RX in NC

Say what you want, wwest, but the RX330 is indeed an all-around better-built vehicle than the early RX300 is. It has more engine power and does not suffer from the oil gelling issue, it has not shown a tendency to be prone to transmission failure, it does not suffer from the rear main seal oil leak issue, it is not prone to exhaust manifold cracking, it does not burn through oxygen sensors as the RX300 does, and it does not have improperly designed strut mount bushings. It also delivers a better ride and improved steering control (especially in tight turns). And it even achieves slightly better gas mileage. That certainly doesn't infer that it is a world-class SUV because it is far from that. Look at the choices I've already listed that are definitely better all-wheel-drive vehicles than any RX. Yes, the RX330 still has many weaknesses including what I consider to be less-than-desirable brakes, a weak AWD system, a transmission that still doesn't shift nearly as smoothly as my 8-year-old Dodge Ram pickup does, and a proclivity to develop interior rattles that is inexcusable for a vehicle in its price range. But it is better than the lousy 1999 and 2000 RX300s that preceeded it. We've owned a 2000. We now own a 2004. I've had enough experience with each to know that the 2004 should present fewer serious problems over its lifespan in our household. And at this point, that's what I care about. It's not my vehicle - I never would have chosen it - but I have to maintain it. I'd rather be stuck with a 2004 RX330 AWD than our old 2000 RX300 AWD, hands down....

I've described the two individual TSBs in my initial post that leads off this thread. One provides new front rotors, the other provides a new transmission oil cooler tube assembly. The new front rotors are supposedly better-made, and the new tube assembly supposedly fits better and tighter to prevent noise. We'll see.... There are a number of RX330 owners on this forum who have complained about short brake pad life and warping rotors, so obviously something changed between the RX300 and RX330 since it was well-known that RX300 brakes lasted a very long time (usually more than 75,000 miles for careful, average drivers). Perhaps Lexus attempted to cut costs on the rotors for the RX330, went to a different supplier, and therefore created problems where there didn't used to be any. As long as these new front rotors will keep quiet and not wear out so quickly, I'll be satisfied with this particular issue. Right now it is the only major issue on my wife's vehicle. But she is getting annoyed with the various interior rattles that have required multiple trips to the dealership to finally get resolved. All in all I still believe that the RX330 is a better vehicle than the RX300 is. But it remains quite inferior to a number of other all-wheel-drive SUV choices that she could have made including the Acura RDX, the Mazda CX7, the Subaru Outback, or another Jeep Grand Cherokee....

Sure hope that you are not experiencing early warning signs of impending transmission failure.... I wonder if in doing all of that transmission flushing you endorse, you've now dredged up significant amounts of particulate matter that had settled into the transmission pan (and would have been easily removed through normal drain-and-fills) but is now lodged throughout your transmission valve bodies and is beginning to interfere with shifting performance? I'm sure that your tranny shop will say no since they certainly want to avoid the liability, but it may now behoove you to spend some time researching this possibility....

As expected, our local Lexus service manager readily agreed to perform both TSB upgrades that I requested yesterday. We'll see if that resolves the front brake noise issue once and for all, and it will be nice to have a brand-new set of front rotors before my wife passes the 50,000-mile mark later on this summer. Should have the vehicle back by Wednesday or Thursday since we're having several other warranty issues addressed during this same visit to the dealership. They are making second attempts to quiet a couple of back-seat rattles and fix the drivers seat heater that has consistently tended to heat for awhile and then lose effectiveness. So we'll see how that goes....

Jeep will survive and prosper because of its heritage, off-road capabilities, and worldwide customer base. Dodge will survive (but possibly not prosper) because of its trucks. Chrysler probably will not survive as a brand. It simply doesn't have a strong product mix any longer, and given the shape of American automobile companies today, it will be extremely difficult to rebuild such a product mix. There's no question that Jeep and Dodge will eventually be sold to other interests, probably separately and to different enterprises. But those events won't take place for a number of years yet. The surviving divisions must be brought back to acceptable financial health first, and that's going to take some time. Ford faces just as dour a future, and while GM seems to have made some progress towards cost-cutting and potential future profitability (albeit in a much smaller existence), their jury is still out as well. As I said before, the American automotive industry remains in dire straights. These companies' salad days are long behind them, and I believe that the only chance they have to return to prominence is to throw their efforts completely towards hydrogen-fueled vehicles and be the first to bring working and affordable models to the worldwide stage. Of course, many challenges of getting a hydrogen fueling infrastructure designed and functional here in the U.S. remain to be solved, and GM must stay in the game long enough to get there. Unless some monumental technological breakthroughs are on the verge of occuring right now, we're probably talking at least another 10 to 12 years....

After doing considerable research on the very few tires available for the 18-inch wheels on my wife's 2004 RX330, it became fairly obvious that the Bridgestone Alenza was the best choice. It carries a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, it has more tread depth than the Michelin MXV4 S8, the Michelin has no treadwear warranty at all, and the customers at tirerack.com collectively rated the Alenza as the best tire in its particular category. I've had the Alenzas on her vehicle for approximately 7,000 miles now and they have been as good as advertised to this point. I believe the Alenza is absolutely the best all-around tire for this application. They are pricey, but so are the Michelins. But the Michelins will wind up being especially costly because they do not carry a treadwear warranty and they tend to be shot by 35,000 miles. Go with the Alenzas if you can find them. Earlier this year they were hard to find in stock due to their growing popularity as more and more owners research them and discover the weaknesses of the Michelins....

Require your dealership to perform their latest firmware upgrade to your Electronic Control Module. For some RX330 drivers, the firmware upgrade does indeed improve transmission shift quality somewhat. I had it done to my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD within two weeks after purchasing the vehicle in late January, and the transmission shift quality did improve somewhat. It does shift much better than her previous 2000 RX300 AWD dog-of-an-SUV did. But it still doesn't shift as well as my 1999 Ram pick-up. Sad, but true....

Any 2004 RX330 owners out there who have successfully resolved intermittent "clunk" or "groan" noises originating in the front brakes when braking fairly quickly from about 40 mph or so? I noticed a clunk/groan or two last weekend while driving my wife's RX. These noises are NOT due to the brake pads wearing down to the point where they are beginning to chirp - I pulled the wheels and checked the pads; they have at least half of their original pad thickness remaining. After doing some research I learned that there are two Technical Service Bulletins on the 2004 RX330 that may be involved in this particular issue. One TSB involves replacing the original rotors with a better designed-and-engineered rotor that is less prone to warping (TSB 004-04), and the other TSB involves replacing the original transmission oil cooler tube assembly with one that is better designed for a tighter fit to eliminate noise upon braking (TSB 002-04). Has anyone out there had either or both of these TSBs done to their 2004 RX330? If so, did it eliminate the annoying noises upon quick braking? My wife's RX goes into the dealership this coming Monday for a list of warranty repairs and this particular problem is by far the most important (and annoying). I'll update this thread on what was determined and what actions were taken once I have the results. In the meantime, if you've dealt with this problem and had it resolved, please post here as well. Thanks.

Some soft-compounded tires do indeed require a slight warm-up period first thing each morning, but not to the extent that you have described. Ten miles is an incredibly long warm-up interval - I would be willing to accept a mile or two, but no more. When faced with the cold Minnesota winters come November or so, your tires may require all day to warm up adequately to suit your needs. I would try increasing the psi as a first step. What are you currently running? If it is perhaps 30 psi, then bump them up to around 36 psi and see if that makes a difference. You may wind up backing them down to around 32 or 33 psi. The next step would be to ask Discount Tire to check each wheel to assure that it is in fact within balance specifications. But the big question I have to ask you is this - why did you put a Z-rated tire on an LS? That is absolute overkill. The LS is not a performance sedan or sports car. I believe that an H-rated tire would be just fine, and I certainly would go no further than a V-rated tire. Sounds as if you got talked into a set of tires that simply doesn't fit your vehicle or application. You may be better off moving to a more conventional H-rated or V-rated tire for that platform. Keep us posted on your results.

Dodge and Jeep will survive and continue to prosper in what will have to be significantly smaller and leaner enterprises than they are today. They will probably be sold separately to other interests, perhaps four or five years from now. But I predict that the Chrysler brand will disappear, just as the Plymouth brand did a few years back. The future of the American automobile is very much in doubt these days. How I would hate to have to earn my livelihood dependent upon the sinking industries in Detroit....

Yep, those first-generation Z-cars were really unique and ahead of their time. The first true Japanese sports car that made its way to America and enjoyed tremendous success here - the Z-car really put Datsun on the map. I very rarely see one these days, but whenever I do, my eyes follow it until the Z-car is out of sight. And I think back to all the great times and trips that I enjoyed in mine....

Yep, the RX series is definitely a "chick car". Always has been, always will be....

I've owned somewhere around 25 vehicles in the 37-plus years I've been driving, and the worst one, hands down, was my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD. No other vehicle even came close to having as many different and expensive problems as this one did. Fortunately, our local Lexus service manager ponied up for all of the major repairs that had to be done, including after the warranty expired. But I'm glad that the vehicle is no longer in our stable. The best vehicle I've ever owned? My sentimental favorite would be my 1974 Datsun 260Z. It was my first new car and I kept it longer than any other vehicle I've ever owned - almost 14 years and over 300,000 miles. Never had to even open the engine and it never burned a drop of oil. But it went through five or six batteries and a couple of starters (that car hated it when the outside temps were under 20 degrees), and the twin Hitachi carburetors (before the days of fuel injection) could be tricky to keep in synch at times. I still miss that car today and wish I had it back in mint condition.... But from a "do its duty without fail every single day" perspective, the best vehicle I've ever owned is my current 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 series 5.9-litre V8 pickup. It can fly, the transmission is smooth as silk, the ride is outstanding, the headroom and legroom is superb, and it simply doesn't break. In over seven years of ownership, other than routine oil and filter changes, one coolant change, one new battery, and one new set of tires, all it has needed from me has been one license plate bulb lamp replaced and a new catalytic converter which was fully covered under the warranty. That's it. Talk about a dream to maintain - you just can't beat it....

Proper belt replacement jobs (any belt, not just a timing belt) don't require a break-in period at all. In fact, a new belt properly installed, aligned, and tightened delivers its very best performance and quietness during the first few thousand miles of its life and then gradually decays over time. Your dealer is attempting to blow smoke up your !Removed!. Don't let him get away with it....

Unfortunately, a very common complaint. If you haven't done so yet, search this forum using "RX330 rattles" as your key words. You should find many different threads covering this subject over the past few months. Some folks have had success finding and fixing them, others haven't. My wife's 2004 model had one particularly annoying rattle in the dash that the Lexus techs found and fixed with additional foam insulation. Now, sometimes her rear seat armrest mechanism chatters and sometimes it doesn't. That's on our list of warranty items to get resolved before she rolls over the 50,000-mile mark probably by the end of June. I'm just glad I don't have to drive the thing....

SW03ES nailed this subject. Lexus quality and service has been gradually slipping while other hungrier manufacturers are drastically improving their products in amazingly short periods of time. Sooner or later, RX330driver will be forced to remove his blinders and open his mind....

So their "visual inspection" causes them to conclude that your alignment is fine, huh? What a bunch of clowns. No visual inspection can determine your exact alignment specs. You need to challenge them on this and make them do a computerized alignment inspection for you once they get their lazy asses in gear and get their alignment system repaired and functional. Inexcusable. It sounds to me as if you do have an alignment issue, especially since the problem involves outside treadwear on just one of your front tires. Most front-wheel-drive vehicles cause harsher treadwear on the front tires compared to the rear, but if your alignment is in spec then your front tires should be wearing rather evenly in much the same pattern. This obviously isn't happening. Does your wife routinely hit curbs when she is parking, especially that front passenger-side tire?

NC211, Glad to know that you finally came to your senses regarding Bush. I've been a registered Republican since I became old enough to vote (back in the Stone Ages - 1972) and while never voting for him, I've been ashamed of his stupidity, ignorance, and monarchy tendencies since even before 9/11. He is absolutely the worst president we've endured in the past 100 years, and if the Iraq quagmire continues on its current death spiral, he will go down in history as the worst president in the entire span of U.S. history. The only positive outcome I can think of about his future is that when it comes time to build his presidential library, it shouldn't cost us taxpayers more than about 25 bucks. All the George W. Bush Presidential Library will need is five or six coloring books and a cardboard box to keep them in....

Unfortunately, freak events such as this one truly are not preventable. Someone who is warped enough to decide that he will select his time to die and intends to take as many people with him on his chosen day will always have a window of time to plan the event, acquire the weaponry, and carry out the decision. As long as he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't expose his intentions to anyone, he will unfortunately get away with multiple deaths before law enforcement can get the SWAT team in to take him out. No, it's not fair. It's tragic for the innocent victims and their families whose lives will never be the same. But no society can regulate insanity. Warped and twisted people do cruel and viscious things. I agree with you about handguns. They exist only to kill people. No fair and true hunter needs a handgun. We need to find an effective way to eliminate them from the general population.

It might be a little bit of all of the above. Some RX330 owners believe that the units built in Japan are better than the units built in Canada. I believe that's a fair statement given that the Canadian plant didn't begin building RX330s until the 2004 model year. Plastic parts in the dash, rear seat areas, and hatch areas do tend to rub and squeak, especially during the colder winter months. Some owners have had success quieting these squeaks and rattles while others have not. Your success may depend upon the skill of the technicians in your dealership who attempt to chase these squeaks and rattles down for you. As far as design is concerned, believe it or not the RX330 is a better vehicle than the previous RX300. We've owned both and there's no question that the RX330 has a better transmission design and is a bit more roadworthy than the RX300. As far as tires are concerned, living in Minnesota will really challenge your vehicle's capabilities in wintertime so dedicated snow tires during the winter months are probably best for your application. With these 18-inch wheels, your tire choices are quite limited. But for a good all-around true SUV tire, I recommend the Bridgestone Alenza. My wife has put about 6,000 miles on her set of Alenzas thus far and it is a great tire (although pricey, as all 18-inch tires are). The Alenzas are far more rain-and-snow capable than the Michelin MXV4 S8 tires that many RX330 owners are getting talked into buying at the tire stores these days. Check 'em out at tirerack.com. My wife is the primary RX driver in our family. These crackerboxes are too small, underpowered, and annoying for me. Good luck with yours.

I agree - the MDX is a better vehicle than the RX330. Good luck with yours....

Yesterday I did the first oil and filter change and transmission fluid drain-and-fill on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD since we purchased it in late January. After jacking up the vehicle and crawling under it to have a close look at the underbody plastic covers, the solution on what to do about these covers came to me quickly. There is an easy-access "trap door" that accesses the oil pan drain plug once you remove four small bolts. Takes no more than a minute to remove or install with a socket wrench, so this was a pleasant surprise. I'll keep it in place as designed. After guessing about where the transmission pan drain plug should be based upon my knowledge of our previous 2000 RX300 AWD, I began poking around and peering through a couple of the small vent holes (probably 1" by 1") in the large main plastic cover. I spotted the transmission pan drain plug directly above the location of one of the small vent holes. The vent hole was large enough to stick the necessary 10mm hex wrench through and drop the drain plug, but it would not have been large enough to allow for proper gravitational drainage of the ATF without the old fluid draining all over the plastic cover and running off all over the driveway, nor would I have had enough room to replace the drain plug with my fingers prior to using the 10mm hex wrench to tighten it back into position. So rather than spending probably 30 minutes or more removing the many bolts that hold the large plastic cover in place underneath the chassis, I reached for my hand-held jigsaw and simply enlarged the 1" by 1" vent hole directly underneath the transmission pan drain plug to about 3" by 3". Plenty of room now to drain the ATF without it running all over the place and I now have adequate space to use my fingers to start the drain plug back into its hole in the pan once I've drained the old fluid out. So the large plastic cover can stay in place through most routine maintenance now. Replacing belts or some of the oxygen sensors will probably require it to be removed, but that's understandable. I just don't want to have to remove it for simple procedures such as fluid changes. Enlarging the vent hole at the ATF drain plug makes this a simple task again. Those of you who do your own ATF drain-and-fills may want to consider this solution. Sure worked for me....

newton cd, There is a Lexus Technical Service Bulletin covering the 2004 RX330 warping rotors issue. Supposedly it involves better engineered-and-constructed rotors and possibly other brake components replacing the original components. Did you take advantage of this TSB at your Lexus dealership while your vehicle was still under warranty? If you did, it appears that this TSB made little-to-no difference in your particular case. I'm planning on requiring our Lexus dealership to perform this TSB on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD vehicle before the warranty runs its course at 50,000 miles. I don't characterize her rotors as truly "warped" yet, but I don't like the quick groaning sound they sometimes make during the final stages of low-speed braking. This occurs only sporadically, but it certainly merits my attention before warranty expiration. I'm going to do my first oil & filter change, Type T-IV ATF drain-and-fill, and tire rotation on her RX330 this coming weekend. While I have the tires off I'll take a good look at the brake components as well.

My research thus far seems to indicate that for whatever combination of reasons, the notorious 1999/2000 RX300 AWD transmission failure issue had been resolved by the time that the first RX330 AWD rolled off the assembly line back in 2003. While our 2004 RX330 AWD owners manual states "no need to change the Type T-IV ATF for the life of the vehicle during normal operating conditions", those of us who own or owned 1999/2000 versions of the RX300 AWD certainly learned the hard way that this owners manual statement can be a recipe for disaster. I routinely changed the Type T-IV ATF in my wife's previous 2000 RX300 AWD at 30,000-mile intervals, but I'm thinking of bumping up her 2004 RX330 AWD Type T-IV ATF change interval to 45,000 miles simply because the transmission failure problem doesn't appear to be an issue and the vast majority of owners out there do not change their ATF regardless of the make and model of the vehicles they own. For those of you who've owned your RX330 AWD vehicles for awhile, what strategy have you decided to deploy regarding your ATF, and why? Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

Besides cleaning out the lint accumulation on a regular basis, the best thing you can do to improve the efficiency of your dryer as well as to increase its lifespan is to replace the plastic-covered flexible vent piping underneath your house with all-metal galvanized tubing. The cheap plastic-covered flexible vent piping is inexpensive and easier to install and that's why most builders use it. But it traps lint as well as moisture and quickly causes the efficiency of your dryer to begin to degrade. I replaced our flexible vent piping with galvanized metal tubing in September 2003 and was amazed at how much more efficient the dryer became immediately after the job. A load of towels that used to take an hour to thoroughly dry suddenly began finishing in about 25 minutes. Our 1991 dryer began operating like it was new again. I had to run about 40 feet of tubing. I did it by using metal strap hangers attached to the floor joists underneath the first floor in our crawlspace. Bought all the supplies at Home Depot for about $85 at the time and spent about 3 hours total taking down the old flexible tubing and installing the galvanized metal piping. I was astonished at how full of lint and moisture the entire length of the old flexible piping was. Just take accurate measurements before you go to purchase your materials, buy what you need, and be sure to have a pair of tin snips on hand to make the few custom cuts that will be required. I used 6-foot lengths of tubing and sealed all of the joints with a couple of rolls of metal-backed duct tape that a handyman friend recommended to me. I found it at Home Depot as well. This was probably one of the best bang-for-the-buck home improvements I've ever done. I check the seals and seams on the tubing two or three times a year when I happen to be in the crawl space and they have remained tight and leak-free. You should see and feel the difference of the power of the exhausted air coming out of the dryer vent outside the back wall of the house now - with the previous flexible piping, it would hardly push open the flap of the dryer vent. But now, I can fly a kite out there when the dryer is running....