Purdy99

Well, near took my head off today because the stupid hatch didn't go up. Opens 60% of the way, then takes FOREVER to make it all the way up. All the while, my two Newfies are threatening to make a break for it, and I have to literally dive underneath to hold them back.

Not happy at all...

Lexmex

I have this issue. That friend with the Harrier I talked about in one of my posts from about 3 years ago (actually his wife brough their other one over) had this same issue before they left for Brazil (where he is getting all the RX300 support he needs since they were sold down there).

Over time, I have seen the hatch stop at a point then I have to push it up. My uncle and I will take a look and see if there is a lubricant or other long-term fix.

salimshah

Just repeating an unaswered question ...

Are the stays phenumatic (sp?) or hydraulic?

I am almost sure that they are not serviceable but at least we can co-relate to temprature and or time.

By the looks of it they would be hydraulic as when they start failing they provide more resistance [based on temp and time observation] (not talking about a leak).


Salim

toy4two

its sad, I too thought these would be a cheap replacement for me. After all Kragen sells them for $35 a side, but the RX isn't listed.

Its almost worth it to see if you could buy one there that is the same size and have someone weld the fitting on to it from your current shock. They have generic ones in all different sizes for the hatches on various other SUVs.

Over $500 for these is highway robbery.

salimshah

They may look the same, but they have to support different weight and that would make them application specific. Then there would be issues with how the end hinges are attached.

Salim

SteveH

I have a 99 RX with 79k miles and the rear hatch lifts failed around 50k at that time there was no aftermarket items and even at $129 each is too high. I think lexus has done a fine job of designing items to fail just outside warranty. Other item that have failed "D" indicator, third brake light, hatch lifts, struts Fr&RR, poor heat distribution, poor gas mileage 17mpg avg calculated not from the onboard computer, expensive brake replacement, 02 sensor failure, wind buffering noise with only rear side windows open, and it appears from this forum I'm not the only one. Because of these failures I have started to rethink about replacing the 300 with another Lexus product.
If you compare other auto's that are out there which cost less and give you more options why pay the higher price for Lexus if its not going to last longer.

salimshah

SteveH raises good points but some are just nits like tail light bulb.

Mpg, resonance, heat-cold distribution are partly due to cabin size of an SUV.

Cost is really a bye product of owning a Luxury brand. Even if under the skin it is Toyota, you will be paying higher for Lexus parts, service etc. There is a brand recognition and there is price to pay for distinction.

Being a realist and not an idealist, I would gladly live with nits like Drive light bulb. Pick any make and model and you will hear problems with it. The big items are the engine and transmission. Lexus did good on extending the warranty on engine. Transmission is really up in the air. Some have had problems and I can imagine their pain but a common failing part has not been identified and neither any figure is available that shows % failure. Owners have resorted to frequent fluid change, but unlike engine gelling there is no concrete tell tale signs that the problem is due to lack of fluid change.


For a long time, I have been a proponent of Lexus raising their warranty to 100K and lately have changed my mind once I realized that 100k warranty is available at extra cost (and this is not forced on all ... most folks dont even keep their vehicle beyond 50k).

Salim

AM1

iTrader: (6)

mine sticks halfway up, and i have to push it all the way up to fully open. didn't bother replacing them cuz i found out it costs a lot of replace, since i was past the warranty date when it went bad.

SteveH

I disgree they may be nits as you call it but for the money that is spent I would expect to get more than just a "Lexus" brand name. All the other SUV's I have owned have had problems but that was after alot more than 50k. Those little nits are what Lexus makes the most money, like hatch lifts that are only replaced with Lexus parts at double the price even with a discount. Then when you consider the larger items, as you call up in the air, transmission overhauls and strut replacements are at a premium. If Lexus felt that their product was good for 100k they would not make it an option but a standard. If all people only keep their vehicles for 50K what would it matter. Lastly MPG, heat cold distribution and resonance are not due to cabin design on all SUV on the RX they are not designed well, the heat is poor in the front of the cabin, the buffering is a known problem that Lexus does acknowledge.

HarrierAWD

Or you can go to Lexus and get it fixed for good. Whatever floats your boat.

The hatch only drops when it's really cold. When the RX interior is warm, it's a non-issue. I personally believe that Lexus should fix this free of charge.

salimshah

Let me share my experience ...

I have had drive light and left rear brake light go out on me (nits) and starter go out on me in 114K miles. The other I would simply put in normal wear (tires, battery, brake-pads, engine-oil, filter, trans-fluid-change). No leaks, never left stranded and so on, make me feel good about RX.

18+MPG for in town with ultra low emission is excellent but you can always demand better.

The resonace is a physics phenomenon (sp?) and Lexus can not desing it out. Heating cooling (mostly cooling for central Texas) is definatley not above par, but can be improved with tint. Improved cooling at expense of poorer mpg would be have been the wrong choice. Also keep in mind that the cabin volume is large due to trunk-included.

As others have stated in past that there is no such thing as a perfect car. People have overwhelmingly voted for RX with thier hard earned dollars. Sorry your experience was not so good or it did not live up to your expectations

Salim

HarrierAWD

Off topic, but why do people complain about heating/cooling? My RX300 keeps me very cool at 118 F in Navajo Nation, and warms up from solid cold 4 F to room temperature within 5 minutes in Colorado. I don't think people can expect better.

salimshah

I will start another thread. Sorry for the diversion.

Salim

AM1

iTrader: (6)

the heater in my rx doesnt work anymore. and i almost never use it since im here in so cal.

cephraim

I had an ongoing search in ebay for liftarms for the 2000 RX300 and just got a hit on an aftermarket version!

The ebay auction number is: 230104306909, but the seller also has their own website at:

http://liftsupportsdepot.com

Looks like about $68 delivered after coupon (save10) and with shipping for a pair!

I just spoke with the owner of the business. He had them specially made by a manufacturer called "Piston". I guess he sent them some OEM arms and Piston made some aftermarkets to spec!

Apparently, I am only his second customer on these. So, although he has a great return/warranty policy, he was a little concerned about me posting this note before I've had a chance to install them myself.

But, I couldn't resist, given the pent-up demand in this thread!

I'll post again when I've received them and had them installed (probably two weeks out, at the earliest.)

Eph