ES3

Anyone know if ANY aftermarket warranty company offers coverage at 94-thousand miles? If so, would they stop coverage after 100 thousand miles. I'm approaching the big 100K and wonder if it's worth shopping for a late model warranty that's worthwhile? Any suggestions?

lexusk8

I know this sounds cliche, but that's pretty much up to you when looking for an extended warranty.

When I reached 100K almost a year ago, I too contemplated the thought of obtaining such a warranty. I've done my share of research on these kinds of warranties (a couple places I can think of are warrantygold and AAA). Most of the warranty companies I've looked at can cover cars with over 100K, but each company has certain limits. As far as actual coverage goes, extended warranties mostly cover the engine, transmission, and mostly the bare essential components under the hood, which are obviously quite expensive. If you're looking for savings of body work, tires and such, you'll probably won't benefit much from extended warranties.

For the record, I have done the all-important 90K service maintenance, which includes a change of all fluids, replacement of spark plugs and several mechanical parts, and the timing belt. Right now, I'm at 122,800 miles, and as long as I keep maintaining the condition of my car by doing the typical service tasks at a regular basis, I'm certain it will run great for a long time.

I know what you're thinking... it sounds like a big gamble to choose extra warranty coverage for your car. But like I said before, it's your decision. If you feel you'll need a major engine tune-up sometime down the road, then the warranty should be in the cards. Hope all this helps.

ES3

LexusK8,

Thanks for the advice. I don't believe warranty gold covers anything with more than 70-k. In your research did you find otherwise? OR did you find other companies that do have coverage for high mileage cars?

lexusk8

I found this company here. It has no problem providing coverage for cars over 100K in mileage, and lets you choose what kind of coverage you prefer. Just like filing an insurance claim, a deductible is required when you obtain warranty repair for your car at the dealership, service shop, etc. Hope this helps.

ES3

Thanks for the link... Did you actually go with these guys? Are you doing an extended warranty with ANY company? Lastly, how much did your 90k service run ya?

Thanks again!

lexusk8

At the moment, I'm not on any extended warranty plan. I'm very satisfied with the condition of my car as far as the engine and transmission go. The 90K maintenance job with Lexus sliced a $1,500+ bill, but this included most of the tasks from a forgotten 60K service, so I'm sure just the cost of the 90K service is less than what I paid. Have you done your 90K maintenance yet? If you haven't, you should plan on doing it since this includes a replacement of your timing belt. It's recommended that it has to be changed at least once in the ES300's life.

If you have any more questions about this topic, please post them. This is a good issue to discuss and be informed for every Lexus owner

ES3

Haven't done the 90K yet, I actually did my 60K service at about 75K, so I kinda feel like it's a bit early to jump on the 90 yet. Perhaps I could just do the timing belt maintenance? Hold off on some of the other items, such as spark plugs etc... that were just replaced 18k miles back. Any thoughts!?

lexusk8

Since you've done your 60K quite a while ago, you probably don't need to get into the 90K right away, but I strongly advise getting your timing belt changed as soon as you can. If you're concerned about the issue of price, get some quotes from a few nearby Lexus and Toyota dealerships. From what I've heard, Toyota would be able to change the timing belt at usually a lesser price than Lexus.

For the other items you mentioned like the spark plugs, unless you seriously think there's something off when running your car, you don't have to worry about changing those items. Here's a good reference guide when scheduling maintenance needs for your car -> LEXUS RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Hope this helps

ES3

Great Maintenance Schedule... Thanks for the link. I know my 60k came with new platinum spark plugs, so as you suggest, it's probably not necessary to replace them for a while, maybe another 30-40K miles?

Regarding timing belt, I know some belts that go can cause the valves to freeze up etc... Do you know if the belt on a 97 or newer is the type that could cause such damage? I'm planning on doing it sometime this summer, but would hate to wait and end up paying major bucks to repair/replace the engine.

Lastly, perhaps this should be another topic, but has anyone rec'd a letter from Lexus talking about a sludge- problem in engines caused by people who don't get oil changes often enough? I got a letter recently, kinda cool essentially it says they'll cover my '97 engine until 2007.

Sorry, one more thing, at this high of mileage is a bad idea to now start using synthetic oil?

ES3

How often should the water pump be replaced?

ES3

Lexus tells me they Also do this for the 90K service? Has anyone else heard of this, on top of the recommended maintenance--click link above--

From Lexus---
"HEY MICHAEL..GOOD MORNING,
OK, I WENT OVER THAT SERVICE WITH OURS AND IF I DO WHAT THEY DO WITH THE WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT I CAN DO IT FOR $850.00. THE DIFFERENCES IN THE 2 SERVICES ARE, WE ALSO ROTATE AND BALANCE THE TIRES, REPLACE THE WIPER INSERTS, REPLACE THE CABIN FILTER, CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER, RUN A CLEANER/CONDITIONER THRU THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM AND A LIST OF INSPECTIONS(WHICH WE WILL DO). IF I DON'T DO THOSE THINGS I CAN BE COMPETITIVE WITH TOYOTAS PRICING.. OF 800 FOR EVERYTHING...

lexusk8

From my experience with the 90K, Lexus included those "minor" inspections and quick mechanical and fluid changes with the service, and of course, they all add up in the end so you'll come out with a bill heavier than you expected. Most people who take their cars for Lexus service don't realize they also do stuff like replacing wiper inserts, rotating tires, etc., so it's good that you asked Lexus about the service... I guess it's the protocol when cars are brought in for Lexus service. At any rate, unless you have an issue with Lexus taking care of the extra legwork on your car, do not be alarmed about it. You can always take yours to Toyota

ES3

Sounds like good advice. Actually for the 90k service plus a timing belt and water pump replacement it's gonna be about a grand. I really hate to replace the water pump if it's not broken? That's what Toyota's philosophy on it. Any thoughts? Also hate to replace the timing belt, but I suppose the alternative (walking to the gas station) is much worse.

lexusk8

Critical items like the timing belt and water pump are hard for one to replace by him/herself, unless s/he goes to a local dealership service or a qualified independent service shop. I would prefer the former to get the job done, I don't mind paying extra $$$ for some peace of mind. Yeah, a $1000 bill for the 90K maintenance job sounds about right, and that should include all of the essential fluid changes like coolant, tranny, brake, etc. Does your car have any overheating problems, or sudden increases in the engine temperature? If so, you probably need to get your water pump or thermostat checked. Just one thing to keep in mind before you decide on the 90K.

ES3

No apparent overheating or increases in engine temp. Does that mean I should wait until those problems surface before replacing the water pump or thermostadt? Or shoudl I swap them as preventative maintenance?