Keep at it HGB. These cruisers are tough. Even with deliberate abuse they'll keep ticking.
I agree that the likely culprit to the shudder is fluid/fluid level. Don't allow anyone to use any fluid or additives except for Toyota factory fill. There's a special procedure as mentioned to get the final level correct that involves the ECU acknowledging the right temperature before checking fill level at a plug. Unlike older vehicles which require no such thing and just require filling to the fill plug.
In regards to the Mark Levinson, glad she flickered back to life. I would definitely troubleshoot to make sure water didn't ingress from some unexpected place. Perhaps they just left the window cracked or sunroof open. But there's been cases of bad replacement windshields not being well sealed, allowing water to get behind the interior firewall, damaging electronics and harnesses. Also check the A/C drains and roof drains. Is the roof rack stock? Hopefully no one compromised the roof rack mount seals.
This is a great community as you're probably already seeing. We hope you'll get through this and stick around. I think your cruiser will earn back its trust!
You’re the man. I can’t thank you and the entire MUD community enough. I came back to the LX world after going through two G wagons. I had an 06 470 very recently and it was mint in every way. I wanted the newer features witboit the German cost of ownership/headaches so I thought a pre-facelifted LX would fit the bill!
I will avoid going the additive route per your advice. Do you think the Toyota dealer can do the fluid exchange I need? Or only Lexus? What should I ask for verbatim? I know verbiage seems to make a big difference as it pertains to fluid drain and fill, flush, or exchange. should I ask for a new transmission screen? Anything else? Should just one trip to the dealer be enough or should I do multiple exchanges as suggested by a previous member?
As it pertains to the windshield, I believe it was replaced at some point at Lexus. My Lexus dealer believed it to be original because of the Lexus logo; but I could have sworn I saw a record of replacement in the past. I’ll confirm. It would also have a logo if it were replaced at dealer, so I’m not sure why he concluded such.
Rack is stock. Any idea how to check the drains? i suppose I can have Toyota do that as well. I feel like water is getting in somewhere during HEAVY rain, but not just light rainfall.
Radio was replaced when car was one year old due to a short in the system that rendered the nav inop. Radio replaced and car sold as a CPO in 2016. 2017 the owner came in stating sounds randomly stop working. Lexus troubleshot the issue twice on different occasions for 30 minutes of radio play and could not get the sound system to stop operating. They advised not to fix anything per Lexus dealer.
Trying to piece together the dots.
Lexus did say the car other than the trans is mint and seems to be in SOLID shape with no leaks etc.
The only other issue I notice is when on the highway and I hit a bump, pothole, divot, etc. the car rebounds and feels floaty. It also rides a lot bouncier than my 470, no matter what more the AHC is in. Might just be the difference in truck.