New Member, Help, I'm Horrified!

[Simone777]

Year: 2008

Model: RX-350

Mileage: 124,000

Re: Horrific Repairs at 124K Miles!

I am a new member to the Lexus Owners Club. My RX- 350, SUV is currently at the local Lexus Dealership for the replacement of Spark Plugs. According to my advisor, this service is apart of the routine maintenance and is generally done at the 120k Mileage mark. Earlier today, I contacted my service advisor to check the status of the spark plug replacement and was horrified when he told me I needed 2 huge additional repairs.

-I have a Rear Main Seal, Oil Leak, where the transmission bolts to engine. (was told the oil is leaking in manner where it staying on the engine parts only. (Cost, $2,000)

-Was told the "the Boot is ripped on my steering rack" and it is leaking power steering fluid. (Cost, $1,000)

Help! Are these repairs normal for an RX-350 with 124K miles on it?

This is my 2nd RX, I do not recall having repairs of this manitude at 124K miles.

Any suggestions you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Shayla

[lenore]

not normal at all....Has the vehicle a good record of oil changes? The rear main seal leak was a problem on the 99RX300 but havent heard any problems on the Newer RX's....I would try Auto RX and let the oil leak go. As for the steering rack that too is weird.....

[cduluk]

Hmm... lenore, isn't this the second or third report we've had on here with complaints of major issues of 07/08 RX models with higher mileage? It's beginning to look like this is "normal"...

[lenore]

Not sure, are they Canadian built cars? That would be an interesting statistic....My RX has 105k miles...I expect to change plugs at around 125 k miles. The rear main seal bothers me, especially since most of these cars use synthetic now...I know on the old RX with poor or dino oil changes the seals would build up with debris and wear them....I know a treatment of Auto RX has stopped or nearly stopped many a rear seal leak on these forums....I personally have never used it...

[The G Man]

For that kind of money, I would not fix it. It sounds like they are very minor leaks, I would just keep an eye on the oil and transmssion fluid level. Nothing last forever, rubber boot and gaskets do degrade when they get old and will have minor leaks. Although your car is not that old, it just have high mileage.

[jaswood]

Year: 2008

Model: RX-350

Mileage: 124,000

Re: Horrific Repairs at 124K Miles!

I am a new member to the Lexus Owners Club. My RX- 350, SUV is currently at the local Lexus Dealership for the replacement of Spark Plugs. According to my advisor, this service is apart of the routine maintenance and is generally done at the 120k Mileage mark. Earlier today, I contacted my service advisor to check the status of the spark plug replacement and was horrified when he told me I needed 2 huge additional repairs.

-I have a Rear Main Seal, Oil Leak, where the transmission bolts to engine. (was told the oil is leaking in manner where it staying on the engine parts only. (Cost, $2,000)

The question becomes, "what is the RATE at which engine oil is leaking..?"

Have you noticed an unusual level of oil burn with past oil changes??

Years ago my '95 LS400 went into Lexus for an oil change and I was contacted over this rear engine seal matter. My LS400 was parked inside EVERY night and the floor underneath was noting less than pristine, no sign, NONE of leaking engine oil.

It was at that point that I discovered a "rumor" that it was a habit of service departments to overfill the engine oil, drive the car until the seal failed, and then return the oil to the proper level.

The LS went to a third party for a $1100 charge, $2000 at Lexus, for replacing the rear seal.

-Was told the "the Boot is ripped on my steering rack" and it is leaking power steering fluid. (Cost, $1,000)

Replacing that "boot" is a relatively simple task, less than $200 labor/parts combined, and there is ALWAYS a certain amount of PS fluid trapped inside either boot. The question becomes, yet again, just what is the rate of depletion of PS fluid as a result of the leak..?

ted.

Thanks,

Shayla

Sounds as if your (st,d)ealers son needs tuition money.

[jondoe888]

Unless you really like the coffee and danish at Lexus, the Toyota shop is just as good. Much cheaper. The best deal is a local shop with a good reputation.

(try' car talk/mechanics files', if nothing else)

Get a 2nd opinion for these issues. A trusted one.