2008 Rx350 Awd ?'s

[GDixon]

Just purchased an 08 RX350 and have some questions. The dealer could not or did not satisfactorily answer them.

1. When driving at highway speeds and then accelerating to pass the car seems to lag or lug for a second after automatically downshifting. If it were a chainsaw, the carb would need adjusting because it was too rich. The service manager said that this is normal - of course. And yes, premium Chevron gas is used. Is this common with an RX transmission?

2. The throttle seems awfully touchy when starting from a stop. It has to be feathered to keep from downshifting and jumping forward as if stung by a bee. Other cars, and even mopeds, can drive away from the RX from a stoplight. That is, unless you want whiplash. Anyone else have this issue?

3. The car came with a towing package but the rear bumper does not have an electrical harness anywhere nearby to accommodate necessary connections. After-market hitches are not yet available for the 2008 but when they are, I can do my own install rather than pay the inflated dealer price. What have other discovered about an electrical harness for trailer lights, tow hitches, and the towing ability of the RX350?

4. Anyone have experience with self-maintenance? The spark plugs appear to be nearly impossible to access, the oil filter and drain plug are covered by a pan, and the owner's manual is skimpy on information. There does not seem to be a third-party service manual by Chilton, HP, or Haynes available. Does anyone know of a source for such information in manual form? The closest Lexus dealer is over an hour away so minor maintenance can be/should be done at home.

So the above will not be confused as gripes, the RX is a very nice car and my wife is completely enamored with it. She makes excuses to run errands now just so she can drive it. For me, it is not like the Porsche we owned but that is a different niche car than the Lexus. The RX makes utility a luxury.

[Sarge538]

Regretfully I am having some of the same problems. No answers. However, concerning self-servicing your Lexus, I was told that the 15,000 mile checkup/oil change, etc, would cost me $365!!! at my local dealership. I'm not wealthy, I just enjoy a really nice vehicle such as the Lexus. I'm ordering oil filters, etc, on-line and will do some of the checkup-work myself. I thought I had paid a reasonable price for my RX-350, but it looks like the Lexus folks want a LOT more of my hard-earned money.

Sarge

[GDixon]

Some of these issues seem to have lessened or gone away as the car has been broken in. Either that or the newness has worn off, the bugs are still there, and they are just not being noticed.

#1 - the throttle delay doesn't seem to be as pronounced.

#2 - jerking still happens but perhaps I'm learning how to deal with it. Acceleration is still abrupt at times.

#3 - the hitch situation is resolved. A hitch was purchased and installed for a fourth of the dealer's price. Details at http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=39543

#4 is partially resolved. The spark plugs are nearly impossible to self-change but are supposed to last for 100K miles. Still no third-party repair manual. The oil change needs a special wrench but there are several helpful posts on this site about the size and availability. My filter wrench is from Assenmacher part # TOY 640 - it appears to be heavier duty than stamped metal or plastic ones. It also fits several Toyota internal replaceable filters on other cars. Wix (or Napa) have the filters for less - cabin and engine air as well.

Some members here take their cars to Toyota for service and save some cash.