RX400h

Large compressors on large tanks have a water drain for good reason - hot air hits a cool tank and moisture in it condenses on the tank's inner wall. A small compressor's air won't condense as easily and since many have no tanks at all, the moisture has no where to go but into your tires. Regardless, until recently, I have always used a small Coleman compressor to top off my tires and I have never had a tire degrade to a point where it failed before its tread wore out. I now have a Craftsman Professional compressor, but really, the only way to ensure that the air is moisture-free would be to mount a particulate and coalescing filter combo right at the fitting that you press into the tire valve stem. Even having the filters mounted to the tank would not be enough to prevent air running through a fairly long hose to cool off and condense. By the way, speaking of topping off tire pressure, here's an interesting device: http://www.tireright.com/ezair.htm

...very good points here. I would like to emphasize that although the door sticker lists 30 psi as the recommended tire pressure, this is much too low. As was mentioned, keep the pressure at 34-37 psi. I set the pressure to 35 psi and average 24.3 MPG. That's about the same as a Camry 4 cylinder that weighs 1000 lbs less and has 100 horsepower less than the Rx400h.

If my car weren't recalled, I wouldn't have to drive the 45 miles back and forth to the dealership. But that's not the only gas I had to use; the gas in the loaner represents another 45 miles, so the total number of gallons of gas consumed because Lexus had to fix their mistake amounts to almost 4 gallons or about $10. Of course, since I wanted to have the brake fluid flushed, I had to bring the RX there anyway, so the expenditure to get back and forth to work was only $5.00, but still......... If I recall correctly, the Lexus dealer fills your fuel tank to FULL after any recall work. I wish! Hey, I didn't become a billionaire by giving away my money for no reason! :D And no, my dealership has never offered to do that, so I would assume, it is not available there. I did ask them to wash the RX, but I received it in exactly the same condition. (well, except for that scratch near the key hole, but I used Scratch X to remove that when I arrived home.) I guess I should be glad that they didn't give me a gas-hog RX350! :P No, highly demanding of the dealership that sold me a $55K vehicle!

If my car weren't recalled, I wouldn't have to drive the 45 miles back and forth to the dealership. But that's not the only gas I had to use; the gas in the loaner represents another 45 miles, so the total number of gallons of gas consumed because Lexus had to fix their mistake amounts to almost 4 gallons or about $10. Of course, since I wanted to have the brake fluid flushed, I had to bring the RX there anyway, so the expenditure to get back and forth to work was only $5.00, but still.........

The ride I get from the Chevy dealership is not in a shuttle van. I am driven to work with no one else in the car (not a van). It's somewhat like using a taxi except the vehicle is much nicer than a typical taxi. And there is little to no wait. Now I can't say that all Chevy customers get treated this way, but I do and that is why I go back to that dealership. Regarding the loaner car, I find it unsettling because of the recall. It would be like having a company send you a defective product and then turn around and expect you to pay for shipping to send it back. If my car is defective, it shouldn't cost me anything to have it fixed, especially while under warranty. Granted, not all people feel this way, but hey, sometimes you don't get what you deserve unless you complain.... Dave

My dealership doesn't charge me per se, but does mention that I should "bring the car back with the gas gauge indicator in the same position."

I just dropped off the RX for the steering recall and was given an ES350 with navigation. Based upon its total confusion when trying to get me to an alternate highway, I am reluctant to upgrade the NAV software in our RX. The other thing I think is a bit unsettling is that I have to pay for the gas I use in the loaner car. We are asked to bring the vehicle in to be "fixed" and yet we have to pay for gas to get to work. When I take the (out of warranty) Corvette in, I am driven to work and picked up later. I don't spend a dime on fuel, other than to drive my car to the dealership and back. I think the customer should be allowed a stated mileage and then anything beyond that mileage requires a per-mile fee, which would essentially cover fuel costs.

i agree - waste of money. I do throw a can of Techron concentrate in my older cars' gas tanks every year or so. Blowby gasses that are recirculated into the engine's intake contain a fair amount of oil aerosols. This oil and particulates tend to stick to valves and become carbon bulidup on pistons over time. While auto manufacturers are trying to come up with internal separation solutions, there is currently nothing out there that will "catch" all oil and particulates.

While not as fast as the Jeep, (RX400h 0-60 MPH in 6.7 seconds) the RX will undoubtedly be much more reliable. And with Chrysler on the brink of being dissolved, you are much better off with the RX in the long run. Congrats and welcome to the green crowd. Dave

Hugh? Brake fluid turn to steam? Brake fluid is oil ... so, no steam I know this is an old thread; I was searching for specific directions on brake bleeding and came upon this information in need of correction. Couldn't help myself. Brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it attracts water from other sources like the atmosphere. So it will eventually absorb water. Brake fluid gets hot; the water will vaporize (turn to steam) and give you a mushy pedal since vapor is compressible. I have decided to have our fluid flushed when I take the RX in for that steering recall (which takes at least 7 hours, by the way). Our RX has approx. 41,000 miles on it. I used to do this, myself, but the combination of working with a hazardous fluid and its effect upon a painted garage floor has convinced me to just let the dealership do it. The cost is just a bit over $100.

You would have to know the size and the grade of bolt i order to find a duplicate. The size is easy to acertain, but the grade may be a bit more difficult. One could calculate the required tensile strength if the load were known. Knowing the required strength (with safety factor) would be a way to determine the grade.

I'm willing to bet that most RX350 buyers never test-drive a 400h. Sad.....

That would certainly be handy in a hybrid vehicle.

I still can't figure out why Lexus hadn't built in an owner-changeable capability. My Corvette allows me to not only change any of many settings such as door locking, seat movement rearward upon entry, and twilight lighting functions, but it also allows me to extract fault codes (very necessary when you have a GM product) and reset them with a push of a button.

Since your vehicle will not apply its brakes and considering the total vehicle weight at over 4600 lbs, yes, that is very possible when coasting down even a slight grade.

Are you sure there is no paper in it? Most disposable filters cannot be washed, as the paper media would break down. My cabin filter looks somewhat like certain home filters. I might vacuum one once, but would never think to wash it. Maybe you're on to something!

By the way, I was at Walmart the other day and noticed a new line of cabin filters that contain "odor-absorbing baking soda" . There was one listed for the RX400h so I opened the box and looked at it. Around the edge was a black foam strip that had shed small fragments into the clear plastic bag into which it was enclosed. When I saw that, I put the whole thing back on the shelf. It's price was about $17, but until something better comes along, I'll stick with the Lexus filter.

I have owned my RX400h since April of 2005 and that has never happened to its navigation screen.

That's why that name sounded familiar. Corrosion-X may be the company that makes ReJex. It's amazing how nothing sticks to a ReJex-protected surface! Dave

Excellent information, Dennis! I use (exclusively) a product called ReJex that was originally formulated for protecting military aircraft. It is not a wax and lasts far longer than any wax I have used over the years. Dave

When I lived in CT (many, many years ago), I'd wash my Mazda RX4 every week. Of course, during the Winter months, I'd go out to take my car to school the day after washing it, to find that the door was jammed. Pouring hot water on the door unlocked it but it probably also stripped the door of any wax that was on it. Of course, this was one of the reasons I moved to San Diego.

You can afford a Lexus but can't afford to get your garage fixed, exposing your house to frigid temperatures and possible theft? Now THAT'S hard to fathom! But hey, you did give us a good laugh...... I also have to chuckle at JD Powers ratings. To look at a much better ratings methology, pick up a subscription to Consumer Reports. They look at reliability issues that go back 5 years, not just 3, and have a very large data base from which to draw their conclusions. As usual, the two best automakers are Honda and Toyota. Jaguar is not included because too few people buy them. There simply is not enough data to come to a reasonable conclusion about their reliabity.

I agree, Rey and I replaced that word in its original posting. I do pity the person who chooses Audi or Mercedes over a Lexus, especially if it is kept beyond the warranty period. Here at work, there are at least four former-Audi/Mercedes owners who now drive Lexus.

I am glad that you have received some answers, but I would venture to say that your issues are somewhat unique among this Lexus community. In addition, poor customer satisfaction at Lexus dealerships is not the norm, at least according to what I've read in this forum. Every dealership with whom I've dealt has shown me nothing but excellent service. That being said, I must also mention that I think you're punishing yourself more than you are Lexus, as they are the most reliable vehicles on the planet. Our RX400h is the only vehicle we've ever owned that has gone 4 years without a single problem. And no, we are not young people to anyone who is not past retirement age! So to disavow Lexus forever is taking this to an extreme that is not neccesary, in my opinion. Buy hey, that's just me!

No, it is not warm enough to negate the need for the engine to heat up the oil. My garage is typically the same temperature as yours and our RX400h starts its engine within 10 seconds of our turning on the vehicle.