Considering A 99 Rx - What To Check For

[The Josh]

I bought a 2000 GS300 in January and my wife wants an RX now. I searched the forums and found many RX's with problems.

My GS is pretty much trouble-free. Should I stay away from the RX? What are the most trouble prone areas in the RX???

Thanks.

The JOSH

[lenore]

Read all forums on transmission problems, especially with the AWD model....

[tmastres]

I bought a 2000 GS300 in January and my wife wants an RX now. I searched the forums and found many RX's with problems.

My GS is pretty much trouble-free. Should I stay away from the RX? What are the most trouble prone areas in the RX???

Thanks.

The JOSH

Hey there,

well there have been several posts just like this one inthe past few months and theres some very detailed info in them. If I were you I'd simply skip to the 01 model by then the majority of the common RX maladies had gone away. If you find an dabsolutely exceptional deal on a 00 then maybe but the 01's should be available at a decent price by now.

[cliffy]

I bought a 2000 GS300 in January and my wife wants an RX now. I searched the forums and found many RX's with problems.

My GS is pretty much trouble-free. Should I stay away from the RX? What are the most trouble prone areas in the RX???

Thanks.

The JOSH

Hey there,

well there have been several posts just like this one inthe past few months and theres some very detailed info in them. If I were you I'd simply skip to the 01 model by then the majority of the common RX maladies had gone away. If you find an dabsolutely exceptional deal on a 00 then maybe but the 01's should be available at a decent price by now.

My wife hasn't had any trans. problems thus far with her 99 RX300. We bought it with about 60k on it 2 years ago, and we put 35k on it. Picked it up pretty cheap too. Just had the water pump and timing belt done around 92k and our machanic (too much time for dyi) said the car looked extreamly clean.... I guess it's hit or miss... I'm happy with it.

[blk_on_blk]

I just picked up a 99 RX300 out of Arizona. I opted for the 2WD model after concerns with transmissions (my understanding is the AWD is essentially a PTO off the same basic tranny, causing extra load/wear), plus it's quicker, gets better mileage, and isn't as heavy. I looked for some time... you just have to find one in good condition with a good history. Always CarFax a vehicle before you buy, and even then you've got to be wary. I looked at a vehicle here in Portland, OR and when I CarFax'd it, it came back 'clean', but I noticed the thing had been in Florida it's whole life, but then suddenly shows up at a dealer in the PNW after being sold at an auction.... that just screams 'flood damage' to me. So, when I looked at the car, sure enough, key signs of corrosion in areas there shouldn't be... it was in standing water at some point.

You've just gotta really know what to look for on any vehicle, trust who you are buying from, run a check on the vehicle, and listen and feel as you test drive it... vehicles will 'talk' if you listen ;-)