I have a 2010 ES350, and the radio has an intermittent fault whereby, when the weather gets warm and you go over a bump, the stereo switches inputs from Bluetooth (which I use 95% of the time) to Satellite, which I use 0% of the time.
This apparently is caused by a faulty digitizer (touch screen) on the navigation screen. It is a well-known problem for several Lexus models, and a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) was issued shortly when the car was relatively new. However, it’s only turned up in my car in the last year or so. And for most of the year, it doesn’t happen; only in the summer months.
According to posters on some Lexus owners’ sites, Lexus replaced the radios in the first few years (i.e., more than ten years ago), but I don’t assume they would do so for my 15-year-old car. I may take a half-hour drive to my closest dealership and ask them (in the hope that it might be slightly harder for them to say no face-to-face than on the phone), but I’m not hopeful.
There seem to be three solutions, apart from living with it. Remove the affected portion of the unit and replace it with a used one. The obvious problem with that is that there’s no guarantee that the replacement won’t have the same problem or develop it in the near future. But this is the least expensive option, just under $200, and perhaps the easiest installation.
The next is to remove the screen, remove the digitizer from the screen, and replace it with a new one. The part costs about $200, but the removal process is a little tricky. I could probably manage it.
The last and most expensive, but potentially biggest improvement, is to replace the whole unit with a new one made specifically for this and similar models. Like this.
This one, and others like it, are between $350 and $400, are made in China, and seem to be available mainly through eBay. There are several similar ones that specifically state they won’t fit my trim level, but this one doesn’t. (I will email the seller to check before buying, of course.) Amazon doesn’t seem to have any that are exactly right for my car.
The listed capabilities of a unit like this would be a wonderful upgrade, and although pricey, I think it would be worth the money (barely) IF – big IF – it could really be installed in my car, and would actually work as advertised.
But the expense plus the lack of any name brand or reliable source make me leery. Especially if returning it for a refund would be a hassle.
What do you think?