Looking at a 2000 RX300 - Have Questions...
10-31-06, 10:53 AM
#1
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Looking at a 2000 RX300 - Have Questions...
Hey Everyone,
I am a long time looker, but this will be the first time I have ever posted here. I am looking at a 2000 RX300, 2WD with 99,000 miles. I have a few questions.
Besides the obvious, does anyone have any pro/cons of the 2WD vs. the AWD? I initially wanted an AWD, but this one doesnt look to bad.
It only comes with one key, I know these are expensive. Does anyone have a place I can purchase another cut key? What about programing?
To the best of my knowledge, the imfamous 90,000 mile service has NOT been completed. What are the going rates for this at a TOYOTA dealership. Is Toyota cheaper than Lexus? I have also contimplated doing it myself, I have done them before on other cars, with the proper manuals. Can I purchase an OEM Lexus RX300 manual somewhere?
Please let me know your opinoins and if you have any other feedback that you think I should know, please let me know.
Thanks guys,
Alden
I am a long time looker, but this will be the first time I have ever posted here. I am looking at a 2000 RX300, 2WD with 99,000 miles. I have a few questions.
Besides the obvious, does anyone have any pro/cons of the 2WD vs. the AWD? I initially wanted an AWD, but this one doesnt look to bad.
It only comes with one key, I know these are expensive. Does anyone have a place I can purchase another cut key? What about programing?
To the best of my knowledge, the imfamous 90,000 mile service has NOT been completed. What are the going rates for this at a TOYOTA dealership. Is Toyota cheaper than Lexus? I have also contimplated doing it myself, I have done them before on other cars, with the proper manuals. Can I purchase an OEM Lexus RX300 manual somewhere?
Please let me know your opinoins and if you have any other feedback that you think I should know, please let me know.
Thanks guys,
Alden
10-31-06, 06:45 PM
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Questions?
Hello there,
We are driving a 2WD and we are verry happy with it. We drive a lot through the hills and off-road. (because we live in a 3rd world country).
Our car is not yet at 90.000 so I don't no anything about pricing.
Our car also came with one key and we still have one key. It will cost around 200 U$ to buy a new one. Including progamming and cutting.
Welcome to the Forum
Regards,
Wim de Kunder
We are driving a 2WD and we are verry happy with it. We drive a lot through the hills and off-road. (because we live in a 3rd world country).
Our car is not yet at 90.000 so I don't no anything about pricing.
Our car also came with one key and we still have one key. It will cost around 200 U$ to buy a new one. Including progamming and cutting.
Welcome to the Forum
Regards,
Wim de Kunder
11-01-06, 01:28 AM
#3
Hey Everyone,
I am a long time looker, but this will be the first time I have ever posted here. I am looking at a 2000 RX300, 2WD with 99,000 miles. I have a few questions.
Besides the obvious, does anyone have any pro/cons of the 2WD vs. the AWD? I initially wanted an AWD, but this one doesnt look to bad.
It only comes with one key, I know these are expensive. Does anyone have a place I can purchase another cut key? What about programing?
To the best of my knowledge, the imfamous 90,000 mile service has NOT been completed. What are the going rates for this at a TOYOTA dealership. Is Toyota cheaper than Lexus? I have also contimplated doing it myself, I have done them before on other cars, with the proper manuals. Can I purchase an OEM Lexus RX300 manual somewhere?
Please let me know your opinoins and if you have any other feedback that you think I should know, please let me know.
Thanks guys,
Alden
I am a long time looker, but this will be the first time I have ever posted here. I am looking at a 2000 RX300, 2WD with 99,000 miles. I have a few questions.
Besides the obvious, does anyone have any pro/cons of the 2WD vs. the AWD? I initially wanted an AWD, but this one doesnt look to bad.
It only comes with one key, I know these are expensive. Does anyone have a place I can purchase another cut key? What about programing?
To the best of my knowledge, the imfamous 90,000 mile service has NOT been completed. What are the going rates for this at a TOYOTA dealership. Is Toyota cheaper than Lexus? I have also contimplated doing it myself, I have done them before on other cars, with the proper manuals. Can I purchase an OEM Lexus RX300 manual somewhere?
Please let me know your opinoins and if you have any other feedback that you think I should know, please let me know.
Thanks guys,
Alden
Hi Alden,
Very nice to hear that you'll be planning on to get an RX. I have a 2000 RX300. It's gold color and has only 55,000 Miles on it. I've had it since day one and mine is a FWD. For the past 7 years of owning this car, its' been very reliable. I've had all my services done only at Lexus at every 5,000 miles interval. Although it may be a little expensive at the dealer, but I trust the mechanics at Lexus. My car has never broken down on me and runs very good.
If you plan on doing the service yourself, you could buy the repair manual at Lexus dealership. Or, you could go on Ebay and find them for less. There are two repair manuals for servicing.
Pub Name: 2000 RX300 Repair Manual
Pub No. Vol 1 RM714U1
Vol 2 RM714U2
As for the regular Owners Manual, if you happen to purchase the car and it doesn't come with it, you could get a 2nd copy of the Owners Manual for free by going to Lexus.com and logging in with your VIN number
As for the key. If you buy the key at the Dealership, it will be expensive of course. But there are many places out there that sells Lexus Keys for less. I bought an extra key about a year ago and it was around $60. If you search hard enough, you'll find a good place. For example, here's a place that sells them for less than compared to other places that are 200 or 300 hundred bucks.
http://www.toy-lex.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=11
When it came to programing, it was very easy and wasn't hard. If you do a search in this forum, you'll find programing instructions that are very easy to do. It's not hard at all and only took me like 5mins to program it.
As far as i know, FWD is faster than an AWD. But i'm not sure if i'm correct but do a little research.
In my honest suggestion, be sure to see if the previous owner of that RX300 had all their service and oil change intervals done regularly. The reason is because those who neglect oil change, their car can have an oil sludge problem. I suggest that before you buy the car. If possible, ask the previous owner if he/she is willing to go to the mechanic with you and do a full check up inspection with your own pocket money before buying the car.
Overall, Clublexus is a good forum. If you have any questions or any problems, there is always someone here to help out. Everybody here is nice, helpful and friendly. You'll even find a lot of good information as well.
Good luck to you.
-Robert
11-01-06, 05:49 AM
#5
Out of Warranty
Welcome to CL, Alden! 
AWD, thanks to its greater complexity opens the potential at least for service problems later in life. I don't recall any problems noted here that were directly related to the AWD's driveline, and the product seems to be remarkably trouble-free. There is a slight increase in maintenance, as you might expect, with the rear diff, fluid coupling, and an extra pair of half shafts and CV joints to maintain, but again, experience seems to indicate these are really minimal concerns.
I've owned both AWD and FWD versions of the RX, and while I much prefer the AWDs sure-footedness and unruffled behavior in less-than-optimal road conditions, the improved performance of the FWD is a distinct improvement.
I'll second the prevailing opinion on keys - check eBay or other resources before you go to your dealer for additional keys. You could save yourself a LOT of money.
Finally, as to that 90K service - I'd bite the bullet and have that done by Lexus - if for no other reason than to confirm the car has no serious problems that have been overlooked. You may never have to darken their doorway again, but this major service interval is important. Most dealers will charge as much as $1000 (maybe more) for this service that includes changing the water pump and timing belt. If the 90K service has not been performed (and is now 9000 miles overdue) I'd try to negotiate a grand off the selling price right off the top.
If the previous owner was pretty cavalier about his observance of service intervals, I'd also want an experienced Lexus mechanic to look it over before purchase. See if your seller can produce any kind of service records, too. Just for double-coverage, you might want to pull a Carfax report on the vehicle as well. (Don't be cheap; BUY a one-time check from the company.) That’s a quick (but not a foolproof) way to see if there’s been any kind of major service, wreck, or mischief in the car’s past. I hate to say it, but with the storms and floods in the South in the past year or so – in addition to the usual crop of wreck repairs – there are a lot of cars coming to market in the Midwest that have been “recovered”. Some may be OK, but others (including Lexus’) may be a nightmare to own.
I had an AWD ’00 RX 300 that was an absolute delight through over 65K miles before I traded for a 330. It is a spectacular car – all you could want as an all-round grocery-getter, family hauler, and long-distance tourer. The 300 has retained the air of elegance and luxury it was born with – while retaining its reputation for faithful service and bullet-proof reliability shared with Toyota products. We wish you the best of luck, and GOOD HUNTING!
AWD, thanks to its greater complexity opens the potential at least for service problems later in life. I don't recall any problems noted here that were directly related to the AWD's driveline, and the product seems to be remarkably trouble-free. There is a slight increase in maintenance, as you might expect, with the rear diff, fluid coupling, and an extra pair of half shafts and CV joints to maintain, but again, experience seems to indicate these are really minimal concerns.
I've owned both AWD and FWD versions of the RX, and while I much prefer the AWDs sure-footedness and unruffled behavior in less-than-optimal road conditions, the improved performance of the FWD is a distinct improvement.
I'll second the prevailing opinion on keys - check eBay or other resources before you go to your dealer for additional keys. You could save yourself a LOT of money.
Finally, as to that 90K service - I'd bite the bullet and have that done by Lexus - if for no other reason than to confirm the car has no serious problems that have been overlooked. You may never have to darken their doorway again, but this major service interval is important. Most dealers will charge as much as $1000 (maybe more) for this service that includes changing the water pump and timing belt. If the 90K service has not been performed (and is now 9000 miles overdue) I'd try to negotiate a grand off the selling price right off the top.
If the previous owner was pretty cavalier about his observance of service intervals, I'd also want an experienced Lexus mechanic to look it over before purchase. See if your seller can produce any kind of service records, too. Just for double-coverage, you might want to pull a Carfax report on the vehicle as well. (Don't be cheap; BUY a one-time check from the company.) That’s a quick (but not a foolproof) way to see if there’s been any kind of major service, wreck, or mischief in the car’s past. I hate to say it, but with the storms and floods in the South in the past year or so – in addition to the usual crop of wreck repairs – there are a lot of cars coming to market in the Midwest that have been “recovered”. Some may be OK, but others (including Lexus’) may be a nightmare to own.
I had an AWD ’00 RX 300 that was an absolute delight through over 65K miles before I traded for a 330. It is a spectacular car – all you could want as an all-round grocery-getter, family hauler, and long-distance tourer. The 300 has retained the air of elegance and luxury it was born with – while retaining its reputation for faithful service and bullet-proof reliability shared with Toyota products. We wish you the best of luck, and GOOD HUNTING!
11-01-06, 04:46 PM
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Welcome to CL, Alden!
AWD, thanks to its greater complexity opens the potential at least for service problems later in life. I don't recall any problems noted here that were directly related to the AWD's driveline, and the product seems to be remarkably trouble-free. There is a slight increase in maintenance, as you might expect, with the rear diff, fluid coupling, and an extra pair of half shafts and CV joints to maintain, but again, experience seems to indicate these are really minimal concerns.
I've owned both AWD and FWD versions of the RX, and while I much prefer the AWDs sure-footedness and unruffled behavior in less-than-optimal road conditions, the improved performance of the FWD is a distinct improvement.
I'll second the prevailing opinion on keys - check eBay or other resources before you go to your dealer for additional keys. You could save yourself a LOT of money.
Finally, as to that 90K service - I'd bite the bullet and have that done by Lexus - if for no other reason than to confirm the car has no serious problems that have been overlooked. You may never have to darken their doorway again, but this major service interval is important. Most dealers will charge as much as $1000 (maybe more) for this service that includes changing the water pump and timing belt. If the 90K service has not been performed (and is now 9000 miles overdue) I'd try to negotiate a grand off the selling price right off the top.
If the previous owner was pretty cavalier about his observance of service intervals, I'd also want an experienced Lexus mechanic to look it over before purchase. See if your seller can produce any kind of service records, too. Just for double-coverage, you might want to pull a Carfax report on the vehicle as well. (Don't be cheap; BUY a one-time check from the company.) That’s a quick (but not a foolproof) way to see if there’s been any kind of major service, wreck, or mischief in the car’s past. I hate to say it, but with the storms and floods in the South in the past year or so – in addition to the usual crop of wreck repairs – there are a lot of cars coming to market in the Midwest that have been “recovered”. Some may be OK, but others (including Lexus’) may be a nightmare to own.
I had an AWD ’00 RX 300 that was an absolute delight through over 65K miles before I traded for a 330. It is a spectacular car – all you could want as an all-round grocery-getter, family hauler, and long-distance tourer. The 300 has retained the air of elegance and luxury it was born with – while retaining its reputation for faithful service and bullet-proof reliability shared with Toyota products. We wish you the best of luck, and GOOD HUNTING!
AWD, thanks to its greater complexity opens the potential at least for service problems later in life. I don't recall any problems noted here that were directly related to the AWD's driveline, and the product seems to be remarkably trouble-free. There is a slight increase in maintenance, as you might expect, with the rear diff, fluid coupling, and an extra pair of half shafts and CV joints to maintain, but again, experience seems to indicate these are really minimal concerns.
I've owned both AWD and FWD versions of the RX, and while I much prefer the AWDs sure-footedness and unruffled behavior in less-than-optimal road conditions, the improved performance of the FWD is a distinct improvement.
I'll second the prevailing opinion on keys - check eBay or other resources before you go to your dealer for additional keys. You could save yourself a LOT of money.
Finally, as to that 90K service - I'd bite the bullet and have that done by Lexus - if for no other reason than to confirm the car has no serious problems that have been overlooked. You may never have to darken their doorway again, but this major service interval is important. Most dealers will charge as much as $1000 (maybe more) for this service that includes changing the water pump and timing belt. If the 90K service has not been performed (and is now 9000 miles overdue) I'd try to negotiate a grand off the selling price right off the top.
If the previous owner was pretty cavalier about his observance of service intervals, I'd also want an experienced Lexus mechanic to look it over before purchase. See if your seller can produce any kind of service records, too. Just for double-coverage, you might want to pull a Carfax report on the vehicle as well. (Don't be cheap; BUY a one-time check from the company.) That’s a quick (but not a foolproof) way to see if there’s been any kind of major service, wreck, or mischief in the car’s past. I hate to say it, but with the storms and floods in the South in the past year or so – in addition to the usual crop of wreck repairs – there are a lot of cars coming to market in the Midwest that have been “recovered”. Some may be OK, but others (including Lexus’) may be a nightmare to own.
I had an AWD ’00 RX 300 that was an absolute delight through over 65K miles before I traded for a 330. It is a spectacular car – all you could want as an all-round grocery-getter, family hauler, and long-distance tourer. The 300 has retained the air of elegance and luxury it was born with – while retaining its reputation for faithful service and bullet-proof reliability shared with Toyota products. We wish you the best of luck, and GOOD HUNTING!
11-01-06, 05:04 PM
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I pay around $350 on 30k and 60k miles service. However, I pay $1300 for 90k miles service at Longo Lexus ca, so. 01'RX has better looking tail light than 99'~00' RX.
Francis 99' RX
Francis 99' RX
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11-01-06, 07:58 PM
#8
yea i agree with you that the 01-03 tail lights is nicer than the 99-00. I have a 2000 RX and so what i did was upgraded both my taillights and headlights to the 01-03. In adddition, because i'm upgrading it, i figure i'd go with an HID, which looks very nice after the upgrade.
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