SRX

Recently, the ABS warning light came on and stayed on in my 2000 RX300. The Lexus dealership diagnosed the problem as a faulty left rear axle sensor. Also said the left rear refluctor ring (whatever that is) was cracked and rusty (in Illinois salt is used on the roads in the winter), so they said it was necessary to change the left rear axle shaft assembly along with the sensor. Cost: $1632.60. The brakes work just fine; but no ABS. Any experiences with this repair and the cost? Have not yet checked the price at a brake shop like Midas or a tire store like NTB. Tentative plan is to replace the car rather than repair it. Thanks for your input.

The RX's V6 will soon have to adopt DFI, and thereby a significant gain in FE and HP/torque. If not 2012 then....soon. Or we may soon see an RX250. With adoption of DFI the new 187HP I4 in the Venza may be deemed powerful enough for use in a Lexus, maybe even an AWD Lexus. I would love to see a hybrid AWD Venza using a new 200HP DFI Atkinson cycle I4. AWD implemented with the new electromechanical clutch, not an extra electric motor.

The RX's V6 will soon have to adopt DFI, and thereby a significant gain in FE and HP/torque. If not 2012 then....soon. Or we may soon see an RX250. With adoption of DFI the new 187HP I4 in the Venza may be deemed powerful enough for use in a Lexus, maybe even an AWD Lexus. I would love to see a hybrid AWD Venza using a new 200HP DFI Atkinson cycle I4. AWD implemented with the new electromechanical clutch, not an extra electric motor.

Have any of you seen or heard anything about potential changes to the 2012 RX 350? Debating whether to buy a 2011 or wait for the 2012 model.

I replaced the rear hatch handle in my 2000 RX and listed a detailed "how to" post September 12, 2009 titled "How to Replace a Rear Hatch Handle In a 2000 RX300". Search for this post by title. I'll also place a copy of my instruction in this reply. I recently posted a question asking advice on replacing the rear hatch handle on my 2000 RX300. To those of you who responded or read the post, I thank you. I finished replacing the broken handle this morning. Here are the directions in case you have this problem. Since the rear hatch would not open, the repairs were initiated from inside the vehicle. Remove the privacy shield over the rear luggage area and fold down the seats. Pull the carpeted panel off the lower hatch (held in place by 5 nylon fasteners). Working from the lower corners of the carpeted panel worked well. Pull the top plastic panel off the hatch (held in place by 12 nylon fasteners). Again, working from the lower corners worked well. Put both panels out of the vehicle to give you more room to work I continued to work from inside the vehicle, but if you prefer, you could pull the hatch release mechanism at this point to open the hatch and work on the replacement while standing. Next, remove the two bolts (10 mm) holding the rear hatch key lock in place using care not to drop the bolts inside the hatch. No need to release any of the wiring for the lock. Dealerships refer to the painted panel above the license plate which the lock fits into on the outside of the hatch door as a garnish. I was told the garnish is frequently broken in the process of removing it and the part costs $218.00 to replace. In my experience, it is difficult to imagine this garnish would ever be broken unless the person doing the repair is extremely rough and impatient. Next, remove the three (10 mm) nuts holding the garnish in place. One of these nuts in partially hidden behind the rear wiper assembly, but can be removed using an open end wrench without removing the windshield wiper mechanism. You will notice two white nylon clips which also hold the garnish in place. By compressing the "wings" of these clips with a flat blade screwdriver and pushing the clops out, the garnish will come free. You might consider asking a person to hold the garnish from outside the vehicle as it falls free. There is a license plate lamp wire attached to the garnish, so it will not fall to the ground, but rather dangle by this wire. Now that the garnish is free, turn it over and remove the two rubber washers holding the door lock to the garnish. The replacement part is #69023-48010 and cost me $84.50 with tax. Check a couple dealerships ... another wanted $101.20 for the same part. Put the new door handle in place and begin to reverse your process to complete your job. Took me about an hour and a half to complete the repair, including running to pick up the new part. Hope this is helpful to some of you in the future. I am certain the repair is similar on all older model RX's and maybe even the newer ones. Didn't tear apart my 2005 RX to compare. 0

My 2005 RX330 is nearing new tire time. The vehicle came from Lexus with Michelin MXV4S8 99V tires. I have had no problems with the tires and would consider another set, but recently saw an ad for Toyo Versado CUV tires in the same size with a 100V rating and have read positive reviews of the Toyo tire. If any of you have the Toyo CUV tire and are willing to share your experiences, I'd appreciate your input. I am particularly interested in your opinion of wet weather and snow traction and ride quietness. A friend, who is an independent mechanic, is a huge fan of Toyo tires. A concern of mine is if you have tire problems while traveling, there are less Toyo dealers around the country than Michelin.

In my opinion, my 2000 RX has a better build quality than my 2005 RX. I am considering replacing the 2000 with a 2010 RX. The 2000 was built in Japan; the 2005 built in Canada. Since the 2010 Hybrid RX is built in Japan, I would consider a hybrid if I felt it had a better build quality than the non-hybrid version, but am uncertain about paying the price premium for a hybrid since I drive less than 10,000 miles per year. Any experiences related to comparing build quality between a hybrid and non-hybrid RX would be appreciated. Thanks!

My 2000 RX develops a similar pattern to the one you describe after driving it only around town at low speeds with little if any sustained highway driving. If I take the vehicle on the highway and drive an hour or two at highway speeds (65-70 mph), the rough idle is gone after returning to town. Repeat as necessary.

Over the years, I've noticed several posts regarding battery replacement. Since cold weather is beginning to arrive in some parts of the country, the following information might be helpful. The November 2009 Consumer Reports, top pick of the 24 series batteries which fit Lexus RX's is the Interstate MTP-24F Megatron Plus with 800 CCA. Second is WalMart's Maxx 24-N with 700CCA (a Best Buy in the ranking). WalMart was $75.00 plus tax and Interstate $112.00 plus tax. Just put the Interstate in my 2005 RX because I liked the somewhat greater cold cranking power it offered since temperatures in my area can be below zero. A device ($10-$15.00 at parts stores) was used to maintain power during the battery change to preserve settings and the radio settings were all there when finished with the switch. All previous destinations in the navigation system were gone after the switch and the sunroof and power windows had to be reset according to the directions in the owner's manual. No big deal, but I wish the navigation settings were not lost. When I changed the battery on my 2000 RX, no power device was used and the radio settings were lost, but the power windows and sunroof operated normally after the change. No navigation system on that vehicle. My Lexus dealership wanted $137.00 for an Interstate battery rated at 575 CCA; $180.00 installed.

I recently posted a question asking advice on replacing the rear hatch handle on my 2000 RX300. To those of you who responded or read the post, I thank you. I finished replacing the broken handle this morning. Here are the directions in case you have this problem. Since the rear hatch would not open, the repairs were initiated from inside the vehicle. Remove the privacy shield over the rear luggage area and fold down the seats. Pull the carpeted panel off the lower hatch (held in place by 5 nylon fasteners). Working from the lower corners of the carpeted panel worked well. Pull the top plastic panel off the hatch (held in place by 12 nylon fasteners). Again, working from the lower corners worked well. Put both panels out of the vehicle to give you more room to work I continued to work from inside the vehicle, but if you prefer, you could pull the hatch release mechanism at this point to open the hatch and work on the replacement while standing. Next, remove the two bolts (10 mm) holding the rear hatch key lock in place using care not to drop the bolts inside the hatch. No need to release any of the wiring for the lock. Dealerships refer to the painted panel above the license plate which the lock fits into on the outside of the hatch door as a garnish. I was told the garnish is frequently broken in the process of removing it and the part costs $218.00 to replace. In my experience, it is difficult to imagine this garnish would ever be broken unless the person doing the repair is extremely rough and impatient. Next, remove the three (10 mm) nuts holding the garnish in place. One of these nuts in partially hidden behind the rear wiper assembly, but can be removed using an open end wrench without removing the windshield wiper mechanism. You will notice two white nylon clips which also hold the garnish in place. By compressing the "wings" of these clips with a flat blade screwdriver and pushing the clops out, the garnish will come free. You might consider asking a person to hold the garnish from outside the vehicle as it falls free. There is a license plate lamp wire attached to the garnish, so it will not fall to the ground, but rather dangle by this wire. Now that the garnish is free, turn it over and remove the two rubber washers holding the door lock to the garnish. The replacement part is #69023-48010 and cost me $84.50 with tax. Check a couple dealerships ... another wanted $101.20 for the same part. Put the new door handle in place and begin to reverse your process to complete your job. Took me about an hour and a half to complete the repair, including running to pick up the new part. Hope this is helpful to some of you in the future. I am certain the repair is similar on all older model RX's and maybe even the newer ones. Didn't tear apart my 2005 RX to compare.

Thanks for your response to my post! I have both interior panels off and am figuring out what I need to remove to get to the handle. The lock has been removed from the painted trim piece above the license dealers refer to as the garnish. Two dealerships informed me the garnish is frequently cracked in the process of taking it off resulting in needing to purchase a new garnish ... $218.00 ... so I am trying to avoid that cost by being VERY careful. Once the garnish is removed, I can finally get to the handle. I'll let you and others know how this process goes and if the "surgery" is successful.

Oops, posted under ES Forum this morning by mistake. Sorry. This morning, I could not open the rear hatch of my 2000 RX300. The doors and hatch are unlocked. As I pulled the handle to open the rear hatch, I heard something fall inside the rear hatch (presuming it was the mechanical connection to the handle which allows the hatch to be opened). There is now nothing connected to the rear hatch handle. Have any of you experienced this? Did you repair it yourself (any helpful hints on "how to" would be appreciated) or have a dealership do the repair. A ballpark figure of what the dealership charged for your repair would be helpful. Looks to me as if I could get to this and repair the problem by pulling the carpeted panel off the inside of the rear hatch. Looking forward to your guidance. Thanks!

This morning, I could not open the rear hatch of my 2000 RX300. The doors and hatch are unlocked. As I pulled the handle to open the rear hatch, I heard something fall inside the rear hatch (presuming it was the mechanical connection to the handle which allows the hatch to be opened). There is now nothing connected to the rear hatch handle. Have any of you experienced this? Did you repair it yourself (any helpful hints on "how to" would be appreciated) or have a dealership do the repair. A ballpark figure of what the dealership charged for your repair would be helpful. Looks to me as if I could get to this and repair the problem by pulling the carpeted panel off the inside of the rear hatch. Looking forward to your guidance. Thanks!

I used your suggestion to clean the contacts with a pencil eraser ... the remote is working again ... thank you! Thanks also to all others who offered possible solutions.

Thanks for the suggestion. If my remote fails, and my wife is with me, hers works. Mine will work for the unlock function. Also have a 2005 RX and never had this problem using the remote with it.

Thanks for the input. No indication the RX has received a signal. When my wife and I are together and uses her remote after mine has failed, the car locks as it should. My remote usually fails to lock the vehicle but will function to unlock the doors.

No long "beeeep" noticed.

2000 RX300. Changed the battery, but didn't solve the problem. My key fob does not always function correctly. It seems to malfunction most frequently in cold weather. Pressing the "lock" button does not lock the vehicle. Need to go to lock button on the door to lock car when this happens. "Unlock" feature seems to work even when the "lock" function does not. Anyone experience this? Suggestions to fix?

Thank you for the site suggestion. I looked at it and found what was needed to replace the "D" indicator bulb.

2000 RX300. The green light which indicates the car is in drive (D) on the instrument panel is not lighting. All other gears (P, R, etc.) light. Suggestions on how to remedy this would be appreciated.

I did have this happen on a non-Lexus vehicle of mine and successfully used an adhesive to hold the mirror in place with no future problems. Before using an adhesive, consider two possibilities. Contact a salvage/junk yard to see if you can purchase a mirror attachment from a wrecked vehicle. Second, ask an area Toyota dealership if they have the part you need from a comparable Toyota vehicle. I have found some parts for use on a Lexus are far less expensive when purchased at a Toyota dealer.