OMG! $900 to replace 2 motor mounts? You can do it at 1/3 of the price at a good non dealer shop.

 

Glad you found the problem. Too bad your cost is so high. Parts are about $250 for the 2 main mounts and labor is around $350 here locally.

 

Well - I could go to an independent shop, but I'm not aware of any that have the depth of experience at this exact task that my Lexus dealer will have. Also, this is a car that had never been serviced anywhere else except the dealer where I purchased it new.

In addition to that, I gave up my own wrench-twisting decades ago, most recently due to age and health. I used to change engines, transmissions, and anything else on the car.

I'm just happy to be able to get it settled with one shop visit, and to be able to plan another few years of happy motoring with my LS.

I figure that at about 150-200K miles I will have to decide whether it is a long-term keeper or not.

 

I feel you. It will be done right. If you still have time, I would negotiate with them and maybe get your labor charge down when you pick up the car. Seriously. Just talk to the service manager and tell them you found out that a grand is not competitive pricing. It's high even for a dealer in my opinion. I do most of work at my dealer but I also keep them in check and they often will match other prices or come close once you call them out. Even Toyota dealer quotes. Service departments are setup in many ways like sales.

Let us know how much better she rides. I have a feeling you will notice a lot of difference. Motor mounts are important.

 

Well, I picked up the car at lunch time. Aside from other work I had done (oil change, etc.) the mounts ended up costing $817 - down from the original estimate and including a "standard" discount this dealer offers to regular service customers who have over 100K miles on their cars. Kind of an incentive to continue using Lexus service on older vehicles.

The WOW is for the difference the mounts seem to have made in how my car rides and sounds. Now, when stopped in gear at a light, you simply cannot tell if the engine is running without looking at the instrument panel to see the tach or indicator lights. It is THAT smooth, even at 133K miles. Also, it seems that these mounts have been getting loose for quite a while, as it sounds like the front suspension is tighter and quieter than it used to be. I know nothing has changed in the suspension, but maybe some of the looseness and noise I've heard and attributed to suspension was actually motion of the drivetrain.

It doesn't matter what fixed what, it just feels a lot more like a much newer car than its 14 years and 133K miles would indicate, and I'm thrilled with it all over again. That is why this is my third consecutive Lexus, and I cannot imagine changing brands in the future.

 

Great to hear epstns!

Does anyone know the part numbers? Are these the right ones?

2 1236150170 (left and right motor mounts)
1 1237150170 (tranny mount)

 

lsdude - I can verify the engine mount part numbers you have are correct for a 2001, as they match my Repair Order perfectly.

I didn't need trans mounts, so I can't verify those.

The car drives like a much newer car now. Had it on the tollway this morning, and the noise/vibration level at cruise is now back to that of a new car. I didn't realize just how much low frequency engine vibration was evident until the mounts were changed.

 

I recommend doing the transmission mount as well. I replaced mine and the old rubber was very soft vs the new. The part is cheap and you can really do it yourself if you don't want to pay separate labor.

 

Figured I would finally update this. Mine was an engine mount. I replaced both. No more clunks.

Just smooth sailing...