RX400h

So that must have been YOUR RX400h I saw blasting by me on 15 South, doing 110 MPH! Don't worry, I won't relay that info to the dealership........... Seriously, I'm guessing that Toyota bought the Goodyears for an incredibly low price. Certainly, this is not indicative of the rest of their line of tires. As I mentioned previously, OEM tires are often much less durable than the best aftermarket tires. The same holds true for many OEM brakepads and other wearable components.

Tire cupping is almost always indicative of bad shock absorbers. Our Goodyears are looking good after 13,000 miles. No, they won't last 40,000 miles, but OEMs rarely do. In fact, I was looking at tire selections for my Mazda at a Discount tire shop not too long ago and the salesguy pointed out a few OEM tires that had 10,000 mile warranties. I'm not talking about super high performance tires, either. These were H-rated OEMs by Bridgestone, Michelin, etc. Apparently, longevity is not a concern of many auto manufacturers. As proof, my Goodyear GSD3 tires on my Corvette are hardly wearing at all after 10,000 miles. These are ultra high-performance tires that are far superior to anything that goes on most new vehicles.

Didn't they offer to find you a replacement? Dave

I agree. Try another dealership.

This firmware would also have to include "lower battery life" with "better economy". Remember, the RX400h weighs 4600 lbs. Allowing it to use more of the battery's charge would result in having to replace the batteries sooner than the current 150,000+ miles.

I think the battery warranty is eight or ten years. Of course, you'd have to try to calculate whether the cost of new batteries offsets the higher mileage. It's funny how no matter how well some things are engineered, there's always someone who has a "better" idea. Many are well-researched, but the plug-in concept, I'm afraid, was not. Dave

"Toyota has been tracking battery life of its hybrid cars, on sale in Japan since 1997 (and over here since 2000). The latest word is that the hybrid battery pack - note, not the ordinary 12-volt battery running "hotel loads" - is good for the design life of the car. Engineers usually figure this at 150,000 miles, with an expected bell curve of low and high extremes. The reason for this longevity is interesting, and it also augurs poorly for the plug-in hybrid concept. The greatest chemical stress on any battery occurs at its operational extremes, the last 20 percent before full discharge and the top 20 percent of full recharge. To avoid these extremes and enhance life, Toyota's hybrid battery pack is designed to operate at 60-percent charge, +/- 10 percent. Under extreme conditions, this is stretched perhaps another 5 percent in either direction. Therefore, the hybrid battery pack spends most of its life at 50-to-70-percent charge, avoiding the detrimental effects of low or high extremes. By contrast, a plug-in hybrid car gains range and performance by exploiting this plug-in pack to the fullest. As wth ordinary rechargeable batteries, it's likely to trade longevity for this capability."

Thanks, Steve. It is my pleasure to help out the forum and to meet so many incredible people. Dave

Typically, when a procedure calls for turning the ignition "On", it refers to rotating the key from "Off" to "On", without starting the engine. This is part of my Corvette's procedure to reset the "Oil Life Remaining" display back to 0%.

Lately, I've been reading very good things about Goodyear (not OEM) tires. Consumer reports has rated GY tires #1 for the past couple of years. I don't have my mags handy at this time, but anyone who subscribes can check into this. I do know that the Goodyear GSD3s (ultra high-performance tires) are not only the best tires I've ever driven on in the rain and on dry roads, but they also trounced every other high-performance tire in a recent Car & Driver test.

I could've sworn I saw an article about an IS diesel. Has anyone else seen this?

I agree. We have to remember what the 400h weighs: 4600 lbs. I'll bet that if an H2 were to try to stop quickly and didn't allow an incredibly long distance between it and the vehicle in front of it, there's be one squashed vehicle as a result. I am spoiled royally by the Corvette - unbelieveably short stopping distances and seats that not only provide perfect lower back support, but also coddle from the sides. Everything is a compromise of sorts and our RX400h is no exception. If you really want to know if your brakes are faulty, I recommend that you drive another h to compare.

Don't know but I can speculate with the best of them... The sensor is pressure/weight activated and if she reclined all they way a large protion of her weight would be on the back of the seat and not on the bottom part (where the sensor is). Could be that she also shifted her weight so that it was not on the sensor. I doubt that it has any connection to the position of the seat back. Also, in that position neither the seat belt or the air bag are going to be of any use in protecting her from an impact... she should learn to sleep sitting up. I agree 100%. Now, let me tell you a true story that happened one year ago. My nephew, who was taking a break from being stationed in Iraq, went for a night out with one of his military buddies. As they were returning to base in his friend's Cavalier, my nephew decided to take a nap in the passenger seat in the fully-reclined position. Unfortunately, the driver lost control of his vehicle and it rolled over on a desolate road, not too far from the base. My nephew's head was pounded by the door and he died almost instantly. He was about 29 years old. So please, never let anyone recline the seat while the vehicle is moving.

My dealer in Wilmington, DE also doesn't do body. Do you know why Lexus dealers have chosen not to have body shops? My insurance company sent me to a Chevy dealer (fat chance!) Found an independent shop to fix my front bumper ($3K - ouch.) They did a beautiful job. My guess is that many recommend the Toyota collision centers for that kind of work. This is what we found to be the case for one of the three Lexus dealerships near us. One dealership recommended a Mercedes body shop and the other, the Chevy dealership shop. Keep in mind, though, that many Chevy body shops work on Corvettes and believe me, Corvette owners tend to picky after spending over $50K for a vehicle.

Nice - thanks!

My God, who drives THAT slowly????? Obviously, you do NOT live in California! :)

Actually, I believe this is not a dealer-installed option. It IS odd that it is missing, however.

Thanks for the excellent review. I will certainly save it for future reference. Dave

All that rain must boost fuel mileage! :) Seriously, people here in San Diego who drive 65 during off-peak hours will get rear-ended in a heatbeat. Most average 80 MPH during my morning commute. That being said, I must add that we average 24.8, while a couple of former coworkers could do no better than 16-18 MPG in their RX330s. My Corvette averages 19.5 MPG and is significantly lighter than the RX (3200 vs 4600 lbs). Still, sudden bursts of speed to 115 don't help achieve high mileage ;) So far, we've racked up 13,000 miles after 14 months and have had zero problems.

Back a while ago, our main garage door's cable binded and the resulting strain bucked the door at its center. When the door was being replaced, my wife asked the installer if it would be possible to raise the door in its open position (sectional door). He did and now I am proud to say that the hatch doesn't hit the garage door anymore! I didn't think it was possible, but the proof is in the pudding! So, if any of you who do have clearance problems, be sure to request an "adjustment" the next time you replace your door. In fact, it may very well be possible to do it to an older door. I just wish I were there to see what the guy did. Dave

The B position is used while descending steep inclines - helps save the brakes (although brake pads on hybrids tend to last a long, long time. We have been averaging 25 MPG - gentle weekdays (wife), but heavy foot-weekends (me). Yours will get better as the engine breaks in. I don't have a bluetooth phone, but we did chip in a few bucks for a service that not only guides you as to what phones are compatible, but also help you to set things up. Someday, I will get to try them out. I burned a couple of CDs that play perfectly. Welcome to the club! Dave

According to Consumer Reports, the RX400h gets slightly better fuel mileage, is a bit quieter, and has a smoother ride. The Highlander handles slightly better.

Have yours gone out already????

Problem Solved. I had the alarm sensors added to the headlamps and it was set to be too sensitive. The dealer adjusted the sensors and all is good. I would have never guessed THAT one. Still, it's good to know it wasn't some weird anomaly!

You may be the only RX400h owner in the world to experience this type of issue. Please let us know how it turns out.