In the News

This spring, Lexus USA started an online invite-only initiative called the Lexus Advisory Board, which will be used to survey existing customers about the brand. With a current membership of 20,000 owners, this group will be polled regularly on marketing and even product planning — here’s some details from The Automotive News:

Lexus is still getting the feel for the research tool. So far one questionnaire focused on owners’ interaction with social media and another involved their relationships with technology.

Upcoming surveys will affect product plans, says Deborah Senior, Lexus corporate manager of marketing strategy and communications.

In building its survey base, Lexus wanted a broad range of demographics, psychographics and vehicle ownership. New members will be added as new vehicles are launched, Senior says.

As a customer-focused company, this is a smart move by Lexus, as it allows them to “beta-test” ideas to a significant and varied audience — though hopefully we’ll continue to see open surveys similar to what Lexus did earlier in the year with the CT 200h/LF-Ch interest survey.

(I know one thing for sure — this is just the beginning of this type of company interaction, and it’s going to be very interesting to watch how this customer-feedback-loop evolves over time.)

[Source: Automotive News]

The Lexus CT 200h is coming to Toronto, Ontario at the end of this month, and Lexus Canada is throwing a big party to welcome the newest addition to the lineup.

The first public reveal of the CT 200hs spotted in California will be marked with three days of free concerts in Toronto’s Distillery District — here’s the full lineup and dates:

• August 27th, 7pm: The Stills
• August 28th, 12pm: Lily Frost
• August 28th, 5pm: The Midway State
• August 29th, 3pm: Paper Lions

I’ll certainly be attending — in fact, this will be my first live look at the CT 200h, so there’s no way I’m missing it. I’m looking forward to taking some photos and getting a good look at the interior.

For more details, you can visit the Lexus Canada website.

A voluntary safety recall has been announced for certain 2003-2007 Lexus LX 470s due to an issue with the steering shaft:

Lexus has determined that the construction of the steering shaft on involved LX 470s is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a deep pothole. If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the full locked position, the steering shaft may disengage over time.

Lexus is not aware of any accidents related to this condition.

The remedy for this condition involves replacing the snap ring with a newly designed one and the installation of an additional component to prevent separation of the steering shaft.

Affected owners will be contacted by mail in August to schedule the no-charge recall remedy at their local Lexus dealership — if you have any questions or concerns, it’s best to contact Lexus Customer Satisfaction 1-800-255-3987 or by visiting the Lexus recall page.
 
The full press release after the jump.

Continue reading this article…

According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of Transportation has analyzed a number of Toyota & Lexus black boxes taken from vehicles involved in “sudden acceleration” accidents, and have discovered that drivers were accidentally pushing the acceleration pedal instead of the brake:

The results suggest that some drivers who said their Toyota and Lexus vehicles surged out of control were mistakenly flooring the accelerator when they intended to jam on the brakes. But the findings don’t exonerate Toyota from two known issues blamed for sudden acceleration in its vehicles: sticky accelerator pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerator pedals to the floor.

The data recorders analyzed by NHTSA were selected by the agency, not Toyota, based on complaints the drivers had filed with the government.

[...]NHTSA has been able to verify only one of those fatal crashes was caused by a problem with the vehicle, according to information the agency provided to the National Academy of Sciences. That accident last Aug. 28, which killed a California highway patrolman and three passengers in a Lexus, was traced to a floor mat that trapped the gas pedal in the depressed position.

The NHTSA spokeswman said the agency was continuing to investigate the Toyota accidents and wouldn’t be prepared to comment fully on the probe until a broader study is completed in conjunction with NASA, which is expected to take months.

While it’s hardly conclusive, it’s definitely a step in the right direction — be sure to read the full article for all the details.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Lexus USA has filed its official papers (PDF Link) for the LS/IS/GS valve spring recall, here is the full list of affected vehicles:

Also included in the recall document is a timeline of how the valve spring fault was discovered, which I’m reprinting here in full after the jump.

(Thanks FYI!)

Continue reading this article…

Bloomberg is reporting that Lexus has been aware of the engine problems behind the recent recall since 2007:

The carmaker received the first customer complaints in March 2007 in Japan regarding defective valve springs that may cause engines to stall, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said by phone today from Tokyo.

The problem occurs when foreign substances enter the material used to make the part, causing the spring to weaken and break, Tokyo-based spokeswoman Monika Saito said. While Toyota decided to address the problem in August 2008 by altering the design of the valve spring and making it thicker, the company didn’t feel that a recall was necessary given the rarity of the problem at the time, she said.

Toyota received 220 complaints in Japan and 210 from overseas, Saito said. The company decided to initiate a recall after acknowledging a rising trend in the complaints, she said.

While this quote may sound well-reasoned, the article’s title Toyota Received Complaints About Lexus Defect in 2007 is anything but, insinuating that Toyota has been dishonest and slow to react. It’s this tone that’s used in articles all over the Internet, which in turn is feeding an unnecessary hysteria.

What’s missing from all these articles is any sense of reasonable expectation. Surely, no one believes Lexus should have issued a recall the minute that first faulty valve spring was discovered in 2007? More test cases were necessary, and once that number was reached, Lexus reacted. Recalls of this magnitude are a result of extensive research and much analysis, and it’s not something that happens over night. To expect otherwise would put so much pressure on all manufacturers that it would certainly bankrupt the entire automotive industry.

There’s no question that a mistake has been made, but let’s keep it in perspective: to date, 0.15% of owners have reported a problem, with the estimate that only 0.2% will ever be affected by this valve spring issue. Lexus is performing an extensive and expensive recall when it’s the last thing the brand needed. This doesn’t strike me as a company trying to hide something, instead it shows me that Lexus is putting their customers first, regardless of the cost.

[Source: Bloomberg]