2019 LC - Purchase Advise (1 Viewer)

[GeorgeP]

I am reaching out for some advise.
I test drove a 2019 LC yesterday with 2 miles on the odometer. On freeway driving I noticed that it was not driving straight, I had to keep the steering-wheel about 5-10 degrees to the left to correct it. The tires were properly inflated. There is an alignment issue for sure.
How can an LC with 2 miles have an alignment issue?
I walked away form the deal. Dealer said they will fix it. Should I consider buying it or skip this particular vehicle?

 

[Sandroad]

Was the problem the vehicle pulled to the right as you drove it, or was the problem an off-center steering wheel. My '17 came from the dealer with the steering wheel not centered. It took 3 (!) additional alignment attempts to get the steering wheel centered. However, I would not have purchased an LC that pulled to the right/left while driving without a lot of further investigation. Could be a bad tire, could be something bent, could be alignment way off, etc. etc. That dealer should not have allowed a test drive with it less than perfect.

 

[GeorgeP]

Sandroad - Now that you break it down like that, it was an off-center steering wheel. Very odd to have that issue on a vehicle that prides itself on quality.

 

[T4Runner]

If the vehicle wasn’t yet prepped for delivery by the dealership I wouldn’t be too critical of an off center steering wheel. It should be easily remedied.

 

[linuxgod]

How steep is the road crown in your area? 10 degrees would be a lot, but if the road has a strong crown it'll push you to the right and you need to compensate by turning the wheel left.

 

[gaijin]

I am reaching out for some advise.
I test drove a 2019 LC yesterday with 2 miles on the odometer. On freeway driving I noticed that it was not driving straight, I had to keep the steering-wheel about 5-10 degrees to the left to correct it. The tires were properly inflated. There is an alignment issue for sure.
How can an LC with 2 miles have an alignment issue?
I walked away form the deal. Dealer said they will fix it. Should I consider buying it or skip this particular vehicle?

If the LC was parked with the wheels at an angle, and the battery was disconnected, the steering wheel may not be centered when the battery is reconnected. This is due to the elctronic connection between the steering wheel and the wheels becoming out of sync (or some other weird technical explanation about VGRS or some such).

Anywho... it is such a common "problem" that there should be a sticker like this one somewhere in the engine compartment (near the battery):

Since the vehicle you test drove only had 2 miles on it, I suspect the steering system did not have enough time to re-sync and straighten out the position of the steering wheel.

I don't think it's a big problem - certainly not a reason to abandon the deal.

HTH

 

[scottm]

Long ago, cars were aligned with a slight pull to the left to compensate for crown of the roads. I'm not sure if that is still done.

 

[GeorgeP]

If the LC was parked with the wheels at an angle, and the battery was disconnected, the steering wheel may not be centered when the battery is reconnected. This is due to the elctronic connection between the steering wheel and the wheels becoming out of sync (or some other weird technical explanation about VGRS or some such).

Anywho... it is such a common "problem" that there should be a sticker like this one somewhere in the engine compartment (near the battery):

Since the vehicle you test drove only had 2 miles on it, I suspect the steering system did not have enough time to re-sync and straighten out the position of the steering wheel.

I don't think it's a big problem - certainly not a reason to abandon the deal.

HTH

Thank you for the very valuable input. It would have been nice if the dealer had that feedback for me.

 

[04UZJ100]

Isn’t it great buying a premium vehicle when the experience feels like you’re buying a corolla?

Toyota should not be allowed to sell Land Cruisers. They should be sold at Lexus dealers.

 

[T4Runner]

The sales staff know more about Corollas than Land Cruisers...

 

[A10Driver]

Thank you for the very valuable input. It would have been nice if the dealer had that feedback for me.

U r asking the right people for advice, very few dealers have any idea what a landcruiser is or anything about them besides the cost.

 

[mooneywa]

Make double sure that there is no lean to the cruiser. I had a similar alignment issue on my ‘15 and had it aligned multiple times and it was never right. It always leaned 3/4” on the driver’s side and I think this contributed somewhat. The dealer wouldn’t touch it via warranty because it was an “adjustment” and not anything actually broken and of course wanted $400 to even look at adjusting it. I’m not saying this is the case, but something to look out for. KDSS is a nice system, but I get the impression if it’s off (which it rarely is) that it can make a difference in alignment/drivablity.

 

[Reckless]

IMHO avoid the $tealer and find a good indy. I prefer to have my vehicle taken care of by someone who is as passionate about it as I am. When my mechanic works on my car he takes care of it like its his own.

 

[GeorgeP]

Make double sure that there is no lean to the cruiser. I had a similar alignment issue on my ‘15 and had it aligned multiple times and it was never right. It always leaned 3/4” on the driver’s side and I think this contributed somewhat. The dealer wouldn’t touch it via warranty because it was an “adjustment” and not anything actually broken and of course wanted $400 to even look at adjusting it. I’m not saying this is the case, but something to look out for. KDSS is a nice system, but I get the impression if it’s off (which it rarely is) that it can make a difference in alignment/drivablity.

Thank you for the input. How do you measure the lean?

 

[mooneywa]

Just a tape measure center of the wheel to bottom of the fender

 

[GeorgeP]

Thank you guys for all your help and advise. I am the proud owner of my 1st 2019 LC!! Very nice ride!

 

[18Cruiser]

Very nice, congrats

 

[fireball]

Congrats! Terra or black?

 

[GeorgeP]

Terra!