VGR

Like it or not, its up to you to prove the car is not normal. Buy a stop watch and have a friend ride in the back seat videotaping the speedometer of your car and the stop watch while you do three full throttle acceleration runs from 45-65 MPH. Repeat these tests using another 2004 RX330. Both cars should go 45-65 MPH in aound 4-5 seconds. But if your RX330 is significantly slower then you have documented your case. Of course, you can try other acceleration tests as well such as a 50-80 MPH run if road conditions permit.

When the battery and brake lights come on and the car dies it often means the alternator brushes are worn past their limits and need replacing. The battery runs out of juice and the car stalls. Swap in another fully charged battery. If the car starts and runs normally for several miles then you know for sure the alternator was bad. Alternator brushes with holder cost only around $30 from a Lexus dealer. Before replacing the alternator brushes, however, have Autozone also test the alternator for bad diodes. Also, if the alternator was noisy then the internal bearings could also be worn in which case it would be better to install a new remanufactured Denso alternator obtained from a Lexus dealer. Autozone also carries Denso LS400 alternators that have been rebuilt by BOSCH.

SWO3ES our experiences are based on reality, not fantasy. Like this recent post from Maine92ES "My '92 ES300 just rolled over 250K today(!). It runs great. I'm amazed that it's never needed a wheel bearing, a starter, an alternator, any pump or other mechanical accessory. But it has been, and continues to be, economical, comfortable, reliable luxury. It looks and drives like it's fuel comes from the fountain of youth!"

The LS400 / LS430 are the quietest car on the road, but only from the standpoint of very low engine and drivetrain noise. From the standpoint of road noise, especially road noise on coarse road surfaces, the full size rear wheel drive luxury GM cars have always been best (Cadillacs, Buick Roadmasters & Chevy Caprices). But GM has discontinued making these rear wheel drive luxury cars (except maybe one of the Cads still has RWD) In my search for the smoothest, quietest riding tire for the LS400 / LS430 I finally found my dream tire in the most unexpected of places - at Walmart !!. Yes, the Goodyear Viva 2 tire sold only at Walmart stores makes an LS400 seem like its riding on a cloud. These tires soak up road bumps with ease and transmit very, very little road noise and vibration to the cabin, plus they have low rolling resistance for high fuel economy. The Goodyear Viva 2 is not real good for fast cornering or wet traction, however, so fast, aggressive drivers will not like them.

a) Multiple owners B) Serviced at a non Toyota / Lexus specialty auto shop c) Used car dealer car. These are all negatives that increase the chances a used Toyota / Lexus car buyer couldl end up with a car that is going to need some expensive mechanical repairs. Here's an example of what can and has happened: An LS400 was maintained by an independent shop that used aftermarket green antifreeze which caused the heater core to eventually corrode and leak. Cost to tear out the dash and replace the heater core was $4,000.

Who performed the preventive maintenance? If done by an independent shop instead of a Lexus dealer or Lexus specialty shop then the car could now have aftermarket brake pads, spark plugs, plug wires, water pump and coolant etc. which will degrade the reliability / durability of a Toyota / Lexus. There isn't much advantage of owning a Toyota / Lexus if the car is filled up with Ford and Saturn car quality aftermarket parts and fluids. What do you know about the driver? If you don't know anything because the car is on a used car or dealers lot, that's another bad sign as the car could have alot of suspension and steering linkage wear including bushing wear due to aggressive driving. It could be a real challenge for you to find an enthusiat car like a SC300/400 that has not be driven aggressively.

What products and procedures will effectively remove hard water spots from paint? The products and procedures I have used to remove hard water spots from glass (white vinegar + an mild abrasive) would surely damage paint I would think.

The Toyotas and Nissans were never crap from a reliability and durability standpoint. From '66-'74 nearly all were capable of about 300,000 miles of powertrain durability vs. only 50,000 miles for the Chevy Vega and 150,000 - 200,000 miles for the Ford Pinto. It's true, however the late 60's Toyotas were lousy in certain characteristics such as ride, handling and braking. Then from 1975 onwards virtually all Toyotas were built to run 500,000 miles or more whereas Ameican car drivetrains were going downhill in durability. Some libraries carry old issues of Consumer Reports. In there you will see from 1975 onwards Toyota / Nissan / Honda had excellent ratings for reliability whereas nearly all American cars were either poor or just average.

Agreed. You are a Midwesterner with a military background. :D

The car likely has heavy drivetrain, suspension and steering linkage wear and tear due to 96,000 miles of fast and aggressive driving. So if you are looking for reliable transportation and freedom from big future repair bills, this car would probably be the worst possible choice.

If American cars even approached the reliability and durability of Asian cars then few Americans would even consider buying Asian cars. Therefore ever since the early 1970's the Asians have had no choice but to build MUCH more reliable and durable cars in order to penetrate the North American and other world markets which were dominated for decades by GM and Ford. The Annual Auto Issue of Consumer Reports is on the newstands right now and contains a list of about 175 reliable used cars for used car shoppers to consider buying. Of these 175 reliable used cars, 90% are Asian cars, the other 10% American and European. There is also a list of over 100 Used Cars to Avoid because of poor reliability. Guess what car is on that list? Yep, the Ford Contour.

Get a second opinion of the stuck caliper and worn out rotors. In non-rust belt states toyota calipers last at least 20 years and unlimited miles, especially if the brake fluid is changed every 2-4 years or so. If another shop says also says you need a new caliper it's possible the road salt where you live corroded it. Toyota rotors generally don't wear down too thin and need to be replaced until the 2nd or 3rd set of Toyota pads is installed. It's kind of hard to believe they could be worn too thin at only 70,000 miles unless your wife has already gone through at least one set of Toyota pads in which case that would mean her driving style is hard on the brakes. Autozone / Kragen type pads will wear even quicker and wear down the Toyota rotors more quickly too.

It's inherently risky to purchase the first year of a totally new model redesign. It's also inherently risky to buy a used car off a dealers lot (vs from a private party) because you can't know anything about how the prior owner treated the car. Owners who take both risks double their chances of ending up with a vehicle with alot of problems.

Use only Toyota Type T-IV transmission fluid - around $3-4 a quart at Toyota dealers. You need to buy 3 quarts although the transmission will need only 2.1 quarts if you drain and refill the transmission oil pan. Lexus engines do not live or die depending on whether or not synthetic oil was used. But Lexus engines commonly die young due to owner failure to perform preventive maintenance on time on the various engine systems (cooling, ignition, fuel, emission, etc. For example, the exterior of your LS400 radiator probably looks like this: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/radjunk.jpg The interior water tubes of your radiator may also be partly gunked up if aftermarket antifreeze or tap water was ever used in the cooling system. And the aluminum coolant pipes and passages inside your engine could already be substantially and permanently corroded if aftermarket antifreeze or tap water was ever used in the cooling system. Your cooling system thermostat could also now be getting lazy now or be stuck open Concern and attention to things like this make a big difference in engine reliability and durability, not concern about synthetic oil and oil analysis.

For reasons not tied directly to good customer service and satisfaction. Quite a few other big companies also succeed despite lack luster customer service and satisfaction; e.g. Microsoft, General Motors, Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Yes I have. I once tried to pay for some ebay auctions using Paypal, but found Paypal had locked me out of accessing my account without notice and without explanation. So Paypal had $440.00 of my money and I had no way to ever get my hands on that money again because (unlike a normal bank) Paypal does not have any physical offices or a Customer Service number that is easy to find. Thank God for the Google search engine because I did a Google search for "Paypal Scandal" and "Paypal Sucks" and Google provided me with Paypal complain websites that told me about Paypal's secret customer service numbers. After much hassel, I finally succeeded in getting my Paypal account closed and my $440.00 back and I vowed never to open a Paypal account again. I mean imagine going into your local bank and the teller saying "sorry, we cannot let you access your account today and we can't tell you why or if and when you will ever be able to get your money ever again". That's the inexcusable predicament Paypal has put thousands of their customers through.

Did you shift slowly through all the gear ranges ending in park before checking the fluid level? If so, then yes, it would be good to drain out a glassfull of fluid or so in order to bring the fluid level down to the top Hot mark or slightly below the top Hot mark. Yes finding a mechanic that will not be sloppy and will not use aftermarket parts and lubes is hard. Another worry is that they could get dirt, lint and grit inside your transmission due to sloppy, careless work habits.

Amazing. Are you saying your former '97 LS400 rode and felt better than your current '03 LS430 ?? If so do you remember what tires (tire brand & model) you had on your '97 LS400 that helped make it ride so smooth?

PAYPAL REALITIES: 1. Uou waive your rights to credit card consumer protection laws if you want to use their service 2. Paypal customer service is horrible. they intentionally make the phone number very difficult to find in order to save costs. 3. Their terms of service are not completely disclosed upon signup and some key "conditions" are not disclosed. No place do they openly tell potential members that their money is 100% at risk. 4. If PayPal feels your actions are questionable, PayPal is the investigator, judge, jury and executioner. Example: "Thank you for contacting PayPal. We apologize for the delay in respondingto your service request. After review, the decision has been made to keep your account locked. This decision cannot be appealed. If you have any further questions, please reply to this email.' 5. If you are a bona fide, up-standing individual with hundreds of successful transactions, but someone pays you with a stolen credit card, your account (by PayPal's own admission) is immediately flagged as being "criminal behavior" and any money in that account is confiscated. If a customer "disputes" the charge, same thing happens. (See email above.) 6. Paypal's fees for NON-credit card funding are the same as for credit cards! This is the single biggest rippoff on their site.

On a conventional car the cost to replace an air bag is about $2,000 EACH. On a Lexus I would imagine the cost would be near $3,000 each !! Body shops say alot of fairly new cars with relatively minor collision damage are getting totalled nowadays due to the cost of air bag replacement.

The break in rules for Toyotas today are the same as they were 30 years ago: For the first 1000 miles you should: 1. Maintain engine speed between 2000 - 4000 rpm. 2. Do not drive faster than 65 MPH 3. Accelerate gently - don't floor the gas pedal 4. Do not drive more than 5-10 minutes at one single speed. Example: if crusing on the freeway at 65 MPH, let up on the gas pedal every 5-10 minutes and coast down to 45 MPH, then re-accelerate back to 65 MPH 5. Avoid abrupt stops. Instead, brake gently and gradually for the first 200 miles. After the break-in period keep following these same rules for maximum vehicle life except you can now go 80-85 MPH if you want to and instead of varying speeds on the highway, it's better to hold a steady speed. Beware of common hillbilly myths about break in like: "You have to floor the gas pedal occassionally to help seat the piston rings." "Modern cars are already fully broken in at the factory"

The owners manual of your friends 4runner recommends oil changes every 6 months / 3,750 miles if the vehicle is used for short trip service. Your friend very likely did not change the oil that frequently and that's why it sludged. Given that it only costs $12 total for 4 quarts of motor oil and and a Toyota oil filter, I do not undertand why so many owners agonize and fuss over oil change frequency when just following the old 3 month / 3,000 mile rule would provide peace of mind against any engineering deficiency or stressful driving habits The 3 month / 3,000 mile rule costs a do-it-yourself owner just $48 a year in oil and filters.

Your "research" was all done on the internet. Internet websites are geared to promote and sell new tire designs like the Goodyear Assurance because there's more profit in new tire designs. There are older tire designs that ride smoother and just as quietly than the Goodyear Assurance but you'll never find out about them by doing internet "research" because they are old, low priced, low profit designs. Now in regard to the Goodyear Assurance Comfortred I admittedly got suckered into buying them based on internet "research" I found they do provide a quiet ride, but just barely quieter than many other designs. The Comfortreds, however, have three nasty side effects that detract from the the luxuiry car driving experience: 1) They transmit every little minor road imperfection to the car body. Big bumps are absorbed very well, but little bumps are not. Result: The ride feel constantly busy instead of relaxed and serene. 2) They degrade directional stability so constant small steering corrections are required to maintain a straight course on the highway. This adds to driver fatigue. 3. They have high rolling resistance. Instantly you will notice a 1-2 MPG loss in fuel economy and you will notice your car does not coast down hills as fast as it used to. Ironically I have found an old design, low priced, low rolling resistance Goodyear tire that delivers a relaxed, quiet and serene ride and good directional stability is the Goodyear Viva 2 found only at Walmart stores and maybe Sams Club. The Viva 2 is not real good for high speed cornering or wet traction however, as it relies on old soft sidewall technology to deliver a bump smothering, relaxed and quiet ride, plus low rolling resistance.

Do a Google Search for "paypal sucks" and it will provide links to websites that will tell you Paypal's secret customer service phone number. Call the number and ask the Paypal rep to email you instructions for closing your account. The Paypal rep cannot close your account for you. You must do it online yourself. Be prepared for hassels. Like Paypal may block you from accessing your own account so you won't be able to close it! Paypal has done nasty things like this and thats why there have been lawsuits against paypal and why there are websites like paypalsucks.com.

You still may not have a reliable car because your transmission was slipping the other day and the cylinder head could be warped and corroded due to the prior owners' failure to service the cooling system. The cylinder head gasket may also be marginal now too if the overheating warped the cylinder head.