My 1999 GS400 just hit 190,000 miles. Yesterday, 3 dash lights suddenly came on (VSC, ABS OFF, VSC OFF) and about an hour later, my radio went dead and the battery light came on. The car eventually stalled out and would not start back up. The tow guy came out and checked the battery/alternator and said the alternator was most likely bad.

I towed it to the Lexus dealer and they said the alternator needed to be replaced ($700). Then, a few hours later they called again and said after the techs continued diagnosing the dash light issues, they were not sure if the alternator would fix it. They said it could be the "brake master cylinder" ($2600) and if that doesn't fix it, then it probably needs a new "wiring harness" ($3,500).

Does anyone have any experience with these dash lights coming on and whether the info from the dealer sounds right? My car had been running great and I would really like to keep driving it but its not worth fixing it if the repair costs are too high. Thanks.

 

first mistake... going to the dealer...

get a second opinion... an alternator goes for $200... the markup at a dealership is really high.. the master cylinder on the other hand is gonna be pricy anywhere... try to find a used one.. i would find a reputable shop in your area and take it there.. ask members in your area..

 

My son's Accord had some dash lights come on with the battery light and it was the alternator. I checked it with a volt meter as the battery's voltage did not change with the car running or not. Can you get the car back from them? Can you have them charge the battery and then test? I would put in a rebuilt alternator as a DIY and see what happens. Much cheaper than $700.