Rx 450h maintenance and service

[dr2d2]

Recently took ownership of a pretty well looked after 2010 Rx450h, Came with a full service history and runs like a dream, and I hope to keep it that way

Being new to this part of the world I am looking for tips and tricks from other owners for maintenance and servicing, particularly in the Northern part of England around Cumbria. I've heard that third party garages are recommended for these older vehicles but not sure where to look. Thanks.

[Bluemarlin]

A couple of things.

You might want to look into the Lexus 10 year plus extended warranty, which will cover you for up to 15 years/150k miles. Cost is around £550 a year, and includes UK and European breakdown/recovery. It's billed in 10 monthly installments. It's not widely known by all dealers, so you might have to ask them to contact Lexus to set up.

If you opt for that then you'd need to service with Lexus but, if you take out a service plan it's not much more than using an independent specialist, especially as the hybrid health check (normally £60) is included. You have the option of monthly payments, and the price is fixed over the term, so it's worth taking out as long as plan as possible, as you can usually negotiate a discount. I got 15% on a 5 year plan.

If the car is in good shape and running welll then there's not much maintenance needed beyond scheduled servicing. The only thing I'd recommend is rustproofing. If the underside is rusty then it'll need cleaning up first, but if not you could give it a good spray of something like the Bilt Hamber Dynax products, or ACF-50.

Personally I removed the wheel arch liners and sprayed everywhere with Dynax, and then did the underside. Once that was dry I gave everything a good spray with ACF-50 for good measure. The Dynax on the wheel arches and underside took the best part of day, but that only needs to be done every two or three years. The ACF-50 takes about 20 minutes with a garden sprayer, so I do that annually.

Top tips. Do the ACF-50 after servicing, as the garage won't thank you for the oily mess if you do it just before. I arrange to have my servicing done in September, so that I can apply the ACF-50 right after, in time for winter. Also, put some cardboard or plastic sheets under the car, as it will drip for a day or so after applying.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, others will come along with more suggestions.

[Michael Farish]

Bluemarlin, I was very interested to read about the 10 year plus warranty, as my RX450h heads towards its 10th birthday and soon I will be facing the same decisions as dr2d2. Can’t seem to find any mention of the 10 year plus warranty anywhere on Lexus website, and wondered if the service is provided by a 3rd party? 

[Bluemarlin]

7 hours ago, Michael Farish said:

Bluemarlin, I was very interested to read about the 10 year plus warranty, as my RX450h heads towards its 10th birthday and soon I will be facing the same decisions as dr2d2. Can’t seem to find any mention of the 10 year plus warranty anywhere on Lexus website, and wondered if the service is provided by a 3rd party? 

Michael, it's not provided by a 3rd party, it's provided by Lexus. However, they don't seem to publicise it and so few people know about it; in fact even most dealers are blissfully unaware of it.

Basically you have to ask the dealer to set it up and, if they're aware of it it's relatively plain sailing. If they're not, you have to get them to call Lexus for the details. When I started mine I called Lexus head office and got them to email details to the dealer, as they were unaware of it and how to set it up. 

The only criteria, apart from age and mileage is that the car is serviced by Lexus. They might also require an initial inspection, especially if previous service history was not main dealer, but mine was full Lexus service history and so they didn't bother with one.

Given that it includes UK and Euopean breakdown cover, and appears to be a little more comprehensive than the Relax warranty, it seems quite good value to me for the additional peace of mind.

[dr2d2]

Thank you bluemarlin, I'll have chat about it, as I'm taking it in for a hybrid health check this weekend, it is a bit long in the tooth and only gives me around 29 mpg around the city. I suspect it's the Battery, but this car has only done 88K miles over the last 13 years. Imo it's pretty well preserved for the years. Appreciate the tips.

[Spock66]

16 minutes ago, dr2d2 said:

I'm taking it in for a hybrid health check this weekend

Bear in mind you get a free hybrid health check with the Lexus service and traction Battery warranty up to 15-years.

[Illogan]

22 minutes ago, dr2d2 said:

Thank you bluemarlin, I'll have chat about it, as I'm taking it in for a hybrid health check this weekend, it is a bit long in the tooth and only gives me around 29 mpg around the city. I suspect it's the battery, but this car has only done 88K miles over the last 13 years. Imo it's pretty well preserved for the years. Appreciate the tips.

Hi Rajat,

Depending on your traffic conditions/hills and the amount of starting and stopping in your city traffic, 29mpg is not a bad figure for your car. You'll probably find your hybrid Battery will get a clean bill of health!

[Bluemarlin]

1 hour ago, dr2d2 said:

Thank you bluemarlin, I'll have chat about it, as I'm taking it in for a hybrid health check this weekend, it is a bit long in the tooth and only gives me around 29 mpg around the city. I suspect it's the battery, but this car has only done 88K miles over the last 13 years. Imo it's pretty well preserved for the years. Appreciate the tips.

For driving around town 29 mpg is pretty good. MPG will also be impacted by how you drive, your tyres and what fuel you use. Mine is 13 years old with 107k miles and I get around 28/30 driving around town. 39/41 on motorways at a cruising speed of 60-65 mph, and 30-35 at a speed of 70-80 mph.

That's on Michelin Crossclimate SUVs, and with Esso E5 petrol. If I put E10 fuel in those numbers drop by around 3-5 mpg.

[dr2d2]

That's reassuring to hear logan, I did some research and people were getting somewhere around 35mpg, so I was concerned somewhat. We don't have much stop start traffic around the lake district bluemarlin, and I try and drive with a light foot, I use regular old 95 octane fuel, that might explain the efficiency, but I'll still get the check done for the peace of mind. Nice shout spock. Thanks everyone I really appreciate you guys helping a new member out.

[Michael Farish]

Bluemarlin, just wanted to thank you for the guidance above on the Lexus 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty. Very interesting. I have a Lexus dealer service coming up in 6 weeks and will discuss then.