Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Lexus RX 300

1161162164166167183

Comments

  • jbkangjbkang Member Posts: 1
    I've got a 2002 RX 300 with 70K highway miles on it. (I live in the SF Bay Area and lots of commuting) I'm about to take it in for 70K service and wondered about something I read about timing belts. Anyone know when the best time to change it? I've got a quote from a Lexus dealer saying it will cost $900 to replace!
  • 02electronblue02electronblue Member Posts: 22
    I believe the recommended service interval for the timing belt is 90K.

    I have an 01 RX300 AWD and recently replaced the timing belt, all other belts, and had an oil change and a transmission fluid "drain and fill" at Florin Road Toyota in Sacramento for $322. There are a ton of Toyota dealers in the Bay Area who'd love your business.
  • santacruz1santacruz1 Member Posts: 11
    We have a 2000 AWD and we take it to Toyota since the warrenty expired. The RX300 is pretty well the same as the Toyota Highlander hence Toyota dealers have the parts and know how to service it. You should be able to save around 30% going to a Toyota dealer. The dealer that I go to actually seems to go out of their way to service my car and the mechanics seem to enjoy working on the car because it's nicer. When you go to a Lexus dealer, you are just another Lexus coming in for service. Of course, you would not get a "free" car wash and no gormet coffees at the Toyota dealers. I can live with that.
  • fran5fran5 Member Posts: 4
    I just purchased an 02 rx300 and found the wind turbulence to be unbearable. I have been to Lexus with this problem and they said that its comes with the design of the car and i just need to get use to it. I have driven another 02 and an 01 and have also heard the wind. any ideas
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    Are you referring to the "helecopter" noise you get when one of the rear windows is opened? If so, this is common to most SUVs. If you are just refering to wind noise while crusing with all the windows closed, I have never heard of this being a problem. I am on my second RX now and have been on my RX forums and this is not a common problem.
  • fran5fran5 Member Posts: 4
    no. its the circulation of the wind above the car with windows closed. It has been agreed that it does exist with the lexus service person, the windshield person who installed a new windshield, thinking that was the problem and a dealer. I have tried a wind relector infront of the moonroof, moved the racks back and forth and taped the entire front end of the car down. Nothing works, although, when I have the moon roof open, I don;t seem to hear it.
  • fran5fran5 Member Posts: 4
    Im wondering if anyone has had problems with corrosion from the salt on the engines of the rx's, or anywhere on the car for that matter. I bought my car from a auction back east and Im wondering if this is something I should worry about or that lexus has used parts that don't rust esp. in the engine and the electrical area
  • roc17roc17 Member Posts: 3
    HI, I have a 1999 lexus rx300 and am undertaking a month long project. What I need is a 1999 Lexus RX300 to transfer my new highperformance V6 into. The vehicle must be a 4WD with a failing transmission perhaps with very high milage. I expect it to be suffering from the engine 'GELLING' sludge problem and thereby barely worth the troble to most. :confuse:
  • jrdowneyjrdowney Member Posts: 96
    I have an 03 RX300 AWD and simply have not experienced any serious wind turblence with the windows closed. It is in fact, one of the quietest vehicles I've ever driven. There is a lot of noise when the back windows are open (mentioned earlier). I also find some noise when the sunroom is completely open. This is not unexpected.
  • fran5fran5 Member Posts: 4
    I'm going to test drive and rx 300 03' wednesday and see if there is a difference. My friends who have one, drove my 02' and said it was terrible.
  • bobgailbobgail Member Posts: 12
    My rx300 has 155k miles on it. At 80k I changed the transmission oil using T-4. On the dipstick there is a tag that says "no need to change the transmission oil under normal driving conditions. On awd, change the transfer case oil according to schedule" I changed it anyway. The transmission is really working great, but with all the postings lately, I looked at the oil on the dipstick and it was "kind of black". I brought the car to my new local mechanic and asked him to do an oil change. He refused saying that with the amount of miles on the car, it may never run after the oil was changed. I now post this to get you opinions regarding the advice I received from a certified (ASC) mechanic.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Something is seriously wrong within the transaxles of our RX300's. Whatever it is results in the fluid being burnt appearing and smelling burned. Mine at 38,000 miles.

    But the shorter term problem is that the fluid is becoming highly contaminated with debris from the inordinately high clutch frictional surface wear. This contamination is preventing the fluid from functioning properly in its primary functions as a simple hydraulic fluid and lubricating oil.

    Last July I contacted Lexus directly twice via email and both times they sent me to the dealer for an answer. The dealer assured me that Lexus was now recommending fluid flushes at each 15,000 mile interval.

    That was at 38,000 miles. I changed out the fluid myself, 4 qts.

    About 2 months ago during my 45,000 mile DIY oil and filter change I checked the fluid again. Dark and odorous.

    So I changed it out again, 4 qts.

    Checked a week later and the oil appeared just as dark, again.

    Discovered that the diff'l, but not the PTO, also runs in transmission fluid and holds about a qt. unless drained via the separate drain plug. So this time I not only drained the diff'l I dropped the sump pan and cleaned about 1/8" of what appeared to be ground up pencil lead from the bottom of the pan. Installed 5 qts this time. ALL fluid came from Lexus.

    Three magnets in the bottom of the sump pan had a few metallic particles attached but in my opinion not enough to indicate any serious problems.

    Bellevue Lexus service manager has now informed me that the factory has come down on them about undue service recommendations so now the recommendation for our transaxles is not to flush but to inspect and only flush if the inspection indicates a need.

    Yours indicates a need.

    Were I you I wouldn't put any further trust in that particular ASE certified mechanic.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I don't have any problem with my 00 RX. At least it's noticeably quieter than my 02 QX4, more so at higher speed.
  • jheflin1jheflin1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Alex,

    Have you had any luck with finding others that have had the same problem? We have a 2001 Toyota Highlander and got the same news yesterday.
  • bobgailbobgail Member Posts: 12
    After the local guy refused to change out the transmission oil, I took it to my local Lexus dealer. They took care of the service without a "hesitation" and charged me $129 for the procedure. (12 qts of oil, filter clean out, etc) Not too bad. Car still rides great after 155 k miles.

    bobgail
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    20.7MPG over 1300 miles 80% between 75 to 80MPH.

    2001 AWD RX300 w/45k miles.
  • roc17roc17 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for all your considerations. I have found some of the parts I have been looking for. If anyone needs something not needed in this project. Some suggestions may be very helpful. roc17 :blush:
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    Just had the rear wiper on my 99 RX die. Squirts work but blade is stuck in the up position. Suspect at nearly 90K miles I may need a new motor. Any other thoughts before I tear down the tailgate? TIA

    Pete :confuse:
  • ayh55122ayh55122 Member Posts: 2
    Both my 200 ES 300 and 2002 RX 300 have this frequent noise that occurs when AC is on. It is not very loud but certainly audible. It may reoccur in short intervals ( less than a minute) and last a few seconds. The noise sounds like air discharging or something. Just wondering if any other owners have the same experience. Is it a problem? :confuse:
  • lordkamalordkama Member Posts: 23
    Hello!

    I have 2001 RX300 AWD.

    I hear the same sounds you do when the AC is on. The dealer tells me it is the refrigerant (non CFC, of course) being shot out at a high pressure. It is quite annoying if the radio/CD is not on. I also wonder if others have noticed this.
  • mikeytmikeyt Member Posts: 22
    Never did one but be careful not to break the retaining clips of the panels, they pop out on one side then slide out on the other. Not sure which side GOOD LUCK!
  • roc17roc17 Member Posts: 3
    where to buy my broken lexus rx300 now. sale of 1999 lexus rx300 with bad transmission , sludged engine . :sick:
  • ayh55122ayh55122 Member Posts: 2
    That's what a Lexus technician told me when I took my RX in for a check up. I haven't taken the ES to the dealer yet, which I plan to do soon. The noise is actually more pronounced with the ES.
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    See messages 8526 and 8529 above. I removed the wiper motor and with some diligence found that the problem was corrosion where the shaft passes through the bushing in the door. I disassembled that portion, cleaned, lubed and put it back together. Motor was fine, works like new, took about two hours total. Dealer probably would have just replaced the whole assembly for only about $200-$300! BTW, inside panels just snap in and out using "xmas tree" type retainers.

    Pete :)
  • jlemjlem Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at a 2002 Lexus rx300 at a local used car dealer. It looks great and drives like a dream and is fully loaded with a sun roof, CD changer, leather seats, etc. The dealer has put new Michelin tires on it. It has 70,000 miles which is somewhat of a concern to me. I have talked the dealer down to $23,000. The Blue Book shows about $25,000 retail. CarFax says there has been no damage reported. It was apparently on lease to one owner in Pennsylvania. Does being under a lease give one a warm feeling that the proper maintenance has been done to this car? What sort of Lexus recommended maintenance items will I be in for with this car at this mileage? Plus, I don't know how long things like hoses, shocks, wiper blades, fan belt, etc. will last on this car. Overall does this car sound like a good buy? Thanks in advance for your response.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Check out Real-World Trade-In Values.

    And do an appraisal with our tool here (link).

    Steve, Host
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    series seems to be having an inordinant level of premature transaxles failures at 60 to 70,000 miles.
  • lmoonlmoon Member Posts: 1
    Hello - I am new to the forum but I am hoping to get some good advice on the problem I am having with my RX300.

    Starting in 2004, for about a year now, my car has stalled (just goes dead when coming to a stop or when turing into a driveway) five times so far. The dealer has told me that I need to use premium gas, which I have started to do at the beginning of this year. But my car has stopped 2 or 3 times more since that.

    What happens is that the car just goes dead with all the panel lights coming on. I then simply turn my engine off and restart the car. And the car starts fine after that. So I am not overly concerned but it is still bothering me this happens and it is happening more often now, it seems. I have only about 33K miles on the car.

    Any advice??? would be greatly appreciated.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    A fellow teamseattle member drove his brand new Ferrari Scarletti(SP?) to Daytona for the 24 race. It stalled in SFO and went to the shop for a few days. Again in LA, to the shop again. He went to dinner on Sunday evening after the race and the car wouldn't start when he came out.

    Flatbed to Orlando where they discoverd that the battery connection at the firewall was loose.

    Check your battery, battery connections, both ends, thoroughly.
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    Just got these quotes from irontoad.com:

    right rear taillight assembly (lift gate portion only) P/N 81580-48010 $150.34
    driver side wiper blade P/N 85222-50040 $22.46
    passenger side wiper blade P/N 85212-36030 $18.81
    rear wiper blade P/N 85242-48010 $23.98


    Yes, these are genuine Toyota® parts and supposedly Irontoad allows a 20% discount, but these prices seem usurious. Anybody know of a more competitively priced supplier?

    Pete :confuse:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    What's so special about OEM wiper blades?

    The taillight assembly sounds in the ballpark.

    Steve, Host
  • lordkamalordkama Member Posts: 23
    Hello!

    I have had a few instances similar to you regarding the stalling issue and with the dash lights all lit up. It occurred when I first bought the car and it again a year or so later. In my instances, the car seemed to be jumpy and rough sounding prior to the stalling. I attributed to possibly bad gas---automobile gas, of course.
    This has not happened to me while turning or braking.
  • My 2002 RX does fine on regular, I don't think your problem is gas. Have a 98 Windstar with a similar problem. The problem was a component on top of the engine, which I think was the throttle positioning sensor. Someone else may be able to confirm that. Ford has a TSB on it. It died only when making slow turns. It was allowing the rpm's to drop too low and the engined stalled. Replaced it and no problems. Maybe you can leave the car with the dealer for a few days to see if they can duplicate the problem.

    Good Luck!
  • parockerparocker Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1999 RX that I bought as soon as they were available in June of 1998. Love the vehicle and plan to keep it til it dies, which could be some time. My question revolves around when to replace the timing belt. The manual for the 99 says replace at 90K if you drive in certain strenuous conditions, which I do not. Otherwise there is no recommendation for replace with just normal operating conditions. Does anyone have any experience with timing belts and when to replace. Local Toyota (no Lexus in Charlottesville) quotes about $450 to do the job.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    00 and 01 RX owners manual says change timing belt at 90K. Nothing about strenuous driving. From reading posts here and on other RX forums it looks like most play it safe and have it done at 90K, which is a good practice. I will most likely play the odds a little and have mine done by the Toyota dealer at 120K and have him do the plugs at the same time.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    on my 92 LS400 before the timing belt was changed out and the one removed looked like it might be good for another 150k miles.
  • wil_atlwil_atl Member Posts: 1
    My wife is obsessed with the RX300. So I'm looking for one for her. Our budget dictates that we get one for $14k max. I'm thinking that would mean a '99.
    What are the chances of getting a '99, or possibly a '00, with under 100k (say 75k)miles for $14k or less?? Thanks.
  • erik_herik_h Member Posts: 77
    Just keep looking around for one, I did a quick search on autotrader and found a few within 200 miles of my house in VA. I bought my '99 a few years ago for about $23K still under original manufacturers warranty and added an extended warranty. :)
  • duane3duane3 Member Posts: 7
    I just came from the Lexus dealer. My check engine light came on shortly after I left a gas station (I checked the gas cap and it was on tight) - car runs perfectly, but I felt I should have it checked. Dealer found code P0171, said I need to replace the Mass Airflow Sensor - $300.00. I told them to forget it for now. Is this really the problem? Is the cost appropriate? can I do this myself?

    Thanks
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    If you remove the gas cap and do not fuel up then you will get an engine check light becuase the system thinks the gas tank vacuum was lost due to "other' causes. Same thing can happen if you start the car first and then put the cap back later.

    When the fuel tank level increases (enough??) coincident with a loss of vacuum the diagnostic is cancelled.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    Was your hood opened for any reason at the gas station or was it just a gas stop?
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    Type in AIR FLOW and look at the posts I had the same thing and was quoted $275.00 all I did was get some brake cleaner and and take it out and spray it on the air flow meter. Change your air cleaner also just to give it a clean start. Good Luck.... MNF
  • duane3duane3 Member Posts: 7
    thanks for your comments so far. I did fill up the car at that time - there were 40mph winds and I thought maybe some dirt got someplace where it shouldn't be. The hood was not opened at the station. Am I correct that the MAF is that little probe that is on top of my air cleaner box and comes out with two screws? I removed that yesterday and sprayed it with choke cleaner. The light is still on, but some people have told me it needs to be turned off by a mechanic, or possibly it will reset itself after a few hundred miles - is this right? Are there any tricks to getting the light to turn off (like disconnecting my battery for a minute or so)??

    again, thanks for your help
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    If the diagnostic is due to fuel tank loss of vacuum temporarily the indication should extinguish on its own after a few city and hwy trips combined. Or you can do as I did and disconnect the battery. If you use the battery method and the diagnostic comes back then the dealer is likely correct.

    Remember that disconnecting the battery will result in losing almost all "memory" settings, radio security, etc.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    Just full the EFI fuse for a few seconds. That way you won't lose all your other memory settings.
    The reason I asked if the hood was opened is if someone opened the top of the air filter box to check the air filter they often dislodge the vacuum hose that runs behind the air box causing a check engine light.
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    Correct thats what I did was to take the fuse out ,when I did mine there was s fair amount of black fuzz around it. Cleaned it replaced the air cleaner and put the fuse back in and the light went out. Good Luck...
  • sjgroovesjgroove Member Posts: 4
    I am thinking about buying a 2000 RX 300 and am scared to death about all the messages I see about oil gelling causing engine failure! Can anyone give me a comfort level on buying this car? Thanks. :confuse:
  • santacruz1santacruz1 Member Posts: 11
    I have a 99 RX300 with 60K miles and a Toyota Sienna with almost 100K miles and both are running perfectly. They both have similar engines and drive train and I change engine oil on them around every 6K miles with Mobil 1. . Both cars have similar issue with oil gelling but no statistic on how often this happens and what really is the root cause when it happens. My suspicion is that the Lexus/toyota engines have less tolerent for lack of regular oil changes and are more suspectible to oil gelling if the oil change intervals is too long. You should take the car to a competent mechanic to check it out and if the engine is OK, you should not worry. However, if you were to buy it, make sure to change the oil regularly and use Mobil 1. Good luck.
  • mikeytmikeyt Member Posts: 22
    I also have a 99 RX and also love the vehicle. The engine in the RX300 is free wheeling which means it is a non-interference motor, so if the belt does break it will only leave you waiting for a tow and not a new motor, also the timing belts in most if not all Lexus vehicles are made of kevlar ,very strong stuff. Just take the black plastic plate behind the alternator and move it so you can inspect the belt and chances are it will be good for another 90k.
  • mikeytmikeyt Member Posts: 22
    Take the mass sensor out yourself, its on the big hose coming from the air filter, 2 screws and a plug jack, very easy job just be sure to disconnect the battery, then take a q-tip and some 99% pure alcohol and clean, very gently, the filament on the inside, take your time and clean it well, reinstall sensor and reconnect battery then start car and let stay idle for 15 minutes to adjust to air intake and temp and you should be fine , if not get one on ebay for 50 bucks or so and put it in yourself, good luck...
Sign In or Register to comment.