Hi, I own a 2007 Lexus ES350 with it having a total of 111,176 miles. Upon my mechanic diagnosing a broken engine motor mount, he informed me that I have a leaking radiator pointing out all of the pink corrosion pictured

I never see coolant fluid on my garage floor due to having a timing cover leak only seeing oil spills. I checked the radiator cap and the coolant isn’t to the top which explains why my heat in the winter from time to time has been cutting in and out working intermittently as I have been driving like this for the past couple winters now if not longer

Can I just fill the radiator up with coolant as needed on a regular basis and continue to drive like this or does this radiator have to be replaced right away and can it lead to any other serious issues? Also, while I replace the radiator and pay for the labor would it be wise for me to replace the water pump as well since it’s in the vicinity or should I just wait until the water pump goes bad and then replace both the radiator and the water pump as I know that that is a very expensive repair. (I regularly changed my engine coolant as part of my maintenance if that helps)

Is it even worth keeping this car and is there a lot of life left at this stage or is this only the beginning where I will get hit with problem after problem and repair after repair with the car turning into a money pit?

The car still drives like a brand new car and shifts smooth with no noise whatsoever but has the

-timing cover oil leak

-1 broken engine motor mount

-leaking radiator

I read up and see that transmission issues happen around this mileage mark as well as water pump issues requiring replacement

Extremely appreciative for each and every response 🙏🏻

 

Timing cover leak is OK as long as you not lousing a lot of oil
radiator needs to be replaced, you are lucky it did not leak and destroyed your engine.

 

Should I replace the water pump as well while paying for the labor for the radiator or let the water pump be? (I changed my coolant twice at 60K and 100K) Thanks!

 

Are you the original owner? If not you should check the records on MyLexus's website to see if the pump was replaced. There was a service bulletin or recall for 07s on the ES, RX etc for water pump failures, so the previous owner might already have done it.

 

I have had the car since 2012 and bought it with 53K miles also reviewing the Carfax. The water pump on this car was never replaced

 

for the water pump, review Lexus.com owners place. create account, plug in VIN and you will see any work done. Carfax won't show this. Last thing you probably want is for the radiator to finally bust while you are miles from home - I'd replace it. As far as replacing the water pump, I don't think doing it whlle the radiator is out will save any money. V6 is transverse mounted, and water pump is on passenger fender side, while rad is up front. It could potentially make the job a little easier, since you have more room to work, so that may save a few bucks, ask your mechanic. Its also possible that your rad fittings and hoses need tightened up, can't really tell where the leak is located.

 

The cooling system operates under about 15 lbs of pressure once the car is up to operating temp. So frequently cooling systems can get just a pin hole leak in a hose the radiator, then when your driving and the pressure builds it will start squirting out of any holes. And leak the whole time you’re driving. Then when you get into your neighborhood and the temp can drop, it will stop squirting and you won’t find any I. Your garage or driveway. This can turn into a nightmare if you don’t notice it. You can lose a large amount of coolant and severely overheat the engine, if the coolant gets low, your temp gauge can give a faulty reading, so always make sure to address any signs of coolant leaking right away.

 

My philosophy is not to replace water pump unless you are having issues. There is no set manufacture maintenance service interval for it. Some of those pumps can last longer than your car.
There are a lot of things you can start swapping on a very old car just “in case”, and it can quickly drain your wallet.

 

Thank you very much for everyone replying. Would it be a good idea to get rid of this car and sell it now rather than keep it? Will it turn into a money pit and what other big parts on this car would need replaced next aside from the radiator and engine motor mounts? I understand that it’s a 18 year old car but I always thought Lexus/Toyotas can run upwards to 300K if maintained properly with simple maintenance (changing fluids, oil, etc). Do I need to worry about another big repair/part in the foreseeable future on a car with 112K? Thank you.

 

Cant predict the future. How is the rest of the car, is suspension ok, exhaust, any other issues?

failed radiator and motor mount are normal considering the age. The car is 18 year old,
so probably more things will be failing, impossible to tell when….
yes, lexus can do 300k miles, but time takes it toll
even when miles are low

 

BTW - forgot to mention, you should have your cooling system pressure tested. this will reveal exactly where leaks are coming from. very simple thing to do, most mechanics should have those tools.

 

That’s fine, if you don’t have a known defective pump.

The early 2GR (both flavor) engines came w/defective pumps from Aisin right out of the factory. Many IS, GS, ES engines have been lost because of this; rapid overheat with accompanying internal engine Chernobyl-like action. Many/most wp’s were replaced c. 2012/2013 when Lexus did a TSB/recall on this. OP needs to verify that was done via mylexus.com. If not, then yes, it needs to be done along with the Rad.

OP - any mechanic can look at your existing wp and tell if it’s original or not. You cannot r&r those bolts and that assembly and not leave obvious tell-tale signs. But it WILL be recorded in the Lexus data if it was done by a dealership back c. 2012/2013. Also, last time I checked, RockAuto had some OE quality GMB pumps for these for cheap; like $65 or something. Great deal on a quality part. Put in a new oem (Aisin) thermostat while the job is being done. The hoses are probably fine; they are high quality and last ages more, but check them.

 

Whether you DIY or have a shop do the work, know the cost and then decide if it is worth it to you. If your car is nice, I would put a little money into it and keep it nice.

Ask yourself: "How much would I have to spend to get a decent replacement vehicle that I wouldn't have to spend any money on (including tires, brakes, spark plugs, etc)? $15k, 20k, 25k?"

All cars require maintenance and repairs.

 

The car has no other issues and still runs like pretty much a new car when I got it with low mileage, suspension and exhaust has no issues, transmission doesn’t either, still runs and shifts like the day that I got it, body is pretty much perfect as I regularly clay bar and buff it, interior is immaculate with cashmere tan carpets being clean and no cracks anywhere in the seats, dash or upholstery, no major rust underneath and garage kept.

I just wasn’t sure if this 1st generation model had some other major part(s) to replace or major service needing to be done for it’s 100K mark maintenance like something else costly and a big repair besides a water pump or radiator etc, that I wasn’t aware about. I do realize all cars require maintenance.

Also, does anybody know a cheap fix for the timing cover oil leak? A mechanic recommended Blue Devil Oil Stop Leak and I tried it with it not working, the company is saying I need to drive like 300 miles in order for it to take effect. I want to try a cheaper alternative/fix rather than pay thousands of dollars as it’s a very expensive job. It’s leaking super slow and I never once had to refill oil or be at danger of losing heavy oil.

Basically want to know if I should get rid of it now before I have to put more money into it, because it’s honestly not an expensive car at this point so don’t want it to become a money pit. If I put in a new radiator and replace the motor mounts I am hoping that no other big repair comes up? I get it it’s hard to predict the future and the thing is old but I basically put 3K miles on it a year cause I work from home and only do small city driving with it being my only vehicle. Thank you for everyone’s input as this forum is seriously gold filled with extremely helpful and knowledgeable individuals as I should have been on this long ago 🙏🏻

 

looks to be and sounds like it is in great shape. keep it! for timing cover, you may be able to apply some hi-temp rubberized sealant on outside to plug up the leak. your ultimately going to need tune-up, shocks and some suspension work. but then it will be brand new again.