Should I Risk An Se-l

willydoit · July 10, 2015

Hi all, am looking for a circa 2005 low mileage RX300, I have seen a private sale for one with 78k miles which sounds okay except it is an SE-L originally a lexus ex demo but hasnt been serviced by Lexus since 50k but serviced by Indy.

Seller says he has had no issues with suspension and is happy to video it going up and down for me to see and hear. My concern is that with all the reported issues with air suspension it has frightened me to death given the costs of repair and the apparent frequency of issues. By the same token I dont want to pass up on an otherwise good vehicle if my paranoia with the suspension is unjustified.

I appreciate that no-one goes on this or other forums to advertise they havent got a problem so am wondering just how real a concern it should be, and whether its blown out of proportion. That isnt to belittle the huge impact such a failure has on those who have experienced it but I would like to try to put it into perspective. Was it still an issue with 2005 vehicles or had things improved? Are there any stats listed anywhere which will help determine the likelyhood of my having a problem with the suspension on a 2005 78k vehicle.

There doesn't seem to be many SE-L models for sale, is that because people dont want to part with them or did few people buy them in the first place choosing to pay for upgrades to the SE instead in order to avoid the air suspension.

Would be interested to see how many owners have not had issues with their air suspension against how many have.

Anyone out their got air suspension on a 10 + year old vehicle that hasnt had expensive suspension repair bills?

Possibly going to view the car this weekend which is a long way away so feedback on this would be appreciated so I can make an informed decision whether to discount all SE-L versions from my search and lose all the -L extras like the ML sound system which is excellent in my wifes SC430.

Thanks in advance.

PCM · July 10, 2015

Interesting question.

I have a 2003 SEL and I love it.

My wife has a later SE and I love that too.

Slight difference in ride.

I bought mine from a Lexus dealer with a Lexus warranty. I wanted that peace of mind and would not at the time have bought an SEL privately.

That's not to say it's wrong to.

I reckon that the car prep., cost the dealer about £1500 and recent warranty work ( not suspension ) another £1450 - so the warranty for me was important.

See other post - but my car is about 2 cm higher on one side. I don't notice it all but WILL get it looked at.

Maybe you need to factor in a couple of 1000 off the price???

ChrisKaye · July 10, 2015

Tyres wear out, air suspension wears out, normal spring suspension eventually wears out. It's a fact, sorry!

If you have the above attitude, then you have realistic expectations.

Air suspension uses rubber air bags, these seem to be most prone to wearing out around 10-12yr mark or around 80-110k miles.

The RX is heavy, so assuming their aren't any manufacturing faults with the bags, they will always eventually wear or perish.

My car when I bought in Feb was a 53 plate SE-L with 103k on the clock.

The air suspension did work faultlessly on the hour test drive BUT in the last 3 weeks, the compressor is literally on every time I start the car or whenever I'm driving and when I come to a stop. The biggest culprit is the rear nearside air bag, you can hear the air escaping from it, so will need replacing asap. The part alone from Lexus IS £660. Front air struts are currently £760 each.

Sure there are other things that can go with the air suspension (height control modules, solenoids and compressor) but on my 2003 car, they all look and work great. I paid £4000 for my RX knowing that I'd have to spend money to get it to a known good condition to keep for 3yrs+. I, like you, also read all those things about the air suspension too - so went into it with my eyes open and adjusted the purchase budget accordingly. If you do the same, then you can't lose. I love the RX and so does the misses and little boy, it's not particularly sexy but it is undeniable fabulous.

As for the air, if it goes, it goes. I'm currently making slow progress researching alternative, cheaper components to fix the air bag issue... Watch this space!

Ta,

Chris

stringbender · July 10, 2015

Hi Steve,

My experience may be relevant. I've had my SEL since March 2005 when it was new. Now it has over 97,000 miles on the clock. Apart from normal "servicing" I had to have new front calipers as one seized after driving through flood water. Nothing else has been changed. Not the Battery and not even a bulb (yet!). Everything works as it did the day I bought it. My wife and I LOVE the car and will try and keep it going for as long as we can. No idea what to replace it with at all.

You're right that people don't come on here to say how pleased they are with something. I've been reading this forum for 11 years now and I know air suspension gets a lot of mentions but so does the Battery on the RX 400h. It wasn't a risk for me to buy as the 1st RX I bought was coil sprung and the ride was horrible. I've had 10 years of sublime driving and when it packs up I'll get it fixed. The car is so worth it.

Alan

Just remembered there was a brake master cylinder recall but all vehicles had that work done under warranty.

The-Acre · July 10, 2015

Hi Steve,

My experience may be relevant. I've had my SEL since March 2005 when it was new. Now it has over 97,000 miles on the clock. Apart from normal "servicing" I had to have new front calipers as one seized after driving through flood water. Nothing else has been changed. Not the battery and not even a bulb (yet!). Everything works as it did the day I bought it. My wife and I LOVE the car and will try and keep it going for as long as we can. No idea what to replace it with at all.

You're right that people don't come on here to say how pleased they are with something. I've been reading this forum for 11 years now and I know air suspension gets a lot of mentions but so does the battery on the RX 400h. It wasn't a risk for me to buy as the 1st RX I bought was coil sprung and the ride was horrible. I've had 10 years of sublime driving and when it packs up I'll get it fixed. The car is so worth it.

Alan

Just remembered there was a brake master cylinder recall but all vehicles had that work done under warranty.

I'm just reading this with interest as I've said the same thing many times, rarely do members comment on how good their air suspension is, and how reliable it's been. And I suppose in reality these forums exist primarily for trouble shooting. For that reason I don't think we should be put off buying a car with air, but maybe we should buy with the understanding that Lexus will always be an expensive car to repair....if it goes wrong.

rayaans · July 10, 2015

Hi Steve,

My experience may be relevant. I've had my SEL since March 2005 when it was new. Now it has over 97,000 miles on the clock. Apart from normal "servicing" I had to have new front calipers as one seized after driving through flood water. Nothing else has been changed. Not the battery and not even a bulb (yet!). Everything works as it did the day I bought it. My wife and I LOVE the car and will try and keep it going for as long as we can. No idea what to replace it with at all.

You're right that people don't come on here to say how pleased they are with something. I've been reading this forum for 11 years now and I know air suspension gets a lot of mentions but so does the battery on the RX 400h. It wasn't a risk for me to buy as the 1st RX I bought was coil sprung and the ride was horrible. I've had 10 years of sublime driving and when it packs up I'll get it fixed. The car is so worth it.

Alan

Just remembered there was a brake master cylinder recall but all vehicles had that work done under warranty.

I'm just reading this with interest as I've said the same thing many times, rarely do members comment on how good their air suspension is, and how reliable it's been. And I suppose in reality these forums exist primarily for trouble shooting. For that reason I don't think we should be put off buying a car with air, but maybe we should buy with the understanding that Lexus will always be an expensive car to repair....if it goes wrong.

Members rarely comment on how good reliability is anyway - its usually a given. People usually come to forums with problems or questions, not to compliment their car

willydoit · July 10, 2015

Thanks all for the feedback so far, it is all very helpful, have decided against the SE-L I was thinking of going to look at as the potential extra expense was more than I was wanting to risk, would have had to reduce price to cover cam belt and 60k service and the potential for suspension issues at that sort of cost on a £5-6k vehicle in my opinion is too much.

Havent ruled out an SE-L altogether if I find one which has already had suspension issues addressed. Continued posting of experiences with the SE-L would be appreciated as I am sure it will help others with similar concerns.

plastic orange · July 10, 2015

If you are concerned about potential air suspension problems with an SEL, then just buy an SE instead - that's what I did.

Pete

willydoit · July 10, 2015

If you are concerned about potential air suspension problems with an SEL, then just buy an SE instead - that's what I did.

Pete

Hi Pete,

That is looking like my only option, would have liked ML audio that comes with SEL and want sat nav and reversing cam and would like Bluetooth if I can get it but dont think it was available on 2005 but stand to be corrected if I am wrong. As one of main purposes for purchase for wintry conditions I assumed all were 4wd but it seems that isnt the case, some are just front wheel drive. Is This associated with a particular model, ie are all SEL 4 wheel drive but an upgrade option on SE, how does the 4and2 wheel drive situation work? If an advertised RX doesnt say 4wd should I assume it will be just front wheel drive?

ChrisKaye · July 11, 2015

Hi Willy,

All RX's that are UK spec are AWD (4 wheel drive) so no worries there!

If you want Bluetooth, you need to get a '56 plate car as it was built in on most models, think SE and above. Be warned that Bluetooth compatibility between newer phones and the car gets worse the older the car gets.

In my opinion, the early Mark Levinson (at least on 2003-2006 cars) is OK but not great.

Sat nav can only be updated to a point before you can't get the latest discs with new roads on.

You can get a nice after market head unit with reverse cam, sat nav, dvd playback and better Bluetooth support for about £300 quid or so. Bearing this in mind, an SE or LE that has the options you really need, ie: power boot/tailgate and AFS/HID lights and leather seats - would be cheaper to allow you some spare budget to upgrade the audio system!

I went SE-L cos I actually like air suspension, but them I'm nuts!!

ColinBarber · July 11, 2015

I've been reading this forum for 11 years now and I know air suspension gets a lot of mentions but so does the battery on the RX 400h.

The difference here is a new aux Battery for the 400h costs £55 and is easy to change, just factor that cost in when purchasing the vehicle and you are then good for another 3 to 5 years. The cost to repair an air suspension failure is considerably more.

stringbender · July 11, 2015

If you are concerned about potential air suspension problems with an SEL, then just buy an SE instead - that's what I did.

Pete

but dont think it was available on 2005 but stand to be corrected if I am wrong.

Bluetooth came in on the 2005 build. My original 54 plate didn't have it but my 2005 has.

Alan

ColinBarber · July 11, 2015

Yes, the upgraded Nav system with Bluetooth, introduced with the 400h in June 2005, came to the RX300 in July 2005. Nav and the ICE package were options available on the SE grade with the Nav being standard on the SE-L. It is only the ML stereo you can't get on an SE before the 2006 facelift, at which point the RX300 was discontinued anyway and replaced with the excellent RX350.

PCM · July 11, 2015

I guess it all comes down to money and risk.

I like my SE-L and I can tell the air-suspension difference.

Each month - unless I raid it - I save away some cash, for servicing etc.

I also have a Lexus Warranty.

But reading recent posts, there can be other, equally expensive issues. I think it goes with the territory.

The cost of fuel consumption too.

But given all that, I am happy to pay for the comfort, ease of driving, AWD, driving position and very definite feeling of being in a safe car - for me and my family.

willydoit · July 11, 2015

Thanks for all the extremely useful information, it has been very helpful in narrowing down my choices, a late 2005 with Bluetooth, sat nav rear camera preferably with black interior and low mileage (75k or under preferred) all I have to do now is find one...

PCM · July 12, 2015

My 20 year old Soarer with air suspension only ever had one problem with it - the compressor...

Other than that it was fine.

willydoit · July 17, 2015

Hi all,

Just to say that I think I solved the issue, managed to buy a 2007 350 SE which original purchaser upgraded to inlude sel level spec without air suspension so a great result, only 55k miles too.

two tractors · July 20, 2015

i just bought SE-L (350) my wife loves the air suspension as it lowers when you stop making access back in the car easier for her(disabled)if you are buying a lexus,like any other premium car the bills probably are going to be bigger than your average focus,but balance that against the pure value second hand of large premium cars and it all adds up to very reasonable overall running costs :)

PCM · July 29, 2015

Driving my wife's RX SE yesterday, compared with my SE-L - I CAN tell the difference.

The SE-L is much smoother ( as you would expect )..

Both great cars though!

Spacewagon52 · July 29, 2015

I agree that a premium car like a Lexus is very good value for money when they are older. The repair bills can be worrying if you are trying to run the car as cheaply as possible. If you own a £20,000 + car and get a bill for say £1,000 - you would be prepared to pay it. Get that same bill on an LS 400, where the value of the car can match the cost - then psychologically you consider it not worth it. From reading other owners comments, once certain issues are sorted the car will go on for a long time. The hard decision is when to say - enough is enough - am I throwing good money after bad?

At the moment I have a BIG smile on my face when I take out the 400. For what it cost, it is a tremendous car. And when you consider its age, I doubt many similar aged cars could match it for comfort and refinement.

PCM · July 29, 2015

And brilliant on a motorway.

July 30, 2015

We had a minter RX 300 SE-L for about a year and it was a lovely car and very smooth ride plus it was excellent in the snow, felt very safe.Only sold it because of the fuel consumption which was very poor but if fuel isn't an issue they are a great car.