Within the space of two years I've had two "engine undercovers" (what a weird name) (it's the plastic sheet underneath the engine compartment which appears to have the dual functions of keeping the engine clean from underneath and keeping the road noise down) get torn and droop down in front and drag along the road. It may have something to do with the fact that I live on a dirt road and have a mile to drive in and out every day.
The first one was on my wife's 1996 LS400. The front left edge had torn away from the bolt, but a large washer and another bolt has kept it OK for at least two years.
The second one occurred on my 2000 LS400 and, although I have yet to crawl under and check it for sure, it seems to be bolted OK, but has torn about 6 inches from the front left bolt and is hanging down and dragging. Frankly, I'm embarrased to drive it so have been using the Suburban for about a week.
I did a search on this and other forums and came away with the impression that it would cost between $200 and $400 for the engine undercover part. That seemed high for a plastic part, so I started thinking of getting a used one from a wrecked vehicle if I could find one. Before I started looking seriously, I drove over to the local Toyota dealer (we don't have a Lexus dealer in Tallahassee), and they priced a new one at $149.46 delivered plus tax, still high but not as bad as I was expecting.
When I got home I emailed IronToad and they quoted $99.00 before delivery.
Question: Has anyone ever repaired one of these with duck tape? Did it stick and work? Or, should I just go ahead and purchase a new one?