scottq60

Hey Stephen! Welcome! Nope, they don't all have trailer tow packages. I bought a Curt hitch for my wife's on ebay...less than $200. Bought the "Toyota" harness that plugs in beneath the rear stowage compartments...that's our towing package...less than $300 total compared to $800+ that a Lexus dealer will charge you for the same or comparable equipment. As for capacity, if memory serves me, the '09 RX350 will tow 3500 lbs max., or it may have been 3000, but I know it's at least that much. The Curt 2" receiver hitch is VERY nice, with a loop that goes around the tail pipe...it looks good...nearly as nice as a factory hitch and attaches with 4 bolts...VERY easy.

sounds like maybe another maintenance event is triggering the "maintenance due" light...I would check the maintenance info screen and see if that might be the case.

My wife's '09 RX350 is quite possibly the best vehicle we've ever owned...it's been back to the dealership one time for a recall concerning an oil line/hose, that was replaced. Otherwise it's been trouble-free since we bought it in April of 2008. I was very disappointed with only getting 30k miles out of the OEM Michelins, which we just recently replaced with Bridgestone Dueler Alenzas, which came on my '07 Avalanche and are wearing/performing very well. Other than the valve train being a bit noisy when cold (which Lexus says is normal), we have NO complaints about the RX...a reliable, comfortable, economical vehicle. Zero regrets for buying it. I change the oil myself every 5k miles, as recommended and it couldn't be easier.

I just replaced the OEM Michelins on my wife's 09 RX350 a few weeks ago...like yours, the Michelins had ~32k miles on them and were WORN OUT!!! I've never been so disappointed with a set of Michelins. I had Costco install a set of Bridgestone Alenzas because my 07 Avalanche has them and at 33k miles, they have over half the tread depth left, and they ride, handle beautifully, not to mention they were significantly less expensive than the Michelins, and have a better warranty - I believe the Bridgestones are 65k miles vs 50k for the Michelins.

I recently replaced the OEM Michelins on my wife's 09 RX350 with Bridgestone Dueler Alenzas (at Costco)...the same tires that are on my 07 Avalanche. They have worn INCREDIBLY well on the Avalanche, while the stock OEM Michelins on the RX were worn OUT at 32k miles, and they're supposed to be a 50k mile tire. I have SWORN by Michelin durability/wear in the past but this particular Michelin on her RX SUCKED (to put it bluntly.) The OEM tire was: Michelin - Energy™ MXV4® S8 - P235/55R18 99V. After our experience with these Michelins, I'm not sure I'll ever buy another Michelin tire. As for wheel bearings wearing out, I can't imagine a smaller wheel making any difference...it's going to rotate faster, so, I would think, if anything, the bearing would heat up/fail faster..but I don't really think your wheel size had anything to do with the bearing failure. BTW...the Bridgestones ride at least as smoothly (very smooth)as the Michelins did. The tread pattern is not overly aggressive, so they are quiet and smooth.

lemon....you hit the nail squarely on the head on all counts. klonny - not really fair of you to paint all Lexus' with the same broad stroke...you could have easily just gotten one that was either a lemon or abused. I'm sure Lexus doesn't need my defense of their products, but as I said, it's probably been the best vehicle we've owned with the only return to the dealership being for that oil line recall I mentioned. I consider that to be fantastic reliability, especially when I bought a brand new Ford Ranger in '98 and it spent 52 days in the shop the first 3 years I had it, and just a few more miles on it in that amount of time than the Lexus. Yet most Ranger owners SWEAR by them. I also maintain ALL my vehicles meticulously, so there was NO abuse involved.

Don't blame you for being frustrated...I've had more than my share of lemons. So yours is a 2007 with 101k miles on it? My wife's '09 has been virtually flawless in the 3 years we've owned it. We had to take it in once for a recall to replace an oil line...that was it. Of course there's the valve train rattle when cold that they say is "normal"...but it really has been exceptional up to this point. It only has a little more than 30k miles on it, so it certainly hasn't seen the same amount of use as yours. Certainly no regrets thus far. I'd say hers is the best vehicle we've owned to date and we've owned more than 50 vehicles in the last 30 years.

Funny you mentionned Mobil 1 because that's what I'm using in my 3 other cars and I have been doing oil changes for more than a decade. But this is my first Lexus! And I know zilch about their engines and their oils. In the old days, before I started using synthetic some 10-15 years ago, I would never miss a 6 month or 3,000 miles interval. But this non-synthetic Toyota oil, I know nothing about. I hope someone in here can provide some info/opinion based on their experiences with the Toyota non-synthetic. Does it really make any difference? If there was any damage done (and I doubt there was), it's done and you own it. It's impossible to know the driving history, other than the mileage and service interval, unless you've talked to the previous owners and they were honest with you. It could have gone on a few long trips or several short ones...each having a different effect on the drivetrain. Since the service was done at a Lexus dealership, I'm confident the oil they used was at least up to the spec required. If you haven't been told or experienced it already...you're gonna hear some valve-train noise when you first start it and press the accelerator, for maybe 5 minutes or until it warms up...especially in cold weather. We asked the dealership about it and was told it's "normal". The '10 loaner did the exact same thing. Judging from your post count, you've been on here long enough to be familiar with that issue. Enjoy it...we love ours. It's undoubtedly the finest vehicle we've owned yet...and we've owned MANY :D Thanks for letting me know that I own it, lol!!! ;) And yes I am slowly falling in love with it. This is my first fwd (awd) ever after owning more than a dozen rwd over 30 years. Hey! I'll get the Haynes manual next week :) (for the rx 330 - they don't make it for the rx 350). Actually, I do know about the owner. A lady in her late 50's and using it mostly every day from Monday to Friday and doing about 600 miles per month every single month. I guess I just would have liked to hear from other forum participants about their experience with the Toyota non-synthetic oil and in particular in relation to waiting 7, 8 and even 9 months before doing an oil change. But while staying more or less in the 5,000 miles range. I'm sure you'll hear from some other forum members.

Funny you mentionned Mobil 1 because that's what I'm using in my 3 other cars and I have been doing oil changes for more than a decade. But this is my first Lexus! And I know zilch about their engines and their oils. In the old days, before I started using synthetic some 10-15 years ago, I would never miss a 6 month or 3,000 miles interval. But this non-synthetic Toyota oil, I know nothing about. I hope someone in here can provide some info/opinion based on their experiences with the Toyota non-synthetic. Does it really make any difference? If there was any damage done (and I doubt there was), it's done and you own it. It's impossible to know the driving history, other than the mileage and service interval, unless you've talked to the previous owners and they were honest with you. It could have gone on a few long trips or several short ones...each having a different effect on the drivetrain. Since the service was done at a Lexus dealership, I'm confident the oil they used was at least up to the spec required. If you haven't been told or experienced it already...you're gonna hear some valve-train noise when you first start it and press the accelerator, for maybe 5 minutes or until it warms up...especially in cold weather. We asked the dealership about it and was told it's "normal". The '10 loaner did the exact same thing. Judging from your post count, you've been on here long enough to be familiar with that issue. Enjoy it...we love ours. It's undoubtedly the finest vehicle we've owned yet...and we've owned MANY :D Thanks for letting me know that I own it, lol!!! ;) And yes I am slowly falling in love with it. This is my first fwd (awd) ever after owning more than a dozen rwd over 30 years. Hey! I'll get the Haynes manual next week :) (for the rx 330 - they don't make it for the rx 350). Actually, I do know about the owner. A lady in her late 50's and using it mostly every day from Monday to Friday and doing about 600 miles per month every single month. I guess I just would have liked to hear from other forum participants about their experience with the Toyota non-synthetic oil and in particular in relation to waiting 7, 8 and even 9 months before doing an oil change. But while staying more or less in the 5,000 miles range.

Funny you mentionned Mobil 1 because that's what I'm using in my 3 other cars and I have been doing oil changes for more than a decade. But this is my first Lexus! And I know zilch about their engines and their oils. In the old days, before I started using synthetic some 10-15 years ago, I would never miss a 6 month or 3,000 miles interval. But this non-synthetic Toyota oil, I know nothing about. I hope someone in here can provide some info/opinion based on their experiences with the Toyota non-synthetic. Does it really make any difference? If there was any damage done (and I doubt there was), it's done and you own it. It's impossible to know the driving history, other than the mileage and service interval, unless you've talked to the previous owners and they were honest with you. It could have gone on a few long trips or several short ones...each having a different effect on the drivetrain. Since the service was done at a Lexus dealership, I'm confident the oil they used was at least up to the spec required. If you haven't been told or experienced it already...you're gonna hear some valve-train noise when you first start it and press the accelerator, for maybe 5 minutes or until it warms up...especially in cold weather. We asked the dealership about it and was told it's "normal". The '10 loaner did the exact same thing. Judging from your post count, you've been on here long enough to be familiar with that issue. Enjoy it...we love ours. It's undoubtedly the finest vehicle we've owned yet...and we've owned MANY :D

My wife bought her 09 3 years ago this month. I've changed the oil every 5k miles with Mobil 1 5w-30 full synthetic. Personally, it sounds like yours has been maintained fine, but oil is like religion and politics...VERY subjective. You could ask 10 different people about oil and intervals and get 10 different answers. Some think oil should be changed more often and only with brand X, Y or Z...yada, yada, yada. If it were mine (here's that subjective part kicking in), I'd change it, use Mobil 1, and change it every 5k miles thereafter. Now it's time for the other 9 guys/gals to tell you what they'd do. :D

In my wife's '09 RX350...the DVD player is located in the rear under the largest storage bin. Remove that tray, eject the old DVD and insert the new one. The dealer told me it's that simple. I have't done it yet, but I did have the tray removed once and saw the player, so I believe it's that straightforward. Regards, Scott

Yep...it's "normal" per the dealership. My wife's '09 has done it since new and the '10 loaner they gave us when hers was in for a recall (oil line replacement), did the same thing. Personally, we're just gonna drive hers and forget about it. Otherwise, it's been near perfect...a pleasure to drive year-round.

My wife's '09 has done it since new and even the '10 loaner they gave her while hers was in for a recall...did the same thing. While they say it's "normal"...you still wouldn't expect it from a $45k+ vehicle. Otherwise, it's been the most trouble-free vehicle we've ever owned. We love it.

Definitely not something I'd consider paying Lexus (or anyone else to do). I've done every oil/filter change on my wife's 09 beyond the complementary first change. I understand that some folks don't want to bother with it and don't mind paying someone else to do it...I'm just CHEAP!

Nope...not all are built in Japan...mine was built in Canada.

check this thread - http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28653

I also use Mobil 1 5W-30 full synthetic in my wife's 09 RX...I've used both Napa and Fram filters - both are fine IMO.

How many miles were on the original engine? Was it still under the power train warranty? Sounds like you're dealing with an unscrupulous service manager and dealership in general and the techs appear to be idiots. Just my .02.

Bobi...that sounds like a mechanical issue to me...either something stuck/bound up in the motor or mechanism. Definitely sounds like an issue for the dealer to resolve.

I'm guessing it may still be under warranty? I'd take it to the dealership and have them check it out. Be relentless...don't let them tell you it's "normal" or they "can't duplicate the problem". At least you'll have a record of repeated attempts to get it remedied if related parts fail after the warranty expires.

I'm pretty sure you can get a complete set of 4 practically identical to that one at Advance or any other parts store...maybe even Walmart. That's a pretty common design. The whole set would probably cost $5 or less. I think those may even be aluminum...here's a set of 6 on Amazon for $2.89 - http://www.amazon.com/Camco-44953-Valve-Stem-End/dp/B000T8E09U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1270943848&sr=1-1

Not positive, but IIRC, make sure your odometer/tripmeter is set to odometer, then hold the button down, while turning key to the "on" position. Keep holding until the odometer sets to all 0's or dashes or something like that. Do you have the owners manual for the vehicle? If so, it's in there. If you don't have it, I'll have my wife bring hers in the house when she gets home and I'll verify the procedure and let you know. Regards, Scott

Sorry...I haven't messed with any of that on my wife's. I'd appreciate knowing if someone else has the answer.

Maybe there are some hidden files on the original disc that are not being copied when you're doing a directory/file copy?