RX400h

I've had ours updated (dealership) a couple of times and it continues to work perfectly. I occasionally use Google Maps on my phone when driving my MX5 but I prefer the Lexus NAV.

You're welcome, Scott. Okay, so the spark plugs are probably just fine if they are OEM plugs. My guess is that the coil is bad. If it is easily accessible, replacing one should be a 10 minute job. I don't think changing all coils will save you any money vs changing one. It's mostly a peace of mind type of thing.

I would certainly ask the owner, first. It could be that once the engine is started, the car rises up to normal ride height.

With 200k miles on the original coils, I would imagine that some maintenance is due but you did not mention how many miles are on your existing sparkplugs. I had to have ours replaced at 120,000 miles. Were yours replaced at 100,000 miles or so? If they were, then they are due for replacement. Rockauto,com sells OEM coils for $48 each. That's $288 for 6. OEM sparkplugs are a whopping $2.33 each or about $14 for a set of 6. So $302 for all the parts and $250 for labor - any halfway decent auto repair garage can do this, and they may let you supply the parts. Regarding engine oil sludge. You probably know more than anyone one if your driving habits and oil change frequency would make this assumption realistic. If this were my car, I know that it is not possible, since I use synthetic oil and do not drive for very short distances.

I agree with John. Let them know approximately how much beyond the 5K miles you may add, and get their response in writing.

Jack, I think the article is also for just keeping rodents out of your engine bay. A couple of years ago I was visiting my Dad when I found a bunch of mouse nest insulation from his garage, in his Honda's engine bay. In his case, this happened primarily because he had almost completely stopped using his car. I thoroughly cleaned everything out and changed the air filters. There was no smell issues afterward, as we used his car quite often during our time spent there.

Have you seen this article? How to Protect Your Car From Rodents | Chewing Wires - Consumer Reports

The latch may need to be adjusted or its screws tightened.

How old is the battery? Check its date code. I also recommend having a code scanner to see what the code is and what are the causes. We've been using our Lexus to go to Costco and the grocery store, but every outing includes driving at least 12-15 miles out and 12-15 miles back. This ensures that the 12V battery is always fully charged. They tend to last about 5 years or so.

If there is an "Auto Electric" shop in your town, I suggest you take your car there. Often when a dealership tech cannot find the problem, the dealership will send the vehicle over to a specialist. Here is an example of one. I have taken a couple of my cars here and they have solved each issue, very quickly. Welcome to Pacific Auto Electric | Best Car Repair Shop | Poway

JerseyArt, our Lexus is now 15.5 years old and has never needed a repair, only maintenance. It is the most reliable vehicle we have ever owned. Enjoy your Lexus!

....certainly not for most Japanese vehicles. See: Extended Car Warranties: An Expensive Gamble - Consumer Reports

Valerie, how many miles are on the odometer?

There is a Mobil 1 oil that is for engines having more than 75,000 miles on them. Mobil 1 High Mileage Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30, 5 Quart - Walmart.com - Walmart.com Our 2006 Lexus RX400h has over 130,000 miles on it and since it doesn't use any (noticeable) oil between synthetic oil changes, I don't feel that this particular Mobil 1 formula is absolutely necessary. This year, since the pandemic has reduced our driving, I have changed the interval to once per year, which was about 5000 miles over the past year. Walmart always has great prices on jugs (as shown in the link) but Costco occasionally has a sale on the box of quarts.

We've had our 2006 RX400h since 4/2005 and it has been the most reliable vehicle we have ever had. Its brakes lasted 14 years of daily use. The only money we put into it has been for maintenance. It has averaged 25-26 MPG vs non-hybrid's average of about 18-20 MPG. I know that we have saved quite a bit on fuel costs, as we live in a large city with plenty of traffic and stop & go driving. The icing on the cake is that it is faster than the non-hybrid version. I certainly appreciated that.

I believe www.tirerack.com has a great selection of wheels. Many are "trucky" but these aren't bad.

Certainly, bleeding procedures have gotten far more involved over the years. In may cases, a special tool is required to cycle an ABS model. This is why I stopped bleeding my own brakes, many years ago. They didn't need to be done often enough to warrant my buying the special tool.

Okay, you may want to review this web page: http://www.diy-time.com/automotive/toyota/faulty-brake-actuator-brake-booster-pump-on-toyota-lexus-cars/

A brief squeal coming from the engine compartment typically indicates that a drive belt needs to be changed or if recently changed, needs to be tightened. Our RX400h has a small bit less mileage than yours and we have never had an actuator problem but since you are pressing on the brake pedal, I am baffled.

After our 2006 RX400h had passed its factory warranty period (during which time I changed oil when the maintenance light illuminated), I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic oil. At first, I was changing the oil every 6-7 months at 5000-mile intervals but eventually started changing the oil every year, since it has been taking that long to reach 5000 miles or less due to COVID-19 and resulting much reduced driving. I am very confident that you can change the oil every year, as long as your mileage doesn't exceed the life of the oil filter and/or oil. Ideally, you'd have the used oil tested and analyzed at Blackstone Labs to verify that your change interval is acceptable. Side note: I change oil in all three of our vehicles, one per year with Mobil 1 synthetic oils. None exceed 5000 miles between oil changes.

I had KYBs as replacement shocks for electronically controlled factory shocks on my 89 Mazda MX6 GT. The OEM shocks were $1200 + installation. The KYBs were far less. The ride with the KYBs was good - more on the plush side. I really like Koni shocks but they may not be available for your car. It may be worth a look though. Bistein has been around for a long time. Expect a bit firmer ride than OEM with better handling. Of course each shock manufacturer makes more than one variety. You may consider calling a factory representative to discuss what you are looking for vs what they have.

Thank you very much, jcelestine for your very detailed explanation of how you fixed the issue. Our RX400h has a CVT transmission, so it is quite a bit different, but I have changed other cars' auto transmission fluid, many times. None of these cars had ever had any transmission problems. Back some years ago, I replaced my Miata's manual transmission fluid with Redline synthetic of the correct viscosity. Shortly after I did, a 4th to 6th shift would result in a crunch. Because I don't run the car more than 3000 miles per year, I let it go for a few years. Just recently, because I needed to change the differential fluid, I decided to also replace the transmission fluid, this time with the factory stuff which is highly recommended by many folks in the Miata forum. Well, shortly after I did this, the 4th to 6th and occasional 1st to second crunch disappeared. I was a happy camper. 😀

It is a bit odd that this dealership states: https://www.plazalexus.com/lexus-ls-460-transmission.htm

Okay, then the neutral safety switch would be my guess, also.

I would use a well-known aftermarket battery as a starting point: This one appears to list the OE specs, also. DieHard Gold Battery, Group Size 24F, 750 CCA POE Spec: OE Group 27F; OE CCA 710; Battery Spec: 750 CCA; 935 CA; 130 Minute Reserve Capacity Part # 24F-6