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Lexus RX 300

13940424445183

Comments

  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    I was born there.

    The question was posed to find out how nearby you lived so the next time we are in memphis maybe I could buy you a drink?

    Next time for sure will be the Blues Ball September 28th this year. Our 911 arrives at POE on the East coast sometime this summer and we plan to drive it through but don't yet know the "boat" schedule.
  • clee4clee4 Member Posts: 103
    Do not know what the AF button will do for you. Neither does the owner's manual, if I remember correctly. I tried to look it up one time and could not find an answer. As for radio reception, have you checked to see if the antenna extends? I know, this may sound crazy, but just in case the antenna was bent driving in and out of the garage or going through the car wash. The antenna extends anytime the audio is on, even with CD's. You might check to make sure the antenna lead is connected on the antenna. I have NAV, and have not noticed a problem with reception. Your case is not normal.
  • gkl12gkl12 Member Posts: 2
    I am looking to get an RX 300 in the near future. I have had the unfortunate pleasure of driving/pushing a ford explorer for the past 3 years. I don't do any off roading and I love the style of the lexus. Has anyone experienced or heard of any major problems with the RX. I figure I will spend the extra cash and get the Nav system.
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    wwest, that's a kind offer indeed.....and an arkie!! i myself was born and raised here in little rock (the apple didn't fall too far from the tree......my medical practice is across the street from my old high school, for example).

    don't know if i can make it over to memphis for a drink (SHE WHO KNOWS AND MUST BE OBEYED might frown), but that is a kind offer indeed!! keep me apprised, however; stranger things have happened.

    malhokc, you're most welcome, and keep me informed....this is indeed a puzzle (parker has a new guy in the service dept who has never worked at lexus and, as i pondered this morning, i wondered if you might have talked with him).....robin certainly knows better
  • drivindrivin Member Posts: 10
    I'd like to see the pictures of your RX with the side tubes and grille guards. Mine's on order from WAAG. Can't wait for your post.

    thx
  • oakster21oakster21 Member Posts: 3
    I've been getting a "clunk" noise from somewhere underneath the truck as I go over the crest of a hill or up steep driveways and was wondering if this is the noise that some people have referred to in connection with the strut TSB. The noise is at slow speeds and when the suspension is in motion it seems. It's one "clunk" as i start up a hill. The dealer has had my 2001 RX300 4wd for 3 days now and can't figure it out. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
  • imhopimhop Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for a 4WD 4dr. 2001 Lexus RX300 with the following options: Premium Package Plus, cargo mat, cargo net, heated front seats, wheel locks and wood and leather steering wheel. I found a dealer who is offering $36,777.00 for the SUV. Is it reasonable? The MSRP is $39,657.
  • izabelajohnizabelajohn Member Posts: 38
    Hoffman Lexus repaired front strut mounts on my RX. My service person was Alex. You may want to give them a call again. From what Alex was saying it wasn't the first time they did this particular repair, he indicated that they had the parts in stock and that he knew of "this particular problem with the RX".
  • malhokcmalhokc Member Posts: 83
    Isabelajohn & mooretorque,
    Thanks again for the info. I will follow up again with both of these dealersships.

    Drivin,
    I did post the link earler, but I'll posted it again.
    C:\lexus phone.htm
    C:\lexus full view.htm
    C:\lexus grill-foglamps.htm

    You may have to cut, past, and view. I'm still having diffuculty posting it. I'll figure it out one of these day.
  • tariktarik Member Posts: 344
    If you go to the picture gallery within the RX 300 owner's group, you will find instructions as to posting pictures. You will need to upload them to an online photo album(i.e., Zing or Ofoto), and then link to them from TH.


    Mail me for further assistance.


    In-a-good-mood-because-it's-raining Tarik

  • hayabusahayabusa Member Posts: 26
    Went to the dealer today. I was told only the front strut mounts go bad? Is this true?
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    (you got one?? Outstanding!!) See my previous posts. My wife's RX has only had one front strut mount go bad, but BOTH rear mounts and struts were replaced, all at less than 30k, under warranty of course. The struts were not leaking but the service guy's comment was that they had done it anyway because they had been embarassed a number of times by replacing rear mounts and then having to turn around and replace rear struts.

    None of these items are safety issues, ie, the suspension won't fall off, but in the front you'll get steering imprecision and presumably tire wear problems if continued long enough; rears just make noises, lose ride comfort and, again, chew on the tires a bit.
  • melvinshmelvinsh Member Posts: 19
    My 99 RX300 started to develop the cluncking noise around 26000 miles. It only happens when going up to drive way, back down to drive way, and occasionally turning. Not noticeable when going through speed bump.
    I had a Lexus Tech to drive with me. It only takes them about 1 day to find out the problem and repaired it. It was windshield motor hiting the front stablizing bar. I have never heard the noise since. Now I have about 32000 miles.
  • melvinshmelvinsh Member Posts: 19
    Correction: "Windshield wiper motor" not "windshield motor"
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    i confess i did wonder what the windshield motor did.....and when you might use it.
  • bigdave12bigdave12 Member Posts: 14
    I wondered anybody else have ths problem? have
    been getting this annoying vibration form the
    inside center passenger door panel. It seems to
    get worse when the radio is on. I have had to set
    the bass on the radio all the way down. Also
    during certain speeds without radio on, the panel
    will start to make the rattle/vibration.

    Service at Lexus San Diego claims 1 in 10 Rx300
    have this problem and very matter of fact told
    me there is nothing they can do.

    Anybody have similar problem?
  • gpvsgpvs Member Posts: 214
    gtcobra, i'm sure you have never owned a Lexus and to make that comment about the price just assures me that you either have not researched it or is just a lurker making fun.
  • tonychrystonychrys Member Posts: 1,310
    Yes folks, gtgtcobra is in fact our old friend GTMustang. If everyone remembers well, GTMustang got kicked off of Edmunds for not knowing how to play nice.


    And if Lexus quality is sooo bad, why does the Company, Vehicle, anf the exact factory it is manufactured in, win industry recognized quality awards, year after year.


    Hmmm, I wonder which Company took the 3 out of the top 5 spots in the 2001 JD Power Initial Quality Award? Lexus.

    Hmmm, I wonder which was the top SUV and #5 overall? RX300.

    Hmm, I wonder what place the Hyundai Santa Fe came in? It came in #177 and significantly below the industry average.


    Hey GT, how's that Limited Edition Nordic White Santa Fe coming along? Was that "secret connection" at the Port Authority able to help you? image


    What's the matter? Your Santa Fe friends won't play with you so you came here to make yourself feel important?

  • clee4clee4 Member Posts: 103
    I just finished a 800 mile road trip from the Tidewater, VA area to an area just outside of Pittsburg, PA. The RX handled the mountain roads and curves super. I averaged 23.8 MPG going up and 24.3 MPG coming back. The AC was on about half of the time. I was running 60-70 MPH for most of the time. 96% highway, 3% town and 1% traffic jam. I can not complain about that.
  • lexrx1lexrx1 Member Posts: 9
    Hey guys, just wanted to introduce myslef here on the RX message board. I am registered at clublexus.com and am hanging aroud here, recently, too (just found it). It'll take me awhile to get used to the setup. I have a 2000 RX 300 in Burnished Gold Metallic.
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    tony, I think gt's aspirations may have been put on hold waiting for the fuel cell option or maybe even the supersecret transporter beam option...

    what a funny guy!!!!
  • clee4clee4 Member Posts: 103
    Hey guy, if you paid $50K for an RX, I have a great deal on some oceanfront property in Northern Arkansas.
  • sybelesybele Member Posts: 42
    Two weeks ago, I got the tires replaced at my local Costco. Chose the Michelins Cross Terrains and couldn't be happier about my choice. The ride is serene and well-controled. The handling has improved. You get a satisfying sense of secureness; the tires feel as if glued to the pavement.

    Yet there is one annoying detail. Only at high speed (70 mph), the steering wheel is vibrating. I took it back to Costco and they rebalanced the tires and rotated them. Despite this, the problem has persisted and the techs at Costco are clueless as to what the cause might be. The funny thing is that it only occurs intermittently. I don't know if it's a balance, alignment, rim, and/or defective tire problem. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
  • tonychrystonychrys Member Posts: 1,310
    These are tricky issues to solve. When they rotated the tires, did they take both pairs from the front and move them to the back? If not, you could have a "bad" tire still in the front. Even from Michelin it happens, the tire is "out of round" and will cause a vibration at certain frequencies/speeds.

    Next, look at the wheels and lug nuts. Believe it or not, they could have left a nut off. It happen recently to another Town Hall member that had a similar problem. Also, if the torqued (tightened) the nuts with uneven force this can cause warpage around the wheel axel-hub area.

    At this point if it isn't solved, you have an alignment problem. Could have happen on its own, could have been caused by the tire guys. You need to visit your Lexus dealer or a reputable alignment shop in your area.

    Good luck.
  • sybelesybele Member Posts: 42
    Hi Tonychrys. Thanks for your response. Just spoke with the lexus dealer tech over the phone and he thinks that the problem is most likely a defective tire. He recommended to have a Michelin alignment shop take a look. He feels that an alignment issue would cause pulling to either side but not steering wheel vibration. This is getting irritating and frustrating.
  • nofeernofeer Member Posts: 381
    What will be new for 02, and do you think a redesign is in store for o3?
  • nhatran75nhatran75 Member Posts: 2
    I am looking to buy a new FWD RX300 and this is
    a offer from dealer in Dallas Texas is $34,000.00
    for 2001 RX300 2WD Lexus

    Included Equipment: 6-CD Changer, Moonroof, PM Pkg., Traction Control (Standard Option for '01), Wood/Leather Steering Wheel Column, Cargo Mat , Roof Rack, Wheel Locks.
    Do you think this is a good offer?????

    Thank You.
  • tonychrystonychrys Member Posts: 1,310
    I priced out your vehicle specs with the Value Plus Package (which I assume you meant) and threw in the spoiler (since you can't get most vehicles without it). Invoice including destination charge is $33.8K. I'd say $34K is a damn good price!
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I traded in my 2000RX yesterday for a 2001RX SilverSport. I also had the dealer swap the Goodyears for the Bridgestones from another RX. On the way home I was very dissappointed with the ride, much too firm(even for a SilverSport). Then I checked the tire pressure, it was 40lbs. (cold). I since lowered it to 34 lbs. and I am very pleased with the ride and handling. Lexus recommends 30 front and rear on the sticker inside the door. Any thoughts out there on the best tire pressure?
  • tonychrystonychrys Member Posts: 1,310
    30psi front and rear.
  • malhokcmalhokc Member Posts: 83
    30 psi on all is what I use for the most comfortable ride.
  • rrabyrraby Member Posts: 10
    bigdave12, I've had the same problem, but I think of it as more of a rattle. It's gotta be the same issue, though. The first time I took it in to the dealer for a look, I couldn't reproduce it (of course: it happens 90% of the time, but not when the Lexus tech is riding with me!), but they looked at the door and didn't see anything wrong. A few weeks later, it was driving me nuts, so I took it in again and had a little better luck reproducing it for the tech. They kept it for the day and took the door apart and put it back together. Since then it's been a lot better, although it hasn't completely disappeared. I just about lost all hope the day they were working on it, though: the RX loaner they gave me had the same problem, so I figured it must be pretty common.
  • inquiry1inquiry1 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for a good deal on a RX300 AWD with the Premium Plus Package. The price on Carsdirect.com is $50 below invoice for taking delivery in Southern Cal. Is that a good deal?

    With the Premium Package Plus, rear spoiler, cargo net, cargo mat, and wheel locks, the invoice comes out to $35,009. The carsdirect.com price is $34,959. Has anyone gotten better deals from other dealers?

    Thanks,
    Vicky
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    I've seen better in SoCal, but not by much. What's your local dealer say?
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    Received an official looking envelope in the mail today with the above captions in bold print. Text of letter read in part, "As you know, your current factory warranty has expired or is about to expire...we have just introduced a program that will allow us to offer extended coverage..".

    Actually the basic warranty on my 1999 RX which is 4YR/50K has about two years and 25K miles to go!

    I hope Automotive Product Consultants/National Vehicle Headquarters, whoever they are; culled this information from public access DMV registration listings. Certainly Lexus wouldn't sell owner names and address to a third party to solicit this type of extended warranty coverage - or would they?

    Pete
  • pnorman1234pnorman1234 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know whether Lexus intends to add a third row option at anytime in the near future?
  • sardeadsardead Member Posts: 4
    Just picked up my brand new RX300 2wd yesterday - i did not care too much for the silversport, dealer in Dallas had reservations about lack of leather and impact on resale price. personally, i did not want the stiffer Eurotuned suspension, since the carlike handling was one of my buying reasons.

    anyway, i got the *non ss* rx with Prem Plus, HID and heated seats (plus wheel locks) for 35.4k plus tax title license fee. Not that it makes a huge difference, but what do people think of this price? there was a trade-in involved here where i'm sure the dealer made money.

    thanks, and btw, i haven't been able to stay away from my lexus for too long - it is just an absolute joy!

    Sard
  • nhatran75nhatran75 Member Posts: 2
    Dear Vicky:
    Let's check www.buyorleaselexus.com web site.
    I think they will give you a better deal than this
    one or send email to
    Lisa Tabari fastimports@home.com

    Good luck

    Nha Tran
  • malhokcmalhokc Member Posts: 83
    To best of my knowledge, Lexus does not have any plans on adding a third row of seats.
  • tonychrystonychrys Member Posts: 1,310
    Don't sweat this. I got one of these "marketing" notices for every brand of car in my household. I'll give you an example, I already bought an extended warranty on one of my GM vehicles, yet these bozos still sent a letter. I don't think it's GM sending out my name, this is typical junk mail mass mailings.
  • sybelesybele Member Posts: 42
    Went back to Costco to get my money refunded and the manager ask me to let his techs rebalance the tires one more time. To our surprise all four tires were out of balance. Apparently the techs that did the initial installation did not recalibrated the balancing machine. The Cross Terrains are now working wonderfully. The ride is fantastic. I highly recommend them to anyone considering tire replacement in the near future.
  • tonychrystonychrys Member Posts: 1,310
    Glad it worked out. Like I say, there's usually a logical explanation for everything.

    Enjoy the miles.
  • dr_suvdr_suv Member Posts: 12
    Mikey00,
    Do you mind sharing the details of your trade-in deal ??? you can e-mail me if you like dprosa@hotmail.com thanks. I have been thinking of trading in but the dealers I went to are too high.
  • kimwipeskimwipes Member Posts: 21
    Has anybody installed the gold emblems themselves? How do they attach? Thanks
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    A while back you mentioned that the RX300 has a skidplate for the undercarriage to protect the front of the engine from debris on the road. I never noticed this in the past, so I thought it was new for '01. However, I checked out a '01 RX in more detail this morning and was surprised to find that the "skidplate" is actually just plastic shroud (more likelya splash shield). IIRC, the Camry has a similar component underneath too. That probably wouldn't last 2 seconds for some of the larger pieces of debris at high speeds. A good way for you to justify that metal skidplate afterall. ;-)

    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    dr_suv,
    Here is the best deal I could find, and I looked hard.
    $36,400 for Black SilverSport AWD with all options except nav. (add 2300 for nav). Both cars in stock at Ray catena, Oakhurst, NJ.(Black=no nav, Silver=nav)
    -500 for Lexus coupon = $35,900.
    Subtract $29,000 for my trade. Add tax, tags, and doc fee.
    I ended up doing the deal with a dealer closer to home. His price was 500+ more, but he had a Silver SilverSport in stock and I drove away 2 hours later.
    The SilverSport rides about the same as my 2000 but handles much better and I expect it to hold value a little better than the standard RX due to the limited availability.
    I found a good rule of thumb for determining your RX trade in value is to use Kelly Blue Book website but select good condition for your car instead of excellent, even though it is in excellent condition. The only way a dealer will pay the excellent condition $ is if they jack up the price on the new one.
    I decided against nav not only due to the price, but the fact that the display becomes cluttered and hard to use with nav. I looked at this a long time because I really wanted nav. There are some previous posts on this site from users who went from no nav to nav to back up this observation.
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    Not a DIY project in my opinion. You could do the front one, this attaches with a screw thru the back of the grill. The rest have pressure sensitive adhesive. Had mine installed by my local collision shop. They still look good almost two years later and they did the job gratis!

    Pete
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    On my 99 RX I completely removed all of the rear badging except for replacing both the front and rear "L" logo's with gold ones.

    Looked a bit sharper that way I thought.

    And that IS a DIY job!
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    Lexus never called it a skid plate. No marketing hype, in other words. All they've ever called it is a splash shield. Since the RX design brief did not really include any serious off road use, real skid plate not needed.

    But it's a really good splash shield.
  • mlevinedcmlevinedc Member Posts: 45
    I have a 24 karet Gold plated Lexus "L" for the front grill that I purchased and then changed my mind. It will fit the RX300 and LS400. Perfect condition, still in plastic. Anyone interested, email me for price etc.

    dr.m.levine@snet.net
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