wahoowa12

I currently have a 1999 GS400 that I love, but am planning to replace in the next year or so. I haven't been seriously looking, but while casually browsing today, I stumbled across a 2007 RX400h with 51k miles on it. It's equipped with the navigation system, backup camera, moon roof, leather seats, etc. I think it has everything but the premium sound system. It's at a "no haggle" dealership (not Lexus, so not Certified Pre-Owned) listed for just a hair under $24,000.

Considering I hadn't planned to buy a new car for at least another six months to a year (have the money set aside to buy it now, just hadn't really made the decision to), I have a few questions about the RX 400h.

1) Does this seem like a good deal? I had focused most of my casual searching on the IS, so not super familiar with RX pricing, but it struck me as a pretty great deal.

2) I've done lots of reading and searching on here, and have read about the infamous inverter issues. This VIN number isn't affected by the recall (checked mylexus.com). How common is this failure? Is it less common in the 2007 model than the 2006 model? Basically, should this play a role in my decision of whether to get this car or not?

3) Carfax reports that this particular car was in an accident. Dealer says previous owner reported that they were rear-ended, bumper was replaced and the hatch was repaired. How concerned should I be about this? (I'm a younger female - this is my first "on my own" car buying experience, so sorry for the dumb questions!)

4) The car is actually about an hour and a half away, so I haven't seen it in person yet - going to test drive it this weekend. (Hoping it's still there!) Anything in particular I should look out for?

Thanks so much for any opinions or guidance that you all can offer!

jtaylor3

If you have a mechanic you trust, you could arrange to take the car over there and have them inspect the accident repairs and make sure no serious damage was done to the car. Hopefully it was just a minor fender bender as they reported and is no big deal. Failing that, you might call a Lexus dealer nearby and see if you can get an appointment with them and get the car checked out. It will probably be money well spent.

I bought my 2008 RX400h as a CPO car and I feel a lot better knowing that I have a 3 year / 100k mile warranty in addition to the hybrid system warranty (which I think is 8 years / 100k mi, but I'm not sure). You might look around at your local Lexus dealers and see if they have any CPO RX400h cars available and see how the price compares. CPO 2008 RX400s around here are going for about $36k with 30k miles on them. Or at least that is what my local dealer is asking for them

Good luck.

Jeff

thomas1

I bought my 2008 at a carmax....it had 89k miles. Concerns would be to drive it and listen for abnormal noise. Mine developed what sounded like excessive road noise, turned out to be a wheel bearing, took some time to diagnose, but the car is now quiet. The other thing is to check for inverter leaks. Headlights getting condensation are another problem on these cars...The head lamp can be quite expensive. I would check it out and figure the savings for used versus new and fix anything that is minor. THe timing belt isnt do until 90k miles. Spark plugs at 125k miles. If the car appears and drives well, go for it. The inverter does have a 100k warranty. cant remember the years....I bought mine for 25K out the door, 6k cheaper than a cpo which was a year older. I felt that the difference in price would easy cover any repairs that are necessary, and quite frankly the dealership was not responding to mly price. I do not regret my decision. THe 2008 which I purchased was in better shape than the cpo 2007 which the lexus dealership was pushing...Good luck with your decision.

mikli

the 07 for $24k is pretty good. check over all the paperwork and do a PPI at the dealership. Better spend the extra $200 than to be sorry. Check the delivery date maybe there are some bumper to bumper warranty left. GL

koreanpers

Sounds like a good deal...i found ours at a mom and pop dealership in Ohio. Drove 10 hours to get it. Bought it (2007 rx4) for only $25k back in 2010. It had all options except ML sound. I was nervous too, since it was lower than the cost of the regular 2007 rx350 or 330 at the time. It had only 42xxx miles. I took it to an Ohio Lexus dealer and they performed full inspection and found nothing wrong with it. Very happy with the purchase and enjoying the speed and gas mileage!