Hi folks,

My wife and I are have been proud owners of a 2006 RX 400h for two weeks now. The day after we bought it we started the car and the check engine light came on and the engine misfired on several cylinders (we checked with an obd reader). So we called a mechanic who suspected that the spark plugs and coils would need to be replaced, which he did. He also replaced a gasket (I'm too much of a novice to know what it's called).

The check engine light disappeared only to come back on a few days later. The engine continued to studder when it's cold. I should mention that it stops studdering once it's warmed up.

Today we took it to the Lexus dealer to get a second opinion on the cause of the problem. After an initial check he said that the head gasket needed to be replaced.

Now, I was wondering two things: how much would be a fair price to get something like this fixed? And is it worth to put this amount of money into a 13-year old car (which is in a reasonably good condition otherwise).

I'm located in Santa Barbara, CA.

Cheers,
Apfelbaum

 

Your car in good condition with 160K miles has a KBB value of $6K to $7K. Lower miles would make it worth more, more miles would make it worth less.

So if you took it to a dealer, they would have given you a price quote. How much was it? But only you can make the decision on whether it is worth it. If the estimate was $10K and you really love the car, it is worth it. If the estimate was $100 and you really hate the car, it's not worth it.

A Toyota dealer will fix the car for less money than a Lexus dealer. Find an independent shop that specializes in toyotas and see what they say. Again, only you can make the decision on whether it is worth it.