ravenuer

Here's what I would do: since the brakes are pulsing, change the pads AND the rotors. Resurfacing them will only cause them to warp again, soon. As long as they're doing the brakes, do the brake fluid.
As long as the car seems to handle good and goes straight down the road, forget the alignment. Wipers take literally seconds to replace, so DIY. Cabin filter should be replaced, also very easy. Unless you live in a dusty area, don't think you need an engine filter yet. JMHO....

mikemu30

Wiper blades, cabin air, engine air you can do all that yourself in ten minutes for about $50 all in.

TriC

Thanks, it frustrates me no end that a dealer fix for a warranty repair for warped rotors is "resurfacing" rather than replacement. My inclination is to just replace the rotors and pads myself with something that doesn't create so much dust.

The dealer is saying the alignment is needed as the steering wheel is 10 degrees off center. I don't know about that and have not felt it pulling. Brake fluid change should be cheaper elsewhere,

Agree that filters and blades are easy DIY at a much lower cost.

coolbrazz

If the alignment is really off it will show on your front tires check them first.

ravenuer

Didn't realize you were mechanically inclined! So yes, do the brakes and the filters, wipers yourself. If you're driving on a flat, straight road, does the car stay straight and is the steering wheel "straight forward"? If so, doubt you need an alignment. Maybe while doing the brakes, rotate the tires and check the pressure. Good luck!

jcg0324

Replace the brakes with Akebono pads and rotors and that should solve that problem. Purchase a brake fluid tester for $25.00 and check the fluid for water. Unless there is a leak somewhere, the brake fluid should be good for at least 100,000 miles or 10 years. If the front tires are wearing evenly, the steering wheel doesn't shake and the car doesn't pull to the right or left by itself, the front alignment should be good. Next time take the car to a Toyota dealership.

TriC

Didn't know that there was such a thing as a brake fluid tester, jcg0324. Thanks for the tip!

When I picked the car up this afternoon it was obvious that the dealer was unhappy that I had declined their service recommendations. Won't be going back there unless there is a warranty issue in the next 15 months.

jcg0324

Go to this youtube at 8 minutes and 45 seconds for brake fluid service information:
The CarCareNut explains what to do with your brake fluid.

Dinesh2023

So How much did you end up paying for it?

GSFRX350

That's what I paid, only saw it after the service. The good thing is at each service the price is reducing, last one was $130

jcg0324

Just out of curiosity, why would someone pay that much for a cabin air filter when you could save a ton of $$$ getting it from Ebay or Amazon? Even if the new part is non - OEM it's not a critical item. It's just a "Cabin" air filter. I can remember when new cars came without it. Nobody died.

Quantum501

Almost afraid what they charged for labor for the 3 minute job! Ouch!

arrowroot

The Lexus dealers in my area all charge about $50 labour for this 3 minute job of a cabin air filter change.

Rollerdog

2016 RX 350. This thing runs like new but I just clicked 100k miles and it’s time for brakes/ rotors. The closest Lexus dealer is a couple of hours away so I called a local Toyota dealer and they quoted me roughly $1100 for both front and back pads and rotors. They also recommended several other services like change tranny fluid, change differential fluids, change antifreeze fluid, etc that would amount to a few thousand dollars.
So my question to this group is what do you feel is actually required to keep this thing running smoothly for another few years?
Brakes are a must but what about all the other services mentioned?
I’ve had several Toyotas over the years and did nothing but change the oil and tires and drove them for 200,000 plus miles.

Any helpful feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Quantum501

I think it depends if you plan to keep this vehicle for 200,000 miles also.

If so, I would recommend that you do all of the jobs that you just listed. You might get lucky and never have a transmission failure, but trust me when I say that changing the "lifetime" fluid is very wise unless your car lifetime is 100,000 miles. Likewise, coolant change every 50k is highly recommended and the other jobs are listed as regular maintenance.

I have attached my service schedule that I use on my RX which is a modified copy of your maintenance schedule that came with you RX. I have shorten the time between some services due to my personal experience and recommendations of shops/mechanics that know how to keep a vehicle in good shape for a long time. The part numbers listed in the spreadsheet are for a 2020 RX AWD and are probably the same but no promises.

Many of these jobs are very DIY friendly if you are comfortable turning a wrench....otherwise if even the Toyota dealership is high, then look for a local independent mechanic. All of the fluids should be no more than maybe $500.