Lexus RX 300

1…9394969899…183

Comments

  • tariktarik Member Posts: 344
    I called the dealership to check, and the mechanic who worked on my car three weeks ago thinks the amount of lost fliud was excessive. He suggested to check the radiator pressure cap, as its seal might be nicked or distorted, thereby allowing for some blowby at higher temperatures in the circuit. Have those dealer folks pressurized the whole system to eliminate a leaking hose (small cut or hole), or did they just do the visual check for a greenish-yellow residue somewhere in the engine compartment? Any water in the oil? Just a thought.

    Tarik
  • clee4clee4 Member Posts: 103
    Coolant loss is not normal. I have 94 GS300 with 95K miles, and have never loss coolant. Suggest you look for a hose leak, water pump leak, and any thing else external. If you have no signs of fluid loss external, suspect internal to engine. Pull the oil dip stick out and check the level, if overfilled, there is your coolant. Check the end of the dip stick for a milky brown color. Water (coolant) and oil will produce the milky brown color. If that is the case, you probably have a bad head gasket, which could lead to internal engine failure. Other then that, your service tech just did not want to deal with your problem. IMHO.
    I have been checking my 01 RX for any signs of this sort of thing, since it could be related to the oil gelling problem. Engine sludge will not cause the coolant loss, but rather the other way around.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    That's about how much anti-freeze I've had to add to my 92 LS since 91.
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    Here's yet another voice added to the tumult: coolant loss is not normal. I have/had 5 Lex since late 1991. Total amount of coolant required to replace losses: zero. This includes a 99 RX with 42k miles.

    Tarik, local time here was 4:50 am; I get up at 4:30 and start to do the morning things so I can get to the gym by 5:15. No cigs for this dumb ol' country doc. (Now, a cigar and a cold beverage ((aiming fluid)) on the golf course is a different matter, but I only play during the day.) Though I will admit to the occasional late night rendevous with Lexol for a leather party.

    ).>

    Does your significant other know of this thing with the cat?? Do WE want to know more?? It may be time for the segue to another topic........
  • swoosh58swoosh58 Member Posts: 1
    Hello Everyone. My name is Andrew and I have been reading these boards for quite some time and am always amazed by the amounts of information yielded each day. To get stated I am the proud owner of a 2000 RX 300, which except for a bad battery has been flawless since day one. Today though something happened. I was in the bank for about an hour and when I returned to my car, I almost cried. I have counted a total of 16 key marks all around the car ranging from 3 inches to 10 inches. The perpetrator was careful to get each individual body panel and even deeply etched some marks. This was even in a "good" part of town. I have a Viper alarm which was un-triggered even though I have it on the most sensitive setting. I do not understand how no one could have seen this jerk keying my car...If I saw someone keying another person’s car I would immediately step in. Well now I take my car to the dealer to be reviewed and the estimate. I fear the car must be repainted due to the salty roads in Michigan. I don’t want to take a chance with a spot job. Anyways just had to vent…Anyone have and suggestions on what to do about the paint? Thanks
    Andrew
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    Hi Andrew, I really, really feel your pain. Such a nice and beautiful car got keyed! Even on my old 96 Maxima, I couldn't allow five minor dings to stay and had a professional guy paintlessly removed them. I know it'll take you long time to adjust yourself before your anger slowly goes away...
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Andrew,

    Welcome to the Town Hall!

    I am very sorry about your misfortune - I KNOW I'd be hopping mad if happened to me.

    Don't be too hard on the "silent witnesses." You can key a car very quickly and inconspicuously even in broad daylight. It's likely no one's suspicions were aroused at all.

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    'You can key a car very quickly and inconspicuously even in broad daylight.' You sound like a pro!!! ;)
  • rcarpenitorcarpenito Member Posts: 3
    I own an AWD 2000 RX and also hear that tranny whine when going from a stop thru 1st gear. It stops after 1st gear. I also notice it more when cold then warm. No idea why. I checked my tranny fluid and its fine. If anyone knows about it, I'd love to know why!! One other thing...today I was looking in my spare tire area and noticed alot of condensation in there. It snowed last night and was damp outside. Has anyone else had condensation inside the spare tire compartment?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Uh ... gee, thanks, friend! LoL!

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs
  • jim250jim250 Member Posts: 23
    Sorry to hear about your car's damage, Andrew. Our '01 AWD RX was only about 4 months old and was sitting in a restaurant parking lot at lunchtime one day in November. No one was parked in that entire part of the lot when our car was left there. When we came out there was a van parked next to us, and the right rear door of our RX had a crease/ding some 5" tall. The paint was scratched too. Naturally, there was no note of explanation or apology left by the perpetrator. The Lexus dealer recommended an independent body shop to me, and they had to pull out the dent and repaint that panel at a cost of about $500. Now it looks fairly good except for a slight waviness to light reflecting off that area of the car. I was quite upset about such a new car being damaged by some thoughtless idiot, but now that it has been fixed for several months, I hardly think about it anymore. I'm sure you can have your car successfully fixed too. Good luck, Andrew.
  • fantomfantom Member Posts: 211
    There must be something about the RX 300. My wife and I have owned many cars for over 30 years and the only time we've ever been keyed was 6 months ago when our RX was several weeks old. Could it be the supposed yuppie image?

    Anyway, the jerk got our front and rear driver side doors. Just deep enough to require painting. Heck...it may have even been a hand bag accident as suggested by one body shop. The Lexus body shop wanted about $600 and several independents quoted about $350. Given my $300 deductible, I just don't wash the car often which hides the scratch.

    Seems we need to be EXTRA careful with this model.
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    Perhaps it is the 'yuppie' image. Then again it could be that RX drivers don't know how to park and are usually well over the lines!

    :) Just kidding fellas, it really does suck to have been keyed. Too bad there really isn't too much you can do to prevent it other than chaining some dogs to your outside door handles.
  • gsenthilgsenthil Member Posts: 154
    Here in (east) Seattle, my RX hasnt been keyed even once in the last 6 months..thank God! I also go downtown on weekends and park in the open and anyone can do anything if they wanted to. But somehow (esp after moving from AZ) I feel poeple in the NW are a lot more friendlier. But I also feel there is a larger population of MB/BMW/Lexus/Audi here in Seattle.

    My friend's Accord in Houston has been keyed a couple of times during the last 4 months!

    Ever go to a car show and see how come people handle the cars there roughly? Or in a showroom? These are the same people who key others' cars. Poeple with bad upbringing and no respect for others properties. There are also some losers who believe that society has been unjust to them and we have our Lexus (or any other luxury make) because we were lucky and dont realize the hardwork we had to put in for it.

    On a sidenote, in my very first week in Seattle, I discovered someone had stuck a bumper sticker on my RX saying something like "I am proud to waste Earth's natural resources". I removed the sticker with no visible marks (I had driven it for a 30 minutes by then) but I know how I felt at someone touching MY Lexus. I can only imagine how someone would feel if someone keyed their car!

    Senthil

    Senthil
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    someone left a bumper sticker "okay to visit but please leave", those were quite common a few years ago.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    Forgot to mention that on my RX I installed a pair of running board. I don't quite like its aftermarket look, but the purpose is to let it stick out so that it can keep my RX from being hit by next car's door. It won't prevent on-purpose keying.
  • rdllarenardllarena Member Posts: 7
    I saw the oddest car yesterday in Southfield, Michigan on Telegraph Road and Northwestern Highway.

    It was an SUV, white top with silver/gray trim. I forgot the paint term. Anyhow, all the badging was govered with green tape. That was the front emblem as well as all the emblems in the back.

    The car was unmistakeably a Toyota. At first impression I thought it was a very pretty RAV4 (I personally don't like the styling of the RAV4 but this one caught my eye). The "swoop" of the roof made me think that. But on closer inspection: 1. It was much larger hence in better proportion to the RAV4, and 2. Had "mercedesesque" lights, two round fog lights integrated into the front bumper, and projector style light clusters like the new ML.

    Like I said the SUV was MUCH bigger and the neat thing, it had a "jeweled" or geomechanical look to it. Lots of sharp creases and a very aggressive stance. I checked out the current RX300 and found the styling to be much softer that the version that I saw.

    Anyhow, it was impressive. Is the RX300 due for a new design. If so, that would confirm that what I saw was the new RX300. What compounds my theory is that the Lexus dealership was only 1/4-1/2 mile away.

    Anyhow, if you live/work in the Southfield area, keep your eyes peeled for a white/silver SUV with green tape over the badging.

    With all the prototypes I see driving around here in the Motorcity, you'd think I would start bringing a camera.
  • tariktarik Member Posts: 344
    You weren't by any chance looking at Mercedes' new Grand Sport Tourer, which was just recently shown at Detroit's Auto Show?


    image


    image


    Tarik

  • rdllarenardllarena Member Posts: 7
    but not the same car. The RX was taller and it had a two-tone paint scheme (I finally remembered!). The silver was on the lower flanks and covered "caps" or the surrounds around the wheel wheels. Also, the grill shape was more traditional Toyota/Lexus. Softer and not as integrated. The Grand Sports tourer doesn't have the projector lights on the front bumper either.

    I am rather suprised how close the two look from the front though. I see lots of similarities.

    Good call Tarik!
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    Sounds like the Sorento


    http://www.canadiandriver.com/previews/03sorento.htm


    Was this it?

  • mrrogersmrrogers Member Posts: 391
    I logged on to carsdirect.com today, and priced an AWD RX300 with every option except NAV for the 91311 zipcode which is Chatsworth, CA north of LA. MSRP including freight is $42,520. Invoice is $37,006, and CarsDirect price is $37,006. Los Angeles seems to be much more competitive than the greater Cincinnati area. I could probably pay to have the car trucked to Ohio, and still save money.
  • rdllarenardllarena Member Posts: 7
    Fedlawman. You are absolutely correct. Never seen or heard of the Sorento. Can't believe it's a Kia.

    Boy am I ever embarassed :-)
  • zielinwzielinw Member Posts: 83
    New RX300s with all options except NAV are being advertised in Indianapolis at $34,900.

    Indiana taxes all car dealers for any cars in inventory as of the end of March, so the month is March is the best time of the year to buy a car in the "great state of Indiana".
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Until you said it was a Sorrento, I thought you were talking about the upcoming Lexus GX470. It has a front-end that some think looks like the 2002 ML.


    http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/020107na-9.htm

  • mrrogersmrrogers Member Posts: 391
    on the Indiania state tax situation. Just for the fun of it, I plugged in zipcode 46241 (Indy airport area) at cardirect.com for a base FWD RX300. MSRP including freight is $34,530. Invoice is $30,878. CarsDirect price is $34,378. I guess we can't assume that the internet pricing is always the best. I have noticed that some newspaper ads are lower than the internet. I still believe the internet is a good place to start.
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    Go with AWD in Indiana... you'll get nailed at trade-In time.

    Bill
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    You'll get nailed with a FWD at trade-In time.
  • zielinwzielinw Member Posts: 83
    One always gets nailed at trade in time, unless they predetermine the proper delta between the new car value and the trade value. That is independent of any sales going on.

    If one is concerned about getting ripped off by a dealer (now what is their trust ranking compared to lawyers), then just buy the car outright without a trade.

    But, the tax gimmick is valid in Indiana as all Indiana retailers must pay the inventory tax. This may be phased out in future years, but it has been a feature of the Indiana tax gouging laws for at least the 20 years I have lived here.

    I have always found the "trade in value" very amusing. My position has always been, I don't care what you sell me your car for, nor what you give me for in trade of mine. I only care what the final difference is going to be.

    The very art of the deal is what I enjoy the most. And quite frankly that is where one separates the good salesmen from the rest.

    Now that I am on a slight rampage, the biggest rip-off to the consumer is the "no haggle, one price shopping", again the real price is determined in the delta value of the trade.

    Now lets really be honest, which cars sell for the best value? In my limited experience (and I say this because I am not a dealer), the best value is the car that has sat on the dealer's lot the longest. At that point in time many dealers will sell the car at any price just to get it off the lot. It has something to do with perceived bad luck, and inventory turn-over.
  • mrrogersmrrogers Member Posts: 391
    Bill, I spoke with a sales professional at Germain Lexus in Columbus, OH about tradein values of AWD and FWD RX300. He asked me how long I was going to keep the car? I said ten years. He said the AWD only has better tradein value the first four years. He clains after four years, it is more a question of mileage and the condition of the tradein. Do you agree?
  • njgirlnjgirl Member Posts: 3
    My RX has a low frequency rumble when it is stopped (while in drive). The dealer can't seem to figure it out. Has anyone else experienced
    this or heard of this problem before?
    Frank
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    Well..

    If you're going to keep it for that long, it may be a moot point regardless.

    Its an exceptionally low-mile and Pristine 1992 LS400 even that has a trade-in value of over $8,000 or so.

    But FWDs are not going to be too popular in Ohio..Although people buying 10yr old cars are less picky as a rule. Also, if anything else, the AWD is much nicer in the snow.

    Bill
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    Our '00 RX has the exact same problem. Usually worse when cold but stops when transmission is taken out of gear. Can only be heard when stopped and engine is idling in gear. Dealer has tried repeatedly to fix but has not been successfuly. New exhaust system and new motor mounts but noise is still there.

    If anyone has been successfuly in curing this irritating problem, PLEASE post. Thanks.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    zielinw,

    the best value is the car that has sat on the dealer's lot the longes

    I would think that it sat there for so long because its perceived value was questionable or that everything else that went before it was perceived as having greater value.

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs
  • zielinwzielinw Member Posts: 83
    There are many reasons that a car will sit unsold on a dealer's lot. And, I am not saying that it is a value to buy the dog that no one wants. But, let me give you two real examples from my prior experiences. In both of these cases I assume the dealer had the car overpriced in the first place.

    In March of 1994, I bought a 1989 Caddy for $12k. The car was in perfect shape, and was kept in the showroom versus the lot of a new Olds dealership as it was a "creampuff". The only problem was they were asking over $16k for the car. The dealer had two 89 Caddys for sale, and I said the most I would pay (which I think was $11k, and I did not care which car I bought). I was surprised that the "creampuff" was the car lowered to $12k, the salesman said the car was in the showroom for 3 months and the sales manager just wanted to get rid of it. It was a great car!!! (And the local Caddy dealer could not even match the 16k price).

    In March of 1999, I bought a 1997 Infiniti I30 for $18k. This car was in the local Infiniti dealer's inventory for over 4 months. And they were asking $22k for it. Now the reason it was still on the lot was that it had 62,000 miles on it. And, I assume that again its asking price was way too high, and people don't normally buy an two year old Infiniti with that high mileage. But given the reliability records of the Nissan product I offered 17k, and they took 18. BTW, this car came with a one year bumper to bumper warranty, and the same loaner car service that all Infinitis' have. This car now has about 120k miles on it and runs great.

    So now I have the dubious honor of being able to do a side by side comparison of the Lexus vs Infiniti servicing facilities. Which I must say the coffee and donuts are better at Lexus.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    Great deal on the Infiniti.

    You basically got an almost new $30K+ car for almost half price. That's the way to do it!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I must say the coffee and donuts are better at Lexus.

    That's a selling point I could be swayed by! ;-)

    I'll second fedlawman's point - you got a fantastic deal!

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs
  • bgsellerbgseller Member Posts: 18
    We have an '02 RX and it has the low frequency rumble as well. It is not nearly noticeable as the first 1K miles (we now have 4K), but it still proves to be annoyance none the less. Dealer can't locate the problem.
  • njgirlnjgirl Member Posts: 3
    What have the dealers tried to fix the problem? Mine's been in once but they couldn't fix it - supposedly they checked the engine mounts. I'm taking it in again next week.
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    Dealer has replaced entire exhaust system and motor mounts. No change. Noise is still there. It varies from very irritating to almost imperceptible. We thought it was temperature dependent, i.e. worse when cold but now that it is warming up, we are not so sure because we are continuing to hear it even when it is more than 50 degrees. Would sure appreciate if someone can figure out a cure. Thanks.
  • mrrogersmrrogers Member Posts: 391
    Years ago, the Porsche 924 also had a rumble at idle. Chuck Stoddard, the President of Stoddard Imported Cars in Willoughby, OH devised a fix. He would loosen the motor mounts, drive the car around the block, and re-tighten the mounts. It usually helped. I have no idea if this will help the RX300 rumble at idle.
  • rcarpenitorcarpenito Member Posts: 3
    So does anyone else out there have a transmission whine (like its reving up) through 1st gear? I think it may just be common to AWD vehicles. I've checked my transmission fluid and its fine. Any ideas?
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    when I first saw the Sorrento on TV (I think MotorWeek was doing a car show report), I thought "wow, they really copied the RX300"
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    by Pembroke Pines Lexus.

    is that too high or what? The scratch is not that big.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    could anyone recommend a cargo area organizer/tray that will work well in RX300?

    Thanks
  • im_brentwoodim_brentwood Member Posts: 4,883
    What scratch?

    Pembroke Pines is good.. but shop around at some good bodyshops.,..

    Bill
  • joanziejoanzie Member Posts: 51
    Can anyone reccommend a car top carrier that will fit the cross bars on the Rx and how much weight is safe to put on them? I can not get any answers from Lexus! Thanks Also do you know where I can get a bug deflector not a front end mask to fit?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    load limit is VERY low...
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    http://public.fotki.com/afyodoro/rx300_damage
  • brownwj1brownwj1 Member Posts: 1
    Message 4661 stated that a suspected cause of the the oil sludge problem is improper maintenance of the PCV system. There were no replys to the statement. If it is true, then a lot of people could be in for future damage because a lot of folks do not bother to maintain their PCV system very often. This of course could also apply to Camry and Avalon owners.

    Anybody else have any feedback on that.

    Also, does anybody know if Toyota is working on a fix to that problem in their 2003 engines. They probably will not admit it if they are.
  • subalsubal Member Posts: 9
    I purchased a "Cargo Logic" mat and blocking system. You get a 3/16'' water proof mat and a set of velcro based cargo blocks. It wotks very well and is a good color match and fit for my 2002 RX 300. About $135 including tax and shipping.


    Allan


    See photo: http://www.urbanjunglesuv.com/cargo_logic_cargo__clean_large_urban_jungle.htm


    Purchase from : http://www.urbanjunglesuv.com/

Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.