The rear drivers side wheel bearing on my '02UL with 151k needed to be replaced and I was a bit surprised by the dealer price of about $860 ($475 for the part and $385 for labor). I like using good quality parts so I bought the OEM Koyo bearing for about $210 on Amazon and had a Toyota dealer install it for about $250 labor.

Not the least expensive but a reasonable outcome using quality parts with trustworthy labor. The quiet ride is back, I am pleased.

 

Lexus quoted me that exact same price for a front axle bearing. Are you absolutely sure that Koyo is OEM for the Lexus? During my initial search I was able to locate an OEM Lexus bearing on line at a Lexus Dealership for around $275. The Lexus dealer here comes close to matching, but I still have to pay tax. I have an independent who quoted me $185 labor. I have never tried Toyota for any work as it is usually a "zoo" at the service dept.

 

Reasonably sure. Lexus senior tech mentioned that both Koyo and NSK were used by Lexus and Toyota at the time. Also, posts on this forum have indicated the same Koyo part number as OEM. Finally, the Toyota technican accepted it as OEM and indicated the new bearing was an exact match for the original. I checked, the markings and numbers were the same.

In this case, getting a good quality part is the most important. I could have sourced an OEM Lexus part for $250 to $300 but it would have taken more time. Timken, Moog or others would have also have worked. Koyo from Amazon was easy and the Toyota dealer was eager to do the work. The Lexus dealer has disappointed me lately so I wanted to give the Toyota dealer a try. It worked out fine.

 

I will be going for Lexus OEM because the price difference is not significant with less aggravation. The noise from my front bearing is not over the top yet, but annoying none the less. I've been procrastinating replacing it because I've been considering a replacement 05-06 LS430 but have been unable to find any in good condition or reasonably priced. I also must have Nav. If I replace my front bearing, I may just go ahead and repaint both bumpers and keep my car another few years.