LexKid630

Well usually people post here on this forum when their transmission fails, and they usually post their year etc. And i've yet to see an 02-03. It may just be because the 02's and 03's just aren't old enough to fail, but no one's posted their failures on this forum for any 02-03 rx300 awd or fwd.

It's probably going to cost around $3k to have the dents repaired and whatever body panels repainted etc. If i were you, id get the car and take out a claim with insurance, pay your deductible (assuming it's $250 or $500) if you have this feature with your company, and have the car totally re-painted. Claim it was vandalized, your rates shouldn't go up (can someone confirm?).

do a kkb search for the specs on the car and put in poor condition. Also check the prices in your local newspaper and autotrader.com in your area. Prices are different in all locations.

But as for as an 02-03 RX300 being problematic, although no one can 100% confirm the tranny issue was fixed for these model years, there's yet to be a failure reported on this forum.

(doesn't mean someone in east Guam had it fail and didn't post here... just means no one's informed us via this lexus forum).

It doesn't appear that any of those drain holes are clogged up. This weekend i will remove the door panels and see what's in there, maybe spray some bleach and add bags of baking soda or something LOL

Aren't the OEM front side windows tinted with that "water-repel" layer from lexus?

Does the aftermarket glass you're interested in have this coating? If not, it will look pretty obvious when your other windows bead up differently than the replaced one when it rains.

I just had my rx300 windshield (which also has this repelling layer from factory) replaced with an after market glass and the lack of the repelling layer is killing me...

I'd have to suggest with SW suggested and go through insurance. Have them replace the glass with all OEM stuff just to make sure.

Oem glass is special in that it's made to reduce wind noise, reduce glare, repell water and insulate better than aftermarket glass.

Just my opinion....

My guess is you have a short or some other electrical issue, any chance the car is still under warranty?

Usually if you take it to the dealer and the problem doesn't "happen for them", you can video tape the issue and show them the recordings. I saw someone do that this week when i was in for service.

i'd say you're in a better position it being a 2002 with that low mileage. Check the tranny fluid, make sure it's nice and pink.

There haven't been any complaints of the tranny failure in an 02-03 that i have heard of.

I found this on google video, i don't know if you guys have seen it, but here's the 2010 rx350 :( Not happy about it...

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ls46...20350&emb=0

You're not going to find one that covers that area, you're better off making your own.

Thanks for the replies, daughter's got the car for the day, when she gets home i will check. I just find it odd that it's all 4 doors. I could see if it was one that had a leak...

Also, no body work has ever been done to the door panels. I thought maybe if they were repaired or something there could be leaks, but there's no sign they've ever been damaged.

Also, why do you think the smell is more evident when the moonroof's tilted? Just seems odd to me that a smell INSIDE the door panels could appear when the moonroof is tilted.

When the moonroof is tilted the air flow from the interior flows upward and right past your olfactory lobes. When the moonroof is completely open the air circulation is far more violent and complete so the odor may not be noticed.

I'm surprised that nobody has suggested that you check your fresh air filter behind the glovebox. Other posts have indicated that this is sometimes a problem.

Do a search of this site for "odor", "smell", or "stink" and you'll be surprised what comes up.

Thought of that already, it was replaced last year and the problem still persists :(

Thanks for the replies, daughter's got the car for the day, when she gets home i will check. I just find it odd that it's all 4 doors. I could see if it was one that had a leak...

Also, no body work has ever been done to the door panels. I thought maybe if they were repaired or something there could be leaks, but there's no sign they've ever been damaged.

Also, why do you think the smell is more evident when the moonroof's tilted? Just seems odd to me that a smell INSIDE the door panels could appear when the moonroof is tilted.

They must h8 to c u walk into a pet store..

*LexKid walks into house "so canary I guess ur wondering y I bought u..well so am I..wheres my knife?"*

haha, i would never

That little pilot light with a car with read lights on means one of your rear bulbs was out, or not connected properly.

The MDX is a good SUV as far as i know. You should try an Acura forum to do some research too just to make sure <_<

I just noticed this post..lol.. loved it.. first off I know what it is to be that bored..Living off shore on ships most of my life.. secondly very well done inspection.. I agree that has to be put in a file for now you know...lmao.. Thanks.. Next always wondered how far the umbrella holder in the door of a Bentley goes back..lol.. just incase you are bored again..J/k

Haha, if i ever find a Bentley for $35 maybe i'll cut the doors apart and check for you :P

I don't think the model car Bentley's are that cheap LOL

There are a lot on ebay, but make sure you get OEM factory floor mats, sell for around $80-90. Their quality surpasses the competition.

Ohh he'l only repair/fix the transmission within the next 2 years? I didn't get that part...

I guess then the decision really is up to you. Could you be prepared to spend $4400 on a new transmission if it decided to go, lets say 3 years from now? For all you know, the transmission could never fail on you, or it could fail tomorrow.

some members on this forum have had numerous failures (i myself have had one) and others are into the 200k range with no problems even with little care. No one really knows for sure why there's such an anomoly of failures, we all kind of pray for the best.

I would only get the car if you can put aside $4400 just in case it decides to fail after 2 years. If it doesn't fail, heck you've got a good start towards your next car.

Just my opinion.

I was reading a post in another part of the forum involving new car smells, which made me think of an ongoing problem we've been having with our RX300. Ever since we got it in june '05 i've notice a strange, musty smell whenever the moonroof is tilted.

The moonroof must be tilted for this odor to appear, not open, not with the windows open, everything must be shut with only the moonroof "tilted".

I can't really describe the odor, the best i can do is "musty". The car's always had a "similar" lighter odor ever since i bought it as a cpo car in '05. But when that moonroof is tilted, BOY does it get worse! Often times i need to open the rest of the windows a crack just so i don't pass out. I thought it was coming from inside the roof liner, but i tried putting my nose up there, with no signs that's the source.

It gets worse when it's raining out (i usually tilt the moon roof with it's raining just to get some fresh air without the H2O) and it's mostly gone when it's really hot and sunny. I'm thinking it's a "mold-related" odor? It has always been in the car since we got it, so you'd think if it was mold, it would have time to dry up and die in the past 3 years we've had it... but NOPE

When i sniffed around the rest of the car, i found a hot spot in each door panel. I'd put my nose near the window switches and it seemed very strong. I pried out the wood piece with the window switches, and like a punch in the face, the odor is definitely living in there. It's in all 3 passenger door panels as well. What the heck??

People i've let smell the car all tell me it's "mold" related and that the car was probably flooded, but i highly doubt that since there aren't any other signs of flood. I've never noticed this smell in any of the other RX300's i've owned or been in, so there's something fishy going on- no pun intended.

Any input on what i have growing in my car, or what i can do about it would be greatly appreciated!

If i remember correctly, i tried the lexus conditioner once and it smelled like coconut. I use Lexol a couple times a year, works great. Keeps the matte finish and leather soft. doesn't look too good the first day or two, but after it evaporates it makes the leather look and feel new again.

Just as long as you don't smoke, bring pets, babies or any other "foreign" odor-creating device into the car, it should keep it's new smell for a long time. My RX350 smells like a diaper factory since we've been using it as the "baby carrier". Although, my wife's LS smells like Starbucks- so i should keep my mouth shut

As stated above, i would go with the 04-06 LS430's. Same "guts" as the 01-03 they just redesigned some details such as headlights, taillights etc to make it seem more modern. The LS is for the most part a trouble free car, besides as also mentioned above, the services.

The prices of the used 01-06 LS's are very low compared to the depreciation of other Lexus models. For some reason, most likely caused by next generations coming out, the LS and GS models are very cheap! Getting an 04 today for $25k when 4 years ago it was worth $60k, that's a deal.

My wife currently owns an 05 LS430 and we were thinking of trading it in, but honestly it's lost so much value we're opting to keep it a little longer. We had a new baby enter our lives recently, so we're trying to save...

For the money, the LS is an outstanding deal.

What year is your ES330?

If it is a 2004, the bulb size is D2R, for the Reflector unit.

If it is a 2005, the bulb size is D2S, for the projector unit.

If yours is an 04, i have a used (as SW stated above, so the color will match) Lexus OEM Phlips D2R bulb. It's been laying around for a while, in fact i have two of them. It came on my 03 Lexus RX300 but i converted to 6000k last year. Therefore the bulb is approx the same age as your 04 would be. It's in perfect condition.

If you're interested, let me know and i can sell one to you! :)

I would check the transmission fluid, making sure it's of a transparent red color, with no burning odors.

If the transmission fluid appears brown, or has a burning smell, i would definitely change it.

There's no reason it should go dead, even if you don't use the car for a while. Leaving the car running for 5 minutes should charge the battery right back up from a "half- dead, only simple things like headlights working but car not starting" state.

There's either s short creating a drain somewhere, or the battery's just bad like stated above. If getting a new battery doesn't work, there's most likely a drain. A few years ago my RX300 was having a mysterious battery drain problem, turned out to be something of a short in the driver's door lock. The dealer had the car 3 days before they found the leak...

That really does look photo-shopped. But either way, it's a shame!

The LS is an excellent choice. I've owned several LS's, and my wife still has one today. I've also owned one of the earlier SC models, but never the LX. The LX's aren;t very popular, and in my opinion the earlier LX's weren't up to par with the rest of the Lexus lineup.

And as far as your wife not liking cars, as hurtful as it is (trust me, i feel it too) -there really isn't anything you can do. As SW mentioned in an earlier post, she's just not a car gal.

My wife couldn't care less if she was driving a Camry or an LS. Just as long as it has 4 wheels and turns on everyday, she's satisfied. She treats her LS like it's an old Buick, spills things, leaves crumbs, folders, the back of her car literally looks like an office. She's on the road a lot, so i guess it kind of is.

The important thing, is that she drives something that's safe and comfortable for her and anyone in it. My wife and i have been married since we were merely teenagers- and her opinions of cars haven't changed a bit. Whenever it came time to buy her a car, i would always have to be the one to "pick it out" or "go get it". To her, buying a car was an inconvenience, sort of like how "clothes shopping" is an inconvenience for us guys. To a woman, clothes shopping is the highlight of their week. Before i purchased my LS400 in 89/90, my wife and i thought Volvo's and BMW's were good cars. now that i've driven Lexus', we (meaning i..) can't go back. I'm sure if i went out in the garage and switched my RX and her LS she would take the RX by mistake... maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point...

SW is also correct when he says to enjoy the car-loving hobby on your own- it'll make it more meaningful. I've taken my wife and daughters to a car show once- AH big mistake. They just spent most of the time in the food courts, leaving me and my son all by ourselves checking the new cars out. When it came time for my son to get a car, after a few years of beating up a volvo, we BOTH decided to go with an LS430. He was very excited to get it, and that made me feel good to know someone else was sharing my love for cars.

If she's fine not getting a Lexus, or any car, right now- then that's fine. You can't force her to get something she doesn't want to. If the car is mainly for you, just get it. If she goes out and buys a dress you don't find necessarily appealing, it's the same thing- you don't need to wear it :P

Haha, too funny :P

If the guy says if "anything" (i'm assuming this included total replacement) goes wrong with the tranny, he'll fix it for $1400, TAKE IT.

The failure happened to me, $4400 to replace/fix, whatever they did...

The 99-01 models have been the ones most prone to the failure, specifically the all wheel drive models (as opposed to FWD). Over 100k miles, anything can happen. A tranny failure can happen to an explorer just as easily (if not sooner), remember a 2000 model could be 9 years old (if made in Aug '99).

There really aren't any other major problems that have been known to happen on the 00 RX's, except for sensors going bad etc.

If he's agreeing to fix your tranny if it ever went for only $1400 that's a DEAL.

I'd keep the car under that circumstance.

Glad to hear you're ok and that the RX did a great job keeping you protected.

I hope the driver of that other car pays for what he's done.