atn1972

Yes, I got my letter too. I guess it pays to call and complain, but I already got it fixed. I wonder if they will pay us back, if we used someone else besides a Lexus Dealer? The Dealer wanted over something over $1900 for one headlamp. I just purchased a new ballast on Ebay for $130 and had a local shop replace the ballast for like $200. Still allot of a simple head light, but better than paying $2K.

Here is an update. I took the RX400h to the Lexus dealer and they said that the entire assembly, ballast and bulb would need to be replaced. Total cost $1900! Lexus Customer Care would help by taking 10% off, had to wait 2 days for there answer. I decided not to get the work done. I purchased a ballast on Ebay for $127. I sealed the edges with some clear silicone sealant for $5. I went to my neighbor mechanic and had them removed the bumper and replaced the ballast. Everything worked fine. I think the original bulb worked fine too, but we replaced it with the $12 bulb I got on Amazon. (BTW the dealer wanted $200 just for a HID bulb). The labor was $200 for 2 hours of work! The mechanic said there was allot of corrosion around the ballast, probably due to water damage, so hopefully my sealant will help water proof the ballast for a few years.

Thanks that is all good information and its good to know the facts about removing a bumper. I did have one final question about the ballast. You said that water can cause it to break, but since it is mounted to the outside of the assembly, didn't they make it water proof? It needs to be protected from rain and undercarriage washing How can a little condensation ruin it? When I worked at an automotive supplier, I tested all sorts of components and anything mounted to the outside of the car had to be protected from all sorts of environmental elements including salt spray and rain. Usually electronics had to be potted with epoxy to protect it. Did that not do this with the ballast?

Okay well 15mins is nothing. I wonder why they quoted like 3-5hrs to do an entire replacement?

Do you know if they have to take off the entire bumper to replace the ballast? That seems to be a time consuming process.

Thanks for that information. I have basically concluded that the ballast must have gone bad. I did to the hair drying thing and it did get most of the moisture out. Some water remain and it basically all disappeared during these past Winter months. It should be good enough to pass state inspection now, but I still have a dead bulb, so Im going to have to replace the entire thing. I have looked on E-bay and they still aren't cheap. Lots a refub units where they glue back on mounting brackets. Some new units, but its still $529 bucks for one assembly. I actually just booked an appointment with Lexus Dealer to see if they can just replace the ballast, but my guess is it will break down after awhile, so Ill have to replace the entire thing. I also just tried to call Lexus Customer care. They seem to understand that the cost of $1700 is outrageous. They said they would call me back within 2 days and let me know what can be done. Has anyone had any luck with out of warranty items with Lexus Customer care. What can I expect?

But we cant ensure that all gas inside the headlight assembly is moisture free. To replace a broken bulb (the HID bulb or low/high beams) you need to remove a plate. Now you got a big hole in the back and humidity will enter the enclosure. Once you screw back on the bulb, then moisture is trapped inside. So you need to allow venting..

Resealing really doesn't make sense to me. As an Engineer, shouldn't the unit be open? It should have vent holes. I had a 98 LS400 and replaced a turn signal light and that had 2 vent holes to let it breath. Its hard to believe that the newer units are designed to be sealed? Once you replace a lamp, it is open to the environment and any trapped moisture will condensate with changing temperature, unless it is allowed to breath. Maybe the newer units have vent holes. Does anyone know for sure? Maybe I can just drill a hole in it.

I asked the Lexus Service Rep. and he told me that Condensation is only repairable by complete replacement. ($1700 please....) It seems to be a common issue with the 08 RX400h. I dont think this model has any vent tubes when I checked last and that is why we have condensation problem. I can easily double check for that. I thought it was odd that there were no vent tubes when I checked before. Could a blown fuse be the issue? All the other lights work, so I figure its just the ballast...

I have a 2008 RX400h. The HID lamp went dead and I tried replacing it. The replacement did not work, so I assume maybe the ballast is bad. I figured I might as well replace the entire assembly, since I also get condensation during the Summer months. During the winter the condensation clears up. Well, the Dealer wants about $1700 to replace the entire thing. Does anyone know where I can buy a cheap HID headlamp assembly and I can have my mechanic do the replacement for labor cost. Also, another option would be to install the Halogen assembly. I see I can get that one about $120 vs $5-900 for the HID AFS Assemblies. I dont need the HID or the AFS feature. Does anyone know if I can put a normal Headlamp assembly into a car with the HID and AFS option. The dealer said no, thinking the wiring would be different, but I used to work for an Automotive supplier and they normally make all the wire harnesses exactly the same. So they don't have to know what options are going into the car later. Thanks, Anthony