Okay, this is weird.... I'm riding along and the power on the console just shuts off by itself. I push the power button and it comes back on. Now I know what you are thinking and no... I am no where near the power to accidentally push it off. I'm literally driving and it will shut off by itself. This has happened to me a few times so before I take it in, just wanted to see if anyone else has had the same problem. Plus the fact that I'd have to drive about 300 miles for the nearest Lexus dealership.

 

300 miles to a Lexus dealer? Can you try a Toyota place?

 

There is certainly one closer just wasn't sure if I should....

 

no, a problem like this should not be dealt with by a toyota dealership. They can do oil changes and such because the drivetrain is the same as a highlander/camry but taking apart the dash would probably not be recommended

 

I bought my last Lexus from a dealer that was farther away from me than the local Toyota dealer. And I would prefer to take it to them. The Lexus dealer had a better waiting room. But the Toyota dealer had lower prices. Service was the same.

So I guess by using your example. The 80K Toyota Land Cruiser owner shouldnt take his SUV to the place that services the 40K RXs ?

 

I believe what RXSF was referring to is that although the Toyota dealer probably COULD address the problem, taking apart the cockpit materials might be against whatever warranty still existing for the vehicle. The Toyota Tech's can do the routine maintenance without issue (as can any Joe's garage) but this matter might best be handled by the Lexus Tech. Maybe simply check with the Lexus dealer if that would be an issue or not?

 

What I was referring to was not the price of the vehicle. I was saying that toyota employees get training on how to change the oil, whatever, on toyota vehicles. Now since the RX shares many of the same components as the highlander or camry, changing the oil on the RX is the same since it uses the same oil and probably the same filter.

Taking apart the dash requires instructions through the lexus database that I am not sure if a Toyota dealer has access to. The dash is specific to Lexus and the employee at the toyota dealership would probably have never opened up the dash on the RX before.

Though, no, I dont think it will affect the warranty if you do choose to go

 

I agree with what has been said on both counts. More than anything else that should be taken into consideration is the fact that the Lexus mechanic has done and seen most of the issues before. While the Toyota guy may be qualified to do the work, he doesnt do it all the time so it will likely take longer.

Its like the old story: A guy walks into a shop and says his car is running rough. The mechanic takes out his screwdriver and adjusts some settings on the carb. After a few minutes the car is running perfectly. The mechanic says "thats $50" Customer balks and says "it only took you five minutes" to which the mechanic responds "yes but it took me 30 years to learn which screws to turn and just how much"

 

Classic

 

I think that you need to give us a little more info. Are you saying that the radio goes off or that the entire console (AC, clock, NAV, radio) goes off? How do you know that the power went off? What source are you listening to (SAT ...)?

Depending on how you answer these questions ... there could be some things to look at.

If the whole console is going out ... it is probably a lose wiring harness. I would look under the dash and see if you can confirm that the wiring harnesses are still securely plugged in.

If it is only the radio, especially SAT radio, then you may have just lost the signal temporarily and the radio is still on.

If it was me, I would check all of the wiring harnesses and replace the supporting fuse for the failing components.

 

One other possibility - holding down the "mode" button on the steering wheel will turn off the sound system.

 

Bingo !!! Could he be riding with his thumb on the button ??? Good suggestion either way.

 

I have the same problem on my 2013 RX450h, while driving and listening to AM news radio, the radio just shuts off by itself. I push the power button and it comes back on. And sometimes on long drives over 1-hr, the radio would go off and turn on by itself. I am not touching any buttons on the steering wheel, it's just the radio shutting off. I tried turning off HD radio but still does the same thing. Just radio sound shuts off, NAV is still working while radio is off and then radio comes back by itself after a random duration.

Is it time to trade in the car, it has 60K miles.

 

You may eventually need a new radio, which is not inexpensive as there are few folks who actually repair those anymore. Depending on how you can tolerate this problem, it may be time to consider a trade. I think a replacement radio is over a thousand with parts & labor. You could check with your local Lexus dealer. Just call the service department. However do not let them talk you into a $150 diagnostic fee at this point. Just get a price to replace it.

 

There are still audio repair shops out there for both home systems and car systems. You may have to invest some effort finding one, but they still exist. The best ones have been in business for decades. There are at least three of these shops in my general area.