Thinking Of Getting Rx300?

9690phil · December 25, 2015

Hi all. Any guidance on what to look out for on above.

Had many LS's GS's and not been dissapointed, I'm looking at around the 03 year. Cheers phil

royoftherovers · December 25, 2015

WATCH out for

Now lacks low-range gears and has only limited off road ability.

No 7 seat option in UK.

Tyres lower profile on 18" wheels instead of 16" wheels and much less chunky than before, so not as good over potholes, road humps or kerbs.

Apparently the front tyres wear rapidly giving only about 10,000 miles and cost £400 to replace.

21mpg not as good as the old model either.

Have been some problems with the active air suspension.

Replaced by more efficient RX350 in 2006.

Sudden Battery draindowns can be caused by the connection between the bulkhead switch and the air conditioning. With those made in Taiwan, when the ignition key is removed it is possible that the air conditioning does not disconnect (there is no visible/audible indication of this)- and the Battery can be drained within 3/4's of an hour. You must ensure that the air conditioning is separately switched off before you turn off the ignition or the failure could recur. Best to replace the Taiwan-made connection with its German made counterpart."

Damp luggage area can be due to water ingress via the rear light seals.

15-3-2011: Rear parking brake mechanism prone to seizing up and can cost a lot of time at high Lexus labour rates to fix. One reader had to spend £718, including 3.7 hours of labour at £115 per hour + VAT.

1-1-2012: Rear quarterlight trim prone to falling off. Replacement costs £170 because trim and quaterlight glass can only be bought together.

Recalls

December 2004: 5,937 cars recalled because oxidation can affect brake light switch. Applies only to cars built before July 2004.

20-10-2010: Lexus launched two voluntary recalls in the UK, affecting its IS, GS and RX models. It is working with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to contact registered owners and keepers by letter to advise them of the procedure for taking their vehicle to a Lexus Centre or an Official Lexus Service Outlet for the necessary repair work to be done. The first recall concerns the brake master cylinder fitted to IS, GS and RX models built between February 2003 and November 2005. Lexus is aware that the seal between the brake master cylinder and the brake booster may turn in its seat, causing brake fluid to leak into the brake booster. In the very unlikely event that this happens, the driver will be alerted to the problem by the low brake fluid warning light. The brakes will continue to function normally for a significant time - over 200 miles of regular driving. Lexus knows of no accidents caused by this issue. The repair involves the replacement of a small seal and a check for any fluid contamination in the brake booster. If any contamination is found, the brake booster will be replaced. The job will take approximately two hours to complete, at no cost to the customer. Approximately 15,400 UK registered vehicles are affected by this recall.

9-11-2011: Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS), today announced that it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine. There is a possibility that the outer ring of the crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the discharge warning light. If this condition is not corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley and the driver may notice a sudden increase in steering effort. There are no reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition. Toyota is currently working on obtaining the necessary replacement parts. Once the replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities, Toyota will send an owner notification by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the crankshaft pulley inspected and if necessary, replaced at no charge. The owner notifications will be mailed by first class mail beginning in January, 2012. In the meantime, if an abnormal noise is heard coming from the engine compartment, the owner is asked to make an appointment with any Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the vehicle inspected for this condition.

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ChrisKaye · December 25, 2015

Roy,

Not heard of that AC issue affecting UK cars, nor any owners of RX's over the last year reporting it.

Please in future could you post a link to other websites instead of copying the material verbatim, you could get this site in trouble otherwise!

As to the original poster's comment:

There's not much horrendous that routinely goes wrong with the RX300 and even RX400h considering how old they are now commensurate with age and mileage - major issues tend to be the exception rather than the rule.

When looking for an RX, routine service documentation is a must to ensure major service items have been covered (cam belt & spark plugs etc), alloy wheels are notorious for looking scruffy and cost around £400 to refurb. SE-L (RX300 not RX400) models have air suspension which WILL wear out over years and miles, so evidence of a recent strut change or factoring in something to the purchase price and having that set aside would be prudent. The Sat Nav & Bluetooth (if fitted) is long in the tooth now also. Other than that driver's seat usually has evidence of wear due to the soft leather. Also auto-dimming wing mirror glass is expensive to replace (goes a gold colour visible in daylight when bad) still works but at night everything seems darker and is a hindrance parking).

Make sure everything fitted works and usual used car purchasing due diligence is applied.

You may have had the v6 3L 1MZ-FE engine in the past in a GS300 if you ever had one of those, so you may already know what a creamy smooth, refined engine it is, which would be a bonus for you when test driving.

Let us know how you get on, but reliability wise from similar aged comparable SUV's (X5, Volvo, Tourag, Cayenne, etc...) the Lexus knocks the spots off them!

Chris.

rayaans · December 26, 2015

Mine was a 54 plate SE. Nothing went wrong in 8 years of ownership. Only had its recalls done. Didn't even have corroded wheels as I was very careful with them and I know that's something most complain about

PCM · December 26, 2015

I would suggest ....

1. Trawl this forum - it gives a brilliant insight.

2. Just apply the usual due diligence you would, when buying any car.

9690phil · December 26, 2015

Cheers guy's. So it's pretty much the as any other Lexus model. Regarding wheels seems Lexus never get it right on any model don't seem to last long before a refurb is req? But on my LS I just sold I got some refurb exchange for £280 so no prob there.

plastic orange · December 26, 2015

I've been pretty pleased with the 2005 RX300SE that I bought for my wife in March. It compliments my LS 400 nicely and my wife loves it. We now use it exclusively to transport the grand kids. Downside is fuel consumption, best of 28 and low of 19, but it is an auto with 4 wheel drive and isn't exactly light. Underneath isn't very well protected, so have a look there, plus I went for the steel spring variant as I don't like air, nor CVT transmission of 400 models.

Compared to the LS, it isn't as refined, but neither was it as expensive new - different story used though lol.

It had a full lexus service history, but I had to replace a rear caliper, pads and handbrake mechanism after 6 months, so due diligence is the answer - discs were new though.

Pete

rayaans · December 26, 2015

Cheers guy's. So it's pretty much the as any other Lexus model. Regarding wheels seems Lexus never get it right on any model don't seem to last long before a refurb is req? But on my LS I just sold I got some refurb exchange for £280 so no prob there.

A lot of people have problems with wheels but I never had anything after 8 years and 55k miles. Washing often is the answer personally. I imagine these cars are usually driven by people who don't wash their car for 5k miles and you can imagine what thatd do

royoftherovers · December 26, 2015

Roy,
"Not heard of that AC issue affecting UK cars, nor any owners of RX's over the last year reporting it.
Please in future could you post a link to other websites instead of copying the material verbatim, you could get this site in trouble otherwise! "

Noted Chris. Only trying to help.

Regards

John

GrahamG · December 26, 2015

May I, albeit on limited experience, recommend the RX350SE.

Bought a 2006 with 30000 miles two years ago from a main agent and have put 20k miles on it since then.

The 350 is more powerful yet more efficient and afraid of hybrid tech it is the pick of the RX range for me.

The SE version does not have air struts and that was essential when buying an old car.

It compliments my wife's 04 LS430. It is not as refined but is used for different purposes.

Would suggest the Navigator option with Sat Nav that doubles as reversing camera when reverse gear engaged. Amazes me so many purchasers did not opt for this extra.

Tyre costs and wear are normal.

plastic orange · December 26, 2015

RX350 is in a much higher tax bracket otherwise I'd have opted for one too.

Pete

PCM · December 26, 2015

For me, the Reversing Camera is a must-have.

:hohoho:

lloyd_1972 · December 26, 2015

I purchased a 2003/53 RX300 SE-L a few months ago and have been very impressed with the build quality and overall comfort of the car, it glides along effortlessly, the gear changes are silky smooth and the all round visibility is very good.

I have had to have a new front wheel bearing recently as it started to grumble and spoilt the otherwise peaceful journey, I have put a private plate on it and to be honest you could mistake it for a lot newer car with all the goodies they pack in to the car.

All in all I am very happy with my purchase, fuel consumption is in line with other cars of this size and to be honest I do not do many miles so it is not really an issue for me.

Alot of car for your money when comparing to other cars the same age!

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