Lexus RX 300

raddboy41 · July 2003

Someone over on the "Sequoia Owners: Problems and Solutions" forum seems to be fighting the 'ol evaporator smell problem. Could you chime in over there with your thoughts and the product that helps eliminate it please.

fickle · July 2003

How much more do you all think the hybrid will be from the standard RX?

pschiffe · July 2003

According to one source, $2,000 - $3,000 surcharge over gas version:

RX 330 Hybrid

Pete

gsenthil · July 2003

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html

FYI Mobil 1 5W30 for $19/ 5qt jug @ Walmart

bobfloyd · July 2003

Login no longer required?

stever · July 2003

You probably selected auto-login at some point and the login cookie is still on your computer.

and welcome back!

Steve, Host

jimxo · August 2003

My wife's 2001 RX300 4x2 has 41,000 trouble free miles and I want to extend the the base warranty to 7/100,000. Any idea's what a Lexus warranty might cost me?

dlw2 · August 2003

Help! Need opinion! Used (courtesy car) 15000 miles Rx300 blue vapor all wheel drive top of the line w/ leather/wood etc. for $33,600. Does this seem to be be a good deal to all of you experienced RX300 drivers?

squack · August 2003

jimxo,

At 41K miles, I believe you've passed the mileage limit on Lexus Platinum or Gold warranties.

Check it out here, including prices:

http://www.lexus.com/models/warranty_vehicle_protection/extended_- - service/index.html

gteach26 · August 2003

The "used" extended warranty states that it covers "current-year-plus-6-model-years or newer vehicles with more than 36,000 miles and less than 85,000 miles."

Can someone clarify what this means? ( I get the miles part, not the years part). Thanks!

jimxo · August 2003

The Lexus web site makes no sense. The car comes with a 4/50k bumper to bumper. I was always told the Toyota cars only needed to be within 3/36k?

borg1of2 · August 2003

Whenever I have looked at these things, I have always understood that to mean 6 years from original model year of the vehichle. So, if its a 2000 RX, then it will extend to 2006. Unfortunately, some people think this means a 6 year extension, but I have never seen that to be the case.

gteach26 · August 2003

borg1of2, I see where you're coming from and my initial instinct was the same as yours, but why wouldn't they just sell a "3 years from date of used purchase, 100K total vehicle miles" type of warranty like on the CPO's? This is easier to understand no? I guess in this case, "comprehension is futile!"

erik_h · August 2003

Save some money and check out the warranty-by-net and warranty-gold extended plans to name a few. Your most expensive item, the power train is covered to 70K so an additional 5 yrs or 100K policies are pretty reasonable. I got mine for around 1100 with 0 ded. I've heard people paying 2K or more for the lexus one.

gteach26 · August 2003

With the Lexus warranty you would have gotten 1 year of coverage for over $1700; while with the WarrantyGold warranty you get 5 YEARS for less than $1,700?? If this is the case, why on Earth would anyone get the Lexus warranty? My logical left brain is frying here!

galogvi · August 2003

Let's see if I can remove your brain from the fire.:}

I would have actually gotten an additional 3 years because I will most probably hit 50K miles before my RX turns 2 years old. Currently, it is under 2 years old and has over 40K miles. If I went with a 5yr/100K from Lexus, yes, I would only extend my warranty by 1 year to 5 years total, but my bet is that I'll exceed the mileage way before the 5 year mark. So time is irrelevant.

It's the same with the Warranty Gold, however, with them, I have additional time, just in case my driving habits change and it takes me longer to get to the 100K mile mark.

Sorry for the confusion. I don't know of a better way to explain it. But, yes, I basically agree with you. Why would you go with the Lexus if time was a consideration. I think the bottom line is that most people who go for extended warranties do more than average mileage per year and are not really concerned with the length of time the warranty is for, but instead, the total mileage.

gteach26 · August 2003

when compared to the Lexus warranty. WarrantyGold says you can take the vehicle to any certified location and that most shops will want the business because they pay retail labor/parts costs and pay with their company credit card.. It may seem like a silly question, but I wonder if Lexus dealers would honor the warranty? There's just something "uncomfortable" about having a Lexus serviced at "Bob's local auto shop" -- will they even know how to fix these high-tech vehicles?

galogvi · August 2003

According to WarrantyGold, YES! Any ASE certified shop will honor the warranty, even Lexus.

tidester · August 2003

We have two current discussions that might interest you:

"Warranty Gold" Claims

and

Warranty Gold's Administrator Financial Trouble

which are in the Finance, Warranty & Insurance area.

tidester, host

gteach26 · August 2003

Thanks tidester.. the forum you directed me to was VERY informative... YIKES!!! I guess it's buyer beware

jeffmust2 · August 2003

...you're saving money over the Lexus extended warranty.

Just...never....file.....a.....claim!

fickle · August 2003

Hi all. I just bought my dream car--an 01 RX 300! This is my first car with leather and I don't want to cover the seats with seat covers since I paid for the leather. But I'm unsure about how often to clean the tan leather and how often to condition. Is once a week too much? There are some "lines" in the driver's seat from getting in and out but since the car only had 5,000 miles on it, the previous owner obviously didn't drive it too often. I'm concerned that those lines showed up after only 5,000 miles. For those of you with "older" cars and the tan leather, please advise. Thanks.

jiamin · August 2003

My 00 RX300 has 17K miles. The tan leather has some lines too, which I think will happen to any leather seat. Obviously driver's seat shows more. I used to use Lexol (spelling?) cleaner and conditioner, now I use Turtle cleaner and conditioner (all in one bottle), therefore it's much easier to apply. Usually I use it like every month or two.

I don't think using more often will hurt, just not necessary.

By the way, I found RX's leather is better than my 02 QX4. RX's holds its shape well, and my QX4's driver seat leather surface is already loose. maybe not the leather but the material underneath is not firm enough...

pschiffe · August 2003

I've found the Zaino Z-9™ leather cleaner and Z-10™ conditioner to be superior to anything available at retail. I first learned of this line, which is apparently only available from their website; here on Edmunds Town Hall.
Zaino Bros.

Pete

fickle · August 2003

I use Zaino myself but I decided to try the Duragloss line after I read about it on the ClubLexus forum. I guess it's ok since I have nothing to compare it to. After this is gone, I'll try the Zaino products.

What do you do to clean the wood trim? Damp rag? Pledge?

Anyone add the running boards? Good, bad? About how much? Where did you get them?

Thanks for the help. I'm a newbie RX owner....

jiamin · August 2003

I wipe the wood trim with damp rag, then apply a touch of wax to polish.

I bought the running board online but don't remember where and exactly how much, maybe $300. Brand is WAAG. The purpose was to avoid parking lot dent from the net car door swing. The look is not good. It's a tube, not flat that is better integrated. If I will do it again, I'd buy a flat one, or don't buy at all. Saw a flat one on RX300 just like factory part.

kente2 · August 2003

Thank you to everyone who helped in my research on our CPO 01 RX300 $28K w 34K miles. Wife loves it.

One week after delivery, braked started grinding, I researched TSB and told service rep, and he replaced rotors and brakes, no charge.

We now have squeeky belt when the car starts. The squeek goes away after the car warms up in about 1/2 hour. Service rep says RX engines are noisy.

My Honda mechanic says tighen the belt, as the belt is slipping when it is cold.

I hope the squeek is a belt and not a bearing?

Any thoughts or previous experience on how to rid the car of squeek?

jeffmust2 · August 2003

Had same problem on previous '01 RX300. Dealer sprayed some belt lubricant; fixed noise for 2-3 days. Took it back, kindly suggested the belt had hardened bec of engine heat and that a NEW belt rather than a Pep Boys type fix was in order. An hour later drove it home and no more noise ever.

By the way, had the same rotor problem and it too was fixed under TSB.

Good luck with with RX - they're great vehicles and extremely dependable.

kente2 · August 2003

I have the CPO warrantee, it does not cover wear items such as belts or breaks.

I assume Lexus repaired the brakes, as their was a TSB on the brakes.

I haven't asked if they will replace the belt, yet. I bought the car about a month ago.
so am "assuming" they may replace the belt.

It will be interesting to see how they address it.

The noise only comes when it is cold, so maybe the belt needs to warm up, or as you say the belt is "hardened" from driving.

Thank you for your suggestions, I had not considered the belt to be worn on a 3 year old car. But the engine definitely gets hot compared to other cars parked in garage.

jeffmust2 · August 2003

...from all that oil "gel" (commonly referred to as "sludge") that has built-up in the Toy/Lex 3.0L engine in the last 3 years...

Just yankin' ya - very few of the RX300s have come down with this malady (so far!) and anyway your CPO and the warranty extension that Toy/Lex gave to all RX new or used vehicle owners, is for 8 years from date of first delivery.

Enjoy your RX. And, of course you're right about the CPO warranty not covering rubber stuff.

kente2 · August 2003

Thank you for thoughts, I will follow up with service take on it. I knew rattles were not covered, but I thought they might tighten the belt. If the belt is glazed or hardened, I will probably wait to replace it. I wonder what the service interval is for a belt ... 60,000 miles?

socaldriver1 · August 2003

I was in the market for a TSX but have recently decided to consider SUVs. A vehicle I'm considering is the 2000 RX300 w/20,000 miles - The seller is a car rental company. A warranty is not provided by this company nor does it have the original Lexus warranty - because of "public use?" - I don't know why. It also doesn't qualify for the Gold Warranty because the 36 month criteria has expired.

My questions:
1)Does Lexus have any extended warranties for the vehicle I described? I read somewhere about Lexus "recertification?" Anyone have info on the subject? Does this vehicle qualify?
2)If I'm stuck purchasing an aftermarket warranty, does anyone know of any reliable providers? I got the willies reading earlier posts about WG. Yikes! Having read the Edmunds tips on extended warranties, I plan to get the most extensive coverage possible from the most reputable company possible. BTW I live in SoCal if that makes any difference. I checked out two internet companies and neither of them sold policies in California.
Thanks.

borg1of2 · August 2003

One thing I liked about the RX 300 was the 3 DC outlets throughout the vehicle, but am I the only one that thinks that these should be active without the key in the ignition. Yes, you could run down a battery, but when you put the key in the ignition, doesn't it turn on more items that are using more power.

Has anyone encountered this?

jiamin · August 2003

I'd also like to have active outlets without the key in. I happened to notice that some domestic cars even have active power mirrors.

pschiffe · August 2003

From the September, 2003 issue; "The Lexus RX330 scored highest of the group and is now the top-rated SUV we recommend."

Pete

kente2 · August 2003

Squeeky belt

The belts were replaced under warrantee, as we had the car for less than a month. The belts were "glazed".

I was surprised that 35K miles would do this, although the car does seem to generate a lot of heat in the engine bay.

Very satisfied with CPO vehicle, and product.

kwh · August 2003

I also have this very loud racket when the RX (2000) is cold. The Toyota mechanic said the belt is a very large belt and the fact that the nosie went away after he car warmed up should mean everything is mechanically ok. The Lexus dealership said they couldn't hear anything unusual.

My ?????'s

1. I am approaching 49,000 miles. Should I press for a replacement before 50,000 miles. That's the magic mileage # I was told when I bought the car for bumper to bumper coverage.

2. If I don't get this fixed can it be damaging the RX in any way?

All suggestions are GREATLY appreciated.

jeffmust2 · August 2003

Your warranty is 4 years from initial delivery date or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Since you have a 2000 RX, the four years would be up if you took delivery on or before August 23, 1999 - unlikely since I doubt that the 2000s were even available then.

Take your RX back to the dealer and yes, press them to replace the belt under warranty; that should fix the problem - actually, 49k with the original belt is pretty good.

Under no condition should you accept the service people spraying a belt "lube" chemical onto the belt; that's a very temporary fix and is a waste of time. If for some strange reason they refuse to replace the belt, have them do the work at your expense and then discuss reimbursement directly with Lexus HQ - mention that your dealer is not honoring the RX's warranty. Good luck!

mooretorque · August 2003

"Since you have a 2000 RX, the four years would be up if you took delivery on or before August 23, 1999 - unlikely since I doubt that the 2000s were even available then."

It's possible that they were, since the RX came out in early 98 as an early 99 model intro; I bought HER '99 on 5/29/98, and they had been out for a month or so at that point.

kwh, re jeffmust2's suggestion that you insist on replacement - absolutely! And I'd add that the previously mentioned RX (you know, HERS) has 60k on it and no squeaky belt syndrome. If you end up involving Lexus Customer Service, I predict that the dealership will have a change of heart.

And it won't hurt to drive it for a while (except for your ears and esp those of bystanders) but the noise does imply that the belt is slipping and will only worsen as the repeated heat cycling causes even more glazing.

levyrob · August 2003

Or 2000 RX300 (about 40000 miles) has started making a clunking sound when the brakes are first applied after pulling out of the garage. It seems to be coming from the back, and has been getting louder. It sounds like something is going to fall off.

After having seen brake noise being discussed, and mention of a TSB, I was wondering if anyone had some advice on the problem.

mnf · August 2003

We have 2000rx300 and were wondering if there is any way to have the driving lights that automatic come have turned off or have a switched installed to control them. I am sure this may have came up they are nice but having a option would be nice... Thanks

jeffmust2 · August 2003

Those are not driver controllable, as you indicate. So you'd have to find the hot wire that powers them and break it with a switched lead from a toggle or pushbutton switch that you would want to mount in the cabin. If you don't want to tackle it yourself I'm sure any auto stereo/alarm place could do it or perhaps your local auto mechanic.

Assuming, of course, that you want them to operate at all. If you don't, then I imagine you could simply remove the bulbs or disconnect the wire going to the bulbs and tape it off.

wwest · August 2003

On my 2001 RX300 there is a voltage dropping resistor under the battery support/mounting plate that if disconnected disables the DRLs entirely.

kwh · September 2003

Thanks for your suggestion about the belts. Both drive belts were replaced under warrenty on Friday and the RX is back to its quiet self. I am now over 49,000 miles, so I'm hoping nothing else comes up for a while. The only other warrenty work I has done was for a leaking rear oil gasket.

ke2fe · September 2003

I replaced my sparkplugs on the 2000 RX 300 after 104,000 miles. Another person on this board asked why I changed them at all. I think he was correct. When I looked at the old Iridium plugs which were removed, they looked very good. They could probably last indefinitely. The new plugs are expensive, $85 for six of them. I plan on keeping this car forever!

ke2fe · September 2003

The noise may be caused by a loose caliper. Remove the wheel and look to see if both (2) bolts are holding the caliper firm. I have seen "mechanics" forget to replace both of them or not torque them correctly

joanzie · September 2003

Does anyone know where the wiring harness is on the Rx? I just had a hitch and bike rack installed and the guy could not find it, I thought it was under the car.I e-mailed a dealer I buy my parts from Iron Toad and he claims it is inside the interior of the car and is very hard to get to and I should have it installed by the dealer. My salesman told me to go to a place where they only install hitches and they really know what they are doing. So how can I find the harness? Has anyone installed a hitch? Help and thanks for any info you can give me.

mikey00 · September 2003

It is located in a black plastic compartment under the back bumber and in about a foot. It is easy to find and open. You need to buy the pigtail to plug into it, add a fuse to the fuse compartment, and also buy and plug in Lexus control module #08921-4870. All this assumes you have a 2001 or newer RX. Pre 2001 did not have the towing wiring present in the harness and the install was much more complicated.
If you are only using the hitch for a bike rack there is no need to install the wiring.

joanzie · September 2003

Thank you, I may want to tow a small trailer at some point and needed to know where it is. where do I get a pigtail plug and do I have to get a Lexus control module from my dealer? It seems everything I get from them costs a fortune, I guess I could order it from Irontoad. How about Toyota? Would this be something they have in a Highlander? Thanks for responding and being specific since I never would have found it. Yes my RX is a 2001 so it better be there since it said it was. Thanks Joanzie

mikey00 · September 2003

Here is everything I know about the RX300 tow hitch wiring and all the confusion that surrounds it. Pre 2001 RX did not have the hitch wiring built into the factory wiring harness and required a more complicated kit with connectors connecting to individual taillights etc. It required more labor to install it. Everything following pertains to the 2001+ RX. If you buy the hitch package from Lexus you get hitch, pigtail wiring connector, 20 amp fuse and control module (Lexus part#08921-4870).
I purchased a pigtail from ToyotaGuys.com ($12) for a 2001 Highlander complete with the fuse and directions (Toyota Part#00016-48102) as did many others and we found after installation the trailer lights would not work. I have since went to the Toyota Guys website and the part is no longer there. Anyway, it was determined we needed the Lexus control module 08921-4870 which is about $80 from the dealer. Once this is plugged in everything works. It mounts on 2 studs in the cargo area near the spare and plugs into a connector there. Not to confused with the pigtail connector, which plugs in underneath the car.
If you want the pigtail it can be had at etrailer.com for $13. They have directions on the site complete with pictures of it and where it plugs in under the car. The pictures are actually a Highlander but the RX is the same in this area.
My opinion: The neatest install is had by buying the plug in parts and plugging them to your wiring harness, which is already wired for the tow hitch. The quickest and easiest install is to stop at a trailer place and have them do it. They usually do it by tapping into the taillight wires as done on a pre 2001 but the cost will be about the same because they don't need the $80 module.
Mike

Lexus RX 300

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