Lexusfreak

From CanadianDriver.com... September 7, 2006 GM Canada announces new 160,000-km powertrain warranty Oshawa, Ontario - General Motors of Canada has announced that it is extending powertrain warranty protection to five years or 160,000 kms across its 2007 model year line-up of cars and light-duty trucks. The warranty includes courtesy transportation and roadside assistance, will be fully transferable, and has no deductible. General Motors has similarly updated its powertrain warranty in the U.S. to 100,000 miles. The expanded powertrain warranty covers all 2007 model year Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn vehicles. The new vehicle limited warranty remains unchanged, at four years/80,000 kms for Buick, Cadillac, Hummer and Saab, and three years/60,000 kms for Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac and Saturn vehicles. The extended powertrain coverage includes all engine components from the throttle body unit, into the engine, and out to the exhaust manifolds; all automatic transmission/transaxle internally-lubricated components and the torque converter; all manual transmission internally-lubricated components plus defects in the clutch release bearing, pressure plate and flywheel; all transfer case internally-lubricated components and actuators; all final drive internally-lubricated components, and mounts, front actuator, locking hubs and bearings; all drive, propeller and axle shafts; all constant velocity and universal joints; and all front and rear hub bearings.

From CanadianDriver.com... September 7, 2006 Used Vehicle Review: Lexus ES300/ES330, 2002-2006 The Toyota Camry commands respect for a lot of reasons: it's reliable, roomy and refined, to name a few. But the last thing anyone will ever mistake a Camry for is a luxury car, even in top-line, leather-trimmed XLE form. For those buyers who like the Camry for all of its practical attributes but demand a little more cachet in the car they drive, Toyota's luxury Lexus division has the answer, in the form of the ES, the Camry-based executive sedan that's been on sale since 1989. As nice as the original ES250 (named for its 2.5-litre V6) was, this car has come a long way. With a fourth-generation ES350 in showrooms, this week's used car review will take a look back at the third generation version. Based on the fifth-generation Camry that arrived in 2002, the third-gen ES300 was, as these things tend to go, bigger, more powerful and more luxurious that its predecessor. Cars sold in 2002 and 2003 were powered by a 3.0-litre V6 making 210 horsepower. In 2004, displacement was bumped to 3.3 litres, adding 15 horsepower and necessitating a name change to ES330 to keep the car in line with Lexus' engine-displacement-based naming convention. 2005 Lexus ES330; photo by Bob McHugh. Click image to enlarge Changes to the methods used to calculated horsepower ratings resulted in a seven-horsepower drop for 2006 models (to 218). All third-generation ES' used a five-speed automatic transmission. That powertrain endowed the ES with strong straight-line performance, and allowed economical operation for a luxury car. Natural Resources Canada's fuel consumption ratings for the car are 11.5 L/100 km (25 mpg Imp.) (city) and 7.5 L/100 km (38 mpg Imp.) (highway). Safety is a definite plus, too. The ES earned five stars for driver and front passenger protection in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) front impact testing. 2005 Lexus ES330; photo by Bob McHugh. Click image to enlarge Standard side airbags helped the car earned five stars for front-seat occupant protection in side impacts, and four stars for protecting rear sear occupants. The ES earned "good" ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in both the organization's frontal offset and side impact tests. Like the Camry, the ES is known for excellent reliability. The one well-known issue is erratic shifting from the five-speed automatic transmission. Lexus has issued a fix, however. More information can be found here and here. Otherwise, there's not much to talk about in terms of dependability, other than to say that these cars just are. This thread at the Lexus Owner's Club details some common issues with the ES, but the list covers all generations of the car, not just the 02-06 version. Go here for a list of how-tos related to various repairs and maintenance procedures, and an FAQ on these cars can be found here. And to access a factory service manual, click here... http://phatg20.net/modules.php?name=Downlo...load&cid=98 You won't be surprised that, like the Toyota model it's based on, the ES holds onto its value very well, with used values ranging from $24,175 for a 2002 model (more than half of its MSRP) to $40,350 for a 2006 model. If you can live with the less-powerful 3-0-litre engine (it only gives up 15 horsepower to the 3.3), we'd recommend looking for a 2002 or 2003 model to take advantage of sub-$30,000 prices. Or, if you can live without a luxury nameplate, go for a well-equipped Camry XLE: a 2006 model is worth just under $31,500. The ES isn't an exciting car and won't attract more than a passing glance from bystanders, but like the Camry, it's a comfortable and dependable way to get around, and simply offers a splash of luxury to satisfy drivers who want just a dash of luxury in their daily commute. Pricing (Canadian Dollars) Red Book Pricing (avg. retail) September 2006: Year Model Price today Price new 2006 ES330 $40,350 $42,900 2005 ES330 $35,850 $43,900 2004 ES330 $31,500 $43,800 2003 ES300 $26,300 $43,800 2002 ES300 $24,175 $43,400 Online resources Club Lexus - These guys live and breathe all things Lexus. All years and versions of the ES are grouped together in one forum section. Much of the info deals with older models, but there's lots to read about regarding the 2002-05 models too. Toyota Nation - this is the place to go for all things Toyota, of which Lexus is one. All Lexus models are lumped together in one forum, so information specific to the ES may be difficult to find without a concerted search effort. Members can vote in a poll to "yay" or "nay" a LexusNation.com spinoff that the site's owners are considering launching. Lexus Owners Club - this is a North American offshoot of a UK-based Lexus website. Here you'll find a forum dedicated to the ES in all of its forms, ranging from the original ES250 to the brand new ES350. There's also a heap of other topics to discuss here, like aftermarket modifications, audio/video, for sale/wanted and many others. A basic membership is free, and there's an optional gold membership available for a subscription fee. This is home for more than 20,000 wired Lexus owners. Related stories on CanadianDriver Test Drive: 2002 Lexus ES 300 Test Drive: 2004 Lexus ES 330 Test Drive: 2005 Lexus ES 330 Test Drive: 2006 Lexus ES 330 Manufacturer's Website Lexus Canada Recalls Transport Canada Recall Number: 2001284; Units affected: 152 2002: Certain passenger vehicles. The left front brake tube may be deformed prior to vehicle delivery due to improper installation of a coil spring spacer that was installed to prevent damage to the vehicle during transportation, if the brake tube is deformed significantly, it could contact the inner fender panel, and eventually cause damage to the tube due to vibration during driving. Brake tube damage could also lead to break fluid leakage after extended use of the vehicle. Correction: dealers will inspect the front brake line and, if necessary, replace the line. Transport Canada Recall Number: 2001283; Units affected: 438 2002: Certain 2002 model Lexus ES300 vehicles, during air bag deployment, it is possible that the bottom seam of the front driver's side air bag module cover (horn pad) could be torn away allowing the bottom portion of the cover to completely detach from the air bag module. If this should occur, there is a possibility that the detached bottom portion may strike the driver causing personal injury. Correction: dealers will replace the driver's side air bag module.

Nah, mind was lost a long time ago UCF :whistles: ....I'll be fine.

Consider using synthetic for the front & rear diff fluids....what grade does the owners manual call for? I've use both Castrol Syntec & Mobil 1 75w90 in both of my Foresters (you are safe to use that grade if the manual calls for 80w90 btw as long as they meet GL-5 classification)......happy with the performance of both fluids & are safe for extended drain intervals. B)

Start a bank account for the repairs, good luck! Agreed! ;)

I'm getting a G35 vibe for some reason lol. B)

Ride comfort will suffer quite badly with 20's however & pretty big $$$ for the tires.

Patiently waiting Doug. :)

AFAIK, no you can't.....however double check your owners manual for programming the keyless entry. B)

Agreed....good advice Steve. B)

In a nutshell, the ES from 2002 - 2006 in Canada (to my knowledge at least & from reading the tranny thread here) does not suffer from the tranny problems that plagued the U.S. 5 speed auto version because of different regulations between us & our friends south of the border. B)

Lol 93LS! B)

Lmao! :whistles:

Owned!

Doug has made it crystal clear in his comments about what has happened & has been very remorseful towards the lady involved IMO. Nuff said! B)

LMAO!!

Steve, Can't remember here.......have you had any winter time driving with your new Michelins?

Agreed SK & SW! Doug, sorry to hear about your accident bud :( Happy to know everyone will be ok too! B) Keep your head up & stay in the Lexus family. ;) The newbie's comments are totally out of line.

Agreed. B)

Perhaps it's the current tires that are the problem (or the weak link as you put it) as opposed to changing the size right off the bat. And yes the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires are overkill bigtime. SW likes those Michelin MXV4's too........I perfer the Goodyear Triple Treads myself. ;)

That's awesome! :D

Back to the original post/rant.....Don't be suprised to see a GS 460 in the not too distant future & all will be right with the world again. ;)

Agreed, they are similar looking in the pics at least. B)

Another possibility you might want to consider is 225 60 16 for the stock rim. B) Here are a couple tire calculators to check the different sizes... http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos http://www.eunos.com/tirecalc/

Exactly.......I bought the 2001 Max knowing the changes for 2002. ;)