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Oh, did I mention I was 18 yrs. old at the time of purchase. I was shopping by myself and this guy was sincere in demonstrating every feature on any car I test drove. I looked at an ES and RX and decided on the RX. I was glad to have him take me seriously. If you need any help at all don't hesitate to ask.
Good Luck!
Nick (morris_n@acadmn.mercer.edu)
(lextacy@adelphia.net)
One weapon to arm yourself with is to know how long the vehicle has been on the lot. The longer, the better. Also, use the strategy they used with me when they lowballed my Rav4 trade in--the fact the 2001's were restyled a bit and had some very nice safety features added. IMO, it decreases the value of the pre-2001 vehicles. Use this when bargaining with them.
What price do I think would be fair to pay for a '99? Low miles--anywhere around $27-28K. Oh yeah, don't forget to time your purchase at the end of the month. The dog days of August are upon us and there isn't too much car buying going on in this sweltering heat....I'd say come August 31, you could write your own ticket with a cash sale.
"after reviewing your request and conferring with our GSM, the following is our proposal:"
True invoice $33,576
Dealer svc's $1159
subtotal $34,735
Profit $200
total $34,935
"Dealer holdback has no bearing on the sales price of the vehicle."
That was what i got back from the salesperson. i emailed him back asking what is "true" invoice and dealer services. i am not going to pay $34,900 for the vehicle when the 02s are on the way and considering that this is my second Lexus which i did tell him, but he failed to add the owner loyalty into the price. does anyone have any ideas on what i should pay at this time. i will post his reply when i receive it. thanks everyone.
Instead, the dealer drilled holes in the bumper and installed a flimsy plastic support with a plastic license plate and frame advertising the dealership. The advertising plate broke off during my first visit to the car wash, and I now have a black plastic support sticking out on the front of my RX.
Any suggestions on what might be a good way to cover the drill holes?
Pete
Our insurance adjuster says they have their own glass company referral--All Star Glass where we should bring it to have it replaced. I contacted All Star Glass was told that my insurance only authorizes aftermarket windshields. I don't want aftermarket glass as this may affect the warranty (?) or aerodynamics (?) or cabin quietness (?) or wind noise (?). Otherwise I have to pay for the deductible plus the difference of the All Star's aftermarket windshield. The difference between the aftermarket installation and the dealer installation is close to $750. Should I go with the aftermarket or any suggestions in order to get the insurance to pay for the Lexus windshield?
Email me at Lghbdoc@hotmail.com
But regardless I still would have bought from them for the right price, which we were unable to reach. I finally found a saleslady that was very nice and helpful, but we couldn't get the numbers past the sales manager, and I wasn't willing to budge. After researching what others were paying for their new RX's, they weren't willing to come even close to it, and acted if my numbers were just way off. They said they could sell me a used or off-lease 2WD one for the low $30's. At this point I was pretty frustrated- I knew what the car was worth, what others were paying for it, and I was ready to buy it, but was getting nowhere with them.
So I went to the Lexus site and linked to all the dealer websites in GA and B'ham, and told them the options I wanted, and asked for their best price. Hennessey gave me the best price over email, and I countered and said I would come buy it that day (it was last day of month) if they gave it to me for $x less, drive-out cost, plus only tax. They accepted, and when I got to the dealership, that's exactly what I paid- no additional charges or add-ons I didn't want. Nalley would only negotiate w/ me in person, which wasn't convenient at all for me.
For me, talking to all of the ATL dealerships was worth it, and it was worth the drive to Hennessey (on Peachtree Industrial). Who knows, your best deal could be at Nalley... but I doubt it.
Good luck...
--Jason
You are effectively giving them free advertising space on your vehicle. They should be paying you rent.
If your state does not require a front license plate and they went ahead and drilled holes in your bunper, well, they owe you a new bumper. They purposely defaced your vehicle.
I personally will not accept a car that has a dealer advertisement affixed to the body in any way, except for license plate trim (which is easily removed). What's even worse is dealer service places that will swap in their own license trim holder for their own. That's almost considered theft.
Heh, that's what happened to me a few days ago. The dealership that I serviced my vehicle at swapped the rear frame from the other MB Canada corporate owned dealer where I originally bought my vehicle from, with their own. I actually didn't notice till the next day, but I bet that the Vancouver dealership will swap it right back. I was mostly amused, but also a tad bit annoyed.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accesories message boards
The worse though is those silk screened or sticker dealer logos. I can't believe dealers still do this, and worse, I can't believe a consumer would spend >$10,000 on a new vehicle and put up with it. The customer should definitely get a discount, afterall, Kmart pays sponsor fees for putting their logo on race cars ;-)
All of the comments made here were of great help in solidifying our decision.The purchase experience at Reliable Lexus in Springfield, MO was first class. They did make a pitch on "Theft-Gard" and "AutoMate". While I am not interested in the window etching, I am interested in some type of finish protection and would appreciate all comments and suggestions. I did have a finish protection applied when I purchase my Stealth and was pleased with it,but that was 10 years ago.
Old Ed
Take your DAMAGED vehicle back to the dealer and tell him you will pick it up as soon as he has it fixed and meantime your want an LS430 as a loaner.
I have in the past made dealers patch and repaint trunk lids that they drilled holes in to install dealer logos.
I have met a few saleman that I would recommend to other parties but never a dealer.
Skip the finish protection. The person doing the final paper work will try to sell you finish protection, securtiy devices and extended warrenty. All of these are set to pump dealers profit and can be gotten cheaper. and usually at a higher quality from a shop that specializes in the service. A good wax job by a detailer will be better quality at 1/2 the cost!
I was on vacation and Sunday I drove back from Idaho back to Oregon, at on I-84 near Baker City, the outside air is 100F and the windshield is getting dirty with all the dead bugs. So I turned on the windshield washer for 2 seconds, as the cooler liquid hit the windshield, it cracked near the driver position from the top to the center about 8 inches long. I am bring in the car back next week for the 5000 miles service, I'll see what dealer said.
To: Xcaliber, the after market glass (if made by PPG) maybe better than the Lexus glass. I had PPG glass on my Buick for 9 years and many stone hit and never had something like this happened. If a stone hit and crack the windshield, it should start somewhere in the middle with a star burst and cracks starts outward. In my case, the glass does not have any sign of star burst by stone hit and crack started from the edge.
Do people in the South, Texas, or Arizona have the same experience? They may see over 100F temperature all the time. I wonder if this is a design weak point (then one should not use the windshield washer when whether is hot) or just a batch or weak glass and have stress/defect point.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
If your RX has that water repelling glass (is it -for the windshield too?), then you will probably have to get Lexus glass in order to retain that special coating.
Drew
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Drew,
I wondered about that myself, Lexus mentions the water repellant side windows but the windshield definitely has something on it. If you never noticed, try this...
Take some windex and a cotton cloth and wash the windshield, seems perfectly normal right? Now after the windshield is dry, wipe it with a dry cotton cloth and notice how much friction there is, enough to make the cloth stick to the windshield. Whatever it is it is not normal, glass on all my other cars is slippery when dry. Lexus glass feels like someone sprayed glue on it and it is always tacky.
Anyone know what this is or am I crazy?
Jfetter
Water-Repellent Front Door Glass
BRIGHTEN UP A GLOOMY DAY. The Lexus RX 300
comes equipped with water-repellent glass on the
front doors, making it easier to check the side
rearview mirrors. So while it may be gray and drizzly
outside, from inside an RX 300 everything appears a
bit clearer.
So, if you want a windshield that will repel water, you need to use rainX or something similar. I DO NOT use rainX on windshields, as the stuff builds up on your blades and will foul your windshield! I use Zaino Z-2 on my windows. It works great. I have not yet tried the Z-12, but I have purchased it and will report when I get a chance to use it. Sal Zaino said to use it over the Z-2.
Good luck.
Oh and change insurance companies, I could be wrong but I think insurance companies do not have the right to dictate where you have your car repaired.
This has happened to me twice, and the second time the impact was so sharp, I pulled off the road and couldn't even find a scratch! Seems to me the windshield is designed to withstand impacts of this nature. I also doubt that thermal shock from the WS fluid could cause a crack. My suspicion is the windshield was not installed properly at the factory. I would make this claim at the dealership, or with Lexus USA.
You are lucky that the your windshield did not crack after hit by a rock one inch size at highway speed.
My RX is only 4600 miles, and the windshield is the one came with the car when I bought the car new, so it was installed at the factory. I took my car to the Lexus of Portland today, and they looked very hard and found a very small pit on the crack line about 3/4 inch from the top edge of the windshield (in the blue shade area). They claimed that was a rock chip and the windshield is specially weak near the edge, and a crack started there to the edge. (I guess the windshield would do better if it was hit near the center). The crack was hiding in the blue shade area, and since I am 6 foot tall and I can not see that part of the windshield. After that, when I used the washer it made the crack grew. Since they claimed it is a stone chip, Lexus is not responsible to it.
It seemed fruitless by continue argue with them, so I took the matter to the insurance company, since I have $500 deductible, so I probably have to pay for the whole thing. At this point, I am not that impressed with the Lexus windshield, I'll try after market windshield.
Are you saying that you don't forgive a 25sqft piece of glass to break after getting hit by a rock? Obviously, this is what happens to windshields sometimes - part of the risk associated with driving a car... ...sorry to hear that, though.
Why would aftermarket glass be better? What is your reasoning? Just curious.
FWIW, my insurance's policy states that none of the glass related incidents falls under the deductible rule, therefore windshield and head light (does polycarbonate qualify as "glass"?) damage is repaired "for free".
Tarik
It's nice to know I can count on you when I'm not around ;-)
amused TC
If my RX300 glass cracked, I'd go to the dealership. Heck, I'll tend to intentionally get my windshield cracked every 3 or so years to get a new one. After driving all those miles on the highway, it looks like a sandblaster hit the glass.
-Craig
10 years ago, I had my new Buick LeSabre, and within three months, on I-75, a big screw (I saw that one) about one inch long and 1/4 inch diameter bounced off a flat bed truck and cracked my windshield, I had the windshield replaced with a PPG glass, after that for 10 years with many stone hits and pits and fill in repairs at least 7 or 8 times, the windshield is still doing fine.
On the new Lexus, I got hit by small pebbles (about 1/8--1/4 inch size) on Highway 16 in Utah (they are re paving that road and just lay down all the gravels and every body was driving under 30 mph) at about 30 mph 3 days before the windshield cracked. The pit is very tiny (much less the 0.5mm in size) and 3 days later, the 100F temperature and washer did the windshield in.
I can forgive a bigger stone hit at 65mph and broke the windshield case without problem. So just for a small pebble hit at 30 mph and the windshield cracked, that is why I am not impressed at all. Like I said, I had aftermarket PPG glass on my other car for 10 years and many hits and many bigger pits on the windshield, but it did not crack under hot or cold condition or with washer on. So I will give aftermarket glass a try, Glass is glass, important thing is how it was installed.
I can follow your argumentation, but it still seems hard to believe that any aftermarket glass is vastly superior to OEM. Surely it depends on how and where an object hits the windshield (angle, speed, material of object, shape, undercut...), too. Would the PPG have survived the 1/4 inch screw? I remember times, when workers at the AUDI plant in Germany would tug windshields or backlights at a certain spot during installation, just to "amuse" tour visitors with that sound of cracking glass!
As to the washer fluid doing it for the glass, while the outside temp is at 100F, you constantly cool the inside of the windshield to 70F or 80F while driving. The washer fluid, in contrary, is more likely to almost have adapted to the ambient temperature of 100F, thus not causing as sudden a drop in temperature as the a/c at full blast.
Have you checked whether your insurance makes you pay the deductible on glass?
Flattered by TC Tarik
My glass on RX was not hit by 1/4 screws, it was hit by a small pebble they used to pave the road.
My Buick windshield was hit by big screw 10 years ago, and it cracked and I was not surprised.
Both times for the glass change, I am with the State Farm Insurance Company, it must be different insurance law in difference states, 10 years ago, I was in Kentucky and the Insurance company waive the deductible. I did not pay anything. This time in Oregon, the Insurance company says I have to pay the $500 deductible. I got a new glass installed under $500, so I pay the whole thing, but much cheaper than the $750 Lexus glass. Actually the Lexus dealer gave me the name of the glass company, I called them up, they told me it is the same glass only difference is the Lexus logo, and they used Lexus OEM molding strip. I'll get my car back tomorrow, then I know how good it is.
And oh, even with the Lexus A/C going at full blast very little of the cooled airflow is normally routed to the interior windshield surface. I can tell you from my own personal experience that in the wintertime there isn't normally enough warm airflow to the interior surface of the windshield to overcome the chilling effects of the onrushing cold airflow to the windshield surface.
Then, its even harder to understand/beleive that there would be sludge happening on a fresh new engine, unless of course the oil has never been changed or some other fluids were unintentionally mixed. There seems to be something missing in details from the dealer. I think you may want to expand upon your situation or background of this story. None of it makes any real sense. I mean you've got a 50K warranty bumper to bumper and if you've taken it in for regular maintenance there is no reason why Lexus would not have it covered under warranty if this were an actual problem.
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#1432 of 1462 Advice sought by lexusownermia Aug 14, 2001 (10:45 am)
I have had sludge problems with my Lexus Rx300. Lexus refuses to service my car unless I pay for the service.
My car has a constant check engine light on. (misfires on two cylinders)
I went to a couple of mechanics and seems like there is low compression (111 Lb) in one of the cylinders. The other ones are OK.(175Lb)
I checked the fouled spark plug and I could see burnt oil on it. Seems like the rings have been damaged and oil is coming up.
Bottom line: These Mechanics have suggested to replace the short block which would cost (outside of Lexus) around 6.7K
Seems so outrageous to me given the fact that my car has only 18K miles and with 4 oil changes.
However, it is not good that I continue driving the car like this. The cylinder might lose more compression and eventually I might burn the entire engine.
I am frustrated, almost desperate and not sure what to do. The problem goes beyond desludging but would love to get your feedback.
My lease expires next year and I guess even if I return the car, Lexus might try to charge me for the fix.
Thanks
Dave
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So, there's not really enough detail to formulate much of a guess. Most of that forum seems to be dealing with several folks who have had sludge problems with the V6 in the Sienna, Toyota refusing to pay or warranty despite adequate service and records, some have gone to arbitration. Lots of "did too, did not" over there. But I could understand if I had a ruined engine that I had had regularly serviced and yet was being stonewalled by the mfgr (as seems to be the situation with the sludge motors).
Any juicy bits from anyone with a sludged RX?? BTW, no problems with either the 99 RX or the 94 ES (and still none, sold it to my mother-in-law, so I'd certainly hear) that preceded it.
"I own a1999 RX300 with 60,000 miles on it. I just learned today that the engine will have to be
replaced because of oil leakage into the engine. There is a 7 week backlog on new engines because apparently this is happening to many RX 300."
There was a response from a second owner who had similar experiece with a '99 RX-300 at almost exactly the same mileage....Seems like they had to replace the engine oil quite often and could not determine where it was going (not leaking on the ground or being burned). Apparently it was leaking into the engine itself as a result of sludging clogging some circulation holes....
What in the world is going on here?? Is this the tip of some terrible iceberg that all owners of RX-300s, ES-300s and Sienna's have to look forward to?
I was considering purchasing a pre-owned '99 RX-300, now I'm not too sure..
Any other RX-300 owners (or ES-300) owners out there experiencing the same thing??
As a current owner of a '99 ES300 (and potential buyer of a '99RX-300) I am terrified..
Steve
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Assuming you purchase a 99 RX300, I would then be very agressive with maintenance. If you wish to go 7,500 miles between oil changes, I would recommend synthetic oil. If you wish to use regular oil, I would stay in the 3,000 - 5,000 mile area. If you don't change the oil yourself, I would check the oil and make sure there is a new oil filter installed while you are still at the dealer or garage. Good luck!
My question is, is there any advantage to paying off the van before trading it in vs. just trading it in and having them add the difference to our new loan? I don't know if they tend to offer more or less on a trade in based on whether you still owe on the vehicle. And no, there is no way on God's green earth that I would pay off this van and keep it. We'll have an additional $10-12k to put down on the Lexus depending on what we get for our van. Any salesmen out there have any opinions?
Of course, none of the dealers in my area (Atlanta) have the RX we want (2001 Gold FWD w/Nav package - nobody has Nav) and if we order we end up getting a 2002 and will probably have to pay MSRP or close to. Sigh, is car buying EVER an easy process?? Anyway, any advice ya'll can give on the trade in would be greatly appreciated.