Bestlex1

Hi! I have a 2000 Lexus GS300 that has been amazing for the last 18 years. It’s been properly maintained and drives well. Until today. It is making horrible rattling noises and it’s so loud that it’s embarrassing. There are no lights showing up on the panel so I’m not sure what it could be. I’m taking it in to the shop tomorrow but I’m not sure if I should tow it or chance it the 6 miles in.

Is this the the end of my faithful Lexus?

Mike246

Hopefully not.

I have the questions but alas, not the answers.

Does it happen
- when the engine is idling in park?
- when you engage drive?
- when you are coasting in neutral?
- when you are moving?

Depending upon the answers you may want to think twice about driving it the 6 miles. You could be turning a misfortune into a total loss.

shwalker07

Video of the noises? It is very hard to diagnose strange noises online because you have noises that could be a loose exhaust heat shield or internal drive train or engine failure (which is kinda rare) and everything in between.

lexo98

iTrader: (2)

TrueGS300

This could be anything from a A/C compressor clutch coming apart, water pump going out, etc, to a loose exhaust heat shield, to internal engine damage. Id suggest making sure you have oil in it before driving it. Check coolant too. Hopefully its just something in the serpentine system or something else simple. Let us know what the mechanic finds!

Bestlex1

I think you're right, I'm going to tow it the 6 miles in today. I definitely don't want to turn a misfortune into a total loss.

It happens:

1) As soon as I start the engine
2) When I'm engaged to drive
3) Didn't try it in neutral
4) When I'm moving
5) And it definitely got louder from the time I drove it in the morning, until I got home last night.

Bestlex1

I left it at home today, but will get video of the noises. It's horrible. You can hear me coming before you actually see my car. Sad...

Bestlex1

I'm hoping its just a cracked flexplate. I'll ask my mechanic to check.

Bestlex1

Thanks! I'll have my mechanic check all of the things you mentioned. It's weird that the car is making so much noise and there's no lights showing up on the panel. I'm going to tow it in just to make sure I don't break it.

Bestlex1

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions! I'll let you know what my mechanic finds.

Bestlex1

Quick update - I towed the car to my mechanic on Friday and left town for the holidays. I didn't hear from him for a few days and was too afraid to call. He called before Thanksgiving and said the car was fixed. Apparently it was a drive belt issue. So a couple hundred bucks for the fix and I'm back in business. He did say that the car should last another year or two, but he would recommend getting rid of it if it had any big maintenance issues come up.

Bestlex1

It was the drive belt! They replaced the drive belt tensioner and I'm back on the road.

shwalker07

Glad to hear it was nothing major.

kevin3344

Same thing happened to my '99 GS400...tensioner failed and the serpentine belt snapped in half leaving me without power steering and air conditioning. All is well now though. It was an inconvenience to be sure.

As for the car lasting a year or two, I know when things happen like this it's scary but there's not a lot that goes wrong with these cars other than normal maintenance. I'm going on 20 years with mine. I remember this one time I almost traded mine in - for a BMW 7 series can you imagine?. I asked for the history and salesperson came back with a stack of repairs and a note at the bottom that read "NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CPO PROGRAM". At that point I decided to keep my "old" GS. Now when people ask me when I'm getting rid of my car I tell them I'm never selling this car! It's the most reliable car I've ever owned, even with the rare problems, it's still more reliable than most cars today.