Returning to the fold.....maybe!

[Boxbrownie]

After a break of 5 years, retiring, moving to Cornwall, a few Grandchilden arriving etc etc (it’s all been happening here), we have been thinking about getting another RX, we had a 2003 Mk1 before which served us totally reliably for over ten (I thought it was 9 but turns out even more) years.

This time we are looking at either an RX350 or possibly RX400H (although I am really not keen on the character of the CVT box on these), but it’s not going to be a daily driver by any means so might be OK for the occasional long journey which it will be used for almost exclusively.

Looking around and checking various for sale on the GOV.UK site quite a few have been flagged/failed as rear spring area corrosion, which is making me a bit cautious.

I’d like to ask your experiences in here of corrosion issues on RX of around ‘06-‘09?

i dismissed the earlier RX300 Mk2 as I already have had that engine and think I would prefer the later 350 engine with its better efficiency and power (as well as timing chain).

Any info gratefully received.

[Guest]

I would still consider the RX400H as its a step up in my opinion and once you get to grips with the CVT style of driving your'll be fine.

[Boxbrownie]

1 minute ago, Eame64 said:

II would still consider the RX400H as its a step up and once you get to grips with the CVT style of driving you will be fine.

Indeed I am considering, but another small point might be of a Hybrid of this age could be pushing my luck for trouble, although I know Toyota Hybrid tech is probably the best there is and truly a well sorted and reliable system for our use (not worried about the VED or emissions in City charging) it might be a lot of extra tech which is just not needed.

We do love EVs BTW as we have a BMW i3 as our main runaround and it has been a gem, the Lexus will be purely as a long distance cruiser (very occasionally) and larger crap carrier!

[katabrontes]

I have a 350 (56 plate) which is a fantastic car.  When I bought it in 2011 it would have cost about £8000 odd more to get a similar year 450.  You get a lot of petrol for £8,000!  All I have had to do is to upgrade the main beam headlights to HID (cost about £120), change the useless reversing lights to high output LED (about £15) and replace the rear level sensor  (about £80).  I get about 24 mpg ( same as any car I have had for the past 20+ years) and love it.  I understand that the 400 has problems with the Battery if it's not used regularly but this was solved on the 450.  Good luck with your search.

[Boxbrownie]

You have found no issues with corrosion at all?

[GrahamG]

My 06 RX350SE has now 60k miles and no rust whatsoever. Each summer I put it up on a lift and inspect underneath and it resembles a two year old car. The history of the car looks like southern England although not always far from the coast. Strangely the underside is only partly covered with a thick goop and much of the metal appears to have minimal surface protection but it is simply pristine. Also water had been entering inside the cabin at the very back and was only apparent when the plastic storage bins were removed but there again the metal had no rust.

I would inspect any RX for rainwater ingress  caused by a variety of reasons documented on this site.

Have heard of RXs suffering from rust but do not know if salt on the roads up north is the culprit.

This is a big subject but I have come to the conclusion rust can affect two identical cars with similar usage to very differing degrees. I had a very low mileage '95 LS 400 and no Lexus enthusiast could believe the excessive rust under that car.

I believe you need to crawl underneath with a strong torch and inspect each car on its merits.

[katabrontes]

Check the sunroof drains (if you have one).  Mine got kinked on one side and I fixed it by replacing a section with 15mm copperpipe just behind the panel at the side of the boot.  No problem  since.

[Connoisseur]

Just bought a 2006 RX350 from a Lexus Dealer complete with 12 month Lexus warranty. The car is in v good condition, and is well set up for another 50k miles. Have had it up on ramps, no problems found, and had the six plugs changed. Only rust is on n/s rear door at base where a stone chip has clearly been ignored for too long but it is cosmetic and will survive with a coat of WD40 until the summer. 

We bought the car to do the Scotland NC500 next month, including some suitably gentle off-roading. Avoided the RX400 because it’s drive train is recognised for being not as good as the 350 in the sticky stuff.

Love the car, so much  that it is now at risk of becoming a keeper. 25/27 mpg is ok for the size and weight, and having the 3.5 V6 AWD is great fun! 

hth

[Boxbrownie]

All very encouraging.......liking the direction I am heading for.

[Thackeray]

1 hour ago, Boxbrownie said:

it might be a lot of extra tech which is just not needed

I don't know anything about the RX but I was attracted to the hybrid system because there's a lot less tech than on many other modern cars.

No clutch, no torque converter, no separate starter motor, no gearbox, no diesel particulate filter, no turbo, no separate alternator.

A few years ago, I was initially surprised that as new technology the Prius managed to come close to top of the reliability tables. You might have expected there to be lots of unproved stuff that would go wrong. On looking closer, I realised that if you eliminate all these parts that might otherwise fail, you have a lot less tech to go wrong.

The main hybrid Battery was a bit of a concern in the early days of these hybrids but it now seems to have proved itself well enough for Lexus to increase the length of warranty to 15 years, if checked annually.

[rich1068]

Oh my goodness! How strange is this?

Absolutely no issues with corrosion...

...and would you believe it but for sale on this very forum!

Odd how these things happen 

[kayble]

I'm not convinced about RX's not suffering with corrosion. I'm interested in the pre-facelift mk1 cars and a lot of them are rusty AF underneath. They seem very exposed around the rear end, where as facelift cars have plastic coverings that seem simply to cover the rust occurring underneath.

At the moment my sample size is two cars parked in my local Toyota dealership car park... I'd be intereseted seeing other earlier cars to compare rates of rot.

 

[Connoisseur]

Ultimately all types of (affordable) metal will suffer corrosion....and we are talking about cars that are quite old now, yet still in good condition. Now if owners start to find structural corrosion then end of......however if Lexus Dealers are warranting cars up to 15 years old then,  given the price v quality and luxury on offer, why wouldnt you? 😎

[Boxbrownie]

13 hours ago, Thackeray said:

I don't know anything about the RX but I was attracted to the hybrid system because there's a lot less tech than on many other modern cars.

No clutch, no torque converter, no separate starter motor, no gearbox, no diesel particulate filter, no turbo, no separate alternator.

A few years ago, I was initially surprised that as new technology the Prius managed to come close to top of the reliability tables. You might have expected there to be lots of unproved stuff that would go wrong. On looking closer, I realised that if you eliminate all these parts that might otherwise fail, you have a lot less tech to go wrong.

The main hybrid battery was a bit of a concern in the early days of these hybrids but it now seems to have proved itself well enough for Lexus to increase the length of warranty to 15 years, if checked annually.

I specifically mention "tech" rather than components.........and a lot of that tech will not be touched by your average mechanic without very special tools.

 

As to the components between the RX and the RXh there are not that many component numbers different I would venture, after all the RX has no clutch, no diesel particulate filter, no turbo and the RXh does have a gearbox, it is called a CVT gearbox, different but the same you might say.

I am not disputing the fact the RXh has really excellent engineering and implementation of that engineering but the normal RX is also rock solid engineering and can be mended by any mechanic with a roll of gaffer tape and some chewing gum 😁

 

In fact probably the most unreliable part of the RX (SEL) on both models is the suspension (which of course the RX350 can be had without).

 

I am not putting the RXh down, I just feel my pattern of use would make the hybrid powertrain a complete waste.

[GrahamG]

The reason I intend to keep my RX350SE long term is that I consider it virtually bullet proof. This is just an opinion of course and is based on a number of factors including the lack of rust on my particular car and lack of air suspension.

From my extensive research on the USA club site where there are many more of these cars the only common sources of terminal failure are rubber pipes to an engine oil cooler which my car does not have and another rubber oil pipe up to the VVTI on each bank of the V6 which I have had renewed as a precaution.

Their cars  also suffer from steering rack failure which is unknown to Lexus Guildford and does not seem to occur with our RHD cars.

The other preventative maintenance item I have had done was a new water pump fitted when other work was carried out under guarantee.

If it blows up in my face tomorrow I promise to let you know.

[Boxbrownie]

Cheers, I am of the same thinking as you regards the 350.......one with Nav/Rev camera, sunroof and steel sprung would be perfect.

[katabrontes]

Take care over sunroof.  Mine didn't work when we bought it and it took the garage that supplied the car over 30 hours of labour plus a few hundred in parts to fix it.  The problem was caused by a small plastic part jamming the runner on one side and burning out the motor.  They had to remove most of the interior of the car and the whole sunroof and supporting frame to fix it.  All covered by the garage.  Estimated cost if a Lexus dealer had done it probably more than £3-4K!

Make sure you really need a sunroof!

[Boxbrownie]

Thanks, but yes we need the Sunroof, we had one before on our RX300 and always used it even if just for ventilation.

 

I try to check every button and moving part when looking for a car but yes it is easy to miss something.

[ISJason]

Hi, no issues with corrosion here either.. no problems either and I’m at 110,000 miles in my RX400


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[Boxbrownie]

That’s good to hear, our Mk1 at 120K and around 13 years old was looking very sorry underbeneath, although to be fair it was solid just covered in loads of surface rust, including the suspension components, looked worse than it was fortunately.