Lazy and unacceptable design choices from the biggest autocompany on the planet

[6-funk]

Ive had similar AC issues, kids melting in the back while I'm basking in cool comfort. But I've also grabbed stuff from the way back that's been ice cold! I've had outboard passengers in the middle row complain about the "kidney vents" that blast cold air on those parts as well. It's quirky for sure, but when it's on, it works very well! Anybody notice the condensation that drips from the driver's front mud flap and the passenger rear after the AC been running?

 

[ultane]

Ive had similar AC issues, kids melting in the back while I'm basking in cool comfort. But I've also grabbed stuff from the way back that's been ice cold! I've had outboard passengers in the middle row complain about the "kidney vents" that blast cold air on those parts as well. It's quirky for sure, but when it's on, it works very well! Anybody notice the condensation that drips from the driver's front mud flap and the passenger rear after the AC been running?

I thought those ‘kidney vents’ were air intakes for the hybrid battery cooling system… (?)

 

[6-funk]

I don't know my daughter had to block it with a stuffed animal to keep it from freezing her side! Fwiw I usually run the AC vents set to face and feet, I just assumed that the "kidney vent" was the "feet" part. Come to think of it, that's probably why Ive grabbed ice cold backpacks from the way back too. I never sat back there and tested it tho

 

[WookieBait]

Can't you also turn the S-Flow thing off in the settings menu?

I have dug around for it and not seen a way to disable it. I've actually considered getting rid of my Land cruiser over it but hoping there's an update or a setting that can be done. Never had this issue with my GX460 or previous cars.

 

[Bad1975]

S-flow control can be totally turned off by the dealer it’s a setting in GTS+, I did this on mine and the rear system remains in the last state before shutting down.

 

[Captain Trips]

In this scenario, you can also control the rear climate settings from the front by pressing the "REAR" button

Press the rear button, bump the temperature up or down 1°, press sync, and everything is working fine

 

[Captain Trips]

S-flow control can be totally turned off by the dealer it’s a setting in GTS+, I did this on mine and the rear system remains in the last state before shutting down.

You could turn off as flow yourself in the head unit menus, but is inconsistent. Sometimes it is retained after a restart, sometimes it is not. That seems like a programming bug to me.

Above I posted another way around this by pressing the rear, bumped temperature up or down 1°, and then press sync. I really hate having to go through that head unit menu.

 

[PDPete]

You could turn off as flow yourself in the head unit menus, but is inconsistent. Sometimes it is retained after a restart, sometimes it is not. That seems like a programming bug to me.

Above I posted another way around this by pressing the rear, bumped temperature up or down 1°, and then press sync. I really hate having to go through that head unit menu.

Nope...

Yep, that’s intended functionality. It returns to auto mode after the ignition is off for 60 mins. Page 476.

 

[Captain Trips]

I have dug around for it and not seen a way to disable it. I've actually considered getting rid of my Land cruiser over it but hoping there's an update or a setting that can be done. Never had this issue with my GX460 or previous cars.

I’ve circled the button that enables are disabled S flow or the rear air conditioner in the head unit menus.

 

[Captain Trips]

Yep, that’s intended functionality. It returns to auto mode after the ignition is off for 60 mins. Page 476.

This is not consistent. On mine, the setting is retained till the next day sometimes. Sometimes not.

 

[WookieBait]

S-flow control can be totally turned off by the dealer it’s a setting in GTS+, I did this on mine and the rear system remains in the last state before shutting down.

My dealer supposedly did this and still doesn't stay off ..

 

[WookieBait]

I’ve circled the button that enables are disabled S flow or the rear air conditioner in the head unit menus.

Yup it only works temporarily, will just turn back on on its own. I've read the manual as others have mentioned the way it behaves is like a software bug.

 

[LCNorth]

Weird. I don’t have any of these issues.

I turned the S-Flow off and it stayed off.

My only gripe is that the heated wiper section of the windshield is buried in the infotainment, not a button (if you have the rear climate).

Really though, everything is great.

 

[5Runner]

Weird. I don’t have any of these issues.

I turned the S-Flow off and it stayed off.

My only gripe is that the heated wiper section of the windshield is buried in the infotainment, not a button (if you have the rear climate).

Really though, everything is great.

Ha, is that the de-icer toggle in the climate menu’s options screen? I saw your post and had to run out and check mine. I didn’t realize it had the front wiper heater, if that’s what it is. It’s like someone went out of their way to hide it.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

Can somebody say Bentayga.............or maybe Range Rover Autobiography..................?

 

[LCNorth]

Ha, is that the de-icer toggle in the climate menu’s options screen? I saw your post and had to run out and check mine. I didn’t realize it had the front wiper heater, if that’s what it is. It’s like someone went out of their way to hide it.

That’s it! Having to go layers deep in the menu with all that white space available really makes it seem like something the intern forgot to do before the design deadline. LOL.

 

[Mtn40]

Another lazy overlooked design issue .
Removing or deflated spare will disable readings for other 4 main tpms

Is this the display you’re talking about? I haven’t seen that issue.

 

[ChrisMA1B]

I’ve read here that the windshields on Premium equipped LC trim costs $2000 retail because of the coating for HUD operation.

My 1958 trim does not have a head-up display, nor a sun roof - which is one reason I bought the 1958 trim, not the "Premium" LC trim package. At a pretty minimal cost difference, cost had very little to do with my choice of the 1958 trim model.

 

[BlueCruiser]

Most of these issues are shared across both lc250 and the gx. I just can’t fathom how Toyota has gotten these designs so wrong with so much RD budget and almost 2 decades of development time. Some of the issues are not even acceptable from a young startup :
1. Rock rails that can’t be used as steps- wth is going on here. Did the designers ever put their damn first articles into use before it went to production ? The answer has to be a no because nobody would find this acceptable

2. Heads-up display sun reflection on the windshield- again around 2-3 pm I get a super distracting magnify type glare reflected from the hud glass on to the windshield. It is to a point that I want to cover the hud completely

3. Noisy crossbars - these crossbars haul at any speed over 45. My bmw and Volvo that have cross bars don’t make any noise.

4. Extremely noisy gx roofrack- the roofrack is flat out undeliverable . It shakes the whole roof over 55mph. At almost 2k price point every gx owner immediately takes them off at the time of delivery

5. Lc FE roofrack- the plastic front wind deflector is flimsy and will make contact with the roof making constant banging noise on the freeway. I had to stick a 3M tape between the plastic and the roof to dampen the noise

6. Trd exhaust - gx trd exhaust at 2k plus is drony and flat out unbearable

7. Capacitive sensing interior lights - good luck opening the sunroof without accidentally turning on the lights. This could have been easily mitigated by debounce timing

8. Ac - the gx has something called the s flow which directs air to occupied passenger seats however for some reason it doesn’t detect a toddler in the child seat, despite the child seat being secured by the seatbelt - now every time I’m driving with my kid I have to reach out to make sure the events have flow

I can understand ( to some degree) the design choices that led to small gas tanks and annoying Nannies due regulations etc but none of the above fall in that category and it is nothing but lazy engineering.

Being in charge of RD in a midsize startup , usability testing , limited market release ,and voice of customer is an essential part of every product release which makes me believe that these damn engineers never cared to test their own product.

Ironically, the fact that your list is so minimal, it actually argues the other side of the argument.

If those are the only things you can come up with after supposedly decades of development then it actually looks like they did an outstanding job on a first release on a new generation, class leading vehicle. In order to make the list longer, you also combined two different vehicles and included several that could be manufacturing or component supply issues rather than design choices.

Are you sure you don't want to rename this the , "I can't believe how little I have to complain about" thread?

 

[ovʀʟxnᴅ]

Yes, but it's carbon-neutral.