Are The Bills On This Rx350 A Good Sign Or Not From A Purchase Viewpoi

[willydoit]

Looking to get a RX to go alongside my SC430 for more practical usage, have seen this advertised which is not too far from us but was a bit staggered by the Lexus servicing and repair bills, are these typical RX ownership costs, is it a Friday afternoon built car? Am awaiting seller to contact me but not sure if the bills are a good sign or a warning sign. Your opinions would be appreciated. Am waiting for Lexus Hull to advise whether the vehicle would qualify for a 2 year extended warranty, will be interesting to see if they would still be willing to warranty the vehicle given that they have looked after it.

Any opinions gratefully received.

[ColinBarber]

This there a link or picture missing? Cannot comment without further information however I will say I've seen Lexus vehicles, of all types, that have had extensive servicing bills - seems some dealers just take advantage where they can get away with it and will replace brake pads/discs and suspension items when it isn't really necessary.

[willydoit]

Sorry about that. Link below.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-56-LEXUS-RX350-SE-AUTO-1-OWNER-FULL-LEXUS-HISTORY-RECENT-SERVICE-/281727281233?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4198412851

We are also thinking of looking at this one

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506013932822?onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&make=lexus&model=rx_300&sort=locasc&postcode=yo259xz&radius=1500&channel=cars&search-target=usedcars&page=1&logcode=p

And this one

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506194464111?page=1&search-target=usedcars&postcode=yo259xz&make=lexus&channel=cars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&radius=1500&sort=locasc&model=rx_300&logcode=p

Any comments or advice welcome. Notice that not all have satnav which I thought was standard kit on these. Were any other items optional extras, also did any of the rev2 models have Bluetooth as a dealer option.

Thanks in advance

[rayaans]

Hmm the receipts are a sign of an honest owner but......

Looking at those costs, they are through the roof. Engine changed at 33k miles? That's almost unheard of in a Lexus, especially the 3.5V6. It makes me feel as if it's been ragged throughout its life.

The timing chain cost is ridiculous. In no way would it cost £3k for a timing chain replacement, which don't mostly need changing in a cars life.

The service prices seem excessive and I would question the sanity of an owner paying £3k for a timing chain when the car is barely worth double that.

Id stay away from the eBay one personally and I'd be using an independent garage for a vehicle of that age. No point using main dealer after 50k miles or so as they'll find things to do which don't necessarily need doing

BTW the black RX300 with 70K is my previous RX300. What a small world. I had the car serviced at Lexus Bradford 3 times and then at local independent where my friend works. He moved to KWIK Fit so the car went with him :)

100% guaranteed you'll find my name - Dr Shaikh on the logbook as the first owner. Therefore I would definitely recommend it! Never set a foot wrong in its whole 8 years with me! I part exchanged at 55k to Lexus Stockport and it went to Dace Motor Company who sold it in 2012. You should find very little wear on the passenger and rear seats as I was the only one in the car most of the time. Looks like they've had the drivers seat refurbed well too. It appears my wheels are still in good condition as well!

[willydoit]

Hmm the receipts are a sign of an honest owner but......

Looking at those costs, they are through the roof. Engine changed at 33k miles? That's almost unheard of in a Lexus, especially the 3.5V6. It makes me feel as if it's been ragged throughout its life.

The timing chain cost is ridiculous. In no way would it cost £3k for a timing chain replacement, which don't mostly need changing in a cars life.

The service prices seem excessive and I would question the sanity of an owner paying £3k for a timing chain when the car is barely worth double that.

Id stay away from the Ebay one personally and I'd be using an independent garage for a vehicle of that age. No point using main dealer after 50k miles or so as they'll find things to do which don't necessarily need doing

BTW the black RX300 with 70K is my previous RX300. What a small world. I had the car serviced at Lexus Bradford 3 times and then at local independent where my friend works. He moved to KWIK Fit so the car went with him :)

100% guaranteed you'll find my name - Dr Shaikh on the logbook as the first owner. Therefore I would definitely recommend it! Never set a foot wrong in its whole 8 years with me! I part exchanged at 55k to Lexus Stockport and it went to Dace Motor Company who sold it in 2012. You should find very little wear on the passenger and rear seats as I was the only one in the car most of the time. Looks like they've had the drivers seat refurbed well too. It appears my wheels are still in good condition as well!

Hi,

Thanks for that, I was contacted last nigjt by the seller of the one with high bills, seems a genuine chap for a dealer, says the car was owned by a top management person at Radio Humberside, apparently he would just agree to whatever Lexus Hull said would need doing to the car which is rather worrying considering that Hull would be my local dealer and I was considering taking out an extended 2 year warranty on the sc230 I just purchased. I dont want to use a dealership that just manufactures work and then risk the warranty coverage if I dont have any recommended work done. i used to take my 98 Ls400 there but ended up going all the way to Sheffield for the cambelt change as I wasnt happy with Lexus Hull, no specific reason, just thought that I was looked down on due to the car being around 10 years old even though it was showroom condition with less than 40k on the clock. At the last major service they did there were a lot of things they said didnt need doing such as plugs etc due to mileage, but the discount received for not changing them didnt come anywhere close to what they would then charge to do them later. Thats always the problem with a low mileage car, you cannot rely on garages having done everything that would normaly have been done based on age. I did ring Lexus Hull to see if they would allow an extended warranty on that vehicle but as yet they havent rung me back. Maybe that tells its own story.

Regarding your old RX, i was very interested in that one, only thing that put me off slightly was that there is apparently a tear in the top of the drivers door card (I am a bit anal when it comes to looking after my cars) but think I may go and have a look at that one today anyway as it sounded well cared for. Apparently most recent services were done in Huddersfield but I cannot find garage on the internet but dealership said they would be happy to give the garages number, seems it was being serviced every 5k for some reason.

We may possibly need two as my daughter is also looking for one so that could make things a little awkward lol. Anyone know how much the top padded area of a door card would cost to replace?

Glad to hear the explanation for the kwik fit servicing as that seemed a bit unusual but understandable under the circumstances.

Turns out the one with the high bills doesnt have sat nav and my wife isnt keen on a black interior either so think that one is probably out of the window which is a shame as the dealer sounded a nice guy on the phone who gets a lot of Lexus from Lexus Hull and seemed to know what he was talking about.

Thanks for the info on your old RX it has rekindled my interest on that one, any other info you have would be welcome, were the discs ever replaced? Any issues I could use to help with price negotiations?

Will keep you updated on how things progress.

[rayaans]

That tear was my fault lol. I was carrying some chunky wooden skirting boards and one of them hit the passenger door panel. The tear is 5cm or so but I was under the impression Stockport would have fixed it.

Anyway - I did get a quote at the time from my leather guy. He said it'd be £120 and it's a pretty easy job as the original leather is intact - ie the leather is hanging off rather than come off completely, therefore he mentioned that he would just stick it back on and then fill around it with liquid leather and then mould it to the same grain

I'm sure the discs were replaced at some point. I sold the car with all receipts for servicing and brakes etc so they should still be there. I only ever used Pagid discs and pads, obviously don't know what's on there now though. It's probably being serviced every 5k as the current owner only drives that much in a year.

The carpets have been changed. Mine were beige and they're now black but you'd be able to get some decent ones from eBay if you want beige mats lol. I kept some rubber over mats in winter and used the beige ones in summer.

I'm also an OCD detailer so I kept the car looking fresh when I had it so paint should be rather good. Not much damage someone can do in 15k miles and 3 years I don't think

I should also mention that although Kwik Fit sounds bad, it wasn't in my case. The only reason I moved from Lexus Bradford was because their service utterly shocked me on the 3rd Service. The car was then serviced by my friend at Wilco who then went to work at Kwik Fit and is still there now so the remaining time I had the car it went to him for servicing. I also have a Mercedes C220 CDI since 2006 which has been serviced at Kwik Fit every year with no problems at all and generally diesels are more problematic when it comes to servicing. That RX300 is bulletproof, never skipped a beat, I should mention that it was always garaged too so less weathering :)

[willydoit]

That tear was my fault lol. I was carrying some chunky wooden skirting boards and one of them hit the passenger door panel. The test is 5cm or so but I was under the impression Stockport would have fixed it.

Anyway - I did get a quote at the time from my leather guy. He said it'd be £120 and it's a pretty easy job as the original leather is intact - ie the leather is hanging off rather than come off completely, therefore he mentioned that he would just stick it back on and then fill around it with liquid leather and then mould it.

I'm sure the discs were replaced at some point. I sold the car with all receipts for servicing and brakes etc so they should still be there. I only ever used Pagid discs and pads, obviously don't know what's on there now though. It's probably being serviced every 5k as the current owner only drives that much in a year.

The carpets have been changed. Mine were beige and they're now black but you'd be able to get some decent ones from eBay if you want beige mats lol. I kept some rubber over mats in winter and used the beige ones in summer.

I'm also an OCD detailer so I kept the car looking fresh when I had it so paint should be rather good. Not much damage somdone can do in 15k miles and 3 years I don't think

I should also mention that although Kwik Fit sounds bad, it wasn't in my case. The only reason I moved from Lexus Bradford was because their service utterly shocked me on the 3rd Service. The car was then serviced by my friend at Wilco who then went to work at Kwik Fit and is still there now so the remaining time I had the car it went to him for servicing. I also have a Mercedes C220 CDI since 2006 which has been serviced at Kwik Fit every year with no problems at all.

Thanks for that, good news about the leather repair, looking at the pictures not sure if it has already had a repair attempted. One thing I have noticed though is that the ad says it has sat nav but it doesnt look as though it has from the interior images. Can you confirm if the car has sat nav or not. May not be a big issue for us but it is a requirement for my daughter as she does quite a bit of travelling.

Thanks for all the info it really is helpful.

[rayaans]

No it doesn't have a sat nav. Only the SE-L came with sat nav as standard or you had to option it. The sat nav will probably be out of date and it costs £150 every time to update it. I used my tom tom which is much better.

My RX450h is a 2012 and I swear it hasn't got some roads in which were built in 2008 so I can only imagine RX300 sat nav would have a realistic date of 2001 lol

[willydoit]

No it doesn't have a sat nav. Only the SE-L came with sat nav as standard or you had to option it. The sat nav will probably be out of date and it costs £150 every time to update it. I used my tom tom which is much better.

My RX450h is a 2012 and I swear it hasn't got some roads in which were built in 2008 so I can only imagine RX300 sat nav would have a realistic date of 2001 lol

Thanks Rayaan,

I would have preferred factory fit sat nav if possible but it isnt a deal breaker for the right car, would have preferred to have purchased the car after you had had it for peace of mind as it sounds as though you are like me for wanting to keep things right. Looking at the service book it looks as though Dace did a service when selling the vehicle and then for some reason there is an intermediate service done at Lexus Hull 3 months and 2k miles later but nothing thereafter. Seems strange that they would pay the cost of a Lexus service so soon after the service by Dace yet there is nothing in the book after that which leaves 13k miles unaccounted for. Have emailed the sales guy about the service and sat nav already so will see what he comes back with.

Thanks for all your help.

[rayaans]

Just taken a look at the pictures on my computer on a big screen lol :D

The tear in the door card is there and it looks like its still in the same position that I left it in - I glued it down to make sure it didn't get worse until I part exchanged at which time I thought the dealer would have sorted it out.

The good thing is - its original, ie no one has been messing with it so its better for a leather expert to sort it out so expect £120. Another good thing is - you can use it as a bargaining chip to get the price down!

Also, the Cupholder cover looks a little odd. Second owner must have done this but it cant be that difficult to put it back in its position.

Interior carpets look a bit dirty but nothing a good valeter cant sort out.

Wheels look to be in very good condition like how I left them - or possible been a refurb but I doubt it in 15k miles.

Also looks like the handbrake has been tightened up, brake pads changed etc etc from the invoice too which is to be expected of a 10 year old vehicle. Good thing is - you wont have to get this done if you buy.

I wouldn't worry about no stamps on the book as long as there are some receipts there. Not the first time someone forgets to stamp the book - some people just leave it in the glovebox with the manual and forget about it lol

I think the intermediate service by Lexus Hull was probably done for peace of mind in all honesty. It sounds like they bought from Dace Motor Company, wanted to get it checked over mechanically so got an intermediate service done.

if you go to view the car - make sure the original carpets are there as they can be cleaned quite easily. Again - bargaining chip if not present. It looks like the black mats are sitting on top of the original Lexus mats but you'll have to check that for yourself.

[willydoit]

Just taken a look at the pictures on my computer on a big screen lol :D

The tear in the door card is there and it looks like its still in the same position that I left it in - I glued it down to make sure it didn't get worse until I part exchanged at which time I thought the dealer would have sorted it out.

The good thing is - its original, ie no one has been messing with it so its better for a leather expert to sort it out so expect £120. Another good thing is - you can use it as a bargaining chip to get the price down!

Also, the Cupholder cover looks a little odd. Second owner must have done this but it cant be that difficult to put it back in its position.

Interior carpets look a bit dirty but nothing a good valeter cant sort out.

Wheels look to be in very good condition like how I left them - or possible been a refurb but I doubt it in 15k miles.

Also looks like the handbrake has been tightened up, brake pads changed etc etc from the invoice too which is to be expected of a 10 year old vehicle. Good thing is - you wont have to get this done if you buy.

I wouldn't worry about no stamps on the book as long as there are some receipts there. Not the first time someone forgets to stamp the book - some people just leave it in the glovebox with the manual and forget about it lol

I think the intermediate service by Lexus Hull was probably done for peace of mind in all honesty. It sounds like they bought from Dace Motor Company, wanted to get it checked over mechanically so got an intermediate service done.

if you go to view the car - make sure the original carpets are there as they can be cleaned quite easily. Again - bargaining chip if not present. It looks like the black mats are sitting on top of the original Lexus mats but you'll have to check that for yourself.

Thanks, hadnt noticed the cupholder, dealer seems to have done a good valeting job on it so it may be that the carpets are as good as they will get, that said the SC430 we just bought also looked clean inside but once we started cleaning it it was suprising how much surface dirt we got off it.

I have uploaded the two images the dealer sent me of the two things he thought may be an issue, the tear on the door card and some damage to rear bumper which I assume wasn't there when you sold the car. It looks to me as though someone may have tried applying heat to the door card as the surrounding area has lot a lot of the graining but you may be able to tell if that was how it was originally. Someone may have made the job worse by messing around with it as it looks quite brittle and cracked so not sure if it would still be repairable but it may be possible to get that section of the trim from somewhere, if it does seperate and can be repaired it may be possible to swap it ouot to the rear door if they are identical.

[rayaans]

Yes, my door card wasnt like that. Mine was a rip in the same place but the leather was hanging off so I glued it down but the picture you posted has no grain on it which means someone has been trying to repair it im afraid.

The rear bumper damage wasn't there - in fact, there was no damage to the exterior whatsoever apart from stone chips to the front. However, it doesnt look too bad, just a scuff which should be easily removable or repainted. Being solid black, its an easy colour to fix :)

Of course, these are all bargaining chips for you and a good leather repair guy should be able to sort it out regardless. In this case, a good leather repair guy would probably cut out the affected part, put a piece of matched leather there and fill around it with liquid leather, finally he'd put the grain back into it.

Leather guys can work wonders, they can fix cigarette burns and 6 inch tears so I think you should be fine.

Id say you could get everything done for £500 with ease - it'd probably cost you around £300 total so factor that into the cost of the car. Id probably offer around £5100 to begin with.

[willydoit]

Yes, my door card wasnt like that. Mine was a rip in the same place but the leather was hanging off so I glued it down but the picture you posted has no grain on it which means someone has been trying to repair it im afraid.

The rear bumper damage wasn't there - in fact, there was no damage to the exterior whatsoever apart from stone chips to the front. However, it doesnt look too bad, just a scuff which should be easily removable or repainted. Being solid black, its an easy colour to fix :)

Of course, these are all bargaining chips for you and a good leather repair guy should be able to sort it out regardless. In this case, a good leather repair guy would probably cut out the affected part, put a piece of matched leather there and fill around it with liquid leather, finally he'd put the grain back into it.

Leather guys can work wonders, they can fix cigarette burns and 6 inch tears so I think you should be fine.

Id say you could get everything done for £500 with ease - it'd probably cost you around £300 total so factor that into the cost of the car. Id probably offer around £5100 to begin with.

Thanks Rayaans,

will let you know how we get on, at the moment am just waiting to see if my daughter has the time to travel over the bridge to view these cars later today as I am tied up the rest of this week.

[ColinBarber]

The timing chain cost is ridiculous. In no way would it cost £3k for a timing chain replacement, which don't mostly need changing in a cars life.

The RX300 engine doesn't have a chain, it uses a belt.

[rayaans]

The timing chain cost is ridiculous. In no way would it cost £3k for a timing chain replacement, which don't mostly need changing in a cars life.

The RX300 engine doesn't have a chain, it uses a belt.

Timing chain replacement was listed on the eBay one which is an RX350 at £3k............

[ColinBarber]

Yes I know, sorry I wasn't implying you were incorrect but that the auction owner was.

Given that the engine doesn't have one I wouldn't trust anything else stated about that vehicle.

[willydoit]

Yes I know, sorry I wasn't implying you were incorrect but that the auction owner was.

Given that the engine doesn't have one I wouldn't trust anything else stated about that vehicle.

Hi Guys,

just to qualify, the vehicle with all the lexus bills £16k of them although much was done under warranty is on the RX350 It has full Lexus history and all the actual invoices. I did call Lexus the other day and they confirmed all the work that has been done. Have now seen the vehicle and it looks immaculate inside for a vehicle of this mileage (113k ) so has been well cared for, It is obvious the car hasnt been thrashed in any way so why the bills are so huge I dont know. I can only assume the previous owner, apparently a bigwig at the local bbc radio station was one of those who liked everything right and trusted that if Lexus said something wanted doing then it got done.

[willydoit]

Yes, my door card wasnt like that. Mine was a rip in the same place but the leather was hanging off so I glued it down but the picture you posted has no grain on it which means someone has been trying to repair it im afraid.

The rear bumper damage wasn't there - in fact, there was no damage to the exterior whatsoever apart from stone chips to the front. However, it doesnt look too bad, just a scuff which should be easily removable or repainted. Being solid black, its an easy colour to fix :)

Of course, these are all bargaining chips for you and a good leather repair guy should be able to sort it out regardless. In this case, a good leather repair guy would probably cut out the affected part, put a piece of matched leather there and fill around it with liquid leather, finally he'd put the grain back into it.

Leather guys can work wonders, they can fix cigarette burns and 6 inch tears so I think you should be fine.

Id say you could get everything done for £500 with ease - it'd probably cost you around £300 total so factor that into the cost of the car. Id probably offer around £5100 to begin with.

Hi Rayaans,

Went to look at your old car today, to be honest, if you saw it you would probably be in tears, two bald tyres, warning light on dash, scratches on bodywork, just hasnt been looked after, only one service since dealer sold it. It apparently ended up at a car auction in Bridlington. Such a shame after tHe way you looked after it.

[rayaans]

Yes, my door card wasnt like that. Mine was a rip in the same place but the leather was hanging off so I glued it down but the picture you posted has no grain on it which means someone has been trying to repair it im afraid.

The rear bumper damage wasn't there - in fact, there was no damage to the exterior whatsoever apart from stone chips to the front. However, it doesnt look too bad, just a scuff which should be easily removable or repainted. Being solid black, its an easy colour to fix :)

Of course, these are all bargaining chips for you and a good leather repair guy should be able to sort it out regardless. In this case, a good leather repair guy would probably cut out the affected part, put a piece of matched leather there and fill around it with liquid leather, finally he'd put the grain back into it.

Leather guys can work wonders, they can fix cigarette burns and 6 inch tears so I think you should be fine.

Id say you could get everything done for £500 with ease - it'd probably cost you around £300 total so factor that into the cost of the car. Id probably offer around £5100 to begin with.

Hi Rayaans,

Went to look at your old car today, to be honest, if you saw it you would probably be in tears, two bald tyres, warning light on dash, scratches on bodywork, just hasnt been looked after, only one service since dealer sold it. It apparently ended up at a car auction in Bridlington. Such a shame after tHe way you looked after it.

Wow that's churned my stomach a bit.

When sold the tyres were at 6mm so it looks like they didn't change them at all, the work on the door card was shoddy and they've messed up the centre cupholder cover.

There was no warning light on either so someone hasn't treated it right :/

Best to stay away I guess. Go for the RX350 if it seems pk to you. I guess Lexus Hull realised they could make some money off him. They have some right characters at Hull in the sales team lol

[willydoit]

Yes I know, sorry I wasn't implying you were incorrect but that the auction owner was.

Given that the engine doesn't have one I wouldn't trust anything else stated about that vehicle.

Hi Guys,

just to qualify, the vehicle with all the lexus bills £16k of them although much was done under warranty is on the RX350 It has full Lexus history and all the actual invoices. I did call Lexus the other day and they confirmed all the work that has been done. Have now seen the vehicle and it looks immaculate inside for a vehicle of this mileage (113k ) so has been well cared for, It is obvious the car hasnt been thrashed in any way so why the bills are so huge I dont know. I can only assume the previous owner, apparently a bigwig at the local bbc radio station was one of those who liked everything right and trusted that if Lexus said something wanted doing then it got done.

Just a quick update to the story so far, went to see the RX350 which was in superb condition, full Lexus history didnt have sat nav which I would have liked but (Mel) the guy selling it was very nice and helpful. In the end we decided that due to the outstanding condition it would be a shame to miss out on it so decided to purchase. We were due to collect it today. The seller (a dealer) called Mel nr Gilberdyke if anyone comes across him, called today to advise that when moving the car he noticed a small amount of oil on the floor and suspected it was coming from the sump gasket. Said he wanted to get it checked before selling me the car so booked it into Lexus Hull for a quick check. ( He purchased the car from them as a trade sale)

Rang later with bad news advising that it was the timing chain cover that had a leak. This despite Lexus Hull charging 3k for a timing chain and tensioners replacement just over 12 months ago. Asked if they would warranty the work given that the chain was only replaced 12 months ago ( bearing in mind over 16k of repairs and servicing all at Lexus Hull since new) and Lexus Hull apparently refused as they stated that the previous owner, against their advice chose not to have the timing chain cover replaced (over £700) when the timing chain was replaced. It seems the timing cover replacement will be very expensive, seem to recall 13 hours labour mentioned and the cover itself which was over £700. How can just a cover possibly cost that much and why should it need to be replaced if the timing chain etc has been replaced? Also at that price why should it ever leak?

So, two points to my experience. 1) I could have been left with that mess to clean up if the seller Mel hadnt been such a straight up and honest guy, huge thanks to him for that as it lost him the sale but gained huge respect. I suspect most dealers would have cleaned up evidence of the leak which was apparently minor in capacity and sold me the car knowing I was oblivious to the issue yet soon to face a huge bill. And point 2) this car looked immaculate with full Lexus history and invoices with what on the face of it seemed to show no expense spared on maintenance and yet still had a possible £2000 worth of bills ready for the next unsuspecting owner for just one item. So it seems that a full Lexus service history on its own cannot guarantee a good car. I would add that unless you are a competent mechanic an independant inspection would seem to be a must.

To be honest this and the number of people reporting transmission seal issues (another big expense) And Lexus Hull advising that they didnt find the extent of bills on the above car unusual (10k if you take of the 6k engine replacement which was under warranty) , I am seriously being put off the Lexus RX series. Am I right to be put off, are they a money pit in comparison to other Lexus models? Owners experiences re running costs on repairs would be appreciated as at this rate I am going to have to look at an alternative manufacture or forget the 4x4 idea altogether and keep my LS400 and stay at home if it snows.

In closing a big thank you to Mel for his honesty and integrity, on my experience and taking everything I have been told on trust I wouldn't hesitate recommending him to anyone who comes across him in the Hull area. He does aparently purchase a lot of Lexus cars from the dealers as a trader but it seems that the thousands he must spend with Lexus Hull doesnt count for much when problems like this occurr, so really, what chance do the rest of us have?

[Spacewagon52]

Compared with other "prestigious" marks, Lexus are more reliable .... but ......... if they do go wrong...... they can cost, if you use a Lexus dealership. You take a chance with any car. Reading "What Car" magazine, the tales of people who have spent 1,000's on a new car and ended up with a lemon is more worrying!

You take a chance with any purchase ..... think the worst ..... hope for the best!

[PCM]

I see the price has come down... and the listing updated.

Looks quite inviting ...

[willydoit]

I see the price has come down... and the listing updated.

Looks quite inviting ...

If you have your own workshop and can do the work yourself it is probably a good purchase as the vehicle itself is in great condition, I don't so it wasnt for me unfortunately.