Considering A 2009 Rx350

[2quik10]

I am considering a 2009 Rx350 at my local dealer, It has 60k miles and certified pre owned.

What should i be looking for when seeing this car? Any know issues? Tranny whine like the highlander? Thanks in advancefor your help

[jaswood]

I am considering a 2009 Rx350 at my local dealer, It has 60k miles and certified pre owned.

What should i be looking for when seeing this car? Any know issues? Tranny whine like the highlander? Thanks in advancefor your help

If you are considering a F/awd model then a 2010 MY RX would be highly desireable vs any previous MY ONE-WHEEL DRIVE "AWD" system. Plus you will need a complete, THOROUGH, understanding of the horribly FLAWED automatic climate control design.

[2quik10]

Im not sure I understand what you meant by your previous post

[jaswood]

Im not sure I understand what you meant by your previous post

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=72525

[Browninggold]

I just purchased a 2009 with around 35000 miles for my wife and we are very happy with purchase. AWD

[cduluk]

Im not sure I understand what you meant by your previous post

No one else does either...

Just check for accident history (bad paint work, etc.) And check the carfax report even though they're not always reliable.

[jaswood]

I just purchased a 2009 with around 35000 miles for my wife and we are very happy with purchase. AWD

"AWD" Lexus RX in Michigan in the wintertime,...for your wife....??!!

Is she HEAVILY insured...??

Buy the Lexus RX shop/repair manuals, or subscribe to techinfo.toyota.com, and read up on, fully comprehend, the theory of operation behind the RX's "AWD" system. From the '01 model thru the 2009 MY the RX was primarily a ONE-WHEEL DRIVE vehicle. Three simple, FULLY "OPEN", diff'ls.

The only time the "AWD" system acts to apportion, re-apportion engine torque away from a tire, or tires, with marginal traction is POST, AFTER, traction has ALREADY been LOST. Wheelspin/slip HAS ALREADY BEGUN. Even with this series, those that included a VC, Viscous Clutch, '01 to the RX330 introduction, the VC fluid was reformulated so as to always remain "flaccid".

By '01 Lexus had determined that the functionality of the VC along with the rear LSD for the '99 RX300 models where primary causative factors for the substantive level of premature driveline component failures owners of those early model years ('99 and less so for '00) were forced to endure.

The Lexus sales and marketing material for those years, RX330/350 until 2010, still tout the use of the VC, a VC that actually DOES NOT EXIST. Again, check the shop/repair manual if you need confirmation of that.

Take note that the newer RX and HL models (YOURS??) using this NON-FUNCTIONAL approach to "awd" have now added a TC "off" pushbutton in order to at least partially overcome the lack of even a semblance of "awd" functionality.

The switch in 2010 to the new "AWD" system, introduced in the new Venza, will without question be a substantive improvement. But it remains to be seen as to whether Toyota has solved the driveline component failures arising from Ford's use of this same design in the Escape/Mariner/tribute series. Ford applied many, differing/various, fixes to this system over the 10 year period it was in use in order to abate the high driveline failure rate.

Nothing seemed to work so Ford, apparently out of frustration, has now dropped the entire product line. A bit puzzling since that was to mean the reasonably successful hybrid series was also dropped.

As a rule my wife doesn't drive our '01 "AWD" RX300 in the wintertime, most certainly not if it appears those roadbeds are forecast to become slippery. Not to belittle my wife's driving skills, she grew up in the true "toolies", Missouri Breaks area, of north-central MT and can be trusted even in the most severe wintertime conditions provided the vehicle in question is any RWD or rear biased AWD.

Other than our daily drive to/from work even I would not be trustful of the RX for a distance, highway speeds, in wintertime conditions.

But purchasing the "awd" '01 RX300 was my mistake.

We had purchased an '00 AWD RX300 model that I had paid to have dyno'ed to confirm the touted 70/30 F/R torque split. It turned out that the "split" was there, but only after a brief period, 1-2 seconds or even less, of disparate F/R driveline rotation.

Apparently it only took that small amount of time for the VC fluid to heat and and thereby increase the front to rear coupling coefficient. Unlike the FWD RX the '00 "AWD" model did not have TC so the needed disparate wheelspin/slip period was allowed.

Shortly after purchasing the '01 model to get the HID and VSC/TC upgrade I discovered what I had lost in the trade, I no longer had an "AWD" vehicle in the same sense I had had in the '00.

So my '01 quickly got 1.6" wheel spacers all around, an upgrade to 17X8 wheels and +1 tires. Wider tread, wider stance, and the ability to make use of tire chains on the rear initially should the need arise.

It has.

The RX does not have enough suspension clearance for the use of rear tire chains absent those spacers.

When we purchased the initial RX, the '00, our '92 Jeep Cherokee limited with AWD/4WD/4X4 capability, was retired to a ranch in MT where it still does STELLAR wintertime duty.

Sorry..inadvertent, wrong response, "insert" keystroke.

Our '78 Targa stuck in McCall until a new Alternator could be shipped in and installed.

[cduluk]

To answer the thread creator, there isn't much to complain about in terms of transmission noise for the 09 RX350, though some complain of engine noise during cold temperatures (some say it sounds like a diesel engine).

I had an AWD 2003 Rx300 for several years and it performed wonderfully in the snow. My AWD 2008 RX400h is much worse, but heck it's a hybrid. I've heard that the 07-09 RX350 is better in the snow than the previous RX300, and i can tell you the RX300 was more than satisfactory for non-Alaskan winters... So you should be fine with the RX350 unless you plan on climbing all those snowy mountains in New Jersey... ^_^

[Browninggold]

I or my wife had no problems driving in Michigan on slippery roads this past winter. Never any problems handled superb. I tried to make it spin out a couple times and all it did was grip the road better

[scottq60]

My wife's '09 RX350 has been FLAWLESS in winter driving conditions. I've owned MANY 4wd/AWD vehicles in my 51 years. The only two complaints we've encountered with it are: 1.) valve train noise when cold (which even the '10 loaner we had experienced), and 2.) the OEM Michelins were HORRIBLE!!!! ...they were quiet and smooth, but wore out TOTALLY in 35k miles...I was Michelin-loyal until this set...replaced them with Bridgestone Alenza's...a GREAT wearing tire!