Potential RX450h purchase - rust on underside rear? Worried?

[Flashback32]

I saw a RX 450h. 10 years old, just over 70,000miles.  When I got in, I loved the car. I was n't able to test drive.

Rust on underside

I was surprised by the amount of rust on the underside at the rear (if you zoom in).

It was first registered in Scotland, so can imagine the salt on the roads don't help. 

Should I be worried? Should I look for a better example?

 

Engine Noise
When he stared up the engine, and popped-up the bonnet, it sounded like a really noisy diesel engine (may be it is cold 8C). Is this normal?. I had heard so much about how smooth  engine is. So I was surprise by that.
 

Car Service history

The car booklet only had two service stamps (at 10k and 20k) at Lexus. However, I noted it had private number plates (which I don't have details of). If I ring up the Lexus dealer, how can they validate the mileage as authentic?.  If I give the Lexus dealer the current car registration number, they might not have a record of it?

I know people can buy car booklets on eBay and may be rubber stamps might not be hard to fake. 

There is a gap in service history and then again a service by previous owner 60k and 70k (those are backed up with invoice and stapled credit card receipt, so look authentic).
 

[katabrontes]

Check the MoT results for mileage.

[Bluemarlin]

I think Lexus would be able to confirm service history with VIN number. That said, if it's had services for the last two years, it's possible that one or two previous services were missed during covid, so I'd want to get that checked with Lexus.

Some cars do rattle a little on cold start up,  although I don't know what's normal/ok, but I suppose a lot depends upon how loud and how much. Hard to know without hearing it.

As for the rust, there's bound to be some surface corrosion on a 10yr old car, although that looks a fair bit more than mine when I bought it. Check sills and wheel arches to see if there's any rust there too. If it's not too bad,  ie non structural, then it woud cost about £600-700 to get cleaned up, treated and rust proofed professionally.

It's possible that the corrosion is minor/surface rust, although it will need to be cleaaned up and treated, and that the service history turns out to be fine. Personally though, with doubts about the service history, and uncertainty as to the extent of corrosion, I'd be wary. At the very least I'd want an inspection done by someone like the AA or Clickmechanic, to give me a better idea of what I'd be dealing with.

Of course a lot depends on the price too, although what may first seem like a bargain can quickly turn into a moneypit.

[GSLV6]

Engine should be quiet all but for hydraulic tappets rippling away.  Rust looks like mostly surface rust, which if that is the case can be scrubbed and Lanogaurd treated.  Worth checking service history and verifying mileage though.

[Flashback32]

Thank you everyone for replies.

Some cars do rattle a little on cold start up,  although I don't know what's normal/ok, but I suppose a lot depends upon how loud and how much. Hard to know without hearing it.

It was n't a rattle. When the dealer turned on the engine, it sounded more like a diesel tractor. If it was a diesel car, it would have been perfectly normal.  In fairness it was cold. It was unexpected, as I remember those adverts with the Lexus engine and the stack of champagne glasses.....

 

[VFR]

1 hour ago, Flashback32 said:

Thank you everyone for replies.

Some cars do rattle a little on cold start up,  although I don't know what's normal/ok, but I suppose a lot depends upon how loud and how much. Hard to know without hearing it.

It was n't a rattle. When the dealer turned on the engine, it sounded more like a diesel tractor. If it was a diesel car, it would have been perfectly normal.  In fairness it was cold. It was unexpected, as I remember those adverts with the Lexus engine and the stack of champagne glasses.....

 

Walk away as it should not make any noise AND have a service record to match the mileage.

The rust looks superficial & what I would expect to see, but I would still walk away.

IMO !

[GSLV6]

it most definitely should not sound like a diesel.  When the engine cuts in when power is on and the bonnet is lifted, my V6 is as smooth as butter and very quiet.  You can obviously hear it start but tbh the other electric systems, air con and other things going on make as much if not more noise than the engine at idle.  As above, if that isn't the case, walk away.  Some can have noisy fuel pumps, located at the back end of the block.  My GS suffered from a noisy pump which only quietened down when warm.  The only other obvious cause would be a failure of the hydraulic tappet seals.  Expensive fix if so.

[Brian26]

Hello, Have a look at this thread ( I have just attached the link to the latest update but the original was started some time before)  It may point you to the cause of the noise and rough running on start up.

Bri

2016 Lexus RX450h F-Sport Engine Noise Update / 8.5.22 - RX 300 / RX 350 / RX 400h / RX 200t / RX 450h Club - Lexus Owners Club

[plastic orange]

We bought an RX 300 at 10 years old and rust was similar to what is pictured. Once i bought it I rubbed down as much as I could and painted rust converter on the steel and then primer and finished with Bilt Hamber wax. The wax had to be applied every year otherwise it washed off, particularly on the exposed parts. Sadly, every year, the appearance got worse - and I wasn't doing a huge mileage. At 5 years ownership the rust looked to be becoming a problem, coupled with water leaks into the interior and I decided to move it on - for a Seat Ateca 190 tdi (wife's car). I do the same routine with it, and it's so much better protected from rust than the Lexus (it is a lot newer to be fair). I've checked on the continued MOT history of the RX - and my daughter in law's one of the same age - traded in at the same time and for similar reasons. They both have had sills welded and reports of the structure surrounding the subframe compromised - i doubt they'll last much longer.

To cut a long story short, try and buy the best condition one you can and look at numerous examples, especially if you hope to keep it for some time. Perhaps get a proper underbody condition survey and work out if rust being sorted long term is viable prospect. Cars in Scotland do get a hard time though, especially by the sea.

As far a engine noise goes I can't really comment, but our previous models were very quiet, and i'd expect nothing less from a lexus. I do wish they'd properly seal the body and underneath though - it's not rocket science.

Good luck.

 

Pete