Should I Buy 99 Lexus Rx300?

[Lexus Prospectus]

OK, I have to confess something up front, I do not now or have never owned a Lexus. I have owned many Toyotas from Corolla to 4 Runner and have always been very happy with them. I am currently driving a 2001 Jetta TDI (18 months) and I am fed up with the electrical problems, not starting, PW's that won't work, timing belt etc.. So it is time to get rid of it, and I immediatly started checking out Toyota again.

Then 2 days ago while browsing the local used car publication I turned the page and there it was a 1999 Lexus RX300 AWD "Excellent condition - very nice ride" $10,900 CDN. Oh yeah, have I mentioned I am in Canada, so that equates to about $9500 US. No mileage posted so I immediatley passed it over thinking it probably has high mileage. After considering and calling on 4 Toyotas, all overpriced but in real nice shape, I kept coming back to the Lexus. Yesterday I broke down and called and found out it has 215,000 km (about 135,00 miles), I arranged a test drive last night. It did not dissapoint me! lot's of power very nice ride and in excellent shape for the mileage (almost showroom condition) original paint and no sign of any accidents.

I fell in love with the vehicle, but kept my poker face on while in the presence of the owner :whistles: , He has not indicated any flexibility in the price, but it has been for sale for 3 weeks. I want this vehicle, but I do not want to regret buying an 8 yr old vehicle with mileage that high. He is the second owner and has had it for 10 months, he has no service records except his own, a brake Job and three oil changes.

How much mileage can a peson reasonably expect out of this vehicle assuming that proper maitenance has been and will continue to be done? I am nervous about this vehicles mileage, but i am also in love with it.

HELP! need some good advice. (I have stopped looking for other vehicles until I decide about this one) it has me hooked.

Lexus Prospectus

[wwest]

OK, I have to confess something up front, I do not now or have never owned a Lexus. I have owned many Toyotas from Corolla to 4 Runner and have always been very happy with them. I am currently driving a 2001 Jetta TDI (18 months) and I am fed up with the electrical problems, not starting, PW's that won't work, timing belt etc.. So it is time to get rid of it, and I immediatly started checking out Toyota again.

Then 2 days ago while browsing the local used car publication I turned the page and there it was a 1999 Lexus RX300 AWD "Excellent condition - very nice ride" $10,900 CDN. Oh yeah, have I mentioned I am in Canada, so that equates to about $9500 US. No mileage posted so I immediatley passed it over thinking it probably has high mileage. After considering and calling on 4 Toyotas, all overpriced but in real nice shape, I kept coming back to the Lexus. Yesterday I broke down and called and found out it has 215,000 km (about 135,00 miles), I arranged a test drive last night. It did not dissapoint me! lot's of power very nice ride and in excellent shape for the mileage (almost showroom condition) original paint and no sign of any accidents.

I fell in love with the vehicle, but kept my poker face on while in the presence of the owner :whistles: , He has not indicated any flexibility in the price, but it has been for sale for 3 weeks. I want this vehicle, but I do not want to regret buying an 8 yr old vehicle with mileage that high. He is the second owner and has had it for 10 months, he has no service records except his own, a brake Job and three oil changes.

How much mileage can a peson reasonably expect out of this vehicle assuming that proper maitenance has been and will continue to be done? I am nervous about this vehicles mileage, but i am also in love with it.

HELP! need some good advice. (I have stopped looking for other vehicles until I decide about this one) it has me hooked.

Lexus Prospectus

The 99, and possibly the '00 RX300's mostly the AWD models have been experiencing "premature" transaxle failure at about 70-80,000 miles.

[tmastres]

OK the best advice I can give you is to search through the archive of this forum. This same question has been posted many times in just the last few months (regarding the purchas eof 99 and a few 00 moder RX's). There is a lot of "advice" in these posts and "regulars" are unlikely to go into extreme detail (if they post at all) on yet another "should I buy a 99" post.

This isn't an admonition, I want you to get all the info you can, and theres tons of it here.

I don't mind repetaing myself so I'll tell you that a fair number of people have had problems with their 99 model transmissions. By the number of miles you mentioned on the one you're looking at I'd say its little safer bet but in reality, if it were me I'd keep my eyes open for a 00 model or better yet an 01. As wwest has described in fantastic detail (in the past , in other posts like this) the trans was changed fundamentally in 01 and hadn't seemed to cause much trouble after that model year.

Are the prices for an 00 or an 01 that different? I don't really know since i'm not actively looking for one but I can say that if thats a really great price, it may be worth it.

The two major issues facing early (99,00) RX's were engine sludging and the trans failure. Theres tons of info on both in the forum archives.

If you can get the service history and see the trans has been serviced well and if you can get a mechanic (or yourself) to take a look under the valve covers for evidence of sludging (and find none) then you're covered the majors.

Seriously though, do a search and look at what others have said. Good Luck