tmastres

Sounds good since I can't always get the filter I want where I get the oil anyhow , this would save some extra trips. Which filter and where do you get them online??

Ok I didnt want ot hijack anoher thread to discuss this so I'll just start a new one here. Many people on this list DIY and the oil change is about as basic as it gets. I'm curious about which oil filters are used/recommended by anyone out there. In the past I've used Fram and Purolator for my cars about 95% of the time. After doing a little research I've determined that the overwhelming opinion is that Frams are terrrible filters but that Purolaters are pretty decent. Anybody else have any ideas or opinions. What do you use on your RX Here are a couple links to seemingly rational sites on the subject http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters.html http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html

Seriously! The MDX! If one of those boxes looks good with Dual Ex, than the RX could definitely sport them and look good!

Point by Point 1. You're assuming a lot saying this, you should have talked to a service advisor to see if they had changed any of the reccomendations from the manual such as oil visc. On my Wifes Passat several things have changed since the manual was written. Also, given Lexus problem w/ sludging in previous models I seriously doubt they'd put dino oil in any car these days. As for oil , they buy oil in a 35 gal drums not in quart cans like us so even at $4 they're likely making money . 2. Definitely overpriced, so is every other luxury item in the world, they figure people who buy these vehicles don't worry about little amounts like a few hundres $$$ , the few that do are on boards like these. 3. Although the sludging problem has supposedly been solved , personally I think you're crazy to put dino oil in your Lex. Its less than $5 a qt. at Costco, $5 more for the filter and you can do it yourself in 20 min. 4. I've used Puro and Fram filters my whole life and never had a problem, maybe others are better maybe not, but I change the oil very regularly so I don't really put them to the test. If you're talking about warranty, ok I can see using the OEM. 5. Fine there ALSO Since you seem to eschew the dealership , dontforget to keep all you oil/maintenance receipts. If yo need a warraty repair thats engine related you'll need to be able to document you had the service done. Horror stories abound

It comes down to do ou want something thats going to be quieter, smoother & more comfortable or something a little hipper and sportier and perhaps faster/lighter. I think the RAV 4 is obviuosly built and marketed to a younger crowd who dont care as much about comfort and features ( I know I didnt) and the RX is aimed at more mature buyers who don't need to beat everyone off the light and who's idea of driving enjoyment is cruising in comfort but still being able to haul 4 people with all related cargo.

So is it that you think the double tips look bad or the dual exaust in general? Most of the other vehicles in the RX's class have dual exhausts, X5, Murano, FX,M-class so I've always thought that looked nice (just another opinion) and I'd never seen it on an RX before.

C'mon now money isnt the driving force of most people who drive these things anyhow (unlike yourself) so a little spent cash for a little bit slicker looking rig isnt such a bad thing. I'm sure perfromance wasn't the goal here and frankly, around here I spend most of my time laughing at jacked up pick-up trucks and their drivers (talk about wasting money!) I agree with some of the other posters though that the double tips are a little bit much, but hey if you like it its good.

Go back to the dealer an dinsist they write it up as an engine problem. At a dealership there is no such thig as "we don't know what it is" They have to tell you something and since it was diagnosed as an engine problem before and its the same problem again ask them how it cant be aan engine problem. Once they admit its an engine problem it looks lik ecorporate ca take over from there.

No, Actually thank Lexus. And thank yourself for being smart enough to own a safe car. Its funny to think that people still have the mentality that big, heavy tank-like vehicles are so safe. The racing industry has proven for years that impact absorbtion and dissipation are what save lives. Sure sturdiness counts too , when its in the right places as is seems to be in the RX sereis. I've told the story of how a guy plowed into my RX with a little Toyota PU truck. His truck was demolished with damage to the hood, fender, grill, radiator, heck, everything in the front of the thing was smashed. On top of that the wheel was bent out a a very unnatural angle so it couldnt even be pushed off to the side. Before I got out of my RX I was sure there was a ton of damage but I was shocked t find that all he'd done was scratch and gouge the hellout of my front bumpoer cover. Not even a broken headlight or cover. Now this was truly lucky I understand that, It could have easily smashed my grille etc. but the bumper wasnt bent or anything else. Thats the difference between a 10,000 truck and 30,000 truck, I guess

The article mentioned all the things from that link but specifically mentioned that Toyota was putting out recalls involving ove one dozen vehicles and included Lexus brand vehicles and some vehicles that were up to 10 years old. I'll try to find more details and post them.

I read in the paper over the weekend that Toyota motor Co was suffering through a spate of quality related problems in thier cars. Apparently to protect their reputation they've announced a major recall that covers several of their brands (including Lexus) and will extend out to vehicles as old as 10 years. Unfortunately the article was sorely lacking in specifics and I havent had a chance to do any deep research into those details yet. Just curious if anyone else has heard anything that involves a ny lexus models? Maybe an RX Transmission recall?

Please keep us informed on what the dealership tells/does for you. I'm curious to see how long Lexus will honor repairs under any "goodwill" programs that may exist.

First let me say that Gary, I appreciate your tenaciousness in the matter. While I'm not sure I agree with the design flaw charge, I can easily see myself reacting the same way if it were me. What I think is important to note is that your dealership was willing to split the cost of the repair. While I realize that this fact doesnt satisty you, Gary, its a sign to everone that if you have a questionable problem, its worth the effort to talk it through with the dealer. It soulds like several people have had this problem and paid the full price for repair.

Fair points for certain but at this stage mileage wise, the 99 and 00 models seem to compare similarly on the average and there are noticabley fewer 00 failures than 99s. I realize that some failures might very well be due to poor or "non" mantainence however many of the most notorious failures on this list occurred in vehicles whose owners maintained them quite well (even excessively). Of course we've all been over this quite extensively so my point was just that if someone is looking for an early RX why not go with a 00 or 01 for only slightly more money, since statisically (for whatever reason) the 99's have more failures.

What I've determined from a lot of study of the post on this forum and others is that the problem is primarily with the 99 models and primarily with the AWD versions. There were a few (not nearly as many) failures of 00 models and even fewer still with the -01-03 group. While I can't address your question regarding vehicles deliverd to Canada, I'd bet they're the same. Anyhow,If you like the car enough to consider buying one a 00-01 version shouldnt be that much more. 99 was the first year of the model and no matter what brand of vehicle or model you should NEVER buy the first model year (outside the bounds of classic or collecter cars of course).

Just echoing the previous post, the trans issue does seem to be primarily with AWD but I don't think it can be said to be exclusively so. Another member brought the point recently that because there are compariively few 2wd models vs Awd that may account for the lack of failures reported. Just food for thought. As for sludging, if you can determine that theres no sludging up to this point you'll be fine. Using synthetic oil will keep that problem at bay just fine. These engines run really hot (as their normal temp) and thats really hard on dino-oil. The problem was fixed somewhat in later models I believe by increasing the oil flow (I may be wrong on exactly how) but that didn't change the amount of heat generated and there were still sludging problems into 03 with people who use dino-oil and want to go al lot of miles between oil changes.

Better safe than sorry I suppose, I've got a 00 RX and luckily its been fine so far but I would definitely have to think hard about getting another 99-00. Point here is that you should be getting into the area of the 01-02s being pretty affordable. If you really like the car, which I do, those years are much less prone to either of these maladies (sludging or tranny failure).

I had a tan colored dash-mat for a while and practicality wise it was good, helped keep the car cooler (the dash material absorbs and retains a lot of heat but it too reflected a bit in the windshield. The solution is to wear polarized sun-glasses. Seriously, the reflection disappears with polarized shades its wonderful. I first noticed it in my fiancees Passat with a black dash. As soon as I saw that I got rid of the dash mat in the Lexus and alls been fine since.

But how often does that really happen in normal driving, once in a while maybe but enough to cause failure??

LMAO! I can only assume this is a joke thread because it sounds too ridiclous to be true. Well maybe we have found the answer to all the failed RX transmissions out there. :chairshot:

It came down to ta choice between the Merc (ML) or the Lexus. I have a distrust for American cars at the present (from experience) and while I think they may have improved recently I'll need to see that borne out over a few years before I'm willing to put out the serious money for one. As mentioned there was no Audi option until this year, I think Cayenne's are kind of ugly and I just don't get the "pefromance SUV" thing. I liked the Infinity FX's and test drove a couple but they were still really new when I got my Lexus and I just wasn't sure I could live with those looks, although I felt the Infinity quality was quite good. Early X5's seemed to have some build quality issues although I really liked the exterior styling but for some reason I remember them commandig a really premium price as compared to the rest. I also considered the Acura MDX but it was pretty dul in the styling dept but otherwise OK . It was also a bit bigger then the RX (as was the X5). Sooo to answer your question finally , I chose the Lexus because it had a great ride, great reputation for quality, decent styling and had some pretty functional utility. The Merc succeded in all these areas as well except for the rep for quality. I know people who own RXs and I know people who own Mercs (ML's) and after rides, drives and discussions with them it was the RX that won out and its lived up to what I thought it would be and more. It has not been perfect but its been pretty close.

I agree with that completely, I got over 150k miles on my Nissan truck and never had the rotors turned. Then again I did the work (pad replacement etc.. myself) Its tough to find a shop ( at least in Cal. ) that will replace the pads and not turn the rotors. My suspicion is that theres a liablility issue in there somewhere.

Definitely a good thing to have, but you never said what the problem was with the RX. Was a cause of the problem ever deduced?

Not so! tens of thousands of people took Vioxx with no ill effects but when a few people had problem you damn well bet theres lawsuits. Not to disrespect people who were harmed by vioxx or any product but just to illustrate a point. Even if no-one was harmed, you still may have a case but obviously the stakes are much lower.

My advice would be to NOT let Lexus off the hook. It may be too late if you're having the car worked on by someone else, but there are a few people who've posted on this topic that have gotten Lexus to cover the cost of replacement. Print out the stories for this forum and take them to the service manager at your dealer. Also, call the lexus customer satisfaction number which I know is posted in this thread, get them involved and make as big a stink as you can. What have you got to lose at this point.