Had our '13 RX350 into the Toyota dealer this morning for oil change and brake fluid flush (30k service).

The service advisor was trying to get my wife to agree to let them "remove condensation to avoid mildew buildup in the air conditioner." At a cost of roughly $80.

I'll admit that our A/C does tend to smell at times (I did just change the cabin air filter as part of the 30k service that I performed myself), but I did tell my wife to push back on this recommended service until I could investigate further.

Is this something that is recommended as part of normal maintenance? Since the car is still under factory Lexus warranty, should I address it at the Lexus dealer?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

It is only done when you have mildew or mold in the A/C system evaporator. You can tell if it has that moldy, musty or sweet smell from the A/C vents. That price is about average. Most cars get it eventually. If your complaint of occasional musty smell is such that you want them to take care of it, then let them treat it. It is not something usually covered under warranty. If they do it their repair will have a warranty, usually a year from a dealer, but ask them.

A new cabin filter will not help.

Also you can treat it yourself for under $20 with this product if you are handy. I always keep some around as most cars get that mold smell eventually. When you use it be sure to remove the cabin filter first or it will get soaked and ruined by the stuff.

 

While the service fee sounds normal to me... you can totally do this for a much cheaper price. I've done this on many of my cars, it's fairly easy

Just google "DIY cleaning bad AC smell", you'll see a lot of forum/post or tutorial write-ups

Methods might vary from one to another though

But basically, you'll need Lysol or similar product, knowing where to spray into the vent/duct, run the AC on full heat for a short while, and perhaps a new cabin filter after everything is said and done

 

The Klima Cleaner instructions offer the option to spray it up into the drain hose from under the car. The long hose they provide works well for that purpose and I have done it on occasion. Also spray thru the A/C vents and thru the area visible after the cabin filter is removed.

 

You don't even have to wait until the car smells in order to perform this service. I do this once a year to prevent buildup. I bought the Toyota kit and all you do is shoot it up into the drain tube. The source of the problem is usually mildew building up on the evaporator. On my cars, I'll turn off the A/C mode a couple minutes before arriving to my destination but leave the fan blower to remove as much moisture from the evap as possible.