RX400h

....18 days and no bumper yet! Everyone, please, do not allow anyone to damage either of your bumpers. Boy, do we miss the 400h.

Wow! That was some of the best stock investment advice I've ever read. Sadly, most people will read savy advice and just continue to live their lives as they have. I once worked with a woman whose husband invested in apartment buildings here in San Diego since the early 80s. During the early 90s, he advised me to start buying apartment buildings. Boy, am I sorry I didn't persue this form of investment! As most of you know, real estate has skyrocked more in California than almost anywhere else in the nation. It should've been a no-brainer for me at the time. But, as RX in NC stated, you have to make a commitment and persist.

Well, since I have initially called Lexus Customer Service last week, they have called me at least four times to let me know that they are working with the dealership and collision center to get the bumper cover in as soon as possible. Certainly, it is possible that some independent body shop wcould work as closely with Lexus parts and Corporate headquarters, but in all likelyhood, this wouldn't happen. Here's an example of why I usually stay away from small shops for auto repair: We took our old van in for new brake padsand fluid flush not too long ago. After driving the van for a short distance afterward, we noticed that the brakes were very mushy (scary). When we brought the van back, the technician took it for a drive and announced that the master cylinder was bad and needed replacement ($200). Upon questioning the technician, I found out that they didn't have a pressure bleeder (the type that dealerships use) and pumped the brake pedal manually. When I explained that by extending the master cylinder further (during manual brake bleeding) than it normally travels during normal braking, the shaft seals can become scored/torn, resulting in fluid leakage past the seals (and mushy brake feel), the technician and owner admitted that this could be true. My proof was that other than thin pads, the brakes were fine before I brought the van in for service. The shop owner ended up replacing the master cylinder, but had they bled the brakes correctly or with tools that eliminated manual pedal bleeding, I wouldn't have had to go there twice, wasting many hours of my time. This is just one reason why I tend to pay a little bit more at a dealership. Others like yourself may have different experiences, but until I have a good experience with a mom-and-pop shop, to the dealership I will go!

I believe that there are some good independent shops out there, just as there are some good independent auto repair shops. My experience, however, has shown that the body shops that repair any type of vehicle are not always the best choice for repairing a very expensive vehicle. 20 year-olds who have their 1983 Civic body damage repaired are normally not as picky as a 50 year-old executive who is having his or her 745i BMW repaired. I made the mistake twice of bringing my old Corvette to a local, family-owned shop. As I mentioned, the Toyota Collision center that we chose has plenty of Lexus-specific experience and must answer to both the owners of those vehicles and Lexus Customer Service, both of whom tend to be very meticulous when it comes to receiving high quality of work.

I recently was front-ended by a guy who decided to back up without looking at a gas station. Upon calling the three Lexus dealerships in my area, I found that one refers customers to a Chevy body shop nearby, another, to a Mercedes collision shp, and the third, to a Toyota collision center. Now I look at body shops the same way I do auto shops. How often does the local repair place work on a newer Lexus? How experienced can they be with my vehicle if they service 10 other makes of vehicles? The Toyota collision center was getting ready to repair an identical (even the same color) 2006 RX400h when I arrived for a quote. To me, they are likely to be the only body shop in town that has repaired an RX400h and are accustomed to doing the job right. So, I recommend that you not skimp on repairwork. Go to a place that knows your vehicle. You'll be happy you did many years from now. Good luck!

I think the noise may be coming from the electric motors, not the engine. High-powered electric motors tend to be very noisy. Fortunately, the noise surfaces primarily while heavy throttle is being applied. Cruising is very quiet.

Until then, hope that you don't get another flat! Apparently, Lexus thought about having enough parts to ship RX400hs but forgot about spare parts! I may have to have the collision center reinstall the old bumper. Letting the vehicle sit for extended periods is NOT recommended.

The sad thing is that I purposely asked the appraisers if there would be much of a delay in getting ahold of the bumper, considering how new the vehicle is. I was told 3-5 days was sufficient to get the part. The good news is that more than a few people are trying to find a bumper. The bad news is that the rental car bill is piling up as we wait. :cries:

Thanks. They are looking into the situation.

Well, our RX400h has been at the collision center for 9 days now and Lexus cannot come up with an RX400h bumper. So far, two RX330 bumpers have been sent to the collision center and I'm hearing that there are NO RX400h front bumpers in the US. In the meantime, my wife is renting a Maxima and getting a bit upset. Does anyone know the Lexus corporate phone number?

I agree; clean thoroughly to get the wrinkle lines out and then condition with Connoly or Zaino leather-in-a-bottle.

First of all, short trips will kill your oil quickly, so avoid them like the plague. Secondly, it doesn't matter what vehicle you are driving (except pure-electrics) - short trips kill mileage. The beauty of full hybrids is that you can get stuck in daily traffic and actually gain mileage compared to just cruising at highway speeds. As a general rule-of-thumb, make sure all trips are at least 8-10 miles long or are combined to achieve this distance.

Most new vehicles' electronics draw current (milliamps) while the vehicle is off. Because of this, not starting your vehicle for extended periods of time may result in a battery charge that is not capable of starting the vehicle. If you DO need to leave your RX400h sitting for more than a few weeks, I would look into the possiblity of using the Battery Tender Plus. It keeps the 12-volt battery "topped off" so that its capacity is always sufficient to start the engine. This Battery tender can be found at Walmart. Check out its description here: http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=DE...&source=froogle

This service is offered by most dealerships (who may subcontract to outside companies), but is fairly expensive. To me, the chrome characters go with the high-tech theme of the RX400h.

Ice!

I have heard that idleing actually uses a significant amount of fuel. Is that true? I can see how a hybrid is efficent when idleing, becuase the electric motor is used at slow speeds. ← The Toyota hybrids idle much less often, compared to common vehicles, hence their fantastic city mileage.

I recently drove up the coast to Monterey and as those of you who have done this know, the route looks like a bunched-up snake - lots of left and right curves. We never had any issues with the steering and I doubt we'll be entering in any slalom contests with the 400 any time soon........

I don't think that there is much regarding charging/fuel mileage differences, depending on braking technique, but check this out: http://www.ambulancedriving.com/extra-info...-e4-pce-03.html

A transmission leak should never require that the engine is replaced. I think you're getting worried over nothing much. My differential gasket in my Corvette had to be replaced (under warranty) and it was a task that was easily completed by the service technician in a minimum amount of time. Relax and enjoy your RX!

As a general rule, heavier vehicles should be driven more gently than a light vehicle, but I would guess that soaring fuel prices has had an effect on driving habits of many motorists. I know I have beed driving more conservatively. However, I have been involved in an accident already! Some ignorant person backed into our RX400h at a gas station. While our RX is waiting to be repaired, we are renting a new Maxima. Nissan has set up the gearing and accelerator pedal resistance so that stepping on the gas pedal (after a complete stop) just an inch or so results in the car throwing its passengers back into their seats while spinning the tires. Dang, that acceleration shocked me the first time it happened. Gas mileage has GOT to suffer when driving that car!

That's funny, because I recently read a Highlander hybrid road test article that mentioned the Highlander getting lower milage than the RX400h. At best, the Highlander h should get 1 or 2 MPG more than our vehicles, especially if it is a 2-wheel drive version. If I were you, I'd take what Highlander owners tell you with a grain of salt. Remember, most wish they had a Lexus!

Welcome aboard. With oil prices sailing upward and the RX400h running on regular gas, our payback is approaching rapidly. Besides, I thoroughly enjoy having 650 lbs-ft of torque at my disposal (during the weekends when I am allowed to drive it)!

I think you mean smog check, but that's a good question. Hopefully, it is exempt. Maybe SW can answer this one since he has a Prius.

NEWSFLASH! Oil prices have surpassed $61 per barrel and fuel prices continue to skyrocket, silencing naysayers of the whole hybrid phenomenon in which Toyota has invested so much. Our payoff time continues to drop!

I don't believe so, but the controls on the steering wheel are VERY convenient. You can even change mode settings, such as bass, treble, fade, etc. I like the fact that you can also switch between FM and the CD changer by using these buttons. Speaking of direct frequency entry, it seems that this feature is rarely a "given" when buying a stereo. My vintage Sony digital receiver from 1983 (which now resides in my garage) has direct entry via the keypad, but I have yet to see a car stereo with this ability.