rx400h RX400h 24,000 miles per year

DanielBass · July 6, 2016

Hi guys, I've recently test driven an 2007 RX400h (90,000 miles) and loved it however I would appreciate some advise on whether or not its insane to buy one of these car with the miles I do and the miles they have on them. I do about 24,000 miles a year probably 50-60% motorway plus stop start london traffic. I'm thinking that I should stick to buying from a dealer with the 5+ warranty and potentially take out the extend warranty. I'm not heavy footed and just want some opinions on the realistic repairs/problems I should expect to encounter from buying a nearly 10 year old vehicle and doing a lot of miles. I'm seeing a fair few posts on this very helpful website about the dead 12V batteries, worn suspension bushings, leaking tail lights, water pump replacement, idle speed reset procedure, rear brake callipers, quick tyre wear etc.My budget is around 10 k, I'm not a rich man, is this a stupid Idea?

Edited July 6, 2016 by DanielBass
Additional information

ISJason · July 6, 2016

Hi. I have a 2007 RX and it's wonderful. Almost 90,000 miles and no sign of wear except for slight rubber bush on front suspension arms. Goes just like new. Never had a Battery problem, and that's with me using my autochair hoist to get my mobility scooter in and out. Marvelous.

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ISJason · July 6, 2016

Hi. I have a 2007 RX and it's wonderful. Almost 90,000 miles and no sign of wear except for slight rubber bush on front suspension arms. Goes just like new. Never had a Battery problem, and that's with me using my autochair hoist to get my mobility scooter in and out. Marvelous.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

DanielBass · July 6, 2016

Thanks ISJason, however, with my budget they already have 80-95,000 miles on them already.

rayaans · July 6, 2016

Tbh 24k miles would be quite good for the engine anyway on an already reliable car. You shouldn't have any major problems really

johnmac1956 · July 8, 2016

Modern cars can take high miles if serviced correctly. When I had to work,(no more,yes!!) I took my last car (Rover 75) to 220k with no serious issues.

My RX400 now has 90k on. Some people in the states take them to serious mileage +400k.

http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/rx-400h/2006/consumer-reviews/review-204401699/

24k a year should not be a problem.

Might suggest getting a fully serviced +100k model.(Make sure cam belt is changed) They can be picked up at good prices. many people do not like to purchase high milers.

DanielBass · July 9, 2016

Thanks for the tips guys.

Parrot of Doom · July 11, 2016

Warranties are designed primarily to make a profit for those who offer them. These are very reliable cars, you don't need a warranty. And even if something big does break, you can fix it with the money you didn't spend on a warranty.

DanD · July 12, 2016

Lexus are known for their reliability. A colleague of mine recently clocked 275,000 miles in his 16 year old GS300. Costs to date have been limited to regular maintenance at his local dealer. No major fault to report and everything is working fine. Admittedly it is not a RX or indeed a hybrid, but it reflects well on the Lexus brand.

I would, however, get the car from a dealer to benefit from the warranty, and consider investing in an extended warranty as you suggest. I would also consider a service plan which will guarantee fixed monthly costs and a (approx.) 10% discount AND joining this forum to secure a further 15% discount on parts and labour... all this assuming that you will be getting your car serviced at your local dealer.

Dealers may not normally have high mileage cars on their forecourts, but may be willing to source one for you..

Have you checked the Lexus website? - There are currently 2 high milers in pretty good condition at the Southampton dealership. One is slightly above your budget, but I am sure you could talk them down...

DanielBass · July 12, 2016

Thanks DanD, so joining the RX forum will give me 15% off how do I do this?, also what are your thoughts on getting an RX400h (only in excellent condition with Lexus service history) from a second hand dealer then buying the extended warranty from Lexus, apparently they will examine the car for free and will sell me one.

DanD · July 12, 2016

Select Membership on the banner at the top and go from there....

But first:

- Check that your dealer does offer discounts to club members. Not all do. (You can check that from the Membership menu at the top)

- Check that your dealer will offer you the same extended warranty that you would get if you bought the car from them. I would assume you would, but you never know. I believe that you currently get 3 years for the price of 2 currently... I'm sure others members will correct me if I'm wrong on this

By the way, I have no vested interest in promoting membership to the club, but I recommend it because it has served me well to date.

zoltan666 · October 13, 2016

My 400h has now done 175000 miles from new and coming up 10 years old. Apart from regular service and tyres nothing major went wrong...well, 5 years ago the hybrid ECU packed up ( fixed under warranty ) and the small start up Battery changed at 80000 miles.

zoltan666 · July 15, 2021

Still have the RX. Mileage now is 240000 miles. Still nothing major. Battery health is still 100%. Things I had to change due age:

Centre Box, replaced with a stainless steel made to order box. £400 fitted.

Two rear wheel ball bearings, usual service, disc and pads etc.

Service every 10000 miles or once a year.

Engine still running well, no rattles or funny noises. Dampers will need changing, still originals.

royoftherovers · July 15, 2021

Keep posting RM. You`ve been away far too long.

Your experience and knowledge is invaluable to new Members.👍👍

zoltan666 · January 19, 2022

Well due to pandemic I haven't done a lot of miles. I am abroad. Had the wheels refurbished and the car has now a VSC warning on? They will take the car to Lexus. Anyway it's time to change. Going for the UX.

johnmac1956 · January 19, 2022

Well I posted on this thread in 2018 with 90k on my RX400.

Now it is at 135000.

Cambelt changed with water pump at 115000.

Front wheel bearings changed at 128000. New Lexus ball joints fitted at same time. Originals were OK but seemed sensible to replace at same time. Only 1 bearing was noisy.

Front and rear discs and pads replaced. Lexus dealers very reasonable on prices.

I had the issue with water getting into the car, carpets up to get dry and find ingress point. Water ingress point was from roof bar area. Strongly suggest that anybody with a RX400 removes the black plastic inserts which sit on the gutter beside the roof bar. Then look down on the outer edge of the gutter bottom. See if you can see a fine black line which is a sign of a very fine crack in the bodywork. This allows water into the car which then finds its way into the back of the car close to the rear lights. Simple solution, just use a flexible sealant to to seal all along the length of the roof bar gutter bottom. Evostick The dogs bollocks is ideal. I suspect that lots of the 400s may have this issue. Car now dry and runs like a dream.

This will be my last year with my RX400. Will be approx 80000 miles of minimal hassle ownership when it is time to say goodbye.

My previous car was a RX300.

So not a surprise to say that a RX450 Takumi will be arriving sometime in Summertime, on a ship from Japan... Reasonable deals are to be had on new cars, certainly not on used cars. I do wonder if the current RX may be the last to have the V6 engine.

zoltan666 · January 31, 2022

On 1/19/2022 at 7:07 PM, zoltan666 said:

Well due to pandemic I haven't done a lot of miles. I am abroad. Had the wheels refurbished and the car has now a VSC warning on? They will take the car to Lexus. Anyway it's time to change. Going for the UX.

Sounds like the RX will be scraped.

Full report here

zoltan666 · January 31, 2022

On 1/19/2022 at 9:14 PM, johnmac1956 said:

Well I posted on this thread in 2018 with 90k on my RX400.

I had the issue with water getting into the car, carpets up to get dry and find ingress point. Water ingress point was from roof bar area. Strongly suggest that anybody with a RX400 removes the black plastic inserts which sit on the gutter beside the roof bar. Then look down on the outer edge of the gutter bottom. See if you can see a fine black line which is a sign of a very fine crack in the bodywork. This allows water into the car which then finds its way into the back of the car close to the rear lights. Simple solution, just use a flexible sealant to to seal all along the length of the roof bar gutter bottom. Evostick The dogs bollocks is ideal. I suspect that lots of the 400s may have this issue. Car now dry and runs like a dream.

Same issue with my RX, I had roof bars. I posted a video made by the Lexus tech. Full explanation, however on my car the roof bar would have to come off.