Are you looking for a RX400h?

[Barry14UK]

14 hours ago, Sundance said:

 Interesting that the ad details call it an 'Estate' suggesting the owner/seller is not quite sure what he/she has got.

But this car is sometimes referred to as an estate.  What makes it so according to what I have read is having roof rails which the vehicle in question has.  I understand roof rails were only fitted as an extra, so this may be correct.

[Tickedon]

16 hours ago, Sundance said:

 

Age is certainly not a problem but not so sure about the price, despite it looking a good 'un I would not want to pay quite so much. Interesting that the ad details call it an 'Estate' suggesting the owner/seller is not quite sure what he/she has got.

Others may have more knowledgeable comments about issues but that's my view. Good luck.

SUVs are categorised as estates on the V5C from the DVLA. So perfectly understandable why that’s used. 

[simss20]

Hi all,

Thank you for all your responses. Much appreciated.

Apologies for the delayed response.

 

I have watched a few YouTube videos regarding the water ingress and it seems to be a common issue due to the poor design. It would appear that the drains are located close to the electric which seems to be causing no end of problems when water gets in.

The rear ones seem to be causing issues with the hybrid batter which concern me a bit. Some people have reported engine suddenly cutting off while driving which allegedly has been caused by the lost connection to hybrid Battery. Apparently, it has been caused by the water ingress. Has anyone of you experienced or has heard about anyone experiencing similar issue?

I have done some further digging and it would appear that Toyota/Lexus recalled some RX models back in 2013 due to issues with the transistor solder.

https://www.vehicle-recall.co.uk/recall/R/2013/104.

Have you ever had any issues with the hybrid batter in general?

Regarding the car, I have decided against it mainly due to the price. It’s a really nice example in a beautiful colour combination indeed, but a little bit too much for the age.

Thank you for pointing out the fact that the seller has zero feedback. I didn’t realise it at first, but indeed it’s a bit strange.

I have tried to find out more about the company itself, but very little can be found online. Not even a website, which seems a bit odd to me.

 

Good to know that SUVs are categorised as estates on the V5C. I didn’t know this, and assumed that it was a typo.  

 

So, I am still looking….

 

I have established that if it’s the RX400H then my max budged is approx. 7.5k. I am considering the following one. I will appreciate any comments, please.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155890340151?hash=item244bc9d137:g:kL4AAOSwMEZlVOuW&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwNiI6gKLSSk75YH1Kfs%2FmVBOoFgJG90q%2BfonKaD4K%2FYhmIjP0ShuyekSd%2Fz8pbm6tncBUxp8Rt7eLPmrYoIMVFoIKPIhS8yoUpWhcdqtPfPRPBz7YZqP1Ur36nDxKBJVm%2FOZ0MnXURwm5Tc2Uc9q%2B0HMCg7cftgkg7uyRm9%2Fj0ODKyCz1UPrpMSGna8kmej3YBH2Jt6otxtSFQVN58o501WyDDQTsPtgmX0GS0CWAhICiXzH4zQMb0zHuau94xk9cw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR7bvkuv_Yg

 

If it’s the RX450H then I could stretch to max 10k.

What do you think about the mileage on the RX450h? I have been looking through the ads on the Autotrader and most of the cars have around 100k miles on the clock. Is it worth considering any at this mileage?

 

[Spacewagon52]

Dennis, Mileage is not as important as condition and service history. If the car does have a full Lexus service history and is in good condition I would certainly consider it at the price. Used cars have increased greatly in price since 2020 - all used vehicles appear expensive to me.

[Bluemarlin]

12 hours ago, simss20 said:

What do you think about the mileage on the RX450h? I have been looking through the ads on the Autotrader and most of the cars have around 100k miles on the clock. Is it worth considering any at this mileage?

 

Wel worth considering if the condition is good and it's mechanically sound. I bought my RX 450h a couple of years ago for £10k and just under 100k miles, so it wouldn't concern me. Mine's a 2009, but looks and drives like new, so condition is what I'd be looking at, as well as service history.

The RX 400h you linked to appears to have been welll looked after according to it's MOT history. Not sure how competetive the price is.

Whichever you look at, apart from the usual checks, have a good look underneath, and at the sills and wheel arches for any signs of corrosion. There's bound to be a little surface rust underneath, which is ok if not too bad, but any on the bodywork could turn out to be an expensive problem.

With both models, although less of an issue on the 450h, I'd check the front and rear carpets for any hint of damp. I'd also lift off all the covers in the boot and look at the boot floor, Battery compartment, and any storage spaces for any signs of water ingress or rust.

I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago and started by looking at the 300, then the 400h, but ultimately upped my budget a bit for a 450h. As I intend to keep it for a while it seemed worth it, as it's appears to be less prone to the corrosion and leak issues of previous models. Because of the latter I also wanted to avoid a sunroof and roof bars.

It's also worth noting that for anything under 15 yrs old and 150k miles, you can get a Lexus extended warranty, which costs around £550 a year for the RX and is pretty comprehensive, and includes UK and European breakdown cover.