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My '14 has a radiator leak, slow drip, was down about 1/2 gallon at my last oil change. Quoted $980 for the repair using OEM parts, including new upper and lower radiator hoses. Debating whether to tackle it myself. Sounds like a pain in the ***. Worth it?
do you see dried flaky pink coolant anywhere in the engine bay?
I got a very similar quote ($980) from Clear Choice Independent Lexus in Houston. Was in a hurry and decided not to leave the car with them. Next morning leak was worse, went to a shop closer to my apartment and stupid me told them the previous quote I got. They basically charged me the same thing ($450 for radiator, rest was labor) they didn't even change the upper+lower hoses, charged for antifreeze+flush and I can't even verify if they truly did a flush. Guy said he'd use "japanese" radiator, don't know why he kept repeating that., i just interpreted that as OEM. A month or so later I was poking around the engine bay I found out he used a Denso which sells on RockAuto for $150. Still pissed off about it. Should have gone with Clear Choice Lexus where they would have used OEM, flushed the antifreeze, and replaced the upper+lower hoses.
Just did this on my wife's '13 . It is quite a bit of work, you have to remove the front bumper cover . I drained the block, replaced the water pump and tstat along with upper and lower hose . If you have the tech doc it walks you thru really well .
A radiator is $160 as posted from downshift1, but it's after market. 2-3 gallons of pink coolants is $20+ each so that's $60+. If you go to an independent mechanic it's probably about 2-3 hrs labor, roughly $400-450 charge.
If you're not comfortable doing it, I'd let the dealer do it if they replaced the hose and use OEM parts.
If you do it yourself, when you remove the fan, shroud and bracket, you may also want to replace the fan bracket too with that mileage while you have it out.
Make sure it isn't the water pump as well. Several of us here have experienced that issue including myself.
One of my biggest concern with parts these days are all the counterfeit parts on the market. They even put similar OEM labels on them. A real gamble on whether a long term fix or a near term headache. On the jobs I don't want to do again anytime soon I am willing to throw some extra money at increasing the odds I have a high quality part.
Make sure it isn't the water pump as well. Several of us here have experienced that issue including myself.
One of my biggest concern with parts these days are all the counterfeit parts on the market. They even put similar OEM labels on them. A real gamble on whether a long term fix or a near term headache. On the jobs I don't want to do again anytime soon I am willing to throw some extra money at increasing the odds I have a high quality part.
In addition... even legitimate parts makers often have differing lines of parts with varying quality/durability as well as the associated costs.
Very astute observation. We work with a market leader in anti-counterfeiting labels and we've been approached by several automotive corporations to create labels for their products and packaging. If we think the problem is bad here, then you need to look at third world countries (or Amazon ) where most products are fake.
In all seriousness, the number of counterfeit items on Amazon is staggering. Batteries and spare parts are great targets for counterfeiters.
Just did this on my wife's '13 . It is quite a bit of work, you have to remove the front bumper cover . I drained the block, replaced the water pump and tstat along with upper and lower hose . If you have the tech doc it walks you thru really well .
I got a very similar quote ($980) from Clear Choice Independent Lexus in Houston. Was in a hurry and decided not to leave the car with them. Next morning leak was worse, went to a shop closer to my apartment and stupid me told them the previous quote I got. They basically charged me the same thing ($450 for radiator, rest was labor) they didn't even change the upper+lower hoses, charged for antifreeze+flush and I can't even verify if they truly did a flush. Guy said he'd use "japanese" radiator, don't know why he kept repeating that., i just interpreted that as OEM. A month or so later I was poking around the engine bay I found out he used a Denso which sells on RockAuto for $150. Still pissed off about it. Should have gone with Clear Choice Lexus where they would have used OEM, flushed the antifreeze, and replaced the upper+lower hoses.
I used Clear Choice in the Woodlands for my GX when the radiator went south last year. OEM radiator, hoses, clamps, and coolant. About $950 but worth it as I was short on time.
In addition... even legitimate parts makers often have differing lines of parts with varying quality/durability as well as the associated costs.
THIS^
I have heard this mentioned many times in the Toyota world (I have an old 4Runner) and have experienced this myself - specifically with brake products, alternators, and starters. Buying an OE part from the dealer vs. buying what you would assume to be the SAME EXACT part from the original manufacturer (OEM) doesn't always end up with the same level of quality. I think it's common for vehicle manufacturers to specify a very specific quality/tolerance level for the parts that they buy (e.g. brake disc runout) . Parts that don't meet the automakers tolerance level but still meet/exceed functional testing requirements by the part manufacturer are sold to auto parts stores and other retailers (e.g. RockAuto) for sale to the general public. The buyer thinks they are saving a bunch of money by buying the same part as they could get at the dealer, but they end up potentially getting a lower quality part. This is why I stick to buying Toyota parts for critical repairs (brakes, suspension, cooling) and use aftermarket items for less critical things.
Long time lurker here, do majority of my own maintenance. Wife mentioned something leaking under our GX last night after braving the elements to get food, and sure enough radiator is leaking near top hose / cap. This seems to be the common failure point between aluminum and plastic components, but wanted to see if any feedback here before I start ordering away:
Per earlier response ... check to see if the tank is actually weeping versus at the radiator hose. Yes, the seal between the plastic and aluminum is a common failure. Do yourself a favor and buy a Lexus (OEM) Radiator ... not an aftermarket ... replacement is a hassle, so not worth the savings for less than original Lexus parts. Search Lexus dealerships on the internet that offer wholesale pricing, free shipping and no sales tax ... 30-40% less than over-the-counter retail pricing at a local dealership.
01-14-20, 06:49 PM
) where most products are fake.
