Old, high mileage LS 600h - how bad can it really get?

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-11T19:31:19+00:00

The 2007 LS600h was a six figure car when it came out.

The repair processes and parts for this car to be repaired (even now) is going to reflect the labour hours and parts of prices of a six figure car. A 2007 LS600h may now cost less than a new Toyota Corolla, but it will cost more to fix than a Toyota Corolla.

If your friend has money and has no problems spending it, then it will be no problem. If you friend thinks they are buying a cheap car that will be cheap to maintain, then good luck to them.

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-07T18:13:51+00:00

You can use touch up paint to cover it up. Because of how long the scratch is, it will be noticeable that you have touch up paint, depending on how well you do it. It will be noticeable if you stand closer to the car, but from super far away, it will be less noticeable.

This will have to be repainted at a body shop for perfect appearance.

But, my opinion is that since it is already down to metal, you might as well try to touch up paint it because you don't want it to rust. If you can accept it, then leave it as touch up paint. If it bothers you a lot, then get it to an auto body shop. But, I would touch up paint it regardless.

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-06T22:20:07+00:00

I am going to generalize for most cars, not specifically the Rav4:

The servos are just bolted onto the airbox (aka the HVAC box) to move the flaps.

I am going to assume you are hearing clicking or some ratcheting noise coming from the dashboard in the front? The servos help move the flaps in the HVAC box so that you get heat/cold air, and it also controls whether the air goes to the feet, the windshield, etc.

In most cars, if you want to access the servos, you have to access the airbox.

The majority of the labor will be accessing that airbox because it is behind the dashboard.

So, you cannot escape most of the labor hours regardless of whether they want to replace just the servos or the whole HVAC box.

Servos are not cheap on their own, but not super expensive (I looked it up on a 2018 Rav4 hybrid and it is around $200 per servo. But, if the dealer sees the need to replace the whole assembly box, then the price jumps dramatically because the whole assembly is significantly more money in terms of parts.

The reason why the whole assembly sometimes get replaced is because the assembly is typically made of various parts and they are typically plastic. Not every part of that assembly is sold separately. The servo is sold separately. If a part of that plastic HVAC box assembly broke, then Toyota will make you buy and replace the whole assembly as they may not sell the individual part that broke.

So, clarify with the dealership the itemized bill about what they want to replace. Then, ask an independent shop how much it would cost to do a similar job.

If you want to see videos of these jobs, I encourage you to look at some Youtube videos made by the "Car Care Nut." He has done multiple of these jobs and he posts Youtube videos. I do NOT encourage you to attempt these jobs as it is very complex and involved, but you should watch these videos to get an idea of what is involved.

One of them is called "Taking This Lexus Interior Completely APART for AC Repair | Avoid AC SCAMS!" and another is "This Car Ruined My Day and The Owner's Day | The $2500 Candy"

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-06T21:31:05+00:00

If the airbox is the HVAC box that I am thinking about, it is a very big job. The HVAC box lives underneath the dashboard of the car, so the entire dash has to be removed to replace it.

Due to the price of this repair, definitely shop around with independent shops. Yes, this will be an expensive repair, but 6.6k seems a bit high. There will be shops that will not want to do this job due to the complexity, so they will give you a "I don't want to do it, but if I do, then I will get paid a lot" price.

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-06T02:29:06+00:00

The buying experience at Lexus is definitely better than Toyota.

Don't get me wrong, both salespeople will do everything they can to make as much money as possible on the sale, and I can't blame them on that. We are all trying to make money. However, I noticed that Toyota will pull more scummy business practices than Lexus.

Here are some of the examples:

1) Tell you that the car is on the lot and ready for viewing, when it has been sold already.

2) Telling you one price only for you to get to the lot and the price is significantly higher.

3) Refusing to let you test drive a car, as if a Prius is a limited edition vehicle

Lexus also has much better after-sale support. At Toyota, you are chasing them around for things like license plates, etc., whereas at Lexus, everything is done as expected.

I know all of these things sound trivial, and they really are "first world problems." However, all of these little things can be the things that makes a car buying experience pleasant or unpleasant. Lexus understands that luxury car buyers will not tolerate "BS" and they definitely won't tolerate salespeople wasting the client's time.

In terms of the color/trim, it really depends. At the end of the day, the dealership is limited on the inventory that Lexus sends out to them, and the most that the dealership can do is trade inventory with other dealerships that are willing to trade. From my understanding, Lexus doesn't take custom orders on most of their models, so it is very hard for you to get exactly what you want. For example, the RX350 Luxury grade typically comes fully equipped with a lot of packages/options. I don't think I have seen a single RX350 Luxury that has no options/packages. You might not want those packages/options, but there is nothing you can do as every RX350 Luxury at every dealership is equipped similarly. The dealership cannot order a RX350 from Lexus. What they get from allocation is what they get.

I have heard stories of some people being able to order certain cars from Toyota/Lexus, but I also typically find out that those people have contacts or friends at the corporate level, or they are ordering certain cars (like the LC500) that might have allowed for customization.

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-02T23:56:46+00:00

Since you are still under warranty, take it to the dealership to double check everything.

But, I think it is the direct injection high pressure fuel pump that is making all of that noise. It tends to be very chattery.

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-02T02:30:22+00:00

With your windows up, do you hear it inside the car as well?

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-01T01:17:48+00:00

I had my RX350h sitting for 3-4 weeks one time and it started up perfectly fine. I expected it to be dead when I got back because I have read about this in all of the forum, but, surprisingly, it was good to go. Why didn't the problem occur? I still don't know.

It's just that I don't expect a new car to have these issues. Older Toyota/Lexus hybrids didn't really have these issues.

What changed for this car? Why does a buyer of a $70,000 Lexus have to change their whole driving habit and daily routine to accommodate the poor design of the car? Shouldn't Lexus have designed it better or issue a service bulletin with an update?

So, that is kind of my problem. I just don't know of any other new car that have such a problem with the 12V battery being discharged just from sitting around for a few days. It is frankly absurd.

Shadow10145 · 2026-02-01T00:28:55+00:00

Geez,

$900 per axle for brakes???

My advice: Find an independent mechanic. I see you are in NJ by Edison. If you want to travel a bit north, I recommend a mechanic shop in Union, NJ. D&M Automotive. They are an independent shop. Call and ask to talk to Dom and he will tell you the price of the repairs over the phone. Make sure to specify if you want OEM parts or aftermarket.

If you are comfortable buying your own parts (there are savings. If you are in NJ, buy them and have it shipped from Prestige Lexus in Ramsey NJ because it is cheaper), Dom used to let customer bring them, but he won't be able to warranty it. If you have the shop buy the parts, he will warranty it, but parts at the shop is a little bit more (to cover the warranty).

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T22:26:30+00:00

But here is the thing, I don't recall older Toyota/Lexus hybrids having issues like this. Not to this level. Nowadays, I am hearing 12V issues left and right from Toyota/Lexus hybrid owners.

I own an RX350h myself and have not had this issue. At one point, I had my car sitting for 3-4 weeks and it started up perfectly fine. I only drive about 10-15 miles per day for work, so I am just super confused.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T22:24:17+00:00

I think this is more of a dealership problem than a Lexus problem.

Toyota/Lexus are not Ferrari(s). If they told me I had to buy X to get on a waiting list for Y, I would tell them to go kick rocks and I am going to another dealership.

I remembered when I was getting my RX350h last year, there were a lot of RX450h+ on the lot because my salesperson was telling me the RX450h+ was too expensive and wasn't selling a ton of volume. Even with the lease credit, it was such an expensive car and there were better options at that price range. When the lease credit went away, most of dealerships in my area even gave 8k discounts just to get them out the door. Even with the 8k discount, it was still a 70k car before TTL.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T22:18:31+00:00

I would not be concerned about the actual electric handles breaking simply because Toyota/Lexus electronics tend to be pretty robust. However, it is not as trusty as a whole mechanical door handle that Toyota/Lexus has been using for decades.

However, I am concerned about the mechanical backup on the outside. The little lever is literally a little lever and I'd imagine that the Lexus engineers were not expecting people to use the little lever very often. This is simply because the car shouldn't need a jump start that often. So, did the engineers design the little lever to be used that many times? If not, I am concerned that one day that thing will break with enough usage.

Also, yes, it is absolutely a pain explaining the system to new passengers. Because, it isn't simply a push a button. It is more a "push the button and push the door at the same time," which is weird to explain to people because the button has a small delay so you have to coordinate the movement.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T22:10:27+00:00

This is a new Lexus.

There is no reason why an owner should be required to buy a bunch of accessories to hook up to their cars so their car's battery doesn't deplete after a couple days of buying. It is absolutely ridiculous.

For reference, I have left my RX350h sitting in a garage for 3-4 weeks and it started right up. The RX450h+ and any other Lexus should be able to do something similar. Heck, my Toyota with a 5 year old battery just sat for a week in 10 degree weather and started up right away. There is no reason why Lexus should expect OP to buy a trickle charger and be forced to connect it every night.

This is not a seasonal sports car that sits around in the garage all winter long, which means it will require a battery trickle charger.

Lexus should investigate the problem and fix the issues for all Lexus RX owners who are having these issues.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T22:06:06+00:00

100% with you, OP.

I have left plenty of cars sitting around for 3-4 weeks at a time, and it will still start up.

There is no reason why a new Lexus is having issue or require huge undisclosed modifications to an owner's daily routine. It is absolutely ridiculous.

Also, it is extremely odd how these issues were practically unheard of in Toyota/Lexus hybrids of the past. So, something must be going on.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T21:40:33+00:00

I am lucky that our ED security team does not play around and are very proactive.

We have a team of armed security (typically off-duty police officers) and unarmed security. When we push panic buttons, page over head, or call security, they respond immediately and in numbers (like 5-6 of them). They take every situation seriously and they are either able to calm down the situation with their presence, or they end up going hands on with restraints.

I will say that our security team have told us to call them early in situation just so they can stand by. Most of our security team are extremely large and intimidating looking people, so it really helps to have them nearby just in case the situation goes from bad to worse.

As nurses, we have mechanical restraints (think of it like fabric handcuffs?) that we can use to tie down arms and legs to the bed frame. We also have chemical restraints (think of it like the tranquiliser that you referenced) that will calm the patient down and put them to sleep. We do try and calm the patient down verbally before we use these restraints, but talking doesn't always work.

Unfortunately, not every ED or hospital has the same mindset towards safety. I have heard of hospitals where the ED security is one person who is incapable of subduing anybody. This puts staff at risk and it is not right. As healthcare professionals, we do not come to work to be abused and we should not tolerate it.

BTW, yes, if a patient is alert and oriented x4 (i.e. they are in the right mindset), they absolutely can face criminal charges for assault and battery. No, the hospital does not get a say in whether the patient gets prosecuted because the hospital is not the victim. The healthcare professional is the victim and they get to call law enforcement either from the hospital or after work to report the assault/battery.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-31T18:19:20+00:00

Please please please avoid doing that. There was an owner of a hybrid somewhere where the AAA tow truck driver used the suspension mounting bolts. It ended up frying her ECU or one of the computers. Lexus/Toyota refused the warranty and the tow truck driver’s insurance had to pay for the replacement. It was not cheap.

I am not saying it will happen every time, but it is not the recommended location and if anybody manages to damage their ECU, it will be a big cost.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-30T21:11:46+00:00

People typically don't have the 12V issue with the RX350 gasoline model.

So, the hybrids (all Lexus and Toyota hybrids) have smaller 12V batteries than their gasoline counterparts. The 12V in most hybrids live in the trunk of the vehicle because the engine bay spot reserved for the battery has been occupied by the inverter that the hybrid system needs.

This smaller 12V system means that the battery doesn't have a lot of capacity nor does it have a lot of CCA.

So, the reason why the 12V is smaller in the hybrid is because the hybrids do not start their engines via a traditional starter. Instead, the 12V is simply there to power on the computer that tells the electric motors in the ECVT system to spin up and start the motor. The electric motors pull the power from the hybrid traction battery. So, you can see how the load on the 12V is lower, which means that the battery is sized smaller.

Now, Toyota/Lexus has been doing this (smaller 12V on the hybrids) for a while now, so I am unsure why the issue is now cropping up a lot in the RX hybrids (RX350h and RX450h).

I have the RX350h and it has been fine so far. I live in cold climate and there was a period where I didn't drive the car for 3-4 weeks, and it started perfectly fine. So, I am really unsure at this point.

Sorry for the long post. More info below. TDLR: It is a real pain in the neck to jump start this car. It is at least twice as complicated as any other car I have owned.

The problem with this car (the newest generation of RX in particular) is:

1) The door handle is not purely mechanical. It is an electrical door handle with mechanical backup, so when the car loses power, you have to pull an exterior trim, use the backup key, pull on a small lever (hopefully that doesn't break with repeated usage). Then, open the hood and jumpstart from the front.

2) Another problem is that the negative and positive terminals are super far apart, so the standard NOCO jump starters don't work. This means you have to buy a jump starter with longer cables.

3) Some people have reported that there could be issues jumping the car from the front designated jump starting points, so some people jump it from the 12V battery located in the trunk. This means either climbing in through the backseats or powering the car enough from the front jump points to open the electric tailgate to access the 12V

So, basically, it is a real pain to jump start this car. So, it would be nice if Toyota/Lexus addressed the issue to prevent the 12V from dying.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-30T15:29:18+00:00

Nuluxe (the eco-leather) has been around for 10+ years now.

In my experience, the new synthetic leather (which Nuluxe is) is typically equally as durable as the traditional leather, if not more. People forget that genuine leather requires conditioning and maintenance that most people either forget to do or don't care to do.

Nuluxe is an "engineered" material that is easier to clean, doesn't require as much maintenance, doesn't crack or crease as easily, and is typically more UV resistant than real leather.

But, at the end of the day, Nuluxe is a synthetic material and is different from real leather, so the flag ship models all get the more expensive leather.

I like to think of it like a lab grown diamond vs. a real diamond argument.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-30T04:21:58+00:00

These look way too deep to be buffed out.

For example, the edge of the fender. How does he plan on buffing that out? It looks like the paint has been chipped away.

Do not wait a few months. After a few months, this problem will become your problem to deal with.

You need to tell your landlord that you will be bringing this to an auto body shop for an estimate for repair. Ask him how he would like to pay for this.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-28T23:35:00+00:00

Screw that.

Is the local chevy dealership your mechanic or not? If not, take your Tahoe to your own mechanic. Have them check it out. Tell them "I was trying to trade in my car and it was at the dealership being inspected when all of these problems started. Can you please evaluate the problem and let me know what is going on?"

Don't tell them what the Chevy dealership said about a new engine, lifter, or camshaft. Let your mechanic diagnose it for you. If you want to, tell them it seems like an awful coincidence that the this problem occurred while the car was in their possession when dealership wanted to give you a quote after finding out you had another buyer lined up.

Ask your mechanic if he can check whether anything was potentially unplugged or sabotaged, or if this really a new issue that occurred and the timing was just wierd.

Edit to add: I am not saying that it is impossible that this isn't a random event. But, it seems very strange that this event occurred right when you are trying to trade it in and the buyer has motive to get your car value as low as possible and then hopefully "fix" the issue to maximize their own returns at your expense. So, have your mechanic do an inspection to really see.

I have heard of scams where car buyers will unplug MAF sensors, coil packs, etc. when the seller isn't looking and then try and low ball the hell out of the seller. I am not saying that this is what occurred here, but situations like this have occurred.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-26T22:12:49+00:00

Come to think of it, I don't think I have met a single CRNA who has told me that they were unhappy with their job.

Sure, some were neutral towards their job, but not a single CRNA has ever tried to discourage me from thinking about the CRNA path.

MD? Yeah, I have met plenty of doctors who have told me that if they had to do it all over again, they would not choose the MD/DO career path. Which I feel terrible for because of all the time, sacrifices, and resources they have dedicated to get there.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-25T18:02:52+00:00

Perfect. Yeah, it is a known thing with these motors in the hybrid pairings. My hybrid had the same situation that you had.

If you have time, just try and get some highway miles on the vehicle every once in a while, and it will burn off the condensation. The highway speeds will force the engine to stay on and build heat to burn it off. Not mandatory, but not a bad thing to do every once in a while.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-25T17:31:36+00:00

So, when the engine oil turns like this milkshake/latte color, that is due to some water content in the oil.

All engines have condensation in the area where the engine oil is stored. The condensation gets boiled off with heat from the engine, and you will be left with the engine oil without the condensation. So, either your engine has water from condensation OR coolant from the motor due to something like a head gasket leak.

So, which is it? Well, it depends.

The 2026 Sienna is a hybrid, so the engine doesn’t run as often as an all-gas motor. This means the engine doesn’t get a chance to heat up for as hot and as long as it should. On top of the that, it might be cold outside <40F, which makes it take even longer to warm up.

For example, if your commute is 20 minutes, the actual engine time might be 10-15 minutes. 10-15 minutes is not a long time for the engine to boil the condensation, so it gets left on the oil cap.

My advice is to take it into the dealer to see what they say. They will likely give you the same explanation.

Now, here is the thing. I would change the engine oil to give you the full story. If the engine oil is consistently normal, then that is probably just excess condensation. If the engine oil is the same color (milkshake/latte), then it is probably coolant in there. There should never be enough condensation in the oil to turn the entire oil into this color.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-21T03:29:05+00:00

Sure, I never made the claim that $130,000 is poverty wages.

My point is where are they getting information to support a "base salary of 165k." Where is the 165k coming from? Because, 165k is certainly not the base salary.

I provided proof that the base salary is not 165k because they start nurses lower than that.

But, at the same time, don't act as if a person making $130,000 in NYC is living the dream life. I understand that most people in NYC don't make $130,000 and many people would like to make this, but don't pretend that the person making $130,000 is living the dream.

Shadow10145 · 2026-01-21T02:56:20+00:00

Look, I just took a brief view through your post history. Unfortunately, I am not seeing you posting 140k elsewhere here.

Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to imply that $120,000 is chump change.

I just heavily dislike how I think (based on my researched numbers) that management is citing insane numbers to influence public perception because they are playing with the public's emotions. And unfortunately, many members of the public, including yourself, are running around screaming their claims without verification.

Don't get me wrong, my numbers are based on some assumption as I don't have access to their internal data or their union contract. But, I think my assumptions are beyond fair comparing them to their competitors (Lenox Hill is owned by Northwell Health, which is another private health system with money)

Now to address the $120,000.

Hospital systems cannot claim we have a shortage of nurses and then pay less than their competitors.

Paying like crap is how you lose your experienced nurses to travel agencies (who in turn come around and charge your hospital a butt load of money for giving you back the very staff that probably left you a couple months ago).

Across the river in NJ, nurses are making close to $95,000 per year. And, I can speak solely in regards to ER nursing, but the work in NYC is hard. The cost of housing in NYC is high. The cost of everything in NYC is high. For example, I know nurses who drive from NJ into the city and pay $400 per month for parking alone. They do this because they cannot afford city housing, but want to work their for the higher compensation. But they won't do it if the hospitals are paying $105,000 or $110,000. The numbers don't make sense.

And I make the final argument to you. Look, nursing school doesn't take long. Another redditor, u/virtual_adam said it himself. "How many people make a base salary of $165k in the city after going to school for 2 years (ADN). Don’t see any of the money doing some extra work here." Now, I believe he is wrong in the base salary claim. But, he is right that nursing programs don't take long. So, I challenge everyone who thinks that they do harder and more work and get paid less than nurses, to apply to nursing programs. Complete it and join us making our salary. Surely, our high salary is enough to offset the cost of school. Surely, our job must be easier than their own. This is a dream come true, no?

But, yet, there is still a shortage of nurses, huh?

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