RX400h buyer: some simple questions before purchase

[jimnewlexus]

Hello

I'm a new member and fresh from leaving the world of Mercedes. Yes, I have decided to leave behind beauty, style, rust and unreliability! 

I want to find a nice low(ish) mileage RX400h (currently on a bicycle as don't do big miles often🙂). Although everyone seems to say they're very reliable a few concerns do crop up and I wonder what owners would advice when viewing them:

Water leaks - is this the odd one or very common? Hard to trace fix? Serious or minor issue?

Inverter recall - how to know it was done?

Battery health - any simple checks I can do while test driving?

Budget is around £5k max.

Many thanks

Jim

[hughseh]

Water leaks, very common, expect all to have suffered by now. Ask for any history or better yet, look at the weld joints on the rear boot and compare with photos from this forum.

 

Inverter, no idea

 

Battery health, assuming you mean mean the hybrid Battery, just more than it don't ever go full on the indicator, but will charge and discharge during a typical drive

 

£5k will get you a good one. Look for the usual service history records and ideally recent Battery check and cambelt change 

[jimnewlexus]

Much appreciated.

So apart from water leaks it seems there isn't much to specifically check?

I assume a water leak near the hybrid Battery would be the worst - any idea how to check that?

Cheers

 

[ColinBarber]

5 hours ago, jimnewlexus said:

I assume a water leak near the hybrid battery would be the worst - any idea how to check that?

Check for water in the boot well.

23 hours ago, jimnewlexus said:

Inverter recall - how to know it was done?

The government MOT checker also states if there are any outstanding recalls on the vehicle, or use the Lexus online tool:

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/about-my-lexus/vehicle-recall

 

[hughseh]

On 5/29/2024 at 9:02 AM, jimnewlexus said:

Much appreciated.

So apart from water leaks it seems there isn't much to specifically check?

I assume a water leak near the hybrid battery would be the worst - any idea how to check that?

Cheers

 

Check for corrosion on the underside too. 

 

I had a water leak onto the hybrid Battery. Warning lights galore. If you're reasonable with spanners you can remove the rear seats and expose the Battery and a plug underneath that should drain the area but gets blocked up over time.

Does it smell damp? Squash the carpets in the car, remove the mats, does it feel spongy? Remove the plastic tray in the boot, under the carpet, just lifts out. 

You're better off buying one that's had water ingress and a knowledgeable owner who's sorted it. If the seller plays ignorant, just be very thorough. Whereabouts are you in the UK?

[Greisingel]

OP you are leaving the world of Mercedes very sensible. Welcome to quality build, reliability, bells and whistles as standard – and as yet none of the subscription options lunacy.

The 400 is a terrific car (go to Autotrader and see how many are sold in the 3-5K bracket still in spite of 15-20 years age)

Belt and water pump
Trunk chassis area water ingress – via rear seams, hinges, roof rack joins. LS-X these. Use an endoscope v bright LED light viewer attached to Iphone. It's a quick way to see
Plugs – useful to know if changed – but with regular oil changes and good maintenance I for example am still running very well on factory plugs (2005 model 126K mileage)
If with sunroof – check front footwell areas for damp – press carpet to listen out for squelching. The A frames can clog
Get TIS on to it if you have it on a laptop and they let you to check stored CELs if any existed.
Check for rust – get under the beast. They are older now and rust can be a problem on underside members/edge of body – sills etc. If buying from seaside town doubly important.

But you'll probably OK – great cars to drive. Plenty of poke, V smooth. MPG Hmmm they're heavy and the hybrid was as much about boosting ICE power as offering good MPG. On long motorway drives using cruise control I have climbed to 35MPG. The EV part is good for town and traffic – but it is early tech (groundbreaking at the time)

Enjoy the 400!

 

[jimnewlexus]

1 hour ago, Greisingel said:

OP you are leaving the world of Mercedes very sensible. Welcome to quality build, reliability, bells and whistles as standard – and as yet none of the subscription options lunacy.

The 400 is a terrific car (go to Autotrader and see how many are sold in the 3-5K bracket still in spite of 15-20 years age)

Belt and water pump
Trunk chassis area water ingress – via rear seams, hinges, roof rack joins. LS-X these. Use an endoscope v bright LED light viewer attached to iphone. It's a quick way to see
Plugs – useful to know if changed – but with regular oil changes and good maintenance I for example am still running very well on factory plugs (2005 model 126K mileage)
If with sunroof – check front footwell areas for damp – press carpet to listen out for squelching. The A frames can clog
Get TIS on to it if you have it on a laptop and they let you to check stored CELs if any existed.
Check for rust – get under the beast. They are older now and rust can be a problem on underside members/edge of body – sills etc. If buying from seaside town doubly important.

But you'll probably OK – great cars to drive. Plenty of poke, V smooth. MPG Hmmm they're heavy and the hybrid was as much about boosting ICE power as offering good MPG. On long motorway drives using cruise control I have climbed to 35MPG. The EV part is good for town and traffic – but it is early tech (groundbreaking at the time)

Enjoy the 400!

 

 

So if it's dry carpets then even if the present owner doesn't know about the leak reputation it has probably been rectified in the past?

My current car does about 15 mpg around town and about 25 on a long motorway run... I was hoping these two figures will go above 30 mpg without too much hassle.

They seems like a good buy but hold their value. If I'm impressed then in a year or too I may go up to a 450h.

Cheers

 

12 hours ago, hughseh said:

Check for corrosion on the underside too. 

 

I had a water leak onto the hybrid battery. Warning lights galore. If you're reasonable with spanners you can remove the rear seats and expose the battery and a plug underneath that should drain the area but gets blocked up over time.

Does it smell damp? Squash the carpets in the car, remove the mats, does it feel spongy? Remove the plastic tray in the boot, under the carpet, just lifts out. 

You're better off buying one that's had water ingress and a knowledgeable owner who's sorted it. If the seller plays ignorant, just be very thorough. Whereabouts are you in the UK?

So when the Battery got wet it did not completely fail I take it?

This is the only real issue that puts me off. But then most old luxury cars have their vices I suppose.

I am based in N Yorks... most seem to be for sale in the south so going to take a while to find one. Was also interested in the CT200 but I suspect it's too slow for me.

Cheers 

[Russell Wheeler]

On the earler ones, 2005-9 they have a tiny starter Battery under the bonnet. I only use my car a couple of times a month and have to disconnect the Battery, otherwise it would be flat everytime. Its a PITA

[Greisingel]

Put a trickle charger on it. Left mine for a month and Battery was well maintained. Shouldn't be any parasitic drain. Alarm/Immob is main draw