cduluk

Yeah, parts.com parts are OEM... i just recently purchased a bumper from them, totally OEM. I have a similar hesitation in my Rx400h- i think it's due to the fact that most newer Lexus models all controlled electronically rather than directly with a cable. When you hit the has pedal, you're just moving a switch that tells the computer what to do. There's a little delay as the computer needs to determine if it's safe to WOT. Try to find out of the GS is one of those, or if it still uses the drive by cable method... i could be totally wrong.

I think this issue with Toyota is such a "big news" because it's so much of a surprise coming from a brand like Toyota. People aren't very surprised to hear this happening to GM or Ford... And i don't think this issue with Toyota's is a US thing only, this could happen to anyLHD toyota that has experienced the problem here. There's no other "possible" difference between Toyota's sold here vs in other regions that could cause/prevent this problem. In most other countries the Toyota's are modified with right hand drive steering... maybe this difference requires a different computer that doesn't experience the glitch that the LHD Toyota's over here do? Car manufactures produce different versions of a model based on the location they'll be sold with. Maybe only the versions for the US market have the problematic version of computers? And i think it's the "inconsistency" that points to the issue being computer related. Not all computers have glitches, and not all of them glitch at the same times in the same way... just as not all Toyota's of these problematic models experience this problem all the time. There must be one weird combination of details that cause this, and this combination might not be met by all drivers in all situations. It isn't until this combination is reached that this issue occurs... I think it's clear this there IS an issue with certain Toyota's having this issue, because there's no way all of the data received could be fake. Maybe that guy is a fake, but there's no way to tell. There's no doubt that the majority of the reported cases are factual, i mean people have died over this... But i think this might be the first recent gen Prius with the "runaway problem", correct? I know the Prius has a braking issue (just as the 400h and most hybrids do) but i didn't know they had the runaway problem as well...

The tint is just for cosmetic purposes. It's added to the chrome. The 08 Rx400h has a blue tint to the headlights... my old 03 rx300 had the green tint like the GX. I like the tint, it's very unique- makes the headlight look like glass or crystal (as glass has a similar tint by nature)

Why would you go with HID if you're going with yellow? Why not just get halogen yellow bulbs? That's what i'm using as my fogs, PIAA ion yellow bulbs. And the fact that it's digital doesn't mean anything...

This is a common problem for the early LS clusters. There are some electrical components in the cluster that cause this, but not sure how to fix it exactly. And you're exactly right, the lighting components in the cluster are miniature florescent bulbs, called CCFL's (cold cathode florescent lamps). They're wired in series, so when the backlighting one burns out, all the energy is sent to the needles, which cause them to burn out, which puts all the energy on whatever's left and blows them out temporarily as well... it's a cycle, and one day they'll never come back on. If you google a bit you'll find people that repair them, but your best bet is to buy a used working cluster off of ebay etc. The issue is in your cluster, so replacing the cluster will fix the problem <_<

beautiful car! I love that generation GS <_<

Don't these dent removal people need to get to the back of the metal to push little dings outwards?

In that story it doesn't indicate if the driver attempted to put the car into neutral or not. But i wouldn't be surprised to hear that putting the car into neutral doesn't work when this glitch is occurring, the shifter is just another electrical input device just like the gas pedal. If the computer denies any input, putting the shifter in "N" might not even do anything. It's a scary thing...

Well just wait to see what he says after looking at it... What parts have these scratches? Front fenders? Rear 1/4 panels? tailgate?

Is the Rx400h a CPO from a lexus dealership? I don't believe a car can become lexus CPO certified if it's been in an accident (but could be wrong). I know a CPO cannot have more than 3 body panels with body or paint work, not including bumpers. So I guess if it was in an accident, it was only minor, so that's good. Personally I would stay away from a car that has accident history, unless the damage was only minor. Ay frame damage could lead to problems in the future, and may conflict with safety. But if you can confirm the damage is only minor then it's ok. How long do you want to keep this car for? The 400h may become pricey in the future with costly batteries etc... I wouldn't make your decision based on the assumption you will save enough gas to make the extra purchase cost worth it... The mileage is only a few MPG better, and since your travel times are short, you probably won't save that much per year. You'll probably spend more money maintaining the 400h than what you'll save on gas. I would suggest the 400h to anyone who wants to have a more "unique" vehicle. It's pretty cool to be cruising around parking lots completely silent, and the 400h is a little more powerful than the 350. Most people think the 400h would be slower than the 350, but it's actually a little faster. The Rx400h is more of a performance hybrid rather than a fuel saver. So it all depends on what you expect from the 400h vs the 350. If all you want is to save money, I don't think it's a good bet... Plus, in 07 Lexus upgraded the vav system with a little more clarity and brightness, and a few other things were upgraded for the 07 RX year. So I would spend a little extra for an 07 rather than an 06.

Dp

Dp

What Lexus owners sell their cars privately? Most trade... And not many people bought GS430's in 2006...

Changing out the pedals with the other brand isn't going to solve anything, as they both work the same way and send the same signals to the computer... It's the computer itself that's the issue. More of these complaints will come even on cars with the different pedals, it's just a matter of time before Toyota's put on the spot again. Toyota needs an ECU fix asap.

You mean the console between the front seats? There's a handle you need to press after opening the cupholder cover (the cover with the chrome sliver). Hard to explain, but you'll find it... it's hidden, under the top. Just press and pull in whichever direction you want. <_<

I knew this day was coming, just didn't think it would happen this soon :o 10 is still too small a number though...

I didn't know the 06's didn't come with the system But it is true there is a 20 minute delay before the computer alerts you to a flat or problem, as it's happened to me. In fact, if you remove your sensors and drive around, you won't get any warning light until exactly 20 minutes in DRIVE has passed. If they made it any more sensitive that light would be flashing every 5 seconds. The sensors receive different data depending on the situation- if you hit bumps, go faster, slower, etc. It records data constantly but has to deal with the outliers. If it detects low pressure for a long period of time (in this case 20 minutes) it will then give you a positive warning. Why they couldn't make it 5 minutes, i don't know...

It really depends on how deep the scratches are. Did you try to feel the scratches for depth? Can you feel them with your nail? And what do you mean by "white"? Is it more cloudy? Or literally white? The car has a hite primer followed by silver in your case, followed by clear. If you simly roughen up the clear it will appear cloudy, but I'm not sure if this is what you're speaking of... The "glaze" product you're talking about isn't a perminant solution, all it will do is temporarily "fill" the little scratches. But after a little rain or carwash it will be remove... And this won't help if the scraches are down to the primer. If the scraches are deep in the clear, using the 3m or similar rubbing/polishing compound will "help" smooth out the edges of the scratches, but you'll still notice them at a close distance. But if the scratches are very fine you may be able to eliminate them with the compound. Just use a cotton cloth with a lot of the compound on it (adding more compound as it starts to get absorbed by the towel) and rub the scratches unil you like the results. It will be VERY hard to go too deep with the compounby just doing it by hand... but if you machine polush you've gotta be careful. Try to evaluate the depth of the scratches and re-post here. The mthod of repair really depends on how deep they are. Personally I would sow the car to a different body shop and get an estimate and send it to Lexus. You shouldn't have to pay for this, its the old shops mistake for not being careful while sanding... its a cheap way out to not remove a bumper for painting. You'll have tape lines and "overspray/halfsray" areas where the bumper meets the body.

Since the rear door switch also doesn't work, i will assume you do indeed have a loose wire on the drivers door. If the drivers door switches are broken or not connected, none of the windows can open even from their own switches. I would do what RXREY suggested and pry the panel out and peek underneath. My guess is the plug will be plugged in as normal, but that one of the individual wires has lost conductivity. Wiggle each of the wires a little and see if there's a break under the insulation.

Did the flat occur "while" driving? Or do you suspect it was flat before your trip? How long were you driving before you noticed it was flat? The car requires at least 20 minutes of consecutive readouts before notifying you with a warning light. If your tire is flat, only after 20 minutes of driving in D will the light come on...

Has your Rx ever been into an accident? Is there any other reason anyone would have taken the door apart? I can totally understand how some of the wires to the plug for that panel could break if used a lot. Lexus uses pretty rigid wires that can break in the insulation very easily... Does the switch on the rear door work, or are both the rear door switch AND your switch for it broken?

My guess is that they never removed the bumper from the car to paint it. They probably didn't mask the rest of the car before sanding, and scuffed a few areas with the sandpaper... How bad are these "scratches"? Are they deep enough so you can see the base coat? If they're minor and just caused by the sandpaper, you might be able to buff them out with a good compound, or at least enough to make an improvement. 3M's Scratch remover is pretty good, either by hand or machine. Can you post pics?

I'd buy the bulbs yourself and have a mechanic or whoever put them in. You can buy a new pair on ebay for ~ $130 shipped. Only bulbs you should replace them with are the philips d2s model number 85122 or 85122+.

Was it the lights in the speedometer cluster? The needles?

I wouldn't attempt to fix it. Even if you could get someone to get it back to shape, it would probably lose strength and it would be very hard to re-paint at an OEM level. You'd get a lot of rust and i wouldn't look good. I would check car-part.com for used ones, or check the dealer for the price of a new one.