alvette5

We bought a used 2000 with 40K miles on it. It already has the usual wear and tear on it but it drives like a new car. Very smooth ride and strong engine. The only complaints are the stereo (it doesn't play CD-R disks sometimes) and the expensive repair costs (be sure to purchase a good extended warranty if youre over 50K miles). Over time, the straps holding the third row seats up can get weak (velcro) so be sure to have them checked. The gas mileage is pretty bad (about 12 mpg) but that's a given since it's a V8 SUV. We used to own Land Rover Discovery but the LX 470 is light years better and more reliable. If you have kids be sure to get a DVD/monitor upgrade.

The dashboard air vent (passenger side, nearest to the door) is cracked and cannot pivot. Has anyone had theirs replaced before? Any input would be helpful. Thanks.

We have the '00 without Navigation. The only problems we had were the stereo. Nakamichi brand. The CDs were stuck and we got the error message. It has a problem playing "burned" CDs sometimes. I have navigation on my bmw and I don't use it much, it's just a novelty and I usually use Mapquest before I go on long trips or use a Thomas Map. With the Lexus we also had problems with the sideview mirror not going back up after backing up. All was fixed under warranty. We got an extended warranty to 100K miles, just in case. Repairs are expensive so a warranty is worth having. We owned a Land Rover before we bought the Lexus so we know what were talking about. :)

We took our black 2000 LX 470 to Las Vegas recently. It's been hovering about 110 degrees in the dry summer heat. We've noticed that our keyless remote has stopped functioning during the day and into the evening. We ended up opening the door the old fashioned way and using the keyhole in the door. Does the heat do this to your remotes? Is this normal or should I take it to the dealer to be looked at? Thanks in advance. :)

Around $50 for a fill up sounds about right. In San Diego, we're paying about $2.57 for a gallon of 91 octane.

These velcro straps are worthless. They don't hold the folded third row chairs up anymore. I wonder if theyre covered by warranty. I'm tired of hearing the chairs bounce around back there.

My Land Rover's windshield has 3 rock chips and we were quoted about $800 to replace the entire thing at the dealer. Right after we traded it in and bought the LX 470 I purchased a rock/bug deflector for it and no problems. I figure I'll invest about $120 instead of shelling out over $500 for a windshield replacement. The parts guys at the Lexus dealer should be able to order one for you. Installation is pretty easy.

Also, avoid those windshield repair guys at the car wash. They claim that the repair is free and they will charge your car's insurance company for it, so there's no out of pocket expense. These guys do a shoddy job and your insurance company will vote against it.

I strongly recommend you go directly to the service manager when you get your repairs done. Our service rep was a moron and didn't return our phone calls as instructed. Also, you may get a good chance of getting a Lexus loaner instead of a Toyota. My car is at 45K and were trying to get everything fixed, no matter how small, right now before we have to shell out for it.

Is the car sitting idle with the engine on or is it during driving conditions? Please be more specific.

You should easily expect 200k miles from the engine and tranny.

That said, there are some minor nagging things that may start to go. I had a Land Cruiser (1994 model year) that started to nickel and dime me at around 115k miles. Things that I had to replace and/or have work done:

battery,

O2 sensor,

full tune up (plugs, wires, dist cap, etc.),

starter,

full brakes rotors (front and rear),

radiator.

and a set of wires that had the insulation worn off (which caused a short -- which caused my EFI fuse to keep blowing).

The tune up and the brakes should be considered as part of the regular maintenance. The others are just things that wear out over time.

I know you said that you have a 470 -- my old LC was the equivalent to the 450 -- but parts are parts...I'd bet the 470 would probably have similar things wear out at around the same time.

...

Doug

Wow, I had to do all that with my bmw during the first 8 mos of ownership. I bought the car with 55K miles. I've probably spent over 3 grand so far.

What would you recommend I get done at the stealer before my 50K mile warranty is up? Any particular items need replacement now before I have to shell out for it later?

I know this has been discussed before but maybe I can provide a new twist to an old problem? My Nakamichi in dash CD player quit playing and displayed an "ERR4" message. We just got the car back from a warranty repair the day before. Yeah, when it rains it pours. We went back the next day and was told that the new unit wont be available for install for 2-3 days. However, the service manager assured us that the new CD changer has been re-designed so that we will no longer run into this problem again. I'll post again when the problem has been addressed.

I notice this slight "scraping" sound when I drive down the neighborhood at slow speeds. It gets faster as I drive faster. It can't be the brakes since we just bought the car and the dealer says the brakes are brand new. We just brought the car to the dealer service shop and they cannot spot the problem. They want me to show them myself. Has anyone else experienced this noise? Thanks in advance.

Sold them yet? I'm still waiting for my tax refund checks. :)

I'm not sure how the road conditions are and I never put chains on tires. So, I'm trying to get advice on what to expect and how to drive. Since we get year round sunshine, we get a little spoiled down here in So Cali.

I'd like to hear how this SUV performs. This will be my first time taking it into the elements. I already installed the DVD player to help the kids stay occupied but I'm a little nervous. Anyone used the low differential? Thanks for any input or advice.

Congrats! I initially wanted to buy the Toyota Sequoia (more room, kids getting bigger, Toyota quality unquestioned) but my wife wanted the snob appeal and prestige of the Lexus. Of course, we eventually bought the Lexus because she was going to drive it 95% of the time. Over time, the "refinement and luxury" of this vehicle won me over and the Sequoia is a forgotten afterthought.

We previously owned the Land Rover Discovery Series II and never took it offroad (except through flooded streets and over mud in the mountain areas). I mean, cmon now, who would drop $40K and get it all thrashed offroad? With the running boards, it was strictly a Costco Runner and Soccer Mom-mobile.

At least knowing that this car can go anywhere and has full time 4WD, we know we'll be coming home safely in any condition and any weather. Just my .02 cents.

No cost? My dealer was going to charge me $50 to program the key. After some complaining (we paid over $220 for the key remote itself) the dealer finally programmed it, free of charge.

When programming the homelink and holding the remote 1 inch away, I've noticed that it was VERY important that you press the remote and homelink buttons SIMULTANEOUSLY or the homelink won't learn the code. It took me half an hour of painstakingly keeping buttons depressed while holding the remote in the air before I realized this.

Congrats! I just bought my wife a 00' LX 470 with 41K miles on it. Here's a website I found that has most everything, even the 18" rims for the 03' model I'm thinking of upgrading to.

http://www.lexus-parts.com/

or

Click here....

Have fun.

I just purchased my Lexus and I'm wondering the same thing. I went to the "Good Guys" and checked out their selection. It seems they're having a special on flip down screen/DVD player/2 headphone packages by Alpine and Sony. I'm not too keen about Audiovox and I don't know if their quality is up to snuff. I'm concerned that if you get a large screen you'll obviously have less rearview vision. I'm still shopping around.

Ok, just purchased the Alpine overhead monitor/2 headset system with the Audiovox DVD player. The install came out to @ $300 and took a whole day to install. At Good Guys it cost me $1500 out the door. So far so good. :)

My wife and I purchased a used 00' LX 470 with 40k on the clock. It came with only one master key and no floor mats. We purchased these items at Kearny Mesa Lexus in San Diego, CA. We were very impressed with the professionalism and courteous service we received there. We were supposed to be charged $50 for the programming of the new key and the price of the key was pretty steep itself (just under $200). We had an issue with this programming charge since we've ordered extra keys for our BMW 7 series and we never were charged for programming them. So, in turn, we were NOT charged for the programming and when we brought our SUV in, they programmed our key and washed our car, free of charge.

I need 4 18" rims for a 2003 LX 470. Any input is appreciated.

My local dealer quoted $50 to program the remote. It's a rip off if you asked me. My BMW remote key was programmed for free and all I paid for was the remote.

I've heard you can use Toyota Landcruiser parts on the LX 470. For the 2000, I found this:

It goes for $186.00 not including shipping. There's also an installation kit for around 18 bucks.

Here's the website:

Toyota Parts Online