flyguyco

I had NTB change out my transmission fluid and I believe they used the Dexron III. After 10K miles my seals started leaking so I took it in to the dealer. They said the wrong type of fluid was used and it caused the seals to leak, and might have damaged my transmission. I know there is a Toyota Type IV fluid that the dealership uses, but isn't it basically the same? Is that possible Dexron III could cause that much damage, or are they just trying to rip me off?

I have a 2003 ES300 with almost 34,000 miles on it, and I only get 20 mpg for a mix of highway & city driving. I don't think the maintenance schedule requires a tune-up until 60K. Plus I've always had about that same mileage since the day I drove it off the dealer's lot new. Are the 2000-2001 ES300's supposed to get better mileage?

I think the underlying message hinted at is: If you go to the dealer for all service and then something goes wrong out of warranty, you may have a leg to stand on where as if someone else has been servicing your vehichle and for example your transmission breaks.... Lexus may say tough luck since they do not know how it was serviced and with what. Thus the old pay me now or pay me later analogy. I drove my 1993 Lexus ES300 for 10 yrs before buying this 2003 ES300 and never had a problem with either the engine or transmission, and I wasn't using anything Lexus/Toyota on that 1993 ES300. I never took it to the dealer for service after my 2 yr/20K free maintenance ran out, and had no problems. I believe regardless of the transmission fluid type or engine oil type or filter, if you perform regular maintenance according to the schedule and it fails then I think you still have a leg to stand on to get Lexus to comply with the warranty. Well that happened with my mother's Oldsmobile and I can't imagine Lexus being more antagonistic about it than GM...

Sounds about right in NJ (just under $650). Labor was $433 total, $337 for the 30K mi service and $96 for the ATF flush Parts were $222 - they charged me for 12 quarts of ATF fluid @ $7/qt, plus wipers, engine oil, brake fluid, kits, etc Basically the 30K mi svc was $445 and the ATF flush was $210. I went by the local NTB and the equivalent was $170 for the 30K svc and $100 for the flush. Of course I'd have to provide my own fluids & filter, but for a $385 savings I think I can drag my lazy butt to the Toyota dealership to pick up parts. I will take that approach for my ES300.

2003 RX300 30k mile service plus the ATF flush was a total of $709 including tax (8.25%). Has anyone else paid anything that exhorbitant???

i bought the touch-up paint for my 93 ES300 online and they put it in a spray can so i was able to blend the dual coat in with the surrounding paint. looked really nice too when i did it myself. cost $28 per color on the dual coat to put it in a spray can though. was cheaper than the $300 it would have cost to paint my bumper and the quarter panel.

i had the same problem on the 2003 ES300 once in awhile, and then it started happening more frequently. the day i took it to the dealer it was acting up and the service manager heard the squeaking on start-up. he had all the belts replaced under warranty, said the belts were warped, also tightened the bolts, and the squeaking went away.

on certain garage door openers they have a rotating code to prevent someone from sitting close by and capturing your frequency. i believe yours is that kind. there is a button on the motor of the opener - you will have to remove the whole plastic cap on the motor, and on the side you will see a little push tab, you will need to push that and then go to your RX and complete the coding process (holding down the button until it fast blinks)

well you don't even have to do that - when you go to the Lexus dealer they can look it up for you. my service manager was the one who told me about the TSB for the intermediate steering assembly - that was not listed on Alldata

hi Lexusfreak - yes i checked the tire pressure and inflated all to 35 psi. the tires were installed directionally correct. however i am still getting the pull to the left. i am wondering if after a few tire rotations the pull will wear itself out? or do i have to change the tires? who's to say the new tires won't have the pull either...

i purchased Falken ZIEX 215/60/16 H-rated tires from Discount Tires last week. since that particular store did not offer alignments, i went to NTB. i was told by NTB after i had a 4-wheel alignment done that my tires had a radial pull - it was pulling to the left even when i was on the right lane of a crowned road. they rotated the tires and it is hardly noticeable now. my question is, should i take the tires back to Discount Tires and get them exchanged due to this problem, or will the problem work itself out after awhile? thanks for all your help!

took my 2003 ES300 to the dealer today for the 25,000 mile service. the cost of the service was $126 including tax, so that wasn't too bad. also told my service manager about the shuddering while braking at high speeds, and the popping in my steering column. he fixed both of them under TSB - replaced the front rotors, pads, shims and replaced the intermediate steering shaft. my car feels almost like new again, i can tell the difference especially in the steering. i wasn't aware there was a TSB for the intermediate steering assembly, it covers 2003 and 2004 models. i would suggest those with popping and/or loose steering get that service done.

do NOT get body/paint work from MAACO. they use their own paint and it's pure crap. they also use bondo for everything, including body work that really needs to get banged out and all-metal or welding work done. MAACO sucks and it won't last for more than 1 year max. i've had tons of experience with body work and painting since i did that by myself for my 1993 Lexus ES300. after i was done i was able to sell it for $7,500 back in 2003, but i also had full maintenance records. i've also restored a '67 mustang convertible and replace metal on it. anyway it's best to find a body shop in the hispanic part of town, look at the cars they are currently working on and how well the job is done, and then ask them for a quote if you paid cash. if you were in Houston i know just the place...the guy used to work on ferraris and lamborghinis until the IRS shut down his shop, now he runs a small, under-the-radar shop, but his work is top notch.

I have to express my gratitude to lexusownersclub and the people who contribute to the forums because in the few days here I've saved a ton of money. First I was going to make the mistake of shelling out over $650 for 4 Michelin MXV4 Plus tires, but after reading all the posts on the Falkens being almost comparable, I only spent $341. I like these cheapo tires alot! Second I was going to get a brake job for the braking vibration/shudder since my 2003 ES300 had 26,200 miles, but the TSB BR002-02 seems to address this issue, and if the dealer does fix this under warranty I would save about $300. I also discovered there was another TSB that addressed an issue that had been irking me - that was the dashboard rattle at the base of the windshield. The dealer had told me they couldn't find anything wrong or hear anything, but if there was no problem why the TSB NV001-04 JAN 04 Body - Rattle/Tick Noise From Base of Windshield ??? Anyway I hope to contribute as much as I can, and of course learn as much from everyone here. Have a great evening!

my service advisor also told me 90,000 miles for my 2003 ES300 because they changed to some long-life plug, but i'm not really sure if you should wait that long. were you going to change them yourself, or pay the $300 at the dealership for a tune-up?

if you look at the maintenance schedule, basically the LOF, tire rotation & vehicle road test is all they do. they "check" fluids and inspect a few stuff, but we all know they don't really do much. and the cost is $121. imagine that... tell me that a $24.99 premium LOF from Jiffy Lube would not suffice?

not yet - i need to make an appointment for my 25K service (have 26,200 miles odometer) for next week. they also need to repair the auto headlamp sensor as it doesn't switch on the headlamps when dark, and have them check my steering rack & brakes for the shudder

i reduced mine to 35 psi front and 33 psi back and it seemed make the ride a little smoother on bumpy roads. it's still extremely smooth on the highways

Bought new tires for my 2003 ES300 yesterday @ Discount Tire Co for $343 drive out, which was $68, plus $10 installation and $2 disposal per tire + tax. My first impressions are: 1.) stiffer ride vs my OEM Toyo Proxes J33's going slow on bumpy roads 2.) steering shudder during hard braking on bumpy roads 3.) extremely smooth ride on highway 4.) nice traction on wet roads 5.) excellent grip on twisty turns 6.) lower road noise vs OEM All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and will probably get them for my 2003 RX300 when it's time to change. I'm going to the dealer next week to ask about the shudder during braking - might be my brakes and not the tires. My Toyo Proxes J33's only had 26,000 miles on them, and they were at 1/16th tread. I wanted to try some Toyo TPT's since onlinetires.com had them for only $82, but figured it would be too much of a hassle if I needed to use the road hazard.