RX400h

Congrats as well, We've had ours since April of 05 (We were on the waiting list for over 1 year.) and after more than 50,000 miles, have not had one problem - by far the most reliable vehicle either of us have ever had. You will most certainly enjoy yours for many years to come.

It looks like you won't be charged - gotta love Lexus' standing behind their products.

I use regular or midgrade during the colder months and midgrade during Summer - unless I venture to Las Vegas or Arizona where temps can get up over 100F. At those temps, premium is a must.

Wow! That type of incidence is as rare as a mint condition Chevy Vega! We now have over 52,000 miles on our 2006 and have never had even a hint of a problem. My guess is that if yours is at all related to the hybrid system, you are fully covered. Please keep us informed.

If you change your oil when you are supposed to, your PCV valve should last as long as your spark plugs last. Most likely, a close-tolerance engine such as that in the RX400h will not produce an abundance of oil-saturated blowby gasses, as did the cars of yesteryear. Therefore, PCV valves should function quite a bit longer than the PCV valves of old.

I, too coast down a long hill on the way home and almost always see a fully-charged condition display. Of course, if you don't live in an area that has its share of hills, you may not see this very often.

No matter how meticulously I clean that oil, there is always a few drops on the garage floor, afterward. Once I clean that up, no additional oil will show up until the next oil change. Since I reach up from underneath, with the plastic cover pushed out enough for my hand to get an adjustable wrench on the oil filter's welded-on nut, I really can't see much. Therefore, I can't see everything you are showing in the photo.

Oops, I forgot your age - that explains everything! :chairshot:

I was just kidding about the battery, since he did say that he leaves his lights on "24/7". Personally, I think having lights on while driving on a bright, sunny day is NOT going to make you more visible unless you have 10 million lumen lights. I plowed into a guy while I was riding my motorcycle (bright, sunny day) because he didn't see me and moved into an intersection, so I have my doubts about lights on a motorcycle on such days.

...and that's probably why you have to buy a new battery every 6 months...... :cries: Seriously, why would you feel as if your headlights should be on a sunny day? I could understand that philosophy if you were on a motorcycle, but a big SUV? - kinda overkill if you ask me.

It could be a loose or detached connector but assuming no behind-the-dash work has been done, you may want to take your car in to the dealership.

We were one of the first RX400h owners in San Diego (back in 2005) and after 5 years and more than 50,000 miles, I can say without hesitation that this is the most bullet-proof vehicle we have ever owned. Not one incident of any kind has happened and while we have a trailer hitch, it is used to attach a 4-post bike rack. Anyone who tries to convince you that the transmissions in these vehicles are unreliable really doesn't know what they are talking about. We average 24-26 MPG, even with my occasional lead foot and we can and do use regular fuel during the cooler months. Compared to folks we know who bought either the RX330 or RX350, (average of 16-18 MPG under similar driving conditions), our gain in fuel mileage is substantial.

Lexus vehicles are so reliable that the dealerships have to become creative....... GM dealerships on the other hand don't have to sell many vehicles. The money they rake in on frequent repairs keeps them fat and happy!

Remember, using premium fuel during cold Winter months is somewhat akin to using 98 octane fuel during Summer - not necessary, since the colder, more dense air during Winter allows the use of lower octane fuels without suffering any ill effects. Similarly, you should wear sunscreen if working outdoors in Hawaii but stop buying it if you move to England; it's not necessary!

I'm getting to the point where I base my DUI vs shop upon the length of time it would take. As I get older, my time becomes more valuable. For the price that my local shop charges, I may not be doing any more brake jobs.

Did you ask WHY the rotors have to be changed? That is odd unless you live in Canada and have to deal with rock salt! Another option is to have a trusted local shop mechanic change the rotors. I was going to change my Mazda's valve cover gasket until I found out what the local shop charges - a whopping $65 for labor. So I bought the gasket and had them do the change. Besides, my torque wrench's torque range is way too high for those valve cover bolts.

I guess I really don't know what you are talking about, being in a climate where it nevers snows, after all......... Seriously, I lived and drove in that type of environment for many years and it does accelerate the rate of having to replace parts, especially brake components. I think at least lubing the slides would be prudent when your vehicle's brake pads last so long. I haven't looked at my pads in a while, so the next time I rotate the tires, I'll take a good look. Thanks for the warning.

Yes, I believe all NAV-equipped RX400hs have the backup camera.

Tom, I like to write! dave Most of the early RX400hs came with everything, including the Mark L. stereo system upgrade. Ours did not come with the video entertainment package, but we really didn't need it, anyway. And as I mentioned previously, you will not find a more reliable vehicle.

Correct! That console slides forward; have the salesperson show you. By the way, we've had our RX400h since new in April of 2004 and it has had zero problems - most certainly, the most reliable vehicle we have ever owned. Our average gas mileage is 24-26, about the same as my 4 cylinder Mazda.

I'm not sure why many RX owners ignore mid-grade. I use it for most of the year and find it to be a good compromise between power and cost. Of course, if I lived in Arizona, I'd be using only premium during those super-hot seasons.

I agree with cduluk; That one is FWD.

Was the inspection completed at the dealership? Is your car still under warranty?

The RX350's 0-60 time at best is 6.9 seconds while the RX400h's is 6.7 seconds. Having an electric "supercharger" definitely has its advantages. Couple the faster acceleration with better fuel mileage and you have a win-win vehicle. (Getting a $2000 tax break didn't hurt, either!)

I'm not certain about newer RX400hs, but my 2006 requires that all doors are unlocked before the remote can open the hatch. Perhaps this is one of the settings that are programmed when we bought the vehicle, but I don't mind as it takes just another second to hit the door unlock button twice before pressing the hatch button.