Engine Replacement At 84K?

[Rac379]

So I've found this great 2001 rx300 silversport on craiglist. I really like it because of the monotone black paint and black interior. But I ran a carfax and it said 'Engine replaced' and 'Engine checked' at 84,897 miles. Is this normal at all? It has 160k miles now. It was done at Jim Hudson Lexus in Augusta, GA. Which brings me to something else. This car was sold new in a suburb of Orlando, FL, then sold at an auction 4 years later and went to another dealership in Florida who sold it to someone in Georgia (who replaced the engine). Then 4.5 years later it was sold at an auction in Georgia and someone in Kentucky bought it (that's where it is now). The current owner has had it for 8 months. Should I be cautious about this car? I'm going to have a mechanic look at it but I just wanted some other opinions.

[1990LS400]

Should I be cautious about this car?

Does a bear $#!+ in the woods?

Your post reminds me of the 60 Minutes segment a few years ago about the sale of the late Andy Rooney's RX300. The car changed hands over and over before it was finally sold again by a used car dealer at a price that vastly exceeded what Rooney got for it.

The Toyota/Lexus V6 engine of this error had known slugging issues but the vehicles affected were mostly ones that did not have proper maintenance. We have essentially the same V6 engine in our 98 Camry, which we bought new, and we have not had the sludge issue in its 125,000 miles. But our Camry has had an oil change every 5,000 miles and nothing but Mobil 1 synthetic oil has ever been used.

If the engine checks out by your mechanic, it might be fine. A recommendation I have seen numerous times is that the value covers should be removed to check for sludge. And of course do a compression test. A leak-down test wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[dnev]

It seems like a replacement engine is pretty drastic for only having 84k. Japanese engines, even under moderate regular maintenance, should last far longer. I'd imagine that the first owner did a poor job or maintaining their vehicle. I'd leave it alone. That being said, if you need a quality mechanic in Orlando to check it out, head to Orlando Import Auto Specialists! They're amazing.