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The insect intrusion problem is not BS. Here are some pics of a 2021 ES350 with a spider nest at the end of the A/C drain tube. The entire front portion of the interior carpet was soaked on both driver's and passenger's side. The whole interior had to be removed to access the carpet and carpet pad. Very labor intensive because there are multiple wiring harnesses under the seats and carpet. This customer was lucky enough to have their insurance company cover the costs. The carpet and pads were replaced and the bare metal floor boards were disinfected using a mold and mildew cleaner. And BTW, we do not send the vehicle out to a body shop or upholstery shop to have the repairs made. It is all done in house.
Here is a photo of a spider inside of an A/C drain tube actively attacking my video scope lens when I put it inside of a 2020 IS300 drain tube with an interior with water all over the front carpet.
As I mentioned in my 11-18-21 post in this thread, it is well worth it to have the ARINIX tip installed as a preemptive measure. Helluva lot cheaper than the cost if you have a flood inside due to insect intrusion.
yes me too!!! happens all the time is what I was told. charging lease's 6000-9000 more dollars on top of everything else is a good money maker for them and they usually send it out to third party to do the work for a 25% the fee there going to charge you.keep on car insurance for healh issue as when car gets flood due to storm or heavy rain. the black mold is no joke. it could really be bad for your health. I hope you get this fixed by lexus or insurance covering it. the government should really investigate how many people they charged for this repair
Yes, I'm on the same boat.
2021 Lexus RX 350 F sport.
Lease started on 08/03/2021.
Heard water dripping noise when the AC is running in May 2022 but thought it'd go away, but it didn't go away.
So I brought in for service in mid June 2022.
They concluded it's NORMAL to make dripping sound. (what the heck..?)
But I continued to hear that damn water bubbling and dripping noise.
So a week later, I found mold under the passenger seat and noticed tank of water under the passenger side floor mat. What the hell.
Called back to schedule an appointment to get that fixed, they basically brought up that spider web BS excuse and said it's not under warranty and it'd cost $7,000 to fix.
This is happening from Lexus of Englewood in New Jersey.
I did open a case with Lexus corporate and they continued to avoid that first visit they totally screwed up and not owning up to their mistake and will take 3 full days to get a call back.
7/13/2021
hi, I i’m going through the same thing right now currently with my Lexus dealer they said that a spider had clogged my pipe and caused water damage so now they wanna replace the carpet and the pipe and they’re looking at a seven to $9000 estimate which I think is a complete joke. When I asked them to just unclog the pipe they said that they can’t they need to replace the whole drain pipe
bunch of theives
Wow, the hate here is real and adding my own experience as of today into the mix. 2020, same issue, same explanation from Lexus and costing close to $7k but will be going through my insurance. Having to go through this nightmare, my service person at Lexus was kind enough to say that they will cover the deductible so nothing out of pocket on my end. Since its not collision, my premiums should go not up, or so I hope.
Now I'm stuck driving a Honda Odyssey minivan until I get my RX back. Truly feeling like a soccer dad now.
Wow, the hate here is real and adding my own experience as of today into the mix. 2020, same issue, same explanation from Lexus and costing close to $7k but will be going through my insurance. Having to go through this nightmare, my service person at Lexus was kind enough to say that they will cover the deductible so nothing out of pocket on my end. Since its not collision, my premiums should go not up, or so I hope.
Now I'm stuck driving a Honda Odyssey minivan until I get my RX back. Truly feeling like a soccer dad now.
This just happened to me. Lexus charged my insurance $7,500 and I had to pay a $500 deductible. This is a known issue, checkout this thread-
Just reposting my message from 2021 as I experienced this on my daughter's 2011 CT200H at years ago.
For anyone worried about it, just get the ARINIX tip from the dealer....it's like $10 or so. WELL WORTH IT
********** I learned about this problem years ago with my daughters 2011 CT200H which was not driven frequently. Luckily, caught it early so didn't need to replace all the padding, etc. After they did the job, they install a "pesticide" tip in the line to help prevent future occurance.
For those that want cheap insurance, get the tip installed before the problem occurs. I did it in my wifes 2020 NX300. Part was like $10 Here's a snippet from the bulletin:
L-SB-0018-14 Rev2 Some 2007 – 2019 model year Lexus vehicles in particular geographic areas may exhibit a condition where the HVAC evaporator drain hose has become obstructed with an insect nest. An insect repellent drain hose tip (ARINIX® Tip) is available to help minimize future occurrences of this environmental condition. For some models, a new drain hose is required to properly fit the ARINIX® Tip. Follow the procedures in this bulletin for proper handling and installation of this optional service part.
The ARINIX® Tip contains permethrin, a pesticide, as the active ingredient
I recently discovered Lexus made it a simple task to check the AC drain hose for obstructions and clean it if required. It can be done in 10 minutes and the only tool required is ordinary household pliers (sometimes called "gas pliers"). The attached photos outline the steps. The best time of year to check the hose for any obstruction is probably just before the air conditioning season begins in your region.
Image 1:
This is the front passenger foot well. There is a removable access panel that extends from the center console under the glove box. Reach under the corner (red arrow) with a finger, and pull toward you until the lower retention clip releases.
Image 2:
Slide your finger toward the top of the panel and pull to release the upper retention clip. Retention clips are highlighted by yellow circles. Once both clips are fully released. slide the panel off in the direction of the yellow arrow and set it aside.
Image 3:
Part of the drain hose will now be clearly visible above the carpet.
Image 4:
Folding back the carpet by hand exposes more of the hose.
Image 5:
Close-up view of the hose where it is attached to the Heater / Air_Conditioner plenum. To detach the hose, first rotate it by grasping with pliers, to loosen the bond. Then pull it off.
If you can blow through the detached end of the hose, it is not obstructed. If not, compressed air should clean out any foreign material. A short metal or plastic tube and some clear vinyl tubing can be fitted to extend the open end to a more convenient point for connecting to a source of compressed air. Even a bicycle tire pump should suffice.
Reverse the steps to re-attach the hose and re-fit the access panel. First engage the tab on the back of the panel into the guide slot, then slide to the right and push in the 2 retainer clips. No tools are required.
Fantastic job on those images, thanks for sharing.
[QUOTE=EdRock589;11323809]Here is a photo of a spider inside of an A/C drain tube actively attacking my video scope lens when I put it inside of a 2020 IS300 drain tube with an interior with water all over the front carpet.
i was told last week a spider formed a web in my 2020 nx 300 ac drain hose and flooded inside my car during the rain. also that this cause isnt covered under warranty. the repair there asking for is 6800.00
did any one else suffer this diagnosis from any other dealer. mine was lexus of route 10 in whippany nj. when i wa s told by them your insurance denied there claim to come get my car . and when i picked it up i notice parts in the back seat and front on the floor. missing bolt covers on center console too. i have pictures but cant upload them as of now for some reason
I had this same exact issue. The dealer gave me a 6800 quote and told me to go to my insurance company. My NX had less than 10000 miles on it. I called Lexus corporate and they were no help. Then I went back and forth with the dealer. I finally spoke to the head Service guy and he said they would take care of it. My car came back fixed and detailed. I bought 2 cars from them and got them serviced there and I guess that counted towards their decision. Also, while my car was there I saw on my app that it was left outside , unlocked and a window down during a rain storm. I pointed that out to the Service Director and that might have also counted towards their decision to take care of the issue free of charge. Did this happen to you at a NJ dealership? This sounds so similar and wonder if it is something that they do to customers.
07-10-22, 11:06 AM
Spider nest
