Thanks for the info. I found the hitches on drophitch. However since I'm going to be towing a trailer i'm needing the wiring as well.
When you get your hitch please post back here with the lexus part number and if you have a chance can you take a picture of it? I can get you my email address to send it to!
Before i bought my 330 i read through this entire thread and its most informative!
trs23, you are very welcome. Just picked up the hitch from serramonte Lexus today. It is part no. PT228-48035. Unfortunately, I have already dropped it off at the shop, along with my RX330 so that they can put the hitch on, so I won't be able to take pictures of the hitch. However, it looks just like the Curt hitch, and there is no bracket on the starboard side as in some other hitches I'd seen. I had them double check to make sure it was the correct one.
There are also two black plates with preset holes in them. The one for the left side is about 6"x3" with one side concave. The plate for the right side is larger, about 10"x5 shaped like half of an ellipse. I'm sorry this seems so vague but it's from memory! I'm thinking that these are backing plates.
All nuts and bolts were included, although in retrospect, they seem rather puny now. There is also a nice black rubber cover with the Lexus logo and name, that you can insert into the 2" receiver opening, when you aren't using the ball hitch. The loose items are packed in plastic and then in a small box. The hitch itself is packed inside a very large cardboard box that I had to tilt to get in the back of my SUV.
I was a little disappointed to see that the wiring was not inside of the tube, but coiled up on the left side of the tube, with the plug for trailers attached about 4" to 5" off center of the receiver opening. A nice touch was a little attached cover for the one male and four female prongs to keep them dry and clean, when not in use. I suppose the other end of the coil plugs into the wiring from the RX330, once the receptacle is pulled from its panel.
Price wise, I did even better than expected. Originally, I had gotten quotes from $265 to $410, parts only. The list price at Serramonte Lexus was $252. After telling the service rep that since I have two Lexus vehicles and both are serviced there, could I get the good customer discount? He very graciously offered me a 15% discount! That brought the price down to a very reasonable $214.20!
I am having a local body shop that specializes in Lexus put the hitch and wiring on for $50. All told after sales tax and installation, my cost will be $281.87 to have a Lexus factory hitch. If you want to be completely assured you can have Lexus service do it but the installation charge will be $195 additional.
I am going to be using the hitch mostly for carrying bikes and ocassionally to tow a 2800lb. bass/ski boat and trailer package. Make sure that whatever you're towing, trailer and equipment included, doesn't exceed 3500lbs. Good luck.
That's the same part number my dealer gave me. I'm glad to know that it includes the wiring.
If you get any pictures of the final install let me know! I would love to know the visibility of this hitch etc.
I'm probably going to get one in the next few weeks. Its not quite boating season here -- Chicago! So I've got some time.
I would like to know how the get the hitch wiring from outside the car into the cargo area where the plug is. I saw a knockout that had a rubber plug in it on the left side of the vehicle near the back. That was the only place I could figure out how to get the wiring harness into the cargo area for the plug.
I'm really not interested in paying my dealer $195 for something I can do in less than an hour.
Just wanted to thank you for the info you have provided to all of us on this topic. The tow hitch ratios you outlined in Post 2575 are right on the money. I'm looking for a new rig and tongue weight has been been an issue. The Volvo XC70 claims a 3,300 lb tow rating but only has a 165 lb tongue capacity (makes it 5% versus the 9-10% you mention). This has been the only manufacturer with such a low tongue rating, but it sure was a shock. I've dropped them from the search as the boat/trailer combo is around 2,500 lbs. Thanks for your help.
Thanks for the complement. Please understand that if Mrs. Rogers was going to buy a car today, the Lexus RX would be on the top of her list followed by the Lexus ES. I hope I did not imply that I was down on the brand. I just talked to a friend who spent $2,800 on his highly recommended German car for premature suspension wear. He will be driving a Toyota Highlander shortly. If it was not for the corporation lawyers, I think Lexus USA boss Denny Clements would issue a statement saying that the larger part they installed in the PCV system solved the oil gel problem. Unfortunately, I doubt the lawyers will ever let the statement be published, so we may never know.
You are very welcome. Never had any implication whatsoever your were down on the brand. Just friendly advice. Thanks again. I agree with you, we may never know if the sludge problem is fixed. I suppose that would be tantamount to accepting responsibility by Lexus, and frowned upon by their lawyers. By the way, was your friend in an ML or an X5?
trs23, thanks, I think it's a pretty good deal too! Appreciate all your info on location of the wiring and the knockout for the plug. I thought $195 to install the hitch was a mite high, too. Will send you the pics of how they look as soon as I can.
Johncdnrockies, you are very welcome. The tongue weight vs. the max capacity for the Volvo XC70 sounds like poor engineering. A 3,300# load with a 165# tongue weight is an accident waiting to happen. The trailer would fishtail down the road worse than Nemo! Anytime a trailer is grossly overloaded towards the back, or if your hitch is mounted too high, the trailer will sway dangerously at highway speeds.
Conversely, if too much weight is loaded onto the tongue, and therefore unto the rear end of your vehicle you are in danger of losing vehicle control. The undue weight on the back raises the front tires, cutting steering response and causing the tow vehicle to sway. I would definitely stay away from the XC70. The XC90 would be a better bet, but build quality is iffy, especially at $45,000 US.
Sounds like the RX330 would be adequate for your 2500#. However, if it weren't for the extra $15,000 US or so, wouldn't the GX470 be great? By, the way, since the RX is now being made in Canada, is it less expensive to purchase?
My friend's German car with the $2800 of premature suspension wear is the VW Passat. H e bought it based on the glowing review and average reliabilty rating it received in Consumer Reports magazine. It is a shame they are not reliable. This fall they will bring out a diesel version, and I looked forward to a fuel efficiency competion between the diesel Passat wagon and the hybrid Lexus RX. The reliability issue kind of throws a monkey wrench in the whole idea.
re #2580 Yes I like the Lexus hitch - it is tubular and angled underneath, fairly low under the bumper (maybe too low for good ground clearance), and bolt-up is supportive. wiring harness is attached along, but not inside, the hitch itself. I've had the car about a week and really enjoying it. Anyone know where I can find a one-piece, rear seat floor mat?? I'm trying GGBailey to see if they will custom-make.
Gardencar - Took a serious look at the GX but I'm afraid my better half will turn thumbs down. She's a lover of small rigs (hence the '01 Mercedes C320 in the stable). Seeing we have been together for the last 28 years and it is HER exec car, this could be a tight swing!
Nevertheless, we are off to the local Calgary auto show in two weeks and I will do my best to persuade and cajole.
Pricing here is cheap by US standards ... just remember we are paid in C$'s. The RX starts at C$50,000, with the upscale version at C$59,000 and the GX470 (nicely equipped) coming in at C$69,000. I would lean to the latter, but it's going to be a tough sell. Suspect Faye will simply opt for the Girlie Jeep and order me to buy another Cherokee.
Sigh - how a guy has to suffer for the sake of keeping the family together.
Johncdnrockies, I feel you. Although the GX is a better tow vehicle and qualifies for a big tax break here in US (over 6,000# curb weight), the RX is prettier (my better half says).
You are a good man and I'm sure your wife appreciates your sacrifices! Happy hunting!
gardencar-I pulled my gas log today and ran the numbers:
For city driving, my low has been 17.7 mpg and high of 19.6 mpg
For highway driving-only 2 roundtrips LAS-RNO-LAS, low was 19.2 and highest was 23.3mpg. Average highway mpg is 22.
Overall, combined average is 20.1 mpg from 9/23/03 through 2/14/04. I had the transmission TSB done and so far my avg has been 18.4mpg, but that is only 2 tankfuls so far and all city driving.
Buffnbou, thank you very much for your mileage stats. You are certainly getting some terrific mileage. The best mileage I've gotten for 1/2 city and 1/2 highway has been about 19 mpg, about the same you've gotten for city driving alone. I'm hoping my RX is just breaking in. It could also be that you are getting such great mileage because you're using Mobil 1 synthetic. I will post new mileage stats if I get significantly different results. Thanks again and happy driving!
Hello. This factory hitch that has been referred to, is it a 3500 lb. hitch or a 2500 lb. hitch. I've been getting a lot of I'm not sure answers at my dealership but they think it is only a 2500 lb hitch.
nldsed, that is a good question. I just recently bought the tow hitch and it just never occurred to me to ask. You would assume that it must be a 3500# hitch, it only makes sense. But then again... the Curt, Hidden Hitch and others I have seen are 2.5 to type III hitches. A type II hitch's max cap is 3500# . A type 2.5, such as the Curt Hitch is rated for 4000#; over the RX's rating but it's good to have a stronger hitch, remembering not to exceed the vehicle's capacity. I am almost sure that the hitch I picked up from Lexus is at least a type II to 2.5 hitch as it takes a 2" receiver. It would make no sense for Lexus to manufacture a hitch fully a half ton short of the RX330's towing potential. However, since you have raised this specter, I will be calling Lexus parts tomorrow!
I just called my dealership back using your part number and they told me that this is the only hitch lexus offers for the RX330. (Part PT228-48035) They said it is a class II hitch rated for 2500 lbs. I was a bit concerned about this. We were wanting to possibly trailer our 2 motorcycles, that including trailer weight, would be at about 2200-2300 lbs and I didn't want to max out the hitch capacity like that.
Let me know what your dealership says. I'm very curious.
Yes, BNET504, it remains available (at least in Canada). At this time, multi-panel roof vehicles are exclusively produced in Japan. Our dealer suggested a 2-3 month delivery delay for a custom order.
The Canadian $ cost is C$59,000 delivered in Calgary (know the exact number as this is the model we're interested in). Options in Canada and USA will likely differ, but up here this includes the Mark Levinson radio but excludes the navigation system.
Nsled, thanks for the heads up. I called my dealer, and sure enough, you were right, more or less. What I mean is, Serramonte parts gave me yet a different max capacity, they told me that it was a Class II hitch rated for 2,000# and they too, were surprised! Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hoping that the service reps were wrong. I looked at the hitch and searched around for the tow rating sticker. I read, "Class II hitch, maximum capacity: 2,000lbs." Unbelievable! I was mortified that I had not read it before.
Since I was told it was a Class II hitch, I did not bother to look for the sticker when the hitch was boxed, nor did I scrutinize it more closely once installed. What a fiasco! I suppose I could blame the service reps at Lexus for not informing me that the hitch was only rated for 2,000#, before I bought it. I suppose I could blame the engineers at Lexus for constructing such a puny tow hitch and calling it a Class II when its rating makes it a Class I. In the end, I should have known better than to assume because it makes an [non-permissible content removed] out of u and me.
I promptly made a somewhat less polite than usual call to the Lexus parts dept. and told them what had happened. To their credit, they offered to take the hitch back and give me a full refund, even sans box (the installers had already disposed of the box and it was probably on its way to being recycled).
Next, was a somewhat more sheepish call to the installation shop to explain the mix-up and, "Could they uninstall the hitch and carefully repack all the loose parts and hardware, please?" Amazingly, they took off the puny Lexus hitch and graciously offered to install the next one for me at no charge!
There is a lesson to be learned in this somewhere, maybe cotmc or tidester can tell me what it is. I just hope that trs23 is aware of the 2,000# capacity of the hitch he just bought from Lexus. Johncdnrockies, beware!
IMO, I am very disappointed that Lexus could not come up with a better hitch. I was willing to pay double the aftermarket price for a comparable, bona fide Lexus hitch, but now I wouldn't even pay half the price for this inadequate product, Lexus or no. For now, the Curt hitch at $111.98 is looking pretty good, especially with its 4,000 # rating. As far as I'm concerned, Lexus really missed the mark by a mile. It's labeled a Class II, it looks like a Class II, it has a 2" receiver like a Class II, but it has a puny 2,000# capacity like a Class I ! Wait a minute, Lexus, it is a Class I ! Why are you calling it a Class II? Finally, why build a 2,000# hitch for a vehicle with a 3,500# tow rating? This is not what I call a vote of confidence for your product.
If you are planning to tow anything, stay away from the Lexus brand hitch! It's not a Class II. It's a Class I.
Is it possible that Lexus is limiting the hitch tongue weight because of the potential liability from loss of control due to "unloading" of the front drive and steering wheels?
In your posted message of "I found out that Lexus had a wiring harness available part no.08942-48870-BB, sells for about $48, but it's the one that fits the special socket, and includes the trailer socket and a mounting bracket".
I realize this is a post from another group but does anyone have insight on the part about "fits the special socket".
I'm HOPING it is referring to the "ready wires" that come with the tow package .... not a special socket on the lexus hitch.
I ordered this part yesterday, will have Lexus do the wiring so that it is under warranty, and then will just have the hitch shop put the actual hitch on, again, I was hoping this would be straight forward with no probs.
Sorry to hear about the eye-opening discovery with the Lexus tow hitch. I'm also confused why Lexus advertises a 3500lb max tow rating while rating their tow hitch for only 2000lbs.
If anyone is interested, you'll see that the Edmunds specifications page for the 2004 Lexus RX330 states the maximum towing capacity of this vehicle is 2000 pounds. Yep, Edmunds curiously states a 2000lb max tow capability.
How is that? Did Edmunds already know about the tow hitch rating? Or has the RX330 tow rating recently been downgraded from 3500lbs to 2000lbs? Was this a coincidental error on the part of Edmunds? Or is this difference due to the Tow Prep package? Enquiring minds want to know...
Lately, there has been so much drama swirling around this tow hitch issue, that I feel like I'm writing for a soap opera. Maybe we should start a new discussion and name it "The Young and the Hitchless"!
Anyway, took the hitch back to Lexus parts and got 100% of my money back. They were very helpful and even showed me their dealer catalog that contained their hitch and where it read, "RX330, Class II hitch, tow capacity, 2,000 lbs." I just wish they'd shown it to me or read it themselves, before they sold it to me.
When I went back to my vehicle, I found a couple of bolts and a backing plate from the hitch, so I took it back to the parts tech and he was very happy. When I got back home, I discovered another part of the hitch still in my trunk-- that very nice receiver hole cover with the Lexus name and logo emblazoned on it. Oops!
Trs23, thanks for the info. After I took the hitch back, the tech tried to sell me the wiring that he said would go with my after market hitch. He must have had a lapse in memory last week when I inquired about separate wiring harness availability, before I bought the hitch. At the time, he told me that they were not available separately. Go figure. However, I did not buy it for several reasons. I was annoyed with his lack of memory and knowledge, the wiring seemed to have redundant parts, and it seemed overpriced. After reading your post, I see that I am correct. This parts department was asking $79.99, compared to your $48. I will compare part nos. Also, this part had an extra adaptor with a ground wire connector, which was not a part of the wiring harness of the hitch I'd just returned. The wiring of the hitch was simply a five lead wire that ended in a special four outlet socket, no adaptor in sight. As soon as I get a chance, I will check the rear of my RX and I bet I will find an adaptor and ground wire connection already present. If this true, then this wiring might still not be the exact one. If it is not, there is a five-pole universal connector with no socket, for $16.99 at Kragen. You would have to bare the tips of the leads to expose the wires and use a circuit tester to determine where to insert the green, yellow, and two brown leads, carefully wrapping all in electrical tape. The white lead you would connect to the ground. It's pretty straight forward as I have done this with other vehicles in the past. However, this is a Lexus, so I'll look into finding the proper socket, for a little longer. Anyway trs23, thanks for the part no. and I saw your posts on the other site, too.
Nsled, the special socket is on the end of your pre wired RX w/tow pack. It doesn't require any electrical knowledge, just connect the two plugs together. You'll just have to find the RX wiring under the cargo tray, and find the knockout to pass the wiring through to the underside of the vehicle.
Wwest, there you go knocking FWD and FWD bias again. I don't think Lexus is limiting the rating on the hitches because they think the FWD biased AWD is inadequate for towing. They probably just don't want any liability from their tow hitches if there are accidents involving loads at or near the RX's max tow capacity. I don't agree that front wheel bias makes the RX an inadequate tow vehicle. Even if a max tongue weight is placed on the back of the RX, it would not be heavy enough, at 350#, to lift the front end and cause a loss of traction or tire contact with the road. And if the front end where to lift significantly, say by someone improperly putting a tongue weight of 500# on the rear, then the AWD would sense the slipping at the front tires and send more power to the rear. The RX330 and other crossovers all have rather light max tow caps not because their engines lack the power or torque, but because they are unibodies, rather than ladder on frame.
Cotmc,that was funny. For your "enquiring mind", IMO Edmunds made a mistake on the tow capacity of the RX330. I saw that too, but discounted it as an error or typo. I doubt they knew about the Lexus hitch, much less its tow rating, especially when none of the Lexus parts departments did. One would think, by looking at all the posts on this thread!
The Lexus parts tech gave me a warning about the Curt Hitch. Apparently, before Lexus came out with a hitch, they were using Hidden Hitches, which protruded too much. Next, they tried the Curt. They worked fine... on cars with the 17" wheels. However, there was a problem with cars that had the 18" wheels and the 18" spares. The Curt hitch's curve was not large enough to accommodate them. Curt's answer was to send them adaptors. The tech then frowned deeply as he said this, and could not tell me more. I am thinking that the adaptors dropped the hitch low enough to clear the 18" spare, but then that would make it more visible and maybe less attractive?
My statement was not unique to the RX, or even the RX with AWD. Everyone knows that as you add weight to the rear of the vehicle the front will "lift". Less weight, proportionately, F/R, will always result in lowered traction at the "light" end.
But now specific to the AWD RX the torque will not be routed to the rear unless the front to rear rotational rate varies. F/R traction disparaty might be extreme before one reaches that point, while loss of control due to low traction would/could be instantaneous.
Bottom line is that a RWD vehicle, with roadbed traction requirements "spread" over both the front and rear contact patches, would likely be less subject to loss of control from additional weight added at the rear than would a FWD vehicle, other towing limitations being equal.
First Volvo delivers inadequate tongue capacities (160 lb for a 3,300 tow rating), now Lexus provides an under-sized tow hitch.
It frankly boggles the mind why companies would force consumers to read the fine print before providing a solution. Seems to me they are just opening themselves to a lawsuit if something goes wrong.
I'm sure glad we have these forums to sort things out!
Gardencar -- thanks for that tidbit of news on the 18" wheels. Geeezz! This is nuts! I think I'm about to call Lexus corporate just to vent a little.
As for the 2000 lb tow capacity, I read in the brochure that the RX330 base has the 2000 lb rating but adding the tow package increases it to 3500 lbs. due to a larger radiator and generator I belieive (plus the so called wiring).
Has anyone tried the Draw-Tite hitch? I wonder if it has its challenges with the 18" wheels?
Looks like I'm still in a holding pattern until someone trys this. I can't believe the curt hitch would be too small for the spare tires? That seems like a huge design flaw.
Again.. Good thing I'm not towing anything in the near future!
Yep. Mine too -- the Lexus manuf. hitch on my 330 (new, made in Canada) has a sticker that says 2000 lbs., 200 lb. tongue. I don't get it. I assumed that was a standard sticker for cars that don't have the "tow package." Maybe a wrong assumption?
Sorry Willard, but I didn't understand your post. Presume you are being sarcastic (I'm new to these boards). The combo of primarily FWD, low tongue weight and high tow capacity should really mean it's a disaster waiting to happen, right?
Sorry for being a newbie but there may have been some past dialogue which has escaped me (I'm a finance/IT guy, not an engineeer!).
By the way, see you are in Redmond. Our boat and country place is near the San Juans, so at least we're in the same time zone.
Picked up my wiring harness this afternoon but still in a holding pattern on the hitch.
I'm still getting 2 different answers from 2 diff Lexus dealerships here in the my area. One says definitely that the Lexus hitch is rated for 2000 lbs. The other, where I ordered the harness, says its 2500, even showed me their parts order book and he's right, it showed it rated for 2500.
Here's another interesting tidbit. The Draw-tite hitch model number is the same for the RX330 and the Toyota Highlander ... so I called a Toyota dealership and they told me there are 2 hitches available for the '04 Highlander (which I beleive uses the same frame as the RX). One was for 2000 lbs. and could be used any Highlander and the other was rated for 2500 lbs. and was only to be used on a V6 Highlander with optional tow package. So, I'm assuming there really is 2 different hitches available through Toyota/Lexus. Maybe one of my dealers is looking at one item and the other is looking at something else.
Here's another interesting twist, the first dealership that told me the only available hitch was rated at 2000 lbs, also told me you absolutely could not order the wire harnes separately, Lexus did not have it available. I just had to snicker to myself as I was on my way to pick it up.
Come on Lexus and Lexus employee's, get with the program!
wwest, wrong, as John said, light tongue weight with large tow capacity is a disaster waiting to happen. Load up the weight in the rear to accommodate a light tongue weight as in the Volvo, and you will have a trailer that fishtails worse than Nemo. Then you'd really have a loss of control and maybe lose the trailer as the load jumps the hitch!
nsled, the Draw Tite is an old style hitch because it goes straight across the underside of the rear bumper and does not interfere with the spare. However, it is also very visible!
doubletrack, the sticker is not referring just to the cars without tow pack. 2,000# is the limit of the hitch, period. It makes no sense at all for Lexus to make a hitch for vehicles that don't have the tow package and make nothing, nothing suitable for those that do! Arrrrgh !!!
Does someone have an appropriate link to Lexus where we can voice our concerns about this fiasco?
Gardencar, I actually called today and got a wormen that just said she would note my concern.
Now that was a big help ;-)
As for the draw-tite hitch, take a look at their web site ... the picture shows a round tube hitch that curves ... looks a lot like the Curt hitch. Maybe its new??
www.draw-tite.com You'll have to use the fit guide to select the vehicle.
Nsled, bingo! Thanks for the info. You're right, this wiring looks just like what came with the RX hitch from Lexus. It does not have an adaptor, which you wouldn't need if your vehicle already sports the tow pack. Great internet sleuthing. I am very close to a Toyota parts outlet and will take a look at one tomorrow. I bet they are identical, but Lexus hopes its owners will shell out more.
About the Draw Tite hitch, you are also right. I got the info from a Lexus tech about it being too visible. Maybe he meant the Hidden Hitch. With so many companies offering 3500# hitches, why can't Lexus?
No, I was impressed that Volvo could tow 3000lbs but knew that the tow hitch weight had to be extraordinarily limited due to FWD.
I had pointed out previously that the RX might be limited to 2000 lbs towing capacity due to needing low hitch weight because it FWD or FWD biased AWD.
Wwest, the RX is not limited to 2,000#, that is why Lexus states that the 330's max towing capacity is 3,500#. And believe it or not, 350# is low hitch weight, and at these ratings it is already limited, and because it is a unibody and not because of FWD bias, and....I give up!
It's built in Canada and so far have not had any issues with dash noise, shifting, etc.
However, one question I did have is what kind of maintenance service does Lexus have? Is it like BMW where for the first 3yrs they take care of oil changes, etc? I asked my lexus dealer and he said they only offer the first oil change for free. Is this so?
Your dealer is correct. At 1,000 mi., they will inspect your vehicle for free. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes. If you decide on the 5,000 mile intervals-- your driving is on dusty or bumpy roads, mostly short trips, extensive idling, and mostly city, your dealer will change the oil, rotate tires, and do a vehicle inspection and reset your maintenance light for free, only the first time. If you do mostly easy, freeway driving, you can choose 7,500 mi. intervals. IMO, 7,500 seems like an awful long time for the first oil change. My dealer charges $140 for the 5,000 or 7,500 mi. services.
Isn't it interesting how the European manufacturers provide free maintenance for the first 3 or 4 years, but require intervals of up to 15K miles (on synthetic) between oil changes? Meanwhile, the more reliable Japanese brands do not provide any free maintenance (other than first oil change service), but typically request that we pay for an oil change service every 5000 miles?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting anyone expand the oil change schedule on these RX330s; not after the oil sludge issue that Toyota had with their 3.0L V6. I'm just saying that this is a curious differential. I just wonder if the extreme long-term (100K+ miles) engine life might be reduced when using 15K oil change intervals on BMWs, Mercedes, Porsche, etc? With my BMWs, I always pay for an extra oil change between the 15K service intervals.
gardencar: I found a way to reduce my Lexus oil change service costs. My service advisor admitted that the $120+ oil change services basically include only an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. When we reached 10,000 miles, I had Costco perform the tire rotation for $16 ($4 per tire), and had the Lexus dealer perform only a basic oil change on our RX330. The dealer charged me only $32, which still included a wash and vacuum.
I wondered about that. Edmunds lists quite a few inspection items that also should be done. Do you have to reset the "low tire warning" when you rotate the tires ? Is this rotation only and no balance ? When I bought my last new car, a cadillac, I went to the local tire store and purchased their warranty for $39 and got tire rotation and balance for life.
Comments
Thanks for the info. I found the hitches on drophitch. However since I'm going to be towing a trailer i'm needing the wiring as well.
When you get your hitch please post back here with the lexus part number and if you have a chance can you take a picture of it? I can get you my email address to send it to!
Before i bought my 330 i read through this entire thread and its most informative!
There are also two black plates with preset holes in them. The one for the left side is about 6"x3" with one side concave. The plate for the right side is larger, about 10"x5 shaped like half of an ellipse. I'm sorry this seems so vague but it's from memory! I'm thinking that these are backing plates.
All nuts and bolts were included, although in retrospect, they seem rather puny now. There is also a nice black rubber cover with the Lexus logo and name, that you can insert into the 2" receiver opening, when you aren't using the ball hitch. The loose items are packed in plastic and then in a small box. The hitch itself is packed inside a very large cardboard box that I had to tilt to get in the back of my SUV.
I was a little disappointed to see that the wiring was not inside of the tube, but coiled up on the left side of the tube, with the plug for trailers attached about 4" to 5" off center of the receiver opening. A nice touch was a little attached cover for the one male and four female prongs to keep them dry and clean, when not in use. I suppose the other end of the coil plugs into the wiring from the RX330, once the receptacle is pulled from its panel.
Price wise, I did even better than expected. Originally, I had gotten quotes from $265 to $410, parts only. The list price at Serramonte Lexus was $252. After telling the service rep that since I have two Lexus vehicles and both are serviced there, could I get the good customer discount? He very graciously offered me a 15% discount! That brought the price down to a very reasonable $214.20!
I am having a local body shop that specializes in Lexus put the hitch and wiring on for $50.
All told after sales tax and installation, my cost will be $281.87 to have a Lexus factory hitch. If you want to be completely assured you can have Lexus service do it but the installation charge will be $195 additional.
I am going to be using the hitch mostly for carrying bikes and ocassionally to tow a 2800lb. bass/ski boat and trailer package. Make sure that whatever you're towing, trailer and equipment included, doesn't exceed 3500lbs.
Good luck.
That's the same part number my dealer gave me. I'm glad to know that it includes the wiring.
If you get any pictures of the final install let me know! I would love to know the visibility of this hitch etc.
I'm probably going to get one in the next few weeks. Its not quite boating season here -- Chicago! So I've got some time.
I would like to know how the get the hitch wiring from outside the car into the cargo area where the plug is. I saw a knockout that had a rubber plug in it on the left side of the vehicle near the back. That was the only place I could figure out how to get the wiring harness into the cargo area for the plug.
I'm really not interested in paying my dealer $195 for something I can do in less than an hour.
I'm looking for a new rig and tongue weight has been been an issue. The Volvo XC70 claims a 3,300 lb tow rating but only has a 165 lb tongue capacity (makes it 5% versus the 9-10% you mention). This has been the only manufacturer with such a low tongue rating, but it sure was a shock. I've dropped them from the search as the boat/trailer combo is around 2,500 lbs.
Thanks for your help.
Johncdnrockies, you are very welcome. The tongue weight vs. the max capacity for the Volvo XC70 sounds like poor engineering. A 3,300# load with a 165# tongue weight is an accident waiting to happen. The trailer would fishtail down the road worse than Nemo! Anytime a trailer is grossly overloaded towards the back, or if your hitch is mounted too high, the trailer will sway dangerously at highway speeds.
Conversely, if too much weight is loaded onto the tongue, and therefore unto the rear end of your vehicle you are in danger of losing vehicle control. The undue weight on the back raises the front tires, cutting steering response and causing the tow vehicle to sway. I would definitely stay away from the XC70. The XC90 would be a better bet, but build quality is iffy, especially at $45,000 US.
Sounds like the RX330 would be adequate for your 2500#. However, if it weren't for the extra $15,000 US or so, wouldn't the GX470 be great? By, the way, since the RX is now being made in Canada, is it less expensive to purchase?
Good luck in your search!
I didn't think any of the VWs (which look a lot better than they did 10-15 years ago) had the same reliability ratings as the Japanese makes.
Nevertheless, we are off to the local Calgary auto show in two weeks and I will do my best to persuade and cajole.
Pricing here is cheap by US standards ... just remember we are paid in C$'s. The RX starts at C$50,000, with the upscale version at C$59,000 and the GX470 (nicely equipped) coming in at C$69,000. I would lean to the latter, but it's going to be a tough sell. Suspect Faye will simply opt for the Girlie Jeep and order me to buy another Cherokee.
Sigh - how a guy has to suffer for the sake of keeping the family together.
:-)
You are a good man and I'm sure your wife appreciates your sacrifices! Happy hunting!
For city driving, my low has been 17.7 mpg and high of 19.6 mpg
For highway driving-only 2 roundtrips LAS-RNO-LAS, low was 19.2 and highest was 23.3mpg. Average highway mpg is 22.
Overall, combined average is 20.1 mpg from 9/23/03 through 2/14/04. I had the transmission TSB done and so far my avg has been 18.4mpg, but that is only 2 tankfuls so far and all city driving.
Bill
I just called my dealership back using your part number and they told me that this is the only hitch lexus offers for the RX330. (Part PT228-48035) They said it is a class II hitch rated for 2500 lbs. I was a bit concerned about this. We were wanting to possibly trailer our 2 motorcycles, that including trailer weight, would be at about 2200-2300 lbs and I didn't want to max out the hitch capacity like that.
Let me know what your dealership says. I'm very curious.
The Canadian $ cost is C$59,000 delivered in Calgary (know the exact number as this is the model we're interested in). Options in Canada and USA will likely differ, but up here this includes the Mark Levinson radio but excludes the navigation system.
Since I was told it was a Class II hitch, I did not bother to look for the sticker when the hitch was boxed, nor did I scrutinize it more closely once installed. What a fiasco! I suppose I could blame the service reps at Lexus for not informing me that the hitch was only rated for 2,000#, before I bought it. I suppose I could blame the engineers at Lexus for constructing such a puny tow hitch and calling it a Class II when its rating makes it a Class I. In the end, I should have known better than to assume because it makes an [non-permissible content removed] out of u and me.
I promptly made a somewhat less polite than usual call to the Lexus parts dept. and told them what had happened. To their credit, they offered to take the hitch back and give me a full refund, even sans box (the installers had already disposed of the box and it was probably on its way to being recycled).
Next, was a somewhat more sheepish call to the installation shop to explain the mix-up and, "Could they uninstall the hitch and carefully repack all the loose parts and hardware, please?" Amazingly, they took off the puny Lexus hitch and graciously offered to install the next one for me at no charge!
There is a lesson to be learned in this somewhere, maybe cotmc or tidester can tell me what it is. I just hope that trs23 is aware of the 2,000# capacity of the hitch he just bought from Lexus. Johncdnrockies, beware!
IMO, I am very disappointed that Lexus could not come up with a better hitch. I was willing to pay double the aftermarket price for a comparable, bona fide Lexus hitch, but now I wouldn't even pay half the price for this inadequate product, Lexus or no. For now, the Curt hitch at $111.98 is looking pretty good, especially with its 4,000 # rating. As far as I'm concerned, Lexus really missed the mark by a mile. It's labeled a Class II, it looks like a Class II, it has a 2" receiver like a Class II, but it has a puny 2,000# capacity like a Class I ! Wait a minute, Lexus, it is a Class I ! Why are you calling it a Class II? Finally, why build a 2,000# hitch for a vehicle with a 3,500# tow rating? This is not what I call a vote of confidence for your product.
If you are planning to tow anything, stay away from the Lexus brand hitch! It's not a Class II. It's a Class I.
Good thing its still winter and I won't need it until may!
In your posted message of "I found out that Lexus had a wiring harness available part no.08942-48870-BB, sells for about $48, but it's the one that fits the special socket, and includes the trailer socket and a mounting bracket".
I realize this is a post from another group but does anyone have
insight on the part about "fits the special socket".
I'm HOPING it is referring to the "ready wires" that come with the tow package .... not a special socket on the lexus hitch.
I ordered this part yesterday, will have Lexus do the wiring so that it is under warranty, and then will just have the hitch shop put the actual hitch on, again, I was hoping this would be straight forward with no probs.
This is referring to the socket in the back if you buy the 330 with the TO (trailer towing) package.
If anyone is interested, you'll see that the Edmunds specifications page for the 2004 Lexus RX330 states the maximum towing capacity of this vehicle is 2000 pounds. Yep, Edmunds curiously states a 2000lb max tow capability.
How is that? Did Edmunds already know about the tow hitch rating? Or has the RX330 tow rating recently been downgraded from 3500lbs to 2000lbs? Was this a coincidental error on the part of Edmunds? Or is this difference due to the Tow Prep package? Enquiring minds want to know...
Anyway, took the hitch back to Lexus parts and got 100% of my money back. They were very helpful and even showed me their dealer catalog that contained their hitch and where it read, "RX330, Class II hitch, tow capacity, 2,000 lbs." I just wish they'd shown it to me or read it themselves, before they sold it to me.
When I went back to my vehicle, I found a couple of bolts and a backing plate from the hitch, so I took it back to the parts tech and he was very happy. When I got back home, I discovered another part of the hitch still in my trunk-- that very nice receiver hole cover with the Lexus name and logo emblazoned on it. Oops!
Trs23, thanks for the info. After I took the hitch back, the tech tried to sell me the wiring that he said would go with my after market hitch. He must have had a lapse in memory last week when I inquired about separate wiring harness availability, before I bought the hitch. At the time, he told me that they were not available separately. Go figure. However, I did not buy it for several reasons. I was annoyed with his lack of memory and knowledge, the wiring seemed to have redundant parts, and it seemed overpriced. After reading your post, I see that I am correct. This parts department was asking $79.99, compared to your $48. I will compare part nos. Also, this part had an extra adaptor with a ground wire connector, which was not a part of the wiring harness of the hitch I'd just returned. The wiring of the hitch was simply a five lead wire that ended in a special four outlet socket, no adaptor in sight. As soon as I get a chance, I will check the rear of my RX and I bet I will find an adaptor and ground wire connection already present. If this true, then this wiring might still not be the exact one. If it is not, there is a five-pole universal connector with no socket, for $16.99 at Kragen. You would have to bare the tips of the leads to expose the wires and use a circuit tester to determine where to insert the green, yellow, and two brown leads, carefully wrapping all in electrical tape. The white lead you would connect to the ground. It's pretty straight forward as I have done this with other vehicles in the past. However, this is a Lexus, so I'll look into finding the proper socket, for a little longer. Anyway trs23, thanks for the part no. and I saw your posts on the other site, too.
Nsled, the special socket is on the end of your pre wired RX w/tow pack. It doesn't require any electrical knowledge, just connect the two plugs together. You'll just have to find the RX wiring under the cargo tray, and find the knockout to pass the wiring through to the underside of the vehicle.
Wwest, there you go knocking FWD and FWD bias again. I don't think Lexus is limiting the rating on the hitches because they think the FWD biased AWD is inadequate for towing. They probably just don't want any liability from their tow hitches if there are accidents involving loads at or near the RX's max tow capacity. I don't agree that front wheel bias makes the RX an inadequate tow vehicle. Even if a max tongue weight is placed on the back of the RX, it would not be heavy enough, at 350#, to lift the front end and cause a loss of traction or tire contact with the road. And if the front end where to lift significantly, say by someone improperly putting a tongue weight of 500# on the rear, then the AWD would sense the slipping at the front tires and send more power to the rear. The RX330 and other crossovers all have rather light max tow caps not because their engines lack the power or torque, but because they are unibodies, rather than ladder on frame.
Cotmc,that was funny. For your "enquiring mind", IMO Edmunds made a mistake on the tow capacity of the RX330. I saw that too, but discounted it as an error or typo. I doubt they knew about the Lexus hitch, much less its tow rating, especially when none of the Lexus parts departments did. One would think, by looking at all the posts on this thread!
But now specific to the AWD RX the torque will not be routed to the rear unless the front to rear rotational rate varies. F/R traction disparaty might be extreme before one reaches that point, while loss of control due to low traction would/could be instantaneous.
Bottom line is that a RWD vehicle, with roadbed traction requirements "spread" over both the front and rear contact patches, would likely be less subject to loss of control from additional weight added at the rear than would a FWD vehicle, other towing limitations being equal.
It frankly boggles the mind why companies would force consumers to read the fine print before providing a solution. Seems to me they are just opening themselves to a lawsuit if something goes wrong.
I'm sure glad we have these forums to sort things out!
As for the 2000 lb tow capacity, I read in the brochure that the RX330 base has the 2000 lb rating but adding the tow package increases it to 3500 lbs. due to a larger radiator and generator I belieive (plus the so called wiring).
Has anyone tried the Draw-Tite hitch? I wonder if it has its challenges with the 18" wheels?
Looks like I'm still in a holding pattern until someone trys this. I can't believe the curt hitch would be too small for the spare tires? That seems like a huge design flaw.
Again.. Good thing I'm not towing anything in the near future!
I don't get it. I assumed that was a standard sticker for cars that don't have the "tow package." Maybe a wrong assumption?
Sorry for being a newbie but there may have been some past dialogue which has escaped me (I'm a finance/IT guy, not an engineeer!).
By the way, see you are in Redmond. Our boat and country place is near the San Juans, so at least we're in the same time zone.
I'm still getting 2 different answers from 2 diff Lexus dealerships here in the my area. One says definitely that the Lexus hitch is rated for 2000 lbs. The other, where I ordered the harness, says its 2500, even showed me their parts order book and he's right, it showed it rated for 2500.
Here's another interesting tidbit. The Draw-tite hitch model number is the same for the RX330 and the Toyota Highlander ... so I called a Toyota dealership and they told me there are 2 hitches available for the '04 Highlander (which I beleive uses the same frame as the RX). One was for 2000 lbs. and could be used any Highlander and the other was rated for 2500 lbs. and was only to be used on a V6 Highlander with optional tow package. So, I'm assuming there really is 2 different hitches available through Toyota/Lexus. Maybe one of my dealers is looking at one item and the other is looking at something else.
Here's another interesting twist, the first dealership that told me the only available hitch was rated at 2000 lbs, also told me you absolutely could not order the wire harnes separately, Lexus did not have it available. I just had to snicker to myself as I was on my way to pick it up.
Come on Lexus and Lexus employee's, get with the program!
I'm glad I love my RX330 so much :-)
nsled, the Draw Tite is an old style hitch because it goes straight across the underside of the rear bumper and does not interfere with the spare. However, it is also very visible!
doubletrack, the sticker is not referring just to the cars without tow pack. 2,000# is the limit of the hitch, period. It makes no sense at all for Lexus to make a hitch for vehicles that don't have the tow package and make nothing, nothing suitable for those that do! Arrrrgh !!!
Does someone have an appropriate link to Lexus where we can voice our concerns about this fiasco?
Now that was a big help ;-)
As for the draw-tite hitch, take a look at their web site ... the picture shows a round tube hitch that curves ... looks a lot like the Curt hitch. Maybe its new??
www.draw-tite.com You'll have to use the fit guide to select the vehicle.
http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Sto- re_Code=E&Product_Code=18245&Category_Code=VWH
About the Draw Tite hitch, you are also right. I got the info from a Lexus tech about it being too visible. Maybe he meant the Hidden Hitch. With so many companies offering 3500# hitches, why can't Lexus?
I had pointed out previously that the RX might be limited to 2000 lbs towing capacity due to needing low hitch weight because it FWD or FWD biased AWD.
If it is I might have to pick it up. All I need now is someway to seal the knockout in the bottom of the cargo floor.
It's built in Canada and so far have not had any issues with dash noise, shifting, etc.
However, one question I did have is what kind of maintenance service does Lexus have? Is it like BMW where for the first 3yrs they take care of oil changes, etc? I asked my lexus dealer and he said they only offer the first oil change for free. Is this so?
Thanks in advance.
Here's how to reset the maintenance light, if you change your own oil:
1. Put key in the ignition, in "off" position, and make sure the odometer reading shows (not the trip meter).
2. Hold down the odo/trip button and at the same time turn key to the "on" position.
3. Make sure you keep the odo/trip button depressed for a minimum of 5 seconds. The odometer will then read all "zeroes" and the light will go off.
4. If the light doesn't go off, repeat procedure after some light cussing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting anyone expand the oil change schedule on these RX330s; not after the oil sludge issue that Toyota had with their 3.0L V6. I'm just saying that this is a curious differential. I just wonder if the extreme long-term (100K+ miles) engine life might be reduced when using 15K oil change intervals on BMWs, Mercedes, Porsche, etc? With my BMWs, I always pay for an extra oil change between the 15K service intervals.
gardencar: I found a way to reduce my Lexus oil change service costs. My service advisor admitted that the $120+ oil change services basically include only an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. When we reached 10,000 miles, I had Costco perform the tire rotation for $16 ($4 per tire), and had the Lexus dealer perform only a basic oil change on our RX330. The dealer charged me only $32, which still included a wash and vacuum.