Major Repairs 2008 ES350

[rmward]

Would appreciate input on some major repairs that are needed on my mother's 2008 ES 350 with 91,000 miles.

She's a very spry 87, but doesn't drive much, only 3,000 miles/year. The Lexus dealer is recommending the following:

• Replace the rack and pinion assembly as it is leaking from both boots: $3,000 - she hasn't seen any leaks on the garage floor and she scrubs the floor monthly
• Replace both front struts and an alignment: $1,000 - same on this one, no spots on the garage floor
• Door lock actuator replacement (driver's door won't lock or unlock) $600
• Trunk lock repair (Trunk will not open) $425
• Transmission flush: cost TBD - I see this is on the factory maintenance schedule at 90k
• Drain and refill coolant - can't find this on the factory maintenance schedule

To me the sensible thing to do would be to get her a new car, but at her age I'm not confident she could adjust and with the shortage of inventory prices are ridiculous. She has almost always had the car serviced at the Lexus dealer and prefers their work. The few times she took it to a local independent shop the service hasn't been great. 

$5,000+ in repairs to a 91k mile car seems excessive. I've had GM vehicles most of my life and haven't experienced these types of costly repairs. Are these typical with repairs for her ES with the mileage she has?

[Lexigrl]

 

Door lock, trunk lock...that's totally your decision. 

Transmission drain/fill is a good idea. 

Coolant from what I found online per Lexus is 100k miles/120 months (10yrs), so it's overdue as the car is 14 yrs old.

Maintenance Schedules - All Models | Lexus Drivers

 

You have to get underneath the car to see if the rack is leaking from both boots. You usually won't see anything on the floor from this if it's not a huge leak.  

Struts, the same thing you won't see anything on the floor. If it's seeping/leaking, you'll see the dampness on the strut itself. 

I'd bring it elsewhere for a 2nd opinion on the rack and struts and have them show you the leaks.

 

[RX400h]

Where did you get those costs?

It's difficult for me to believe that all of those things need replacing. Our Lexus is close to 17 years old and of all those things listed, only the coolant change was needed as a maintenance item.

By contrast, the two chevys I've owned in the past required thousands of dollars spent on component failures and leaks. Lexus is rated #1 as the most reliable auto brand by Consumer Reports.

You really should take yours to a more reputable mechanic.

[rmward]

Thanks. The costs were from the Lexus dealer where she purchased the car new. 

A second opinion is on the calendar when we get the car back tomorrow. The door lock and the trunk had to be repaired. Can't have her crawling over the passenger seat.

[RX400h]

A good independent shop would most likely charge quite a bit less than the numbers you listed but sometimes a Toyota dealership can save you a chunk, also. When we needed the spark plugs replaced, the Toyota dealership saved us $200. 

[Lexigrl]

I buy my parts and bring any work on my car to a Toyota dealership, easier to get in and less expensive.

[rmward]

Thank you for all the input. We'll see what the independent shop comes back with.

I'm frustrated because the door locks have failed twice in two years and this is also the second time the trunk lock has failed. The first time the door locks failed it was $1,500+ (at the Lexus dealer). I too thought Lexus and Toyota's were supposed to be bulletproof, but maybe she just got a lemon. 

[RX400h]

I've been perusing on and participating in this forum for over 16 years now and have not seen many door lock issues. If this happened to me I would try to find out the root cause of each failed component or subassembly. It is unlikely that the design has changed significantly over the years. My 25 year old Mazda MX6 GT had never had a door lock fail. I guess if there were multiple kids playing with the lock switches, failure could occur.

[Ron721]

On 2/28/2022 at 6:57 PM, rmward said:

Would appreciate input on some major repairs that are needed on my mother's 2008 ES 350 with 91,000 miles.

She's a very spry 87, but doesn't drive much, only 3,000 miles/year. The Lexus dealer is recommending the following:

• Replace the rack and pinion assembly as it is leaking from both boots: $3,000 - she hasn't seen any leaks on the garage floor and she scrubs the floor monthly
• Replace both front struts and an alignment: $1,000 - same on this one, no spots on the garage floor
• Door lock actuator replacement (driver's door won't lock or unlock) $600
• Trunk lock repair (Trunk will not open) $425
• Transmission flush: cost TBD - I see this is on the factory maintenance schedule at 90k
• Drain and refill coolant - can't find this on the factory maintenance schedule

To me the sensible thing to do would be to get her a new car, but at her age I'm not confident she could adjust and with the shortage of inventory prices are ridiculous. She has almost always had the car serviced at the Lexus dealer and prefers their work. The few times she took it to a local independent shop the service hasn't been great. 

$5,000+ in repairs to a 91k mile car seems excessive. I've had GM vehicles most of my life and haven't experienced these types of costly repairs. Are these typical with repairs for her ES with the mileage she has?

 

[Ron721]

Yes, My most recent bill at the Lexus dealership was $4,000: radiator replacement, two front control arms, h2o pump and an alignment.

[RX400h]

....all things that could be done by an honest independent repair shop. Yes, it requires taking the time to bring in the vehicle and paying an inspection fee, but you could save many hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.