NHTSA Complaint #10183301 — 2001 LEXUS LS430

THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT TO MY INITIAL COMPLAINT # 10181946 WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME COMPLAINT AS # 10178801. I HAVE POSTED MY COMPLAINT ON EDMUNDS CHAT ROOM AND GOT THIS RESPONSE: "I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 LS 430 TRUNK STRUTS. I HAVE CALLED AND VISITED 5 DIFFERENT AUTO PARTS STORES AND THE STRUTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALER. THE TRUNK LID HAS FELL ON MY HEAD NUMEROUS TIMES. IT IS INDEED A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT OF LEXUS QUALITY. THE TRUNK STRUTS/SHOCKS ARE LABELED AS "1FE28 W676". LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE FOUND ANY AFTERMARKET ALTERNATIVES. I DO NOT WANT TO BUY NEW ONES FROM LEXUS IF THEY ARE ONLY GOING TO FAIL AGAIN IN A SHORT TIME. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM W/THE TRUNK STRUTS/SHOCKS, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO RESPOND TO THE MESSAGE POSTED BY "SLEXY1" (MSG. #8044)OR THIS MESSAGE, TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS TO YOUR LOCAL LEXUS DEALER, AND FINALLY TO CONTACT LEXUS BY THE 800 NUMBER FOR CUSTOMER CARE. MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME POSITIVE RESPONSES IF WE ALL COMPLAIN TOGETHER. THANKS! MATTHEW MANNING RXSTUDENTSBCGLOBAL.NET " PLEASE KNOW THIS NEW INFORMATION THAT I FOUND OUT FROM MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER. I BASICALLY FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE CAR AT IN 10/00 THAT THE PART NUMBER FOR THOSE TRUNK STRUTS WAS CHANGED FROM ENDING IN "30" TO "31" SOMETIME AFTER 2001. LEXUS KEEPS THE REASONS FOR THESE CHANGES A SECRET EVEN FROM THEIR DEALERS, SO I COULD NOT FIND OUT "WHY" FOR THE CHANGE. BUT, I'M REQUESTING THAT LEXUS CORPORATE ALLOW MY DEALER TO INSTALL THE "31" TRUNK STRUTS, AS I'M FAIRLY SURE THAT THE NEW ONES HAVE BEEN "BEEFED UP". *JB