The underlying issue is on EVERY car. AC condensor are, and always have been right behind the grill that must allow air in to cool not only the refrigerant but also the coolant and other fluids. You were very, very lucky to get Lexus to cover what is actually an insurance claim. NHTSA will ignore your filing.

 

While I do agree that it really isn't a warranty claim, I do find Lexus to be somewhat culpable. Anybody can predict what will happen with these excessively large grill openings, and obviously even eBay has figured out how to mitigate it...so, in my mind, someone at Lexus should wake up and smell the flowers. It's even a potential selling point to people who have faced this kind of pain, new AC systems aren't cheap to repair. Again, not unique to Lexus, but smaller openings in the grill would help a lot.

 

When you tailgate, it’s inevitable that you’re going to pick up a rock in the condensor or windshield.

 

My experience with windshield chips is from the 150 mph rock kicked up by oncoming traffic on 2 lane highways.

 

Except that most rocks are kicked up sideways out of wheel wells. As a person who drives on 2 lane roads with my arm out the window, I can tell you that for sure. My last two windshields cracked from a car next to me on the highway, there was nobody in front of me for a quarter mile on the last one, and nobody in sight on the one before that. I've never gotten a rock chip "tailgating" on the hundreds of thousands of miles I've driven on the 5 and 15

 

Buy a megamillions ticket.

 

Gotta save for my next windshield

 

On the other hand, when one's a retiree senior, one can never drive fast enough to have any rock reach their car - as rock will fall to the road before it can

 

Thanks All for the information and guidance. I joined the 'Condenser Club' today. Insurance and dealer service department are rushing to get my project completed!

While looking at after-market screens, I noticed this install video from a more expensive seller. I thought it might help someone with their install.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...2usa4itemAdapt

Thanks again!

 

anybody with RX350h having this problem or is it just the 450.

 

The model number has nothing to do with the problem - any model that has a radiator/condensor, which all models do - are at risk to having this problem. The risk is a rock hitting the radiator, not very difficult to understand.

 

Yes, this is a great video - but once again, they chose to do this video with a car and with the aftermarket apparatus that is not designed with frontal radar/camera in mind - which makes the whole trickier and needing improvisation to ensure maximum coverage. The reality is that I got about 90 % coverage with the radar/camera, since I improvised. Since the risk is probabilistic, this is very likely good enough - but I'm not sure why they don't make these parts with the radar in mind. And I got mine off Ebay (also shipped well from China) for $67. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with the hassle/cost of the risk otherwise.

And anyone's interested in trying, I'm using the "ShatterX" product with a once-a-year application - a few smaller rocks have hit the windshield with ShatterX on it, and it didn't damage the shield. Jeep owners with near-vertical shields seem to swear by that product.

 

It’s a possibility with nearly every vehicle made because almost all of them have the AC condenser right behind the grill and in front of the radiator. Better the condenser than the radiator. A holed radiator can leave you stranded.

 

This issue has been around forever. I had to install the screen mesh on my 1st Gen RX300

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...e-install.html

Go to Home Depot. Buy a roll of the screen mesh. And a bag of Zip Ties

Every once and awhile take a look at it. And you will see all of the hits it has taken from rocks and debris