cduluk

Are you sure it's burned out? I find that... very odd and unlikely for an LED. My guess (from taking the radio apart) is that the climate unit will be pretty difficult to take apart, but do-able. When you get it apart, test the LED with a 3V source to see if it's indeed burned out or if the issue is with the voltage supply.

I don't believe you can buy that section of the door panel separately. And even if you could, it would require a LOT of labor. http://www.lexuspartsonline.com/index2.html?make=20&Year=2004&catalogid=2&B12=Search&action=selectCatalogYearMakeModel&siteid=214281 I've had to remove the interior door panels on my Rx400h (same as Rx330, Rx350) when i was re-finishing the wood trim. Every individual part on the door panel is attached with screws from the INSIDE, requiring you to pull off the entire door trim panel to gain access to the back. My recommendation would be to find a used interior door panel on ebay or car-part.com and do an entire swap. Complete removal of the interior door panel takes about 15 minutes, you just need to remove some clips around the perimeter of the panel where it meets the metal of the door, and there may be a few screws there too (one under the felt bottom of the door grabber handle thing). Brand new, it's about $800, but you may be able to find a used one for around $150/200.

That's gotta be pretty costly. You'd need an entire new dashboard (specifically designed with a hole for the speaker above the nav screen), you'd need the new speakers and entire new head unit.

I'm not 100% positive, but i believe the cargo cover itself (the thing that can be rolled out to cover items in the tailgate area) was re-designed in i believe 2008 due to so many complaints. I could be wrong, but it's what i've heard...

A couple of years ago i was in the same boat, looking for the perfect set for my Rx300. Ended up going with the Bridgestone Dueler Alenza tires because of the fantastic ratings and recommendations from other Rx300 owners on this site. They were EXCELLENT tires, incredibly quiet and handled VERY well in the rain and even in the snow. Since you don't need them for snow, there may be others out there that are quieter, but i can tell you the Alenza's were PERFECT.

Don't take it to Lexus as they don't do the work themselves. They just send it to another autobody shop who gives them the best price. Go to a few autobody shops in your area and ask to see some of their work. Tell them you want it done RIGHT and let them do it for you. There's no special "Lexus" paint either, shops just mix up your color using the paint code. How bad is the damage? You may want to consider going through insurance.

I wouldn't go by KBB or sites like that, just check out autotrader.com or cars.com and "see" what they're actually going for.

Can you tell us what you're trying to do?

hmm... you could try looking at other people's LS's on cardomain.com (a website where people can upload pics of their modified cars) and see if anyone has the lights you're after. Then you could contact them to see where they got them. <_<

Nope, they just clean the surface and spray dye over the infected area and "mist" the area around it so it blends in (maybe 3" in all directions). It's actually not really a "dye", more like a paint. It has a little viscosity to it, so it will fill in any minor defects in the raw hide exposed. <_<

all red? The back-up section too? Try ebay or google-imaging LS lights...

Your local lexus dealer can direct you to their leather people, they have a company on hand they call a few times a week to re-finish or touch up leather on cars before they go on the lot as CPO's. I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself unless you've got experience painting with an airbrush- NEVER try to touch up with a brush or by hand, you won't be able to get a good finish (from experience). Probably cost around $25 if it's just a quick clean and spray. It's things like rips and tears that bring the cost up.

I agree, go with the BMW. Worst case, it requires some extra $$$ maintenance... big deal, worth it if you like it!

Heck, if they made a winter tire that performed well in the snow, didn't ride like a tank, and was perfectly silent- i'd take them! I just couldn't sacrifice the good ride quality of all season tires..

I agree, there isn't much about the TSX that "stands out", the sort of thing that keeps you interested no matter what the age...

I think the certified program is a joke. On a 2 or 3 year old vehicle, the extra "inspections" they do don't turn up much. There are supposed to be limitations as to which cars can become certified, (such as a limit on body work, accident history, etc) but there have been several cases where customers have found CPO's with poor body work and accident history nevertheless. As long as the car you buy has less than 50,000 miles, you can take it to any Lexus dealer and get an extended warranty for about $2000. That's what we did... Previous to my Rx400h we purchased a CPO 2003 Rx300 from a Lexus dealer. Same car you'd find at any old dealership...

Hmm, that seems like WAY too much money for a 2006. Searching through Autotrader.com, there are quite a few 2006's with <40k miles with nav and mark lev for as little as $24,000. And the Lexus extended warranty is about $2,000, so even if purchased separately it would be cheaper. $30,000 should be able to get you in at least a 2007 Rx400h (and the 2007's had SEVERAL upgrades). A little over a year ago we bought my 2008 Rx400h for $31,000 (but it was a DEAL...). I would keep searching, $30k is a LOT to spend on a 2006 ANYTHING. Are you aware of the changes made to the 2007 Rx400h from 2006 model? Definitely worth the extra money IMO. In 2007, changes were made from the 2006, including: -Upgraded navigation screen (brightness, pixel clarity) (also true for Rx350) -radios could now read MP3's and WMA's as well as standard CD's -the 2006 interior silver trim was now replaced with yellow birds eye maple wood. -no need to reset the ICE system whenever the battery is replaced.

Do they work well? Where did you get them?

I'd say the Rx400h works in the snow as often as a FWD car does. When a FWD car would just spin out (going nowhere), the Rx400h just sits there. So they're about equal. I'm not saying the Rx400h is unsafe in the snow, you should just know there may be times when you're literally STUCK in the middle of a minor incline... And also, the title of this thread indicates you're looking at a 2006... but in your explanation you state 2007, so which year is the one you're looking at? Can you find the manufacture date? There's a black sticker on the drivers side center door jam that will have a date at the top right, for example: 11/07- which indicates the car is a 2008 manufactured in November of 2007. I'm only asking because i know some of the 2006 Rx400h's were pre-ordered as early as late 2004, arriving in 2005 as a 2006 model. So a 2006 may have actually been manufactured in 2004 or 2005, making it a lot older than it seems. Just one thing you may want to check, as two seemingly identical 2006 Rx400h's may have been made more than a year apart (and in this case, you'd want the newer one). And in your last post, did you state the price is $30,000?? This seems VERY high for a 2006, and even still high for a 2007.

I have to agree, the Rx400h is a lot smoother than the Rx350, due to the CVT (continuous transmission). No gear shifts! However the Rx400h is a lot louder than the Rx350 when accelerating, light or hard. The motor revs a lot faster even for the smallest of tasks. The Rx350 is virtually silent inside... The only time the Rx400h is quieter than the Rx350 is during the first 5 seconds or so upon start-up before the engine kicks in... The car doesn't stay in hybrid mode for very long at all. Once you hit 5mph it kicks right on. You can keep the car in hybrid mode for longer if the battery has recently been charged (maybe after going down a long hill or what not) and if you keep the headlights, radio and AC off.

Hmm.... what about the Toyota Camry? It has FWD and 60/40 rear folding seats. It doesn't have much "prestige" but they can come with all the bells and whistles and EXCELLENT reliability. If you can get over the fact that it's only a "Toyota" then it's the perfect car. You could probably find a loaded 09 or 010 in the $20k range. And i agree about VW, their interiors are CRAP. I also find the VW new car smell VERY offensive... And for the TSX, have you looked at the 2009 TSX's? They upgraded the design a little... Could you wait a few years for the prices to come down to get the newer style?

If you get the right set of tires, they should last you just as long as they would on any other car. Both the Rx350 and Rx400h have the same tire size and type, same wear, etc. The disc brakes on the Rx400h may last a bit longer in comparison to the Rx350 because the hybrid's regenerative braking takes some stress away from the regular disc brakes. My 08 Rx400h has about 53,000 miles and it's still on the original front and rear brakes, with a lot of life left. Biggest cost of ownership on the Rx400h is the main battery, which will need replacing past the 8 year mark. That's a HUGE cost... If you're not planning on keeping the car for longer than 8 years or so, and if you don't "need" to drive in the snow, then the Rx400h may do the job. But if you plan on driving in the snow often or want to keep the car for longer than 8 years, i'd say go with the Rx350...

Haha You can't seem to make up your mind! Are you really considering going for a sedan vs an SUV? Because that opens SOO many more doors. If you're considering the Acura TSX, why not look at the Lexus GS? The 06 GS300 might be a little more than the 07 TSX, but you're getting more car... Or what about Infiniti? The G series is a pretty sporty sedan, and the M is pretty nice too. Have you looked at the Acura TL? One of my best friends has an 04 TL, it's pretty nice. My only complaint about the TL is the fact that it's FWD- if you hit the pedal hard the steering wheel rips right out of your hand... Even better than the TL might be the RL. A little more roomy than the TL, but also a little slower. Acura's are definitely known for their "toys" and gadgets. The interior quality is a little questionable, but they seem to be very reliable.

I love the Rx400h, but one thing worries me in your post- winter driving. The Rx400h is HORRIBLE in the snow- heavy or light. I even have the AWD version, and it has a LOT of issues with snow on the ground. The hybrid system limits power to the wheels when the car senses slipping, which has literally left me in the middle of inclines with no power. You keep pressing the pedal, but nothing happens. Computers do everything for the Rx400h. Some say if you put on winter tires it will be OK, but i've seen no proof of this- and anyone would be nuts to put snow tires on a Lexus for the 5 or 10 times a year you may need it... The Rx350 is much better in the snow compared to the Rx400h. Before i had my Rx400h i had an Rx300, which handled like a SUBARU compared to this Rx400h. I would only suggest the Rx400h vs the Rx350 if you want to be able to say you drive the "hybrid SUV" or if you are the type to enjoy the little extra HP the 400h has compared to the 350 (.2 sec 0-60). The fuel economy isn't justifiably better and the physical appearance is about the same (minus a front bumper change).

I've gone through the car wash several times with my Rx400h in neutral and never got any such warnings. Any chance the car's still under warranty?