ask if anyone has faced any issues with the battery, and if there is any insight in the long term durability of the same.

CVT- Buttery smooth and seamless all the time, no groaning heard or jerks felt. Best driven with part throttle inputs. The car does not like to be hustled. It will gather itself and sprint if you want it to but it will let you know it’s not meant for that. The electric torque does make things better and it doesn’t immediately start screaming like my Honda City CVT does.

Hybrid System- What hybrid system? That’s what you’ll think to yourself when driving the car. Works seamlessly in the background. Even if you floor it from a steady speed of 40kph, the engine comes on and blends in superbly.

Issues- It’s a Toyota. Come on.

Long Term Durability- The car is pretty low to the ground so it needs to be driven keeping that in mind. The thing does feel built to last otherwise.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by B747fan

I wanted to know from owners of the Lexus ES about how their overall experience has been.

In addition to this thread you may wish to go through the one below where I have written about my 6 year tryst with the Es300h.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...62-000-km.html

A few things that I would like to ask include how is the behaviour of the CVT gearbox,

Seamless, smooth, no stretch. You don't feel any gear change.

how seamlessly does the hybrid to engine transfer work, and how does the hybrid system perform in general.

The two parts work as one. You really don't know when one clutches in or declutches.

Also wanted to ask if anyone has faced any issues with the battery,

None whatsoever.

and if there is any insight in the long term durability of the same.

Reliable and with excellent A.S.S. - at least that has been my experience in Delhi-NCR. It sits a little low so be careful on giant speed breakers.

From what I have heard, the fuel efficiency and comfort levels are excellent for a car of this size and price point.

I would agree.

[Dr ST]

Safety concerns in Lexus ES 300 and surprisingly poor customer service from Lexus India

Dear all,
We have had a Lexus ES 300 for the last year. It has been doing well so far. My other drive is a Tiguan Allspace with an Odo reading of 81000 km. It has engine oil consumption issues, so I didn’t want to buy another European car. Audi was the natural step up from the Tiguan, but I purchased a Lexus after hearing about its reliability and fantastic customer service. But I was wrong.

I did a to-and-fro trip of 800-plus km from Kochi to Mangalore. I was returning from Mangalore early morning, and there was too much fog on the windshield and window glass. I switched on all the necessary switches but failed to clear the fogging. For 45 minutes, I was struggling to drive the car safely. I had multiple stops and even missed diversions on the actively renovating highways due to the sudden reappearance of the mist after cleaning. I also had a near-miss head-on with a truck. I consider myself lucky not to get severely injured or die that day. I had never faced this issue in my Tiguan, Superb and other cars.

The saddest part is that I raised this issue with the service manager at Lexus Kochi before the trip during its first service. There were no details regarding the same in the service bill or job cards. That's a real concern. I emailed the same to Lexus India's customer care ID twice, thinking that this error could lead to an accident involving other unsuspecting Lexus owners whose cars may be affected. Unfortunately, there is no reply from Lexus India. There has been no response to my two emails even after 30 days.

Lexus Kochi treated the windshield to prevent fogging. In hindsight, I think the real issue is something else. When the driver is alone, the AC on the co-driver side is inactivated for energy efficiency. There was no air blowing to defog the glass on that side. The easiest way to activate the AC on the passenger side is to push the temperature button up or down a couple of times. To me, it appears to be a dangerous flaw. I may be wrong.

Now, coming to the first year of vehicle service experience, to be honest, it was also not up to the mark. They had a pick-up and drop facility which I appreciate. The fuel lid was open at the time of delivery. I was concerned about that because I have heard people voluntarily putting objects in the fuel tank and spoiling it. The seat was soiled and cleaning was not proper. The dashcam was disconnected. When I informed it they apologised and sent a team (Toyota service team) to rectify the issues. They opened some panels to check the fuel switch without fully explaining it to me. Those panels started to rattle after that. Why should someone remove the panels and check for rust in the switches of a new car? Their internal investigation suggested that the fuel lid was kept open by mistake while cleaning. Then why were the panels opened to examine the switch? I don't understand. I did not make a scene as they told me it was the first time such an incident occurred. I was surprised that no senior person from India’s largest showroom ever called to know the feedback and to reassure their support after their poor service. My discussions with them revealed that they had come to know about the issues. Anyhow, they did not bother.

I have/had owned a Hyundai, TATA Nexon, Skoda Superb, Kushaq, VW Vento and Tiguan. I have always got some reply from the customer service for the various issues. This is not at all acceptable to me and this is a pure lack of respect for the customer. I feel sorry for the Japanese Lexus engineers who made a great automobile but their name is getting spoiled because of pathetic Lexus India’s customer service.

This is in no way an effort to tarnish Lexus because I don’t have a reason to do it. Please consider it as safety information for fellow Lexus ES owners as well, since there may be other cars which are having the same issue, and there will be trouble in the coming winter or if they travel to cold destinations.

Regards

[VND]

Originally Posted by Dr ST

Safety concerns in Lexus ES 300 and surprisingly poor customer service from Lexus India

I did a to-and-fro trip of 800-plus km from Kochi to Mangalore. I was returning from Mangalore early morning, and there was too much fog on the windshield and window glass. I switched on all the necessary switches but failed to clear the fogging. For 45 minutes, I was struggling to drive the car safely. I had multiple stops and even missed diversions on the actively renovating highways due to the sudden reappearance of the mist after cleaning. I also had a near-miss head-on with a truck. I consider myself lucky not to get severely injured or die that day. I had never faced this issue in my Tiguan, Superb and other cars.

The saddest part is that I raised this issue with the service manager at Lexus Kochi before the trip during its first service. There were no details regarding the same in the service bill or job cards. That's a real concern. I emailed the same to Lexus India's customer care ID twice, thinking that this error could lead to an accident involving other unsuspecting Lexus owners whose cars may be affected. Unfortunately, there is no reply from Lexus India. There has been no response to my two emails even after 30 days.

Lexus Kochi treated the windshield to prevent fogging. In hindsight, I think the real issue is something else. When the driver is alone, the AC on the co-driver side is inactivated for energy efficiency. There was no air blowing to defog the glass on that side. The easiest way to activate the AC on the passenger side is to push the temperature button up or down a couple of times. To me, it appears to be a dangerous flaw. I may be wrong.

This seems to be a serious issue if not solved. What's the team at Lexus saying about it? Did they even acknowledge that it is a possibility . Please ask them to find the root cause and get it in writing. Also try emailing them while keeping their International email id's in the loop if they are not replying to your email's at national level.

Thanks for bringing it to notice of fellow members. Hope the issue is solved at the earliest.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by Dr ST

I did a to-and-fro trip of 800-plus km from Kochi to Mangalore. I was returning from Mangalore early morning, and there was too much fog on the windshield and window glass. I switched on all the necessary switches but failed to clear the fogging. For 45 minutes, I was struggling to drive the car safely. I had multiple stops and even missed diversions on the actively renovating highways due to the sudden reappearance of the mist after cleaning.

Originally Posted by Dr ST

The saddest part is that I raised this issue with the service manager at Lexus Kochi before the trip during its first service. There were no details regarding the same in the service bill or job cards. That's a real concern. I emailed the same to Lexus India's customer care ID twice, thinking that this error could lead to an accident involving other unsuspecting Lexus owners whose cars may be affected. Unfortunately, there is no reply from Lexus India. There has been no response to my two emails even after 30 days.

This is quite surprising to read. I was/am actually considering a Lexus over the 'Big 3' germans years down the line for my next car, should I go sedan.

In fact the same ES model as yours and partially for the same reason as yours, for not having to deal with 'german niggles' and complete peace of mind. Reading your post has gotten me a bit concerned now.
Doesn't Lexus historically win those Top lists for the #1 in Reliability, equally the #1 in Service?

[Dhruv29]

Originally Posted by Dr ST

Safety concerns in Lexus ES 300 and surprisingly poor customer service from Lexus India


When the driver is alone, the AC on the co-driver side is inactivated for energy efficiency. There was no air blowing to defog the glass on that side. The easiest way to activate the AC on the passenger side is to push the temperature button up or down a couple of times. To me, it appears to be a dangerous flaw. I may be wrong.

Now, coming to the first year of vehicle service experience, to be honest, it was also not up to the mark. They had a pick-up and drop facility which I appreciate. The fuel lid was open at the time of delivery. I was concerned about that because I have heard people voluntarily putting objects in the fuel tank and spoiling it. The seat was soiled and cleaning was not proper. The dashcam was disconnected. When I informed it they apologised and sent a team (Toyota service team) to rectify the issues. They opened some panels to check the fuel switch without fully explaining it to me. Those panels started to rattle after that. Why should someone remove the panels and check for rust in the switches of a new car? Their internal investigation suggested that the fuel lid was kept open by mistake while cleaning. Then why were the panels opened to examine the switch? I don't understand. I did not make a scene as they told me it was the first time such an incident occurred. I was surprised that no senior person from India’s largest showroom ever called to know the feedback and to reassure their support after their poor service. My discussions with them revealed that they had come to know about the issues. Anyhow, they did not bother.


Regards

It has to be an issue with the HVAC box. Maybe the external air circulation flaps are not functioning as intended. If your A/C system starts after 20 seconds after switching on the vehicle, it means the actuators are not performing as per design.

The service quality has degraded a lot since Lexus launched in India. Gone are the days when the vehicle's steering, seats were covered to protect the semi-aniline leather of the car when it reached the service centre.
Even the bumper and fenders are not properly covered with protective clothing during the service as it was during the initial days of Lexus in India.
The service advisors who i was in touch during the first 4-5 years of ownership have left Toyota too. And they were trained by Lexus during initial brand launch on customer service and satisfaction.

After the service, the vehicle is in queue with regular vehicles and most of the damage happens in that stage. For my car, rear sun blind clips were lost 3 times, iso-fix child seat cover was lost, accelerator pedal cover was misplaced.

I never opted for pick and drop and always went with the vehicle for service and that is why I have seen the quality and care for Lexus vehicles degrade over the years to the point where now Mercedes is far ahead in customer satisfaction. I can attest to it because i have owned both brands. I'll definitely jump ship back to Germans after 4-5 years more of ownership or gamble with the British (seeing how uninspiring car designs are becoming ).