bwhitsonjr

I've attached the Action Plan that Lexus of Clear Lake near Houston Texas quoted me for repairs that are needed.

I'm going to draw your attention away from the biggest ticket item which is Resealing the front timing cover to the tune of $3615. That was mentioned last time and in between oil changes 4k miles to be exact it didn't leak enough to show up on the dipstick.

What I will point out is main issues.
1. I brought it in for an oil change... no problems there
2. I brought it in for a tranny flush... no problems there
3. I brought it in for the steering or alignment. Purchased 4 brand new tires last year in August when I bought the RX. Since that point it's actually not driven straight following putting on the new tires. It's been to a local tire shop twice and neither times have they been able to straighten the drive. If they were any good I would think they would've noticed whey they couldn't align the front wheels. According to Lexus the Right side inner tie rod and boot are torn and leaking fluid. I can remember back to taking a trip up to Dallas in Dec and hearing a noise at lower speeds like a dry knuckle, or I almost thought it was a wheel hub. Anyway if you see the pricing according to the service writer the $726.73 is the price to rebuild the rack and pinion and inner tie rod.
The price of $1716.72 is to replace parts that need attention.
I'm not too concerned about the last big item they listed, which is to replace the high pressure hose. I'll keep my eye on the that level and add fluid as needed.

So.... I'm looking for any advice from anyone that has addressed these issues before. All comments, opinions, and previous experience would be greatly appreciated as always!

What am I thinking about doing? Finding a local repair shop that's worked on Toyota before and knows how to replace parts lol. I could get a reman rack for a fairly inexpensive price. Same goes for hose. Find it for much less and get someone to replace. But it might be better to get Lexus to do it. I normally try to save money by at least supplying the parts and just paying Lexus the labor to replace.

The floor is yours........

nwfsnake

My opinion: Any reputable shop can replace the rack and the ps hose for way less than $1K, including new outer tie rods and alignment. It is a two hour job, plus parts, plus alignment cost. New or reman racks are $200-300. Outer tie rods $50 each. Your call, good luck!

bwhitsonjr

Right. We are just talking about steering here... Thanks for the opinion!

Lexuswiz

iTrader: (1)

I'm actually not surprised at that total, reasonable for a Lexus dealer. Would I pay that? Absolutely not. But Clear Lake is a good dealer/service center, I've dealt with Sterling McCall and they are the worst.

My suggestion is a Toyota/Lexus independent mechanic, probably would be the best price especially if you supply parts. The RX shares a chassis with a Highlander so any mechanic with Toyota knowledge can do it. Heck, you can go to a Toyota dealer and have it done for less as hourly labor is cheaper than Lexus. My last car was a Highlander and the rack failed too, cost of parts was about $300 and labor around $400 through an indy.

But I would replace the high pressure hose while the rack is out, you'll never have another chance like this again unless the new rack fails. Again, if you supply parts, the cost should not be great to have this done alongside the rack.

FloorJack

Wow.

They really want you to buy your car again, huh? lol.

For that price do they at least include one of these:

bwhitsonjr

Thanks! I agree with you on all accounts! I've known this about the RX, so that's how I normally refer to it as luxury Toyota Highlander with regards to mechanics. Thanks for sharing your personal experience! So far all signs point to getting it done elsewhere. Although they are the most expensive, I value there finding issues when other places don't. They know their vehicles. They see them all the time, so I know they identify issues the best. Some things they recommend aren't always needed like maintenance fluids, or filters but I can accomplish little issues. NOT something like this.

bwhitsonjr

ROTFL Right!

Lexuswiz

iTrader: (1)

I agree, I am willing to fork up the money for an inspection done by the respective dealer, but once I know what it needs....... I'll either do it myself or find a much cheaper alternative.

ToledoRX

Surprised that for $1700 they didn't include this before bending you over a table.

bwhitsonjr

Ohhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMBO

daddiojigg

Unless you have LOW LOW miles (which i doubt you do if you have these problems) there must be a competent tech in your area.Heck , if you're even thinking of going to the stealer, find someone further away ,prepare to spend a couple of nights and have them do ALL of the work.I would not give them a third crack at your alignment. I always change rotors--I never turn them.i would think you would spend $1500 on ALL parts and labour --at worst-- would be double and i very much doubt that. Anyways if you were even thinking of spending this amount i would recommend buying something else and not from this dealer.I've aligned both of our Rx's in the last year(approx $200 total) and if you have AWD it is difficult to loosen one of the alignment bolts at the rear but it can be done.My hybrid was very difficult but we got it done. i would suggest spraying the bolts with a rust buster or similar a couple of times before bringing it in. FIND YOUR INDIE!!!

bwhitsonjr

Never could see myself aligning my own vehicle! lol

Absolutely! I need to find my own Indie! I plan on purchasing my own rack from places like RockAuto and others. They actually have a reman with NO core and with inner tie rods included for $343. It was the most expensive rack they sale, but I like the fact that it comes with new inner tie rods. And it's also nice to not have to return a core. That's most likely the route I will go. The pressure hose? I'm thinking I'll purchase a new one and call around to local shops and see who charges what to replace. Thanks for the feedback! And for the record... FYI it just turned 191k. All maintenance records accounted for every 5K.