Nickel05

. . .I am a brand new member of Club Lexus. I am in the market to purchase a pre-owned vehicle, and pretty much have my mind set on an RX330. There are a couple I am currently looking into, a 2004 with 90,000 miles on it and a 2006 with 117,000 miles on it. Both are one-owner vehicles and are being offered at a local Lexus dealership. I have been burned in the past with the purchase of a vehicle, and I obviously don't want it to happen, again. If I go through with this, it will be my first Lexus (they have always been my favorite vehicles). Without going into further detail, my issue/question is: what should I look for/look into, before going forward with a purchase? I know there are so many knowledgeable people in this forum. Your opinions and expertise are greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you and I am glad to be a part of Club Lexus. Thank you.

pauljcl

Welcome to the Club! I wish you good fortune in your quest.
If you read through the forum, you will see the different weak points of the cars, and can check out the one you are looking at further to that. I would ask the dealer from which you buy to give you some form of warranty, albeit for a short period - 90 or 180 days.

Nickel05

pauljcl, thank you so much for your response. I will certainly be doing my homework through this website. Regarding the warranty, you feel that even a short-term one will be enough time to decide if the vehicle is "good-to-go"? Thank you, again.

jfelbab

Welcome to the forum, Nickel05.

If the car is coming from a Lexus dealership I'd expect most of the following will have been checked but here are a few things I'd look for if I was purchasing an RX330:

• I would want to be sure the 90k service is done, including the timing belt replacement.
• Check that any and all recalls and Toyota Service Bulletins (TSB's) related to the vehicle are applied.
• There are some reports of steering rack leakage, ask that this be checked.
• There is a peeling paint issue with the side mirrors and door handles if it is a Bamboo Pearl color.
• Check that the motor actuators in the side mirrors are both working and the mirrors adjust properly.
• Check the headlights for signs of water infiltration.
• Check the CD player for functionality.
• Check the radiator and freeze plugs for signs of leakage.
• Check that there are no leaks from the engine, tranny and differential(s).
• Check the condition and operation of the rear hatch struts.
• Check the condition and age of the battery.

I recently traded my 2004 RX and everything was still working perfectly except for the side mirror motor actuators.

My RX330 was a fine vehicle, got decent gas mileage and held up very well over the ten years I owned it. I think the RX330 is a good choice for a used vehicle.

Again, welcome to the forum and good luck with the purchase.

Nickel05

jfelbab. . .WOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to this thread. It really means a lot. You sure know your stuff. I have recently begun a checklist of things to do before I make the purchase. You have hit a few of those things, especially the 90,000-mile service and all of the recalls. I also read that there have been major issues regarding the headlights, with moisture getting into them. Also, issues with the dashboard literally cracking and peeling off. I am certainly going to do my homework here. With the list that you have supplied, I will certainly print it out and have it with me while shopping for a vehicle. Again, jfelbab, I really appreciate the time you took to post here. Have yourself a nice day and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

beefmc

Some of the best advice I got when I first came here about 6 months ago was to go to the Lexus Drivers website and put in the VIN number. That will give you the service records of the vehicle. I felt confident when I bought mine (2007 RX350 w/ 102,000 miles) becasue the previous owner had everything done at my local Lexus dealership.

Nickel05

beefmc, thank you for the reply. I am going to the Lexus Drivers website right now. While I am posting, guys and gals, I have one question that pretty much sums up what I am looking for: is it a good investment to get myself into a vehicle that is eleven-years old? I know that it is a Lexus, and if I find the right one, it will run. I plan to take exceptional care of it and will need it for about five years. Is this a good investment? Thank you all, once again.

Carver

Toyota products are extremely good vehicles. The quality of materials, engineering and construction make for an ownership experience that is foreign to those who are more used to makes that simply are not even in the same universe. Your question is perhaps based on your experience with a lesser make and you can see concerns with laying out multiple thousands for a 10 year old Cadillac or Mercedes or Volvo for example and you would be correct.

Lexus are not perfect but they are relatively predictable and there is comfort in that. You can read these pages and quickly see what needs repair and pretty much when it will need it.

The key to a good experience is selecting the right car in the first place. Maintenance is king. Don't buy a car that has no maintenance record and make sure it is a perfect record, all services done when needed, all recalls performed.

Find a well respected independent Lexus shop before you need one. It is simply a requirement to having an affordable Lexus ownership. I love our dealers but when faced with a 2000 dollar brake job at the dealer and getting the same thing for 800 at an independent my finances dictate going with the independent.

Your question is can you expect a good outcome buying a 100k mile ten year old Lexus and driving it for another five years. Lexus is about the only car I would trust to do that.

Buy a good well cared for car, keep it maintained and I think you will be amazed at the end of your five years.

Nickel05

Carver, your post is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for that, and thank you for taking the time to reply. It really means a lot. I am continuing to do my homework and look forward to hearing from you, and others, in the future. Thank you.

Henry2024

Yup. Mine is Bamboo Pearl and is has the clear coat wearing off in those areas.





Mine is also peeling on the back.

Nickel05

Henry2024, is Lexus doing anything for you, in regard to your paint-peeling issue? If not, have you found a solution to the problem? Thank you for taking your time to post in this Thread.

Nickel05

Hey, guys and gals. Just bumping this Thread with another question. While going over a few vehicles of interest to me, I was able to do some research of Service History through Lexus Drivers. I could have figured it out myself, but it still hit me while doing research: it can be very expensive to keep up with all the services that a Lexus vehicle requires. For instance, the 60,000 mile service maintenance was about $1,000! It also seemed that the vehicle had to be maintained every 5,000 or so miles, with prices ranging between $150-$600. If the vehicle has been maintained properly and it has about 120,000 miles on it, at most, am I going to keep being hit with expensive maintenance bills? Now, I have my own personal mechanic who is very good with automobiles and he will be taking care of my vehicle for me. Will I be able to get the work needed done through him, or will it have to be with a reputable Lexus dealer? I hope I was clear with this post and I look forward to hearing what you guys/gals have to say. All your opinions mean a lot to me. Thank you, again, for your time. Have a great day.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

Not necessary to get all the stuff done with the local dealer....if you have a reliable mechanic...I'd get all the things done from him.

thomas1

ONe thing to remember is that Lexus dealerships are way overpriced. You could even go to Toyota Dearlership and save. They have quick lube, etc. Same vehicle as a Highlander. So no mystery there. Build up a relationship and even get coupons for service as well as parts.

thomas1

just have your mechanic use Lexus/Toyota parts for items like oil filters (could use wix) and spark plugs and Oxygen sensors. Some of the items are OE only. But a competent mechanic should be able to service vehicle.