ChaoSki

Family member is selling us their 2002 RX. It has about 220k miles and is in very nice shape for car of such age.

Car has been maintained pretty well but I will need to do a timing belt as soon as I get it. 180k one was missed, so we are definitely rolling the dice by driving it at this point (IIRC this is interference engine).

I will most likely be replacing all the belts, water pump, cam seal (if it's leaky) and the timing belt.

First thing is first, I have to sort out CEL (mechanic told them it's O2 sensor) and also part of the exhaust has to be replaced. Want to get her running right before I invest more time/money into it. Also need to determine if it's worth continuing ownership as well.

Just wondering what are some of the general things to look for and check with I get the car. How reliable are these cars? Is it worth keeping it going etc

I will most likely change Transmission/transfer case oil as well (will check the color/smell when I get her).

Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated. I will post more specific info as I get her and start playing around.

TIA

fastnoypi

welcome, i have an 02 RX as well. It will continue to serve you well. These cars are very reliable if they are given proper maintenance. If you have a general mechanical knowledge and access to basic tools you can maintain it for a relatively low cost. The members of the forum have put together a DIY sticky at the top for common items that are routine and issues that may arise due to age.

The biggest engine related issue i've encountered is oil consumption which can be resolved by removing the rear valve cover and replacing it with the newer design or extensively cleaning it. Optimally, best time to R&R the part is when you are due for spark plugs.

Ride comfort and handling may decrease due to high milage, noticeably suspension bushings will be worn from age. Struts may be swapped out if experiencing sag or clunk.

certain replacement parts you should stick with OEM to keep the reliability. I have also created an aftermarket parts review thread to highlight parts that are reliable and accessible.

salimshah

Welcome to Club Lexus.

Please read through the sticky threads. Spend a day or two browsing through the other posts.

I would suggest replace the rollers and idler and tensioner and cam + main front seals + water pump. Some of these may have been skipped at 90k. I would crawl under (or have the vehicle on lift) to visually go over what is typically hidden from the view. Check for rust etc.

Keep in mind you are purchasing 200K + miles vehicle which has a base warranty of about 60k. You are getting close to 4 times what the manufacturer stands behind. What else can I say about reliability.

Buying from family is bit complicated. What if brake down happens after the purchase. You dont want that to strain relationships. Valuation is tricky too.

I will remind you that being a Lexus, maintenance is pricy (Labor of $120+/hr) and parts are expensive. With that many miles, expect normal wear would have happened and things may need replacement. Quality after market parts are not readily available.

Welcome.

Salim

ChaoSki

Yep, will be replacing all of those.

Yep, well it has been well taken care of and it's mint for such age

Not worried about that. Buying it as is and dirt cheap so I have very little to NO expectation of this car.


Shouldn't be an issue either. I do all the work on all of my cars and have decades of experience, so not too worried.

ChaoSki

Thx, yep I have been reading stickies and WEALTH of DIY info on here. One of the reasons to go ahead and get this car, you guys and the time you took to put it together. So again thanks to all for that.

I'm also hoping I can contribute myself!

JAB

My 1999 has 235K on it. A few clunks in the rear suspension but otherwise fine.

matts6887

welcome to the rx ownership. +1 on what salim has mentioned. Indeed; lexus vehicles can be $$$$ to work on and do labor for etc. You are doing the right thing by getting the timing belt done as well as the seals, etc. I believe from what Ive read and heard, etc; the timing belt is one of the main "hearts" to the rx(so to speak) and i believe is probably the next most important thing to keeping a vehicle with that many miles on it running and running properly. The main one I think is of course engine oil. If there are any oil leaks, those should be taken care of promptly as u dont want to lose oil for obvious reasons. Other than that thats about all I can think of to add at the moment. But just take care of it; do proper maintenance; and it should hopefully give u many many more miles of driving.

ALtin107

wow 200k+ miles and still running is just amazing. Lexus stands by their reliability

matts6887

yea it is! makes mine look like a baby still at just 154,000 and change miles. I just had a bunch of services done to mine though to make it "better" to drive.

ALtin107

Hope the car works out for you. Welcome to the club

ChaoSki

We picked her up Saturday. What a car.

I can't believe how great it drives. So stable on the highway and goes over bumps like they are not even there.

Seats are really comfortable. Some of the best car seats I've ever sat in?

Sorting out O2 sensor and moving on to Timing belt/Water Pump/belts/rollers/tensioner and cam seal.....transmission fluid/transfer case fluid.

Do you guys recommend adding Synthetic at such a high mileage? I can check with the previous owner if they used it (not sure).

Also have to paint the wheels and get touch up paint for rock dings up front and a one quarter size rust spot on the side.

This car is fully loaded and every little thing works. Which is quite amazing. Leather is in pretty good shape as well.

Wife/me and kids already love this car!

fastnoypi

Congrats! IMO, synthetic would be perfectly fine if you want to run a long change interval. FWIW, i am currently using a high mileage formula oil to take advantage of its seal conditioners. Being budget oriented i plan to use a high mileage formula for 2 changes in a row, and switch to whatever is on sale for the next 3 changes and rotate back to the high mileage formula. It will give me peace of mind that hard to reach seals will attempt to swell to prevent leaks.

matts6887

On this note; I just had a oil change done last week and i was going to go with high mileage oil; but; the guy at the shop who conferred with another person whos been a advisor there for 20 plus years said I really dont need to run it if there arent any leaks. So they put regular in this time again. But next time I might go back to high mileage because i just dont want any of the seals/gaskets to possibly shrink to the point of causing a leak(s) which is what i dont need to have happen. The vehicle is fine right now as I have no leaks anywhere so for now I guess the regular synthetic "blend" is ok.

ChaoSki

I wasn't really going to switch to synthetic for longer intervals. Even synthetic losses it's properties over time, and IMO 10-15k oil changes MB and BMW recommends on their cars = bs. I've seen plenty of people do oil analysis on old synthetic and it's clear after 7k it losses properties.

I was going to switch for better and longer lasting properties of synthetic oil. But I also know that switching at such mileage can be risky as well. I would still change oil every 5-7k.

matts6887

indeed; i dont believe going 10-15K between changes is ok either even if they say it is. I would not risk it.I believe Lexus reccomends every 5000 miles for oil changes to be done.