thinking of buying an RX450H

[SCC]

Morning.

I'm looking for a little advice here.

I am thinking of buying an RX450H, I've not got a particular car in mind but it will be around 2011 or about £15000. I am wheelchair bound now so I will be having hand controls fitted to it so I will be limited when it comes to general maintenance, but I will try and do little bits myself. 

I won't be using the car as our daily driver as my wife does most of our driving now, but I will use it maybe once a week for about 20 or 30 miles.

But can you tell me the kind of problems I should expect, are there any common or recurring problems with these cars? 

How many batteries do they have and how long can I expect them to last?

What does it mean if the seller says there has been a hybrid check/service?

Do they suffer from rust in any specific places?

Any advice really.

Many thanks, Mick,

[PCM]

I would be thinking, the usual due diligence, MOT check, HPI check etc.

Also a search on this forum will turn up lots of useful info., e.g., "RX450H buying ".

And I'd be thinking, who am I buying from: private, dealer, Lexus dealer...

[LexusRbest]

First thing I thought of was the RX is quite a high seat height have you tried getting in and out of one.

Lexus will do a Hybrid Battery health check.

the Battery is a major replacement cost although there are independent companies  coming online that do refurbished units.

[Barry14UK]

Good point about the seat height, my wife has difficulty in entering our RX with the seat in it's lowest position and she is able bodied. 

Sub frames have been known to rust, particularly if vehicle is located near coast and they are difficult/expensive to repair/replace.

Get health check  on traction Battery annually and you should be OK.

Don't let the small Battery go flat as unless you have covered this possibility specifically, you will have difficulty accessing the boot to charge up or replace it.  I am assuming the 2010 model like mine has this Battery under the hatch.  Hitherto it was located under the bonnet.  The hatch requires power from the small Battery to open it, there being no key.  So if you don't do your 20+ mile trip each week you will need to either need to use the Lexus way of keeping it charged or use a smart charger.

North Devon is quite hilly and I find this adversely affects the MPG.  However,  this aspect is less critical if you are only doing about 20-30 miles per week.

I find the car very comfortable.

Dealers are much fewer than for other makes, mine being about 45 miles from North Devon to my nearest at Exeter. With few exceptions franchised dealers are good but all are expensive as are parts.  A good indy can be a worthwhile alternative.

 

[Herbie]

My biggest worry for you would be that the 12V Battery may let you down unless you have it on a permanent trickle charge. Note that it's perfectly alright to charge the Battery in situ; it doesn't need to be taken out of the car and put on the bench.

If your 20-30 miles per week is all in one go, that may be enough to keep the Battery charged, but equally so, it may not. Some of us have taken to carrying around a small jump start battery pack like this one or something similar, just in case.

Lexus decided that because it doesn't take a lot of current to start a hybrid, they could save on both money and weight by only installing small batteries. A conventional car may have a 75Ah Battery or perhaps even 100Ah, but if I remember correctly my 2013 RX was about 45-50Ah, certainly no more than that.

The 12V Battery boots the computers and does one or two other things to get the car into READY mode. That's basically the equivalent of a conventional car sat idling with the alternator spinning. There is no traditional starter motor or alternator. When the hybrid system wants the petrol engine to run it energises MG1 (Motor/Generator 1) and uses that to spin up the engine to 1,000rpm before applying fuel and a spark to fire it.

Although there's a big 288V traction Battery sat under the back seat, nothing can happen without the 12V Battery and it's important to realise that it can go flat quite quickly (within 3 to 4 weeks) if the car isn't used enough or if the Battery isn't trickle charged.

Other than that, excellent cars. Oh, and stay away from the SE-L or Premier variants. These are top of the range and have all the toys but also have air suspension, which can be about £600 per corner if a strut needs replacing.

[Barry14UK]

Front air struts on mine were just over £1000 each and the pump for air suspension is also expensive.  Whereas on some cars having air suspension greatly improves the ride, the general opinion seems to be that it is of little benefit on the RX (where fitted on those models).  In fact it was dropped for all the RX 4th Generation models. 

One journey of 20 or so miles each week keeps my Battery charged, although it is fairly new and I fitted a slightly larger one.  I found that after a week or two doing 20 miles a week the voltage would drop on my previous one so I trickle charged it with a smart charger once a week.  So the age of the Battery as well as mileage can help determine how often it needs supplementary charging or earlier if it has been allowed to go flat for some time.  The emergency device that Herbs mentions can be a get out of jail in the event of a flat Battery but needs to be accessible without needing to get into the boot/hatch.  Herbs can verify this through experience!!! In view of all the hassle, it would have been sensible if Lexus had fitted a volt meter as Herbs did to his previous 3rd Generation RX, thereby enabling a  ready check on the 12v Battery voltage and need to charge when needed.

[Cypry 1]

If you do decide to get a RX450H have a look into the 10 year plus extended warranty which is good value for money as it includes the breakdown service

[Prince Bob]

On 4/14/2022 at 10:35 AM, SCC said:

Morning.

I'm looking for a little advice here.

I am thinking of buying an RX450H, I've not got a particular car in mind but it will be around 2011 or about £15000. I am wheelchair bound now so I will be having hand controls fitted to it so I will be limited when it comes to general maintenance, but I will try and do little bits myself. 

I won't be using the car as our daily driver as my wife does most of our driving now, but I will use it maybe once a week for about 20 or 30 miles.

But can you tell me the kind of problems I should expect, are there any common or recurring problems with these cars? 

How many batteries do they have and how long can I expect them to last?

What does it mean if the seller says there has been a hybrid check/service?

Do they suffer from rust in any specific places?

Any advice really.

Many thanks, Mick,

Hello Mick 

See link to save you having to use the search function as the question has been asked a few times.

The cars are very reliable, the most reliable luxury car you can purchase according to carwow & warranty direct.

With any preowned car a lot of the long term reliability is down to how well the previous owners have looked after the car, but Lexus seem be more dependable than most.

I'm a low mileage driver, (5k ish per year). I did purchase a new 12v Battery not long after purchase. However the car was on  the original Battery, I think 10 years is very good going! The Battery didn't actually die,I had an hybrid message on dash and new Battery solved issue. Tend to find cars these days when voltage is low you get error messages before the Battery dies.

The hybrid batteries aren't known to fail, there are some independents that can refurb though. As part of the service at the main dealer a hybrid Battery check is carried out and gives a 1 year warranty.

On this age of car though I believe you are better off putting money aside for general maintenance, rather than purchasing a 3rd party warranty. Most independent dealers will provide a 1 year warranty then you are on you own and you never know how good the warranty is until you have to make a claim!

Good luck

 

 

[royoftherovers]

13 minutes ago, Prince Bob said:

Hello Mick 

See link to save you having to use the search function as the question has been asked a few times.

The cars are very reliable, the most reliable luxury car you can purchase according to carwow & warranty direct.

With any preowned car a lot of the long term reliability is down to how well the previous owners have looked after the car, but Lexus seem be more dependable than most.

I'm a low mileage driver, (5k ish per year). I did purchase a new 12v battery not long after purchase. However the car was on  the original battery, I think 10 years is very good going! The battery didn't actually die,I had an hybrid message on dash and new battery solved issue. Tend to find cars these days when voltage is low you get error messages before the battery dies.

The hybrid batteries aren't known to fail, there are some independents that can refurb though. As part of the service at the main dealer a hybrid battery check is carried out and gives a 1 year warranty.

On this age of car though I believe you are better off putting money aside for general maintenance, rather than purchasing a 3rd party warranty. Most independent dealers will provide a 1 year warranty then you are on you own and you never know how good the warranty is until you have to make a claim!

Good luck

 

 

A really helpful Post Bob.👍👍👍

[SCC]

Morning folks.

Thank you for all your replies 🙂

I will be buying from a dealer and will only consider cars with full history. 

The height of the seat shouldn't be a problem (we have had SUV's for a number of years now so I am used to "climbing" into high seats, but a really useful point that a lot of people wouldn't usually think of). Actually, the raised seating position helps me in as much as the height of the seat means that I don't need to bend down so far and I am already half way up before I need to stand on my way out.

I will take your advise and change the small Battery and also buy a trickle charger, thanks for that.

Actually, I was thinking about an SEL, maybe not. 

I will read that post, thanks Prince Bob.

A BMW x5 is my second choice, I haven't actually driven one of those yet, but I have driven BMW saloons. However, the 6 cylinder petrol versions seem to be thin on the ground, and who knows I may find a Lexus that I am happy with before I get to drive one anyway.

Have a good weekend, Mick.

 

[royoftherovers]

27 minutes ago, SCC said:

Morning folks.

Thank you for all your replies 🙂

I will be buying from a dealer and will only consider cars with full history. 

The height of the seat shouldn't be a problem (we have had SUV's for a number of years now so I am used to "climbing" into high seats, but a really useful point that a lot of people wouldn't usually think of). Actually, the raised seating position helps me in as much as the height of the seat means that I don't need to bend down so far and I am already half way up before I need to stand on my way out.

I will take your advise and change the small battery and also buy a trickle charger, thanks for that.

Actually, I was thinking about an SEL, maybe not. 

I will read that post, thanks Prince Bob.

A BMW x5 is my second choice, I haven't actually driven one of those yet, but I have driven BMW saloons. However, the 6 cylinder petrol versions seem to be thin on the ground, and who knows I may find a Lexus that I am happy with before I get to drive one anyway.

Have a good weekend, Mick.

 

A choice between an X5 and an RX suggests to me Mick that you have not yet specified your requirements. Do your homework properly please and obtain the vehicle which appears to be obvious and necessary in accordance to your needs.

I post this advice in good faith and without mischief.

[talaipwros]

1 hour ago, SCC said:

Morning folks.

Thank you for all your replies 🙂

I will be buying from a dealer and will only consider cars with full history. 

The height of the seat shouldn't be a problem (we have had SUV's for a number of years now so I am used to "climbing" into high seats, but a really useful point that a lot of people wouldn't usually think of). Actually, the raised seating position helps me in as much as the height of the seat means that I don't need to bend down so far and I am already half way up before I need to stand on my way out.

I will take your advise and change the small battery and also buy a trickle charger, thanks for that.

Actually, I was thinking about an SEL, maybe not. 

I will read that post, thanks Prince Bob.

A BMW x5 is my second choice, I haven't actually driven one of those yet, but I have driven BMW saloons. However, the 6 cylinder petrol versions seem to be thin on the ground, and who knows I may find a Lexus that I am happy with before I get to drive one anyway.

Have a good weekend, Mick.

 

Although my experience with BMW's is excellent, I would advise caution if you are looking for a 10 years old example.

And I say this despite all three BMW's - current example is  a  4 and a half years old  bought new , 106k miles BMW -  have been faultless so far

[ColinBarber]

On 4/17/2022 at 11:01 AM, SCC said:

Actually, I was thinking about an SEL, maybe not. 

The issue with air suspension is it is expensive to repair, and at 10+ years old they can start to get unreliable. However if the ability to lower the vehicle to get in/out is of benefit then you may not want to dismiss the SE-L or SE-L Premier.

[SCC]

Hi.

The choice between Lexus or BMW is one of those head and heart things. My heart says BMW but my head keeps saying "your too old for a BM, just admit it and buy the Lexus". IDK, we will see I guess.

Thanks again for your replies, Mick.