RX400h

It could be that the powertrain management computer is simulating a non-hybrid vehicle's auto transmission in which there is always forward motion poer to the drive wheels without any movement of the gas pedal. By the way, the ES350 hybrid was recently revealed at the New York auto show. Its fuel mileage should be quite impressive.

Our 1994 Nissan Quest van shut off all lights after a short period (with engine off) and so does my 2001 Corvette. I can't imagine why our Lexus vehicles cannot do the same. Anyone with kids knows that leaving a door ajar is common practice for them.

We had our RX400h for not much more than a couple of months when we headed out on vacation to Monterey. On the way back, we stopped at a gas station that had multiple layers of cars, waiting to pull up to the pumps. As we were waiting, some guy in a Frontier pickup decided that he would try to weave through the vehicles that were behind the pumps - yes, he drove backwards so that he wouldn't have to wait 2 minutes for the guy at the pump in front of him to pull away. Because we were not directly behind him, I didn't think much about it but all of a sudden, he changes course and started heading directly for us. A vehicle was behind us but I attempted to put the tranny in reverse to move back a bit. Sadly, he was moving too quickly and slammed into the RX. The first thing I asked him was "What were you thinking?". He replied, "Why didn't you get out of my way?". His insurance, Allstate, decided I was 10% at fault because I didn't beep the horn. Subsequently, they paid only 90% of the damages. One year later, a judge ruled that the pickup driver was indeed 100% at fault and we received the last 10%. Accidents are no fun, that's for certain!

If you do have a 2007, your battery is most likely, weak and should be replaced. I bought a Costco Kirkland battery for about $70 and replaced the factory battery (last year) in less than 20 minutes.

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If that's the original battery that died, don't bother trying to revive it. I bought a Costco Kirkland battery for about $70. It is very easy to install and you can follow the guidelines in one of the sticky posts to reset your windows, etc.

Ah, that's better.

Wrapping the connector may allow moisture to be trapped inside. I would use a bit of dielectric grease inside the female connector to keep out moisture. This is what Honda does with their headlight connectors.

Do you happen to park under a tree? Rain by itself will not clog the drain, I would surmise.

A "loose" live connection can touch a ground connection and generate some serious heat. If it weren't for the fuse, there may have been a fire. So remember, "shorts" blow fuses. There has to be + touching - somewhere in your car. Hopefully, it's somewhere accessible.

So the dealership tech threw up his hands and said "not the switch, see you later!"? Didn't you ask what the problem is, then?

I'm not sure I could get myself to drill that many holes in my bumpers. Painting them would be mandatory. Have you taken a good look at the back of the bumpers to see if there's any wiggle room? I guess if you wanted to simplify installation you could mount the sensors to the license plate frames. I did this with a laser jammer, year ago.

Katz, The difference is that the AUX (with larger LCD display) directly displays the title and artist, whereas the SD does not. However, the SD somehow gets the Lexus radio display to show that information. Dave

I'll check, tonight but I didn't even think about that one - thanks! ...checked and found the other receptacle. It would be perfect if you used only the remote control and did not need to look at the display.

The Soundfly SD WMA/MP3 Player Car Fm Transmitter for SD Card, USB Stick, Mp3 Players (iPod, Zune) This inexpensive ($34.95) device makes playing music soooo easy and is a great alternative to spending $500 to have your factory stereo/CD/cassette player repaired after it displays an error message/refuses to spit out your CDs. I picked up this transmitter on Amazon.com and immediately loaded hundreds of songs on an inexpensive 4 GB SD card. You simply tune your Lexus FM stereo to an unused number and then use the handy Soundfly remote control to match that FM frequency on its digital display. The Soundfly always remembers the FM frequency, so you normally would set the frequency, once and forget about it. Of course, you can add or subtract songs, anytime by popping out the SD card or USB jump drive and using your PC. The shifter does come very close to the unit when you shift the transmission into Park but that doesn't seem to be an issue. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co...31513634&sr=8-4 Update: I added a dual receptacle unit to shift the Soundfly to the right to provide more shifter clearance.

Actually, "demolished" meant that the RX450h and Highlander Hybrid were both at the top of their "class", scoring higherthan the competition. Of course, I exaggerated a bit but hey, I root for the hybrids!

In the latest Consumer Reports Auto Issue, the two SUVs that demolished the rest were the RX450h and Highlander Hybrid. I pity the folks who thought fuel prices would stabilize at $2.50/gallon and who subsequently purchased new non-hybrids. Read em and weep, folks!

Yes - Magnetic Red II and welcome to the C-club, Bob! I bought it, new in June of 01 - my first new car. The Corvette and Lexus are at opposite ends of the "ride" spectrum but that's why I like them both. I'm sure you feel the same way about yours. Dave

....just what I didn't want to hear: "I turned on the wipers but only the driver's side was moving." Since I had recently had the recalls done, I thought perhaps something was disconnected and not reconnected by the service tech, so I called the service manager to inquire as to whether this could've been the case. "I've heard of this happening to another customer." he said. "Just pop the hood and tighten the wiper arm bolts. There's one at the base of each wiper arm. They tend to come loose over time." Sure enough, that's all it took - a box-end wrench and 20 seconds of my time. So, if you find that your passenger side wiper doesn't move while your driver's side does, you now know what to do.

Certainly, there are some people who will prefer sport versions and who would be willing to pay more. I think it's a good idea.

...same here. Our stainless steel refrigerator doors get cleaned often. When it comes to "modern" technology, I tell my kids all the time, "Just because you CAN do something, doesn't always mean you should." and "That looks like the answer to a question no one asked." Talking to your cell phone during working hours or while exposed to more than a small amount of ambient noise tends to fall into both categories.

I had a cup of coffee in the "cubby" and I believe it sat inside so that spills would be next to impossible. The screen in that newer Lexus was much closer to the windshield, which makes it easier to keep your eyes on the road. I think the hamburger joint in town makes good use of tablets - a person stands in the parking lot, taking orders from folks waiting to get to the drive-thru window. But for vehicles, I think the Lexus designers made the right choice by going with a PC-style setup (IMO).

It cost my dealership about $57 for the gas. (I believe CA has the highest gas prices in the US.) Perhaps it IS a US thing only, but I'm glad my dealership does it. Regarding touch screens: Remember that many "older" folks own Lexus vehicles, thus, resting your wrist and forearm is highly prefered over extending your arm and hand to input destinations, phone numbers, etc. I find that even when "typing" on my touch screen phone, my hands and arms tire after a while. I can go much longer typing on a real keyboard with my wrist and arm properly supported. This is why I also prefer a laptop over a tablet for almost everything I do on the run. (That plus the infinitely-adjustable screen comes in handy when using it on my lap.)

Tex, I had to laugh when I saw your comment! Another high-tech feature some vehicles have that can be disconcerting for some is active-handling. Some vehicles do not allow the driver to turn it off.

I purposely waited until my dealership had all the parts, just in case any were needed after inspection of my RX400h. Our RX was among the first batch to be delivered to San Diego in March/April of 2005, so I didn't know what to expect as far as how "extensive" this recall experience would be. It turns out that not much was needed, only: IPM (Intelligent Power Module) Transistor Carpet and retention clips Car floor cover kit The crankshaft pulley was found to be okay. The inside and outside of the vehicle was meticulously cleaned, $55 worth of fuel was pumped in and a license plate cover was installed, all for free. My loaner vehicle was an RX350 with only 258 miles on its odometer. It performed well but did not have the low-end torque or gas mileage of my "old" RX400h. The NAV was huge and the mouse-like knob for control of all its features is much handier than always having to reach over to touch a screen that inevitably has lots of fingerprints all over it. Sometimes a touch screen is not an improvement. I did have them update the NAV DVD (no installation charge), so that was my only expense. On a side note: When I was younger, we had to write with our heads almost parallel to the desk - not a problem for young folks but not the best thing for your neck as you grew older. A couple of weeks ago while waiting in the airport for an overseas flight, I noticed 4 or 5 people using laptops. A couple of younger travelers had tablets and, as I did so many times as a youngster, had their heads bent down at a 90 degree angle so that they could read their tablet on their lap. While on the plane, some people had netbooks that fit nicely on the fold-down meal tray, the screen tilted at just the right angle. One person next to me had an iPad that was leaned up against the seatback. As soon as the plane hit some turbulence, the iPad came crashing down against the meal tray. I couldn't help but think that sometimes we humans go backwards in some ways when it comes to technology. Anyway, I'm sorry I went off-topic but I had to mention that after driving the RX350 with the mouse-controlled NAV. Thank you, Lexus for not staying with something, just because it is currently popular.