Should I Purchase This Rx 300? Help Wanted...

[valaub]

There is a 2001 RX 300 at a local dealership.... 87700 miles most of the bells and whistles (heated seats, moonroof, premium sound, brand new michelin tires). Price is 17,995 which seems very good and they will likely take less as this is not a "hassle free price" dealership. I am loking to get a good, safe vehicle for my family. (I'm the proud papa of a new 5 month old girl) I am pretty new to the search for this model and am trying to do my research on possible problems. What is the reliability trend for this model at the mileage?? Any help is appreciated very much. (This is my first post here and I hope I've not missed any FAQ's or posted against any accepted guidleines. Thanks.)

(I haven't been able to talk to the dealership as they were closed last night when we found it).

[nacha]

hi

congratulations on your new child. this car has to many miles for my taste. if it were me, i would find one with about 1/2 the milage. good luck.

[mailrail]

Great price for that year, even WITH those miles. Like always when buying used cars, make sure you have some history on it. This (as I've found out being a new member and buyer) is especially true when buying a used Lexus. If the oil hasn't been changed on schedule, then you've got engine sludge issues you'll be dealing with. If it were a Certified vehicle (and it can't be with that many miles) than you wouldn't need to care. But unless you've got $4K laying around to plop down on a new engine, than pass it up if you can't find service records. HINT: If the dealer that you're considering buying from has a free 30-day warranty, than maybe you could buy it with a little piece of mind because if the engine has developed sludge problems, it'll use oil like it's chugging beer. If you put any miles at all on it within those 30 days, you'd see a drop on your dipstick and be able to take it back to the dealer to have them check the engine for you. GOOD LUCK!

[denslexusgx470]

There is a 2001 RX 300 at a local dealership.... 87700 miles most of the bells and whistles (heated seats, moonroof, premium sound, brand new michelin tires). Price is 17,995 which seems very good and they will likely take less as this is not a "hassle free price" dealership. I am loking to get a good, safe vehicle for my family. (I'm the proud papa of a new 5 month old girl) I am pretty new to the search for this model and am trying to do my research on possible problems. What is the reliability trend for this model at the mileage?? Any help is appreciated very much. (This is my first post here and I hope I've not missed any FAQ's or posted against any accepted guidleines. Thanks.)

(I haven't been able to talk to the dealership as they were closed last night when we found it).

I think the price is fair bro , BUT, :cries: , the maintainance costs are very expensive (especially when the car gets older in mileage). Imagine this, 60k tune-up is $1k, i think. :chairshot:

I suggest getting one, around 25k-30k. They shouldn't be too expensive cuz the Rx330 already came out, which has depreciated the values of the Rx300. :(

If only u were about 1 year earlier, I was selling my Rx (cuz it got into a minor accident, but fully fixed up, can't tell where the accident was at, and the accident didn't do damage to the frame). I think I was goin for, :whistles: , $24k with only 33,000 miles, BUT, the catch was, IT WAS THE ENTRY MODEL, NO LEATHER OF ANY KIND!!! lol :P Well taken cared of, oh well. Had to sell it cuz it brings back the event when my mom see's it (she was driving it when she got rear-ended).

[snkanth]

There is a 2001 RX 300 at a local dealership.... 87700 miles most of the bells and whistles (heated seats, moonroof, premium sound, brand new michelin tires). Price is 17,995 which seems very good and they will likely take less as this is not a "hassle free price" dealership. I am loking to get a good, safe vehicle for my family. (I'm the proud papa of a new 5 month old girl) I am pretty new to the search for this model and am trying to do my research on possible problems. What is the reliability trend for this model at the mileage?? Any help is appreciated very much. (This is my first post here and I hope I've not missed any FAQ's or posted against any accepted guidleines. Thanks.)

(I haven't been able to talk to the dealership as they were closed last night when we found it).

Hi, Congratulations on the baby Girl. I am also a proud papa of a 4 month old Girl, and I just (Today!) bought a used RX300 (1999) with 79500 miles on it. It was on the lot for $18,988 and I had a used 1998 Chevy Malibu with 80K miles on it. Just a basic car, no bells & whistles.

Here is what I did. First I got a CarFax report, and second, I took the RX300 to a dealer and had it thorughly checked out (COst me about $100, but they checked EVRYTHING, including compression etc.)

Once I was satisfied, I arranged for financing through my bank. Now the interesting part.

I decided that I will only pay $13,700 and my car as trade in. (The book val on the car is about $4k) So I walked in there with a certified check for $13.7K, and said, if they want to deal, we can do it, if not, I am going elsewhere. That was it.

So...my suggestion is: First check out the car in great detail. SPEND the $100 to get it looked at, next get your own financing. Offer a vlaue that you think is right, and stick with it. (Go with a certified cashier's check, gives them less incentive to haggle) and as some one else suggested, go on the last day of the month when they will have pressure on quotas.

Good luck and congratulations on the new Baby.

[SW03ES]

If you don't have evidence of oil changes every 5k miles, don't buy the vehicle. The risk of engine sludge is just too great. If it has a good service history go for it!

In all honesty people make Lexus service out to be way more expensive than it actually is. I've said it many times, a Lexus is nothing special or complicated. Its a very well engineered Toyota product that is just as simple and straightforward to work on as a Camry or a Avalon. Anyone can do the scheduled maintenance on your RX, and only the dealer will screw you on the pricing. Its not a Ferrari, Jiffy Lube can handle the oil changes, no reason to pay Lexus $150 to do a $30 job. I personally think we'll see Lexus offer free scheduled maintenance within a couple years, its becoming more and more common. Makes the customer happy, means more money for the dealers because they can guarantee the work and get paid by Lexus directly, and it makes for better used cars because you don't have to worry about things like engine sludge because of mistreatment. If its free owners have no excuse. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lincoln, Cadillac and Infiniti offer this now. Lexus will have to soon. If they don't by the time I trade my ES on something new in 2007 or so I'll buy something else.

Owning a Lexus is only as expensive as you make it.

[99RX300Junk]

There is a 2001 RX 300 at a local dealership.... 87700 miles most of the bells and whistles (heated seats, moonroof, premium sound, brand new michelin tires). Price is 17,995

There are many things I love about my 1999 (110K miles when I purchased it) RX300 but repairs and problems have been alot for only owning this car for 9 months. I know the old owner, have all of the maintenance records, most miles are highway, he kept immaculate care of the car but since I've purchased it, I've sunk in $5K, constantly feel as if it will breakdown again, and want to get rid of it, but feel I am in too deep.

I would seriously consider if you want to drive around an infant (mine was 3 months old when I got it) in a car with that many miles on it when you could get something a little less fancy w/ less miles on it. I know Lexus is known for reliability, but my 10 year old Corolla was more reliable that this vehicle has been for me and as I said, I know the care that was taken to this vehicle before I got it.

Even getting the vehicle repaired on by Toyota (not Lexus) and I know the mechanic, it's still VERY pricey to fix.

[RX in NC]

Purchasing ANY vehicle with more than 60,000 to 70,000 miles on it is simply assuring yourself that YOU will be responsible for handling expensive and sometimes major repair costs over a continual period of time. That's usually why the previous owner decided to get rid of the vehicle when they did.

As long as you are mechanically inclined and can perform most of the inevitable repair work yourself, then a vehicle with more than 60,000 miles on it may very well be worth it to you. But if you have to pay a dealer or even an independent repair shop to handle even the simplest of oil and filter changes, DON'T BUY THE VEHICLE regardless of how well you knew the previous owner or how meticulous the service history appears on the surface. You're just setting yourself up for a continual drain of your checkbook. And purchasing a vehicle with 110,000 miles on it is just ludicrous unless you get it for a song and you can work on it yourself. Because you will be working on it for a LOT more than you think is enjoyable.

As I've said before, purchasing clean, well-maintained late-model vehicles (usually off a two or three-year lease return) can save you ten or fifteen thousand dollars over a new vehicle of the same model. but my absolute mileage limit on such a vehicle is always a maximum of 40,000 miles (and 30,000 miles would be much better)....

[99RX300Junk]

Purchasing ANY vehicle with more than 60,000 to 70,000 miles on it is simply assuring yourself that YOU will be responsible for handling expensive and sometimes major repair costs over a continual period of time. That's usually why the previous owner decided to get rid of the vehicle when they did.

Oh..when I got it last year it was worth $16K retail and I paid $12K. I was aware that obviously things would go wrong with the car w/ that many miles on it (not that my Corolla w/ 145K had many problems ever) but I didn't anticipate 8 days after I bought it that my transmission would lock up. Then 4 months later, it seized and cost $4K w/ a discount!! Then 5 days later, the rear main seal was leaking (another $1K) That is just a job that my hubby couldn't do himself.

The previous owner had the tranny flushed every 30K or so and apparently this Jiffy Lube type of company was not only putting in the wrong fluid, but not cleaning out the pan either. Needless to say, this is probably an isolated incident, but since then, there has been the engine light coming on for the second time, numerous times not starting on the first try, and weird things going on w/ the shifting. I've been reading all about the delays which may explain it but of course, I am a bit paranoid w/ the tranny. : )

It's sad that I love this car but want to trade it in but now it's only worth $12,500 and now I have $16,500 into it. LOL I sure hope the guy wanting to get one listens to you RXinNC because it's true, buying ANY vehicle w/ lots of miles on it is risky even if the previous owner took immaculate care. (Mines probably in shock since I don't baby it as much....LOL)

[RX in NC]

RX300 (and RX330 for that matter) transmissions are a definite weakness in the Lexus line-up and unless the vehicle's service records can absolutely prove that ONLY Toyota Type T-IV transmission fluid has been utilized throughout the life of the vehicle, it's BUYER BEWARE every single time. Lexus wants about $7,000 for a new RX transmission, and NO used RX is worth spending that kind of money out of your own pocket for....