45000 Miles Check Up

[AxlxA]

my car, 2000 ES300 is at 43k already and i need new brakes, and i keep hearing this freakin sound when i turn my car, sometimes even when i'm driving in a straight. the noise comes from the wheel itself... sounds like the metal disc is rubbing against something. i had lexus look at this before and they said it was the brake sensor rubbing against the disc so they replaced it. sure enough, the sound was still there but i didn't have time to do anything about it. Now that 45k miles is coming up, maybe i can take it to lexus and have them listen to all my problems.

what should this 45k miles check up cover? how much is it about?

Should anyhting be done on the car b/c it's still under warranty(or is it, bought brand new 2000)

I dont wanna get ripped cause i know lexus charges an arm and 2 legs for their everything.

how much would a new bumper + install cost?

[lexusk8]

You're still under the 4 yr/50K Lexus Basic Warranty, which covers all work except wear-and-tear items like brake pads and fluid changes. So whatever is causing the noise when you turn the wheel should be done by Lexus free of charge.

Which bumper (front or rear) are you questioning that needs to be replaced? If you're talking about the rear, estimated quote is about $700, plus paint and install labor if needed. The front one may be about the same amount or less. You can find cheaper, used bumpers at your local junkyard or on Ebay.

[steviej]

the warranty is 4 years from the first date of registration of the car. If it was registered before 6/23/2000, then your warranty is up. If it is not up, it should cover the brake sensor and repairing it, but it will not cover routine break service unless there is a TSB concerning the problem you are having. (I doubt that one).

The 45k service is the same as the 15k service. you can expect $250-400 bill.

All of this stuff can be done at home if you are mechaincally inclined.

the metal sound, make sure it isn't a CV joint or a hub going bad. I wouldn't be surprised if Lexus stalled you until the warranty is out. That way you got to pay full price after the warranty. Document all the times you brought it in for this sound before you warranty is up. If it is a mechanical problem (not brakes) and you warranty is up, you can use this documentation to get them to cover it even when the car is not under warranty because the car was covered when you first reported the problem.

steviej

[AxlxA]

aww they charged me for that sensor thing even though i was still under warranty. that is MESSED UP. car reg back in April 2000 so i guess my 4 year limited warranty is over. the noise comes and goes too. sometimes i can hear it really loud, uusally when car is driving less than 30mph. Sound also occurs when doing a turn at ANY speed. i can only hear it from the driver front wheel but then again i can't really hear the rest of the car. i think i'm looking at about $1000 worth of stuff when i go in for 45k check up because they'll tell me to change brakes and they'll for sure find errors here and there.

at 15000k check up, i thought it was gonna be 400 bucks or so... but they said i needed new set of brakes and one rotor went bad, so totalled out to 850 dollars. what a jip.

[jragosta]

the warranty is 4 years from the first date of registration of the car. If it was registered before 6/23/2000, they your warranty is up. If it is not up, it should cover the brake sensor and repairing it, but it will not cover routine break service unless there is a TSB concerning the problem you are having. (I doubt that one).

The 45k service is the same as the 15k service. you can expect $250-400 bill.

All of this stuff can be done at home if you are mechaincally inclined.

Or any other car repair service you trust. Almost anyone will be less expensive than Lexus.

The list of work to be done is included in the owners' manual or on Lexus' site.

My personal view on things is that I go to third party shops for things like oil change, lubrication, and so on, but not for safety items like brakes (*) or for very technical items involving the computer or transmission.

(*) I will sometimes even go as far as to have brake and suspension work done by a shop I really trust, but so many shops are hiring minimum wage teenagers to do much of their work that I'm not comfortable with it.

Your mileage will, of course, vary with your own comfort level.

[AxlxA]

w00t, i finally went back to lexus asking for brake pads for the rear.

they told me i was still at great shape: 9mm for front, 8mm for rear. i've never changed rear brakes since purchase in April of 2000. The fronts i changed at 8000miles, they said i was driving bad.

So my noise problem coming from the driver's front wheel while just driving regularly. the rubbing metal noise. I asked the mechanic to sit in the car w/ me and the first second he heard it, he was excited because he knew exactly what it was. They said it's the hub deflector and it needed to be replaced. the damn thing cost 20 bucks but the labor made it out to 231 dollars.

They also told me

3 of 4 tires are bald. - $800+

transmission head gasket pan was leaking( i dont know what this is) - $300

Hub deflector - $215

Battery needs to be replaced - $80.

Well i questioned the transmission gasket pan thing cause they did that back at 15k miles too. so i asked if that was under warranty. The service rep opened her drawer, looked at the service manual and told me it was. so i told them to skip out on the tires and the batteries cause i can do that elsewhere.

i didn't want to come away with a 2000 dollar bill. all in all, i paid 231 with 2 service jobs.