Newbie Needs Some Advise Please.

Russ22 · March 20, 2015

Hello all.

I need to pick your brains before i buy a 400h. 05 plate from a local non main dealership

I have found and test drove on today, its only covered 36k miles! with all the old MOTS to back it up. However there is little or no service history. Its also been sat for 5 months at a local garage.

Now its priced well with trade in on my sorento at 8k. I have knocked £500 off to cover the lexus 100k/10 year service.

Now with such low miles will that have affected the Hybrid battery's? or will sitting for that length of time hurt them?

Also i found a button next to the headlight washers that had no markings on it, when pressed it set a beep off, i have not seen it before and have no idea what it does.

They have agreed to a new 12v Battery as the one in it isnt the best, a new bit of trim on the rear window, and the parking camera was flicking in and out.

Just need to know if there is anything major i should be looking out for and the hybrid system questions above.

Thanks very much

ColinBarber · March 20, 2015

I don't see the low mileage as a problem for the batteries. I'd also imagine that in the 5 months it was started a few times?

Maybe the mystery button is for a parking sensor?

Check the rear lights and boot for any water ingress. Worth trying to how how corroded the underside is - they all will be a little bit at that age unless it has been treated which is unlikely if it hasn't even been serviced regularly.

Was the display issue just the camera or other things on the screen? You want that fixed as it could be expensive.

Russ22 · March 20, 2015

I have a feeling the car was serviced but the book lost, they said it went in for a recall and had a date for it, i will try and find out what that was. It was a one owner car, from the middle of london, Who buys a 45k car and does not service it?

It was just the camera, he claimed it hadnt done it before, but who knows. I told him that was a deal breaker if it wasn't fixed, The rest of the touch screen worked great I will get under it and take a look see.

been offered a warranty but only for 3 months with 1k limit, not alot of use at all.

The car has front and rear parking sensors? along with the camera. I thought it odd, is it possible this is aftermarket? hence my strange button.

Thanks for the swift reply.

polish · March 20, 2015

hi russell my first was a secondhand rx400 bought from lexus dealer. was a bought in car with some service history missing. It was a gamble to take with missing service history,but they said that they could check on there system for its sevicing records .they showed it was serviced by the original dealer.

can you get the reg and take to your local dealer to check , better safe than sorry .mine had to have a new wing mirror fitted £650 so check be careful .

ColinBarber · March 20, 2015

The parking sensor are aftermarket in that they weren't install at the factory. They could be Lexus accessories fitted by a dealer but equally could be completely third party.

steve2006 · March 20, 2015

As you are buying the car from a motor trader/dealer you should be covered under the Sales of Goods Act which basically gives you a 6 month warranty aganst major defects, obviously if you buy the car with known defects for example the reversing camaera this would not be covered but if you are faced in a few months time with a defective hybrid battery/invertor failure then that should be.

What I would be asking is why the car has been stood for so long and hasn't sold earlier, if you get the chance to view the paperwork see if you can gain details of the previous owner and contact them.

Lexus will not provide any details regarding serice history without proof of ownership due to the Data Protection Act so that is only available after purchase when the vehicle is registered in your name.

Russ22 · March 21, 2015

I have slept on it and im going to pass on this one.

The no history in 10 years and the warranty only covering 1k worth of repairs has put me off. ON the look out for a more suitable one

billgatesisaconman · March 21, 2015

I would ask to see the log book & get the previous owners details from it, they are the best person to ask if you have any queries about the car & they may even have the service book,

I wouldn't think somone would pay £40k+ for a car then not service it, unless they are a complete knob,

just give them a bell or a knock on the door ... if all's well with the previous owner & with only 36k miles for £8 grand it sounds like a good deal to me. ...

I wouldn't worry about the reversing camera, If it wasn't a cheap fix it's got the sensors anyway & unless your Mr Magoo you dont need both ...

I would check if it's a 3rd party warranty that it covers the hybrid system ... a lot don't, but to be honest I haven't seen a decent warranty anywhere for an Rx that doesn't come with an eye watering price.

Russ22 · March 21, 2015

A second view and ive back out, the dvd headrests where missing? the wires where all there but the headrests are normal stock?!?!

The warranty covered £1000 of work. So no hybrid cover. If i wasnt so far away then getting hold of the old owner would have been an option.

I have now found another one, 65k on the clock £9500 (inc sorento) But it has a full service, refurbed alloys, and they are willing to carry out the 10 year service for me, Also a 1 year warranty to the value of the car.

The other good thing is that 4000 miles ago it went in for its inverter recall. This is going to sound very stupid but i trust they would have to change the fluid when they did the change?

ColinBarber · March 21, 2015

The other good thing is that 4000 miles ago it went in for its inverter recall. This is going to sound very stupid but i trust they would have to change the fluid when they did the change?

Highly unlikely they would have reused the existing fluid, but impossible to confirm one way or the other.

billgatesisaconman · March 21, 2015

Mine didn't need the recall so I have no idea what it entails Russell.

Russ22 · March 21, 2015

More tracking down, i got the job number and details about the change, a phone call to the lexus dealership confirmed they would have changed the fluid at the same time.

All looking good for this one, just got to go up and see it next week.

I would like to thank you guys for the warm welcome and advise thus far.

I cant wait to get one, i test drove a 400h when it was brand new at lexus and fell in love with it, however at the time i was younger and running my supra so just couldn't afford it, however im now older the mrs uses the 4x4 and i still have the supra but i can now justify 10k on a car of this caliber

nelmo · March 21, 2015

I have now found another one, 65k on the clock £9500 (inc sorento) But it has a full service, refurbed alloys, and they are willing to carry out the 10 year service for me, Also a 1 year warranty to the value of the car.?

That sounds a little expensive to me - a quick check on Auto Trader brings up at least 10 others under £10k with similar mileage and good specs, several under £8k as well...

DanD · March 23, 2015

Depends on condition, colour combination, level of spec... but also age. 65k but for what year Russell?

Someone mentionned the cost of replacing mirrors... they are expensive! - Make sure they fold (button next to hatch release), that both dip when you put the car in reverse, and also that the internal and both external mirrors darken when it's dark (you can simulate that by covering the sensor at the back of the internal mirror).

Michael Hurn · March 23, 2015

Mirrors start at approx £300 each from a non Lexus dealer. And that's just the mirror, not the casing!! Something to do with the magic fluid inside the mirror.

polish · March 23, 2015

russ22

hi re wing mirror, when in auto the mirror would swing 180deg to face forward so had to use in manual mode .Dealer said that mirror has been forced round breaking internals. Lexus does not do repairs just replacements expensive?.

Anyway the car, her in doors and me wanted took 18 months searching on net mostly lexus sights .London to Newcastle found it at Manchester,they offered to drive it to my home do paper work over coffee couldn't have been nicer still get calls from them to check everything ok even though have service done in leeds. hope you get a good one its well worth waiting for . goodluck

Russ22 · March 24, 2015

Thanks for some more pointers guys!

Yeah im going up sat to view it, thats a handy tip about covering the light sensor, i guessed auto dimming wouldn't be fun to replace,

The car in question is a 2006, Se-l with full service history. 1 year full warranty, and i told them i would want the cam belt done as its coming up to 10 years old. Its black and beige.

Russ22 · March 24, 2015

Also, i have seen two types of rear dvd players? Ones mounted in the headrests, and ones that a mounted on a long bit of plastic?

billgatesisaconman · March 24, 2015

Wouldn't worry too much about dvd players m8 they are old hat now that the digital media age is here & most kids are using tablets, I suppose they have a bit of "retro" value though, just like the obligatory tape cassette player ... lol ... black looks stunning when its clean & shiny but very difficult to keep that way, personally, I swore I would never have another black car after my last one ... biege interior ... don't forget to take your shoes off before you get in ... lol

ColinBarber · March 24, 2015

Also, i have seen two types of rear dvd players? Ones mounted in the headrests, and ones that a mounted on a long bit of plastic?

The original ICE system had screen in the headrest. That changed with the facelift in 2006. You will find quite a few vehicles will aftermarket systems installed too.

Neither of the Lexus systems were very good, especially the early one.

Russ22 · March 28, 2015

Well i agreed to buy the car today, Its a cracker, the dealer will do a full service inc cambelt, and refurb the alloy wheels as i paid the screen price, also fresh MOT and anything it needs to pass.

This one was much cleaner, all the bits where they should be all the extras working well, remote headsets, the whole lot.

Just have to wait a week to be able to pick it up

billgatesisaconman · March 28, 2015

Glad to hear your sorted m8 .... roll on next week then !

Meakesmyster · March 29, 2015

Hi if you know of anybody selling a lexus rx 400h in excellent condition let me know.

Ive been looking for months.

billgatesisaconman · March 30, 2015

Hi if you know of anybody selling a lexus rx 400h in excellent condition let me know.

Ive been looking for months.

Keep looking buddy it took me 18 months to fnd mine m8 ... the right one will come up eventually ... although Rx 400 prices seem to be all over the show at the minute ...