RX in NC

My wife's 2004 RX330 AWD has been at Johnson Lexus since 7:30 Monday morning for two relatively simple warranty fixes: one, determine why the heated seats aren't working and fix them, and two, isolate the annoying dashboard rattle and fix it. As of 1:00 this afternoon, they haven't been able to rectify either situation and the technicians didn't bother to escalate to their management until I called this morning and had a little telephone pow-wow with the service advisor. I think some techs are going to get spanked as a result. In the meantime, my wife is driving an IS250 loaner with ridiculously low-profile 40-series tires and it rides like an empty buckboard on a frozen road (I checked the tire psi and it's about 30 - I'm tempted to drop it down to 28 or so but I don't think it will help much since the thickness of these tires resembles a bicycle tire more than a car tire). One of her colleagues who rode in the loaner earlier this week asked if the shocks had been removed and the tires replaced by iron rings.... The service manager just called me to apologize for the way this situation has been handled and offered to bring an RX loaner out to the house this evening if they still aren't able to resolve our warranty issues by the end of their workday. I appreciate the gesture and we'll do that if they can't get the vehicle fixed today. Meanwhile, the new Bridgestone Alenza tires (which will replace the substandard Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 tires) finally arrived yesterday evening but obviously I can't get them installed until Johnson Lexus can get the warranty work completed and the vehicle returned to us.... But hey, at least it's not a transmission failure....

I manage my own assets, work for myself, and can buy any production car I want. Whether this makes me "feel better" or not, it's still a dumb financial management move and I won't do it. Twenty years ago, maybe. But today, no way. Regardless of your tax situation, the tax laws are nowhere near as favorable in this case as they were twenty years ago. When Warren Buffett himself says that purchasing expensive new vehicles every few years is dumb from a financial standpoint, it behooves most of us to listen to him....

Keep in mind that tax refunds are for financially inept fools who do no tax planning year-to-year and think they're coming out ahead of the game by getting a refund check. What they can't seem to fathom is that they've just provided the government with an interest-free loan of their own hard-earned dollars - money that they could have invested or in your particular case, poured into the constant tweaking of your aging LS.... If you're not having to pay at least a little every year, you're doing a *BLEEP*-poor job of managing your money to its maximum benefit for you and your family....

Glad to learn that your dashboard rattle was fixed. But pulling a dashboard is always a calculated risk since there's no way you can get it back in as tightly as is possible at the factory. Your windshield glass is in the way. At the factory, the dash goes in before the glass does so there's more working room to crank that dash down tight. I'm sure that some of the dealership techs are skilled at finding and fixing dashboard squeaks and rattles - let's hope we get the best guy that Johnson Lexus has to offer.... For those of you with 2004 RX330 models, I've spent some time on various websites this week searching for the most common problems that owners complain about. It's good to have this list in hand before your warranty runs out so you can be aware of them: 1. Front brake system vibration. The fix for this is Technical Service Bulletin 004-04. New front brake rotors have been developed to minimize warping compared to the original front brake rotors. It is recommended that you NOT turn (cut) your front rotors because this typically just speeds up the process of your rotors warping again. 2. "Clunk" sound when stopping vehicle. The fix for this is Technical Service Bulletin 002-04. This "clunk" is most often noticed when slowing down and stopping from around 30 mph. A redesigned transmission oil cooler tube assembly replaces your original one and provides for a better, tighter fit and thereby supposedly eliminates the "clunk". 3. Transmission hesitation and shifting harshness. There have been several firmware upgrades to the ECU that supposedly greatly improve the smoothness and performance of the transmission. Some owners report immediate improvement while others claim little to no difference after the firmware upgrade. 4. Moisture condensation inside the headlight assembly covers. Lexus service departments across the country are aware of this issue and generally swap out the defective assembly cover upon request. 5. Dashboard rattles and rear seat fold-down console rattles. Lexus service departments across the country are aware of these rattles and have had varying degrees of success in attempting to find and fix them. Hope this information can assist some of you out there. If your vehicle exhibits any of these conditions, get it to your dealership while your vehicle is still under the warranty period. If there are additional known problems, please list them here. Thanks.

We test-drove the Mazda CX7 (along with the Acura RDX) back in mid-January as a potential replacement for my wife's now-sold 2000 RX300 AWD. She liked the Mazda except for the orange/red dash lights and the somewhat spartan interior. I preferred the Acura all the way around. Both the Acura and the Mazda beat the RX series hands down in performance - the RX has no chance against either one in this category. I believe that the Acura will hold up better than the Mazda as the years pass.

Some of your symptoms could also indicate a blown head gasket. Check your coolant level - if you've lost most of it, you've probably blown your head gasket.

Still waiting on the Alenzas to arrive at Discount Tire so I can get the Michelins removed and the Alenzas installed as agreed last Tuesday. It's been a week now so I've learned that this particular Discount Tire doesn't routinely stock these tires in the 18-inch size I need and apparently ships them in via covered wagon. In the meantime the vehicle is spending a couple of days at Johnson Lexus in Raleigh for some warranty work. The heated seats barely function compared to my wife's previous 2000 RX300 and the dashboard squeaks and rattles that a number of you have complained about in your RX330s have definitely surfaced in this one during our current stretch of cold weather. They are going to pull the dashboard in an effort to find and fix these annoying noises - I warned my wife that pulling a dashboard sometimes makes the known problems worse or creates new problems but the rattles are bothering her to the point that she is willing to run that risk. After owning this RX330 AWD for a week now, the jury is still out on this vehicle. There's no question that it rides better than any RX300 and I believe that Lexus took at least some moderate steps to resolve the transmission, exhaust manifold, rear main oil seal, oxygen sensor, and strut mount bushing failures that plagued the early RX300s. But my wife is slowly beginning to realize the validity of what I told her several weeks ago when we were kicking tires and test-driving various crossover models - you'll get a brand-new, much higher-performance, more fun and less quirky vehicle for the same money if you select the Acura RDX over this one. Maybe one day she'll learn to listen to me....

Search this forum and others like it for "RX300 transmission failure". Granted, the incidents seem to involve primarily all-wheel-drive 1999 and 2000 models, so you may be better off if you decide to purchase the vehicle you're considering because it is front-wheel-drive only. But you should still do your homework since these early RX300s do have a number of flaws. We sold my wife's 2000 RX300 all-wheel-drive a week ago today at 128,400 miles. But it had to have over $9,000 worth of warranty work between 2003 and 2005 to keep it roadworthy (which fortunately didn't cost us a penny). Nevertheless, it was still by far the worst vehicle I've owned in 37+ years of driving and I'm glad it's gone. Based upon what we went through, I would never recommend a 1999 or 2000 RX300 to anyone. And yes, I disclosed all of the problems we had with the vehicle to our buyers last week and provided them with copies of all Lexus warranty repairs. They still bought the vehicle which surprised me somewhat, but she wanted it more than he did....

Met with the Discount Tire folks yesterday. They agreed to swap the MXV4 S8 tires for a new set of Alenzas. They had to order our size (235/55VR18), so they'll call me in four or five days and I'll take the vehicle back there to get the new Alenzas installed. The Discount Tire folks couldn't have treated me any nicer....

It's what I consider to be a typically-equipped 2004 RX330 AWD without the Navigation option. It does have the Mark Levinson audio system but I have not spent enough time with the vehicle yet to be able to make an assessment as to whether or not the audio system is significantly better than the one in our previous RX300 AWD (which was surprisingly good). It does have what I suppose is the early version of a tire pressure monitoring system but I've read that they often cannot detect slow leaks so I don't really know how useful that feature will turn out to be. I check all of our tire pressures weekly so I doubt that we'll have much use for it. Plenty of light-colored wood in the cabin and on the steering wheel which my wife likes. I'm not familiar with any different "packages" that may have been offered on the 2004 RX330 AWD model but perhaps this one has some of those "packages". Not having the original window sticker, I don't know of any other way to tell. Perhaps I'll call Lexus Customer Service in an effort to obtain such information but I typically don't find them to be a very good source of information for details such as this. After dealing with them on multiple issues regarding our previous RX300 AWD, I believe that they are essentially trained to utter the phrase "contact your dealer for more information about that particular subject" every chance they get....

lenore, Lots of time spent in Leesburg must equate to weeks and months (maybe even years) of training classes at the big Xerox education compound that used to be there. Maybe it still is....

Completed the sale of our 2000 RX300 AWD this morning and purchased the 2004 RX330 AWD this afternoon. There's no question that the 330 is several notches up from the 300 in the quality department. Slightly better overall ride, more features, a better dash layout, slightly more interior room, and the oil filter is much easier to get to. But alas, it's still a performance pig (meaning overweight and underpowered). And I think I'm hearing a few of those occasional dash rattles and squeaks that some of you have complained about with your RX330s. But at least my wife is happy and I hopefully have her set in the vehicle department for another four or five years now. I don't like the P235/55VR18 Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 tires on this vehicle - they don't belong on an SUV. Many RX330 owners who purchased these tires from tirerack.com have registered various complaints about their shortcomings. Since my RX330 reseller purchased these tires a couple of weeks ago before my wife found this vehicle on-line, I required him to provide me with a copy of his tire receipt as part of the deal today. They came from Discount Tire. I'm going to call them, tell them I'm not happy with the Michelins, and request that they swap them out for Bridgestone Alenza tires at no charge. We'll see what happens - it's certainly worth a phone call....

Sometimes us guys just have to suck it up and take a bullet for our significant others. That's what I did in this case although I ain't real happy about having another overweight, underperforming vehicle in our stable. Maybe dinners at our house for the next few weeks will be more about homecooked and less about take-out. I guess I'll find out soon enough....

The Alenzas have a 65,000 mile treadwear warranty. What treadwear warranty (if any) do the Yokohamas have? If they don't have one (like the Michelins) and they are priced about the same as the Alenzas, there's no contest over which tire to try next.... If the Firestone Destination LE tire was available for an 18-inch wheel, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I put a set on my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD (which we are selling tomorrow) almost 52,000 miles ago and they still have 3,000 to 5,000 miles left in them. They stick like glue in the rain and plow through medium snow without ever losing traction. They are about half the cost of the same size Alenza tire at tirerack.com. Best SUV/light truck tire I've ever had over the past 20+ years and that includes tires from Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear, Dunlop, and BF Goodrich. For those of you with 16 or 17-inch wheels, this is the only tire you'll ever need. I never thought I would own a Firestone tire again after their Ford Explorer fiasco about five or six years ago, but I did the research, took a chance on this set through tirerack.com, and I have to admit that Firestone really got everything right with the Destination LE and the guys at tirerack.com really know what they're talking about. They could have sold me the Alenzas but essentially said that the Destination LE was Firestone's version of the Alenza at about half the price. A number of my family and friends have purchased this tire on my recommendation and every single one of them has been surprised and pleased with just how good this tire is for the money. The Destination LE carries a 60,000 mile treadwear warranty....

newtoncd, Thanks for the additional input. You are correct - tire choices for these 18-inch upgrade rims are terribly limited, very pricey, and are poor on treadwear life. I hate 18-inch wheels because of this. The RX330 that we'll purchase tomorrow has brand new 235/55/VR18 Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 tires on it, just installed by the reseller. If I could have gotten to him before he ordered those tires, I would have specified the Bridgestone Alenzas primarily because they carry a 65,000 mile treadwear warranty, probably the only tire that will fit this wheel that carries one. The Michelin tires do not have a treadwear warranty and are NOT designed for an SUV. Even with proper care, I bet these puppies will be shot within 35,000 miles, and for my money that really sucks. They also are only average in the rain and forget about them in snow or slush. On the contrary, the Alenzas are highly-regarded for their wet traction as well as their snow traction because they are true SUV tires. Sure wish this vehicle had the Alenzas instead of the MXV4s. Oh well, it gives me a challenge to see how far I can get them to go. But you can surely tell when you're hard-cornering this RX330 that the Michelins are designed for sedans and coupes, not SUVs or light trucks....

Next time try PIAA refill inserts. You won't have to go back to OEM Lexus wipers again and they're less costly as well....

SW03ES, I would advise you to do some serious thinking about whether or not you really want to be a landlord before you take the plunge and jump in thinking that it's going to be all roses and money. I thought about this direction a couple of years back when the market was still skyrocketing (particularly on the North Carolina coast) but quickly remembered that I barely have enough time to get my own home projects taken care of, much less having to deal with tenants who want frequent upgrades or need their toilet unclogged because little Chipper or Hashim or DaQuan decided it would be cool to flush his mother's hair dryer down the pipes at four o'clock in the morning.... If you're planning to pay some management company to handle all that stuff, it could seriously cut into your anticipated profit margin. Just do your homework first and don't make any rash decisions until you've researched it carefully and objectively....

Yep, only order from tirerack.com after you've done the research and you KNOW the tires you order are right for your particular application. I love tirerack.com - they save me hundreds each time I have to buy tires. But I do the research before I order. I would never want to get myself in a position where I'm having to ship the tires back at my expense.

If you enjoy throwing money away, have your Lexus dealership do your 60,000 mile service. I did mine myself. If I remember correctly, I think I spent about $75 to $80 on parts and perhaps 2.5 to 3 hours in my driveway. Anytime a service requirement pops up that I can't handle, I take it to a well-respected local Toyota dealership. I have used our local Lexus dealership only for warranty work. I've never paid them a dime. Some people like to drink expresso and sit in leather chairs in a fancy customer lounge while they have their vehicle serviced and their wallet emptied. So whatever floats your boat. Like I said, I chose to do it myself....

The interested couple met my full Kelley Blue Book value asking price. They left a $500 deposit. We'll all meet at the bank on Monday morning to handle the title transition and the actual purchase via certified check. Then they drive off with the RX300 and we drive over to Cary to pick up my wife's replacement vehicle, the 2004 RX330. The purchasing couple is happy, my wife is happy, the 2004 RX330 reseller is happy. Everybody is happy in this transaction except me. How I hate shelling out bucks for assets that immediately begin to depreciate. Curses, foiled again. Damn it.... Oh, and thanks, guys, for the background on Data Dots headlight anti-theft. Sounds like more of a gimmick than a real value-added feature to me. Wonder how many of them that are stolen are ever actually recovered....

I'm not concerned about engine sludge. I change my oil and filter often enough to know that sludge is unlikely to be an issue for ANY vehicle we'll ever own. Lexus stepped up to the plate for the sludge issue with the 8-year/unlimited mileage warranty - even a skeptical Lexus owner like me has to admit that. I'm also not nearly as concerned about transmission failure in an RX330 AWD as I would be about another RX300 AWD. My research indicates that the RX330 AWD transmission lifespan has been much improved over the dreaded RX300 AWD. Only time will tell. That being said, I am concerned about the drive-by-wire throttle system. My wife cannot stand any degree of hesitation, so I have fully warned her that she may never be able to adapt to an RX330. Thus far she has not experienced the sensation that I've warned her about while test-driving it over approximately 50 miles of stop-and-go city streets, rural highways, and freeway driving. I was hoping that hesitation would suddenly occur and scare her away from the RX330 for good. But it might be too late. A prospective couple is out test-driving our RX300 with my wife right now, and two more prospective buyers are lined up for this afternoon if the current couple decides not to buy it. And yes, I did a full disclosure on our transmission issues and insisted if they buy this vehicle, they must promise to change the transmission fluid at least every 30,000 miles. That's the best I can do for them. I'm still hoping that nobody buys it and I therefore can tell my wife to forget about the 2004 RX330. I should know by Monday....

Inspected and drove the 2004 RX330 AWD yesterday afternoon. Squeaky clean, well-appointed, well-maintained, brand new Michelins, all services performed at Lexus, so all records are in order and complete. Needless to say, my wife wants it to replace her aging 2000 RX300 AWD. So maybe it's time to begin negotiations because I know this vehicle won't be on the market for more than a few days. I noticed that it has the "Data Dots" headlight theft protection system. I'm not familiar with this product. For those of you who are, what is it and how does it work?

I haven't received the Lexus glossy magazine in years and don't want it to show up in my mailbox again. When I receive a magazine from an automotive company I expect to read about automotive products, issues, and future plans, not some exotic French skin rejuvinator made from bat guano or a tree house bed-and-breakfast in Sumatra. Most of the glossy car rags these days are worthless....

Before you decide to pay an independent repair shop, at least call your Lexus dealership and ask for a "goodwill" warranty job on your rear main oil seal leak, especially if your vehicle has no more than about 75,000 miles on it. Make them aware that your research has taught you that this is a common problem due to a defective design in the original rear main oil seal, and you would appreciate Lexus covering this known problem for you under their "goodwill" warranty program. It's well worth a phone call and perhaps ten minutes of your time. Good luck and keep us posted on your situation....

The RX series typically calls for a 4-wheel alignment regardless of whether it is front-wheel-drive or all-wheel drive. What I've found with our 2000 RX300 AWD over the years is that the front wheels tend to need aligning on occasion while the rear wheels tend to stay within the alignment specs. But that may simply be a characteristic of our particular vehicle, the way my wife happens to drive it, or a roll of the dice. As I said before, find yourself an alignment coupon in the local newspaper or Value-Pac coupon package that comes in the mail and go get yourself one. Since you've never had an alignment done to this particular vehicle before, chances are overwhelming that at least your front wheels are out-of-spec....