RX400h

Congrats! The funny thing with our RX is that I replaced the battery a few months ago and the fuel mileage is essentially unchanged. I guess the ISC reset doesn't affect all RXs the same way.

No offense, but if I were selling my car and someone showed me a check for 60% of my asking price, I'd tell them all negotiations are hereby canceled. Then I'd have Uncle Guido's goons escort the person off my property. Seriously, it is very unlikely that any dealership is so hurting for money that they'd accept such a low-ball offer. However, it doesn't hurt to offer them less that what they are asking with the understanding that they may counter-off IF your offer is not an insult.

With that low mileage, I would say that getting it certified is a waste of money, especially considering how reliable these cars have been.

Based upon what I've seen in Autotrader, that is a decent price and in many cases, is lower than similar models' dealership pricing.(for northern California). In the 6 years we have owner our RX400h, we have not had any issues with it. It is truly the most reliable vehicle we have ever owned (by a long shot).

....or just go with titanium or stainless steel screws - no rust and much stronger than plastic! :)

Now that's a guy who knows what he's talking about!

Did you spray it with WD-40 or similar? If a rusted screw, bolt, or nut doesn't budge with typical torque, I always give it a dose of WD-40 or Liquid Wrench, tap it a few times and wait a while before trying again. If a Phillips screw head strips, I can often create a large slot in the head using a Dremel tool with cutoff wheel. I then insert a flat blade screwdriver and remove the screw.

Another option is to use a center punch to create a divot in the center of the screw body. Then, drill out the screw body with successively larger drills until most of the old screw is gone. Sometimes you have to retap the threads but often, this is not necessary, depending upon how centered the initial hole in the screw body is.

If you are looking for a good-handing car and not just a smooth-riding sedan, then the CT is the only game in town. I suggest that you try both, back-to-back before deciding.

For our RX400h, the transmission fluid is due to be changed at 60,000 miles. The coolant is not due until 90,000 miles. Our brake fluid was replaced at 30,000 miles, I believe so it may be due for replacement at 60K.

Congrats!

Yes, you would think so until you look at all the rusty hardware under many vehicles, rust that is a result of salt-covered roads in areas where there is heavy snowfall. You would also think that battery manufacturers have tested their products in Arizona on 114 degree days. They probably have but their batteries rarely last more than 3 years under those conditions. Constant exposure to ultraviolet rays quickly crack leather seats and fade dark-colored paints, yet you would think this shouldn't happen anymore. My vehicles last much longer here than do my siblings' vehicles in CT, primarily because the weather is so temperate but also because I cover my metallic red car every time it sits in the sun all day (and that is often). The invincible vehicle simply doesn't exist; it's as simple as that!

...the 12 volt battery in the engine bay.

The brake and transmission fluids should have been changed at 30,000 and 60,000 miles, respectively. Soon, the coolant will need to be changed as well. Brake wear rate depends on driving environment (hilly, flat, or both) and braking habits (gradual or aggressive), so an inspection is mandatory in that regard. Lemon will suggest looking for inverter coolant leaks - quick and easy for the most part. Also, if the battery is 5 years old, it should be replaced. They generally don't last much longer than that. I squirted some graphite into the ignition key slot to prevent the "key won't go in all the way" scenario and that has worked well. Other than that, everything should be just fine. Dave

Keep in mind that Lemon lives in an area that gets quite a bit colder than other regions. Perhaps the severe cycling of very cold and very hot engine bay conditions contributed or was fully responsible for his inverter issues? Auto owners who live in parts of Arizona experience a much higher rate of early battery failures than do most of the US. Does this mean that we all should worry about short-lived batteries? No, it just means that temperature extremes tend to shorten the life of many automotive components.

I think the lack of comments indicates that this is NOT the epidemic that it was made out to be. Our 2006 is doing great - no inverter problems so far.

Not changing your brake fluid would not result in air in the fluid and moisture would certainly not cause a clunking sound.

That does sound like a component is loose (not normal) to me. I'd remove one of the front tires and examine the calipers while someone applies the brakes. However, if the sound occures only when the vehicle is in motion, the problem, if any, many not be obvious. My guess is that a spring or clip that keeps the brake pad up against the piston is loose or missing. By the way, one of the most commonly misplaced words in the english language is the word "only". For example, your statement, "It doesn't "only" happen when i brake hard...." should be changed to: "It doesn't happen only when I brake aggressively...." Notice that your intent was to describe "when", not the verb "happen". Also, you should never use a word like "hard" or "fast" as an adverb. They should be used to describe nouns such as "fast car" or "hard material".

That's great news, George! By the way, do you know if there is a city in Greece (near the Turkey border) that is called "Soli" or something similar in spelling? I can't seem to be able to find it on a map but apparently, one of my ancestors is from there. Thanks, Dave

The huge difference will be handling, steering response, braking, etc. The CT200h will be far superior in this regard - kind of like a larger Honda CR-Z that gets better gas mileage. I agree that if Lexus does offer an upgraded package, most buyers likely will select it over the base package. I know I would.

What year is your Vette? 2001 - it was the first new car I ever bought. (And no, I was never given a new car!) Dave

Did they detail the engine bay? If so, there's the culprit! I simply spritz Simple Green and water before wiping with paper towels. I've read of too many electrical malfunctions after someone "cleaned" their engine bay.

You must be referring to the HS 250h; the CT200h has not yet been released and I do not recall ever seeing a full review in Consumer Reports.

Take a look at this: http://www.lexus.com/models/HSh/features/pricing.html As you can see with the HS 250h base model, not every luxury feature is included. However, the "Premium" package includes just about everything. My guess is that the CT200h will follow suit and have a premium package for a bit more money. My wish is that they come out with a CT250h with about 200 HP and average fuel mileage in the mid-30s. It'd be faster than the HS 250h and would provide better handling at the same time. Dave

Jim, are you referring to the CT200h? http://www.lexus.com/fcv/ct200h.html?s_ocid=FCVAnchorHero_LfCh0909 This will definitely be out, this year but I can't remember during which quarter. By the way, you might want to read this: http://priuschat.com/forums/lexus-hybrids/87314-my-review-ct200h-pre-production.html dave