Bocatrip

Yes, just as the title of my thread reads...I'm going back to Lexus to address another radiator leak, this time the 3rd radiator replacement. My 2001 LS430 has 131,000 miles and since my original radiator failed, I have gone to Lexus to replace my radiator with a Denso brand replacement and again 14 months later with another Denso (this being the second replacement). Now approximately 14 months after the second replacement, my radiator is leaking from the core as I can see the stain going straight down. What's the story with these Denso replacement radiators? I know it's not OEM and made in Malaysia or a similar country. Should I insist on an OEM at this point? Enough is enough! Of course I am not paying for the replacements other than the first one ($500 complete at Lexus) but I don't think this is just a fluke. Am I the only one experiencing these crappy Denso radiators?

Lexusdk

Is it leaking along the side seams? I think before you have them replace it, perform a coolant pressure test. To verify it's actually leaking from the radiator.

Johnhav430

I had such an experience with ac delco new starters on my Nissan. Had to diy 3x, warranty but my time. Ac delco is a decent name and both oe and oem. Ditto with denso. Obviously cost cutting and these are clearly not oe, and substandard oem. That denso tow radiator is like $68. Nice markup that the dealer gets...this is why it may make sense to have them do the starter, they eat the extensive labor when they use cheap parts..

Jabberwock

Denso used to be the good stuff. Not sure how you find anything better. Speaks more to me about the general decline in the quality of almost everything being manufactured anywhere in the world.

Gronemus

Before we all jump to conclusions about Denso's quality or lack thereof it would be nice to get a little more info. Boca, how about some pictures of the radiator, por favor.

Was your coolant level low now or anytime recently? Is this a wet stain or is it dried up?

Johnhav430

How about this then, I purchased my LS430 from a GMC dealership, and they did the brakes with OE Lexus. had a discussion with the svc mgr about OE--he stated at GM you have 3 choices, and he knows it's an old business model--good/better/best. This is AC Delco Advantage, Professional, or OE/genuine. I did not know that Lexus dealers can substitute OE/genuine for Advantage, in the GM world. I thought everything was OE. The easiest way to tell is the p/n. I know Nissan has long done this, and even BMW now. Any way to get customers to pay more for less.

16400-50251 is the OE tow radiator, and 16400-50231 is the non-tow which likely came with our cars. They list for $441.60 and $365.04 respectively. Regardless of how much the dealer discounts, imho those part numbers and those list prices should appear on the invoice. They wouldn't be using a $68 Denso from rock auto, but maybe they are. There's a huge delta between $441 and $68, I doubt that these would be the same parts, even if the $68 part reflects the OE part number--they often sneak the word "interchange" into the mix...

terminater

I recently replaced my failing radiator with the Denso tow version (16400-50251) from RockAuto. I surely hope my experience is not the same as yours! Where exactly is it leaking from? Any chance this leak is originating from the overflow hose in the middle? I noticed my hose was getting brittle during my radiator replacement and will be replacing it soon.

Johnhav430

Our hoses seem pretty pricey (OE).....the shop who did the timing belt job on my car, stated we can replace anything you want, just that our experience is that you don't need hoses and a thermostat @ 8x,xxx....so the only thing I asked them to do was the serpentine (very cheap to do/Bando). My uncle told me it's not like the old days where hoses randomly burst so you better replace them...you can tell visibly and by feel, if you should or not....indie said the same. I did my Nissan at I think 14 or 15 proactively...

Lexusdk

Pressure test the cooling system and see if it's holding pressure. This will give you a better idea of what your dealing with. If it leaks while pressure testing, you'll see where it's leaking from

Bocatrip

. It's very visible on the radiator core. It's a vertcle red stained line approximately 1/3 in from the passenger side corner. I can visually see it with the hood up without a flashlight. Just started yesterday. Dropped car off at Lexus this morning and asked the service manager if he would consider (since this would be the 3rd replacent) an OEM radiator. He said he will look at it and decide. My interpretation of that statement is NO! Maybe the 3rd radiator replacement will be "the charm"! LOL.

Johnhav430

When the dealer isn't using an OE part, is he charging less, and what compels them to install aftermarket or OEM parts? I am not quite understanding, or is this an indie? Meaning if $300 or $400 is on the invoice, I don't see how a Denso can be going in....boy sometimes I find the world of Toyota Motor to be odd (like Toyota dealers installing customer parts)

Bocatrip

John. When my original radiator failed a number of years ago, the dealer told me it would be considerably less money with a Denso aftermarket radiator so I went that route. It cost me around $500. They guarantee their work for 12 months. The Denso failed way past the 12 months but they replaced it free of charge with the same Denso. Now the second replacement has failed and it's been around 15 months from the last install. I'm waiting to hear from Lexus but I'm fairly certain there will be no charge if the radiator is replaced again. I did request for a OEM this time because of all the defective units, but am not expecting them to give me one. I'll report back once I hear from Lexus.

Johnhav430

I guess I look at it differently, whether there is any charge or not, the Lexus dealership is not an indie nor are they a muffler shop, they should be using OE parts. I'm obviously wrong and new to Lexus. This opens the door up to a customer not knowing what they are getting--one dealer says $500, another says $850, another $300. It's like the windshield business then....to put a part that repeatedly fails in a dealer imho would harm their cust sat over the long run as well. They can't blame the mother ship because they didn't even use parts made by the mother ship (or spec'd i.e. OE)

edit 2..I guess forget what I've said, it's just buyer beware, nothing more, nothing less...unless I get a new LS500, I have no need to frequent the dealer anyway...

Bocatrip

After not hearing from Lexus, I decided to call and ask about the hold up. The service writer finally called me back and told me after the initial inspection, they were not able to find any leak. I asked "What about the red stain running down the core of the radiator?" He was told that could be an old stain and it was not actively leaking. I responded by asking, if it was leaking at that spot at one time, what does it matter? Leaks don't go away period, but only get worse. He said it has to be active and that the service manager is involved already. I insisted that I better not be going home with a car that has an obvious coolant leak because they are unable to see it actively leaking. I not only smelled the strong odor of coolant but added over a cup when I got home a few days ago. I always watch the level and it was recently full. What BS for a $60 radiator! Just change the damn thing and let's move on. I'm starting to get very annoyed.