JSmith

^{I have 304,000 on my 2002 RX. Couldn't wait to replace the OEM tires. Went with Firestone Destination LE. Check out info on TireRack.com. On my 3rd set. Over 100k on each of the first two sets (lots of hwy miles of course). Excellent rain tires as well.}

Due to a failed crank shaft seal, the Lexus dealer replaced my timing belt at 53k miles as part of the warranty work. I am considering a new belt as I approach 100k on the existing one (148k on RX now). I see a lot of comment suggesting that replacing the water pump as preventative is a waste of money. Considering my circumstance, should I expect my original pump to last 250k miles, or replace now? (I bought this RX with 30k miles and put mostly hwy miles on it) From checking online part sources, it would appear that the pump housing is not replaced (just seals and impeller?).

I have a 2002 RX300. 2WD. 148k miles. I use Mobil 1 and chg every 7k miles. I use 2qts during that time. Had dealer chk engine recently. No sludge. They contend that this is within normal usage guidelines from Lexus, and that it can consume more oil when run on the hwy like I do.

I got rid of my Goodyears and installed Firestone Destination LE's. (first Firestone tires I've used) Liked the reviews I saw on tirerack.com. I've put 101k miles on them so far, and still have plenty of good tread (hwy miles, of course). The wet weather handling has been excellent. A great value, and easily as good as Michelin tires I have run on other previous vehicles.

1999 RX 300 AWD runs great and gets about 18mpg city driving, however, engine demands 93 octane or it will ping under hard acceleration. Owner's manual says it only needs 89 octane. Is this normal?

I had a 2001 RX300 with engine ping. Turned out to be a sludged engine. Have the valve covers pulled and inspect.

update, of sorts. it has now been about 2000 miles since the beginning of the oil consumption test. my original mechanic swears he did the oil change himself and checked the levels and did not short the amount of oil by mistake and that when he pulled the plugs (first three in front only for ease) they were indicative of burning oil in the combustion chamber. i asked him if the fact that the RX sat for almost a year on various car lots could have anything to do with the condition of the plugs, or the mysterious loss of oil (burning?, because there are no leaks). he didn't know, but said maybe the oil rings were stuck somehow from sitting so long and now with driving they are unstuck? hum...i have no idea what the probable issues are here, but maybe a stuck PVC and it is now unstuck? anyother hypothesis would be welcome as i am curious by nature, and i too am now obsessive about checking my dipstick, but so far no problem. will keep checking back for any info from this posting and will update if anything new occurs on this end. i do love this ride though. maybe a miricle, it has somehow healed itself? God probably drives an RX.

I have a 2002 RX300. Bought it with 29k miles in Nov05, and had dealer examine to verify no sludge. Since then, Mobil-1 only, every 7k miles. I drive 40k hwy miles/yr. At 140k miles now, I discovered (sudden brake caused oil light to come on) that I am losing 1qt every 2-3k miles. Absolutely no leaks. Had dealer ck for sludge. Engine clean. (not checked plugs) They "researched" Lexus info, and declared that my usage is within acceptable range. They reasoned that on the highway there could be more usage than around town. Car rides fine. I figure a qt every 2-3k is cheaper than any mechanical repair. Performance is good.

I did purchase a 2001 RX before this one, which was sludged. Broker took it back, and found this 2002 (proud he stood behind the sale!!). The sludged '01 consumed oil and also had "engine ping" when accelerating up a hill.

I'd monitor yours and obtain an accurate measure of oil usage.

I "second" that question about location of the fluid extractor. motive.com appears to be a communication company.

I installed Destination LE's about 2 yrs ago on 02 RX300. Didn't like wet weather handling (poor) of OEM Goodyears. I drive 40k+ miles/yr, mostly hwy. Have 80k miles now, and plenty of tread left. Good hwy tire, low noise, and excellent wet weather handling. Best value out there.

I installed a weathertech on my 2002. It does install with double back tape and I too had concerns. I did a bit of research before buying and it appears that the double sided tape does not harm the vehicle. The tape used is the same tape that auto manufacturers use to stick emblems and other things to the finish of most vehicles. The weathertech installed in 2 minutes and I have had it on my car for around 6 months and it hasn't moved, cracked or faded in any way and I live in Toronto and we have had some cold temperatures for a change this winter. The sheild has held up very well.

Thanks for comment about the Weathertech. I haven't reviewed that one. Turns out that the Lund and AVS are made my the same company. Lund only suggests the AVS for the 99-01 (can't see why it wouldn't fit 02 & 03). It insalls with the same dbl sided tape you describe. The LUND Interceptor model is installed with two steel brackets, which somehow slip through the grill and require 2 holes drilled inside/underneath the hood. Lund emailed me a pdf of the instructions for both types, but they are generic descriptions. I will loosen my grill to see if it is likely to fit properly as they describe.

I installed a Colgan bra last year on my '02 RX300. The hood cover flaps. (the mfg claimed I did not stretch it tight enough on initial installation) I do like the bumper protection.

I am considering the LUND or AVS acrylic hood deflector. Any experience with these? I have some concern for using double-sided tape on the hood paint to install this item. However, I have found past experience with similar deflectors on mini vans to be very effective.

Is the 2002 RX300 manual available at DivShare?

I have a 1999 RX300 with 145k miles on it. It was been an excellent car with no issue to mention. Well before I went to change the oil the other day I checked it. The oil was barely reading on the stick. This was concerning since obviously I'm buring oil cause there are no leaks. What could this be? I'm taking it in at the 150k mark and so I may get this fixed. Should this be a big concern? This thing runs like a top and is still very quick and powerful like the day we got it. Any ideas?

Oh, and my struts are squeaking or creaking, how long are these things good for? Probably about time to change my struts too huh? Any advice on what brand or should I just take it to Lexus. Thanks guys.

I have '02 RX300, purch in Nov 05 with 29k miles. Had dealer verify no oil sludge. I drive lots of hwy miles, now have 115k miles. Use Mobil 1 only. Recently discovered that it is using about 1 qt oil every 3k miles. Just now beginning to investigate. What was your solution?

I recommend that you spend some time looking at various tire ratings at www.tirerack.com.

The BF Goodrich tires are not rated very highly in terms of treadwear as well as some other important factors. You'll need to decide what factors are important to you - cost, treadlife, road noise, road comfort, wet traction, etc. After doing so, you'll probably be able to narrow down your tire choices to two or three models.

By the way, the OEM Bridgestone Dueler and Goodyear Integrity are two of the lousiest tires you could possibly choose. It's really a shame that Lexus slapped these tires on the RX series at that time.

Over the past 18 months or so, a lot of small SUV owners have chosen either the Yokohama Geolander HT-S G051 or Firestone Destination LE as solid all-weather tires at a great price point. After years of thinking that I would never buy a Firestone tire again, I researched the Destination LE tire based upon the strong reviews it was constantly receiving (especially for wet traction which is extremely important to my wife) and made the decision to order a set (225/70/16) for my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD in December 2004. That set of tires now has about 24,000 miles on them and they have held up beautifully while delivering great traction in the rain and snow. Be aware that you have to pump them up a bit more than I was used to in order to get them to perform at maximum efficiency - I run them at about 36 psi. But they hold their pressures well and they really have delivered great treadwear and performance for the money - I ordered them from tirerack.com for about $280 plus shipping although I'm sure they have increased in price since then. They carry a 60,000-mile warranty and it appears that my wife will get at least 50,000 miles out of these tires if they continue to wear and handle as they have thus far. For the money, that's a great deal in my opinion.

Our experiences with this set of Destination LE tires caused me to put a new set on my daughter's 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee back in November when she needed new tires. She's been just as happy with the new set on her Jeep as my wife has been with the current set on her RX300.

I rotate all of my tires at each oil and filter change and always advise that others do the same. I also check all tire pressures WEEKLY, not monthly. That is critical for finding slow leaks or imbedded nails in time to repair the tire before it is ruined.

Good luck to you and let us know what tires you decide to go with.

Thanks much.

I drive 40k mi per year, mostly hiway. Treadlife, wet weather and noise are priority for me. Will do the homework. Agree with the rotation sched. I usually exceed promised tire milage.

My wife's 2000 RX300 FWD [ 55,000 miles ] has a periodic gas knock. We've always used 87 octane in it. When the gas knock shows up I pull the ECM fuse for a minute or so and that solves the problem until the next time. I guess the question I have concerns the 2 knock-sensors located on the intake manifold. Does the RX300 have a history of this problem? I have a tech manual for the same year of Camry [ same engine, trans, etc. ] and it says to check the 2 knock-sensors with an ohm-meter. The sensors aren't that difficult to replace once the intake manifold is removed. [ Toyota tech said it's about a 1-hour job ] Park Place Lexus in Plano, Texas has the sensors for about $130.00 each incl. shipping. [ I order from them often ] The dealer says that knock-sensors aren't covered under the Certified Warranty [ NO surprise ] and the total cost to the customer is about $400.00 to replace 1 sensor. Has anyone else had to replace the knock-sensors on their RX300? Thanks.

This summer I bought a '01RX300 with 26k miles. The engine would always ping when accelerating up a small hill on my way home. Dealer response was simply to use premium fuel. After 4 wks, and noticing unusual oil consumption, discoverd the engine was sludged. Fortunately, dealer behind it was straight up and all ended well. Be religious with oil changes.

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???

A local Atlanta Lexus dealer quoted $550.

I just bought an 02 RX300 with 30.5k. Local oil change shop did most everything for 150 plus coolant. ATF flush also performed (not req at 30k). I did the cabin air filer, bought off the net for $16(oem) (vs 55 at dealer) and was a cinch to install. Because I had forgotten about the brake fluid change, I did it myself for nominal cost of fluid (took 1hr total).

Note there are websites for buying oem parts such as oil filter (6) and cabin filters and brake pads, etc. I take my oil filter to a local shop and have them peform the oil change with Mobil 1 (be religious about oil changes - beware of sludging).

I bought a RX300 with 26000 miles in July from Bonn Imports (Alpharetta, GA). He specializes in resale Lexus, and this was my first. Had a few glitches with the vehicle which he had fixed. Rare to find a car dealer (especially with resales) who lives what he professes.

Can't say enough about the integrity and way I was treated by this dealer. Have enjoyed my RX tremendously.

Does anyone have any experience with the BF Goodrich Radial Long Trail (225/70-16) tire on an RX300?

I have the OEM Goodyear Integrity, which slips on a wet street from a standing stop (with mild acceleration) and wearing on the tire shoulders, in spite of proper inflation. From looking at Goodyear's site, this appears to be a relatively low-end selection when compared to other tires they recommend.