zes

Hi, just checking if anybody has changed radiator hoses? I am at 106,000 miles and I think they are getting a little soft. However the dealer does not stock them and will charge $80 for the top and $50 for the bottom. That sounds steep relative to typical Autozone costs.

LeX2K

That's way above list price check out some online dealers. What makes you think the hoses are getting soft?

zes

I squeezed them. Relative to other cars they feel soft. Generally hoses get soft and then fail. However the Lexus manual says that the radiator coolant and inverter coolant should be changed at 150K miles.

So I will wait I guess.

My only fear is that we drive this car across the country (Denver to Toronto) routinely. We take I 80 which is middle of nowhere so it is good to be in a reliable car.

chuyrobles

I’ve always replaced oem hoses with Gates or Dayco. They average about $15 each. I replaced with the coolant recommendation, usually 100K. The oem’s looked good for another 50K.

703

I have never heard of radiator hoses failing on the ES.

ESh

Don’t replace them until you see the cracks. And that’s probably another 100-120000 miles.

chuyrobles

and/or
Bulges in the hose, including bulging or damaged ends (where the hose connects to the radiator)
“crunchy” feel when squeezing a hose (do not check this while hot)
coolant leaks

zes

Yeah, they feel soft but no crunching yet. Also no bulging at the ends so I guess I will wait and keep a role of gorilla tape in the trunk. That can accomplish a quick fix but hopefully they will last another 50k miles.

Thank you all for the feedback.

Nelexus88

Hose failures are rare on Lexus/Toyota vehicles. I would not change them unless the other work is being done on the car requiring the cooling system to be drained ie radiator replacement where the hoses need to be disconnected anyway.

BradTank

I wouldn't change them, I've had exactly one radiator hose failure in my life that was a result of old age, and it was on a mid-eighties Oldsmobile that was around 20 years old at the time. Just had a pinhole leak, was actually hard to even find. I think modern radiator hoses can go way longer. I would wait and replace if say you need to replace your radiator.

Those prices though are absolutely insane, $130 for an upper and lower radiator hose. Find an online Toyota parts dealer.

Something like Gates from RockAuto is like $30 total for both hoses. Gates is an OEM supplier for many automakers.

I will say, one time I did buy an aftermarket hose, and it was just like a half inch longer than the factory one and that was enough where it just barely rubbed on a belt and caused a failure within a few weeks of changing it. Just a really tight design. So when you change your hoses, really make sure how they are mounted and compare to the factory hose. Trim it to match if you need to. I just bought a Toyota factory replacement (it was around $20 at the time) and never had another problem.

zes

Thank you all for saving me $130, a Saturday's labor, and a huge mess in the garage

chuyrobles

Now, you have to bleed the air out. If like the 5th gen ES, there will be a bleeder valve on the intake manifold, facing up, firewall side.

Maikerusan

Have not had a radiator hose leak or radiator problem since the early 1990s.