tawm

I wonder if there is any risk of corrosion, rust or other damage from the winter salt and sand used here in the NorthEast. My previous car (a wonderful 92 Volvo 940 which got caught in a flash flood, of all things!) never had any rust or corrosion problems in spite of the heavy salt exposure each winter. Any comments on how the RXs fare in terms of exposure to the elements? Any extra care needed (washing undercarriage?) The Lexus RX 350 is such a different machine altogether....not sure if any particular care is required. Thanks.

RXSF

i think all cars are subject to rust and damage from salt. after a storm, you should definately bring the car to a gas station automatic machine wash just to rinse off the undercarriage.

mandyfig

I lived in Chicago for years and this is a must. Their car washers have the undercarriage spray. We do not have them here in ATL.

JasDmw

This is an issue that has long been resolved. Frequent washing is not a bad thing and undercoating is not required/useless anymore. Can't recall for certain, but I beilieve the manual actually suggests NOT to undercoat. My 2001 Sienna went through 6 winters in the greater Toronto area and included several annual winter trips to Montreal. A lot of salt is used on the roads around here. No rust whatsoever. Lexus has a higher standard of sealant on the body joints and better finishes/coatings in general than most. Rust should not be an issue, unless you're in an accident!

Note that I use a touchless high pressure car wash as much as possible. However, about 1/2 way through winter, even that doesn't get all the gunge off so I go to either a very high end touch system (with foam "brushes") or to a coin operated wash. Also, if you time the service right, you can get a "free" wash from your dealer (LOL).

tawm

Thank you for your quick replies and comments, gents. Much appreciated.

Orzel

iTrader: (1)

Have gone through two winters with our RX and frequent trips over our mountains under less than ideal (blizzard) conditions. Highway crews use a salt mixture here and to date have had no issues with rust or corrosion. We do try to get the RX high pressure washed as often as possible though. You shouldn't have any problems with corrosion on new 350, they are well protected.

lindamen

Gas station car wash does not wash the underside of your car.

salimshah

I did not wash off the wheels after going over a road which was treated. Now the wheel hub, calipers etc have white spots, which have not come off. Thease are the ones that are visible through the slots in the wheels.

Salim

Rx300Mat

How about the Rx300? How does it hold up in the winter? This would be my first winter with my rx and i want to know how it will do in snow it is AWD.

Orzel

iTrader: (1)

We had a 300 prior to our 330 and it did just fine. We did make sure we had good tires (went with the Alenza's) and drove over the mountian passes several times in less than ideal conditions, the 300 behaved and got us through some tough weather.

COPAPILOT

When I was at the Lexus dealership yesterday, I asked them if they had an underbody sprayer at their free car wash. They do not so I am going to put a suggestion in their suggestion box to have one added. I had checked around and found a local automatic car wash that does have underbody washing and was able to get discount tickets to that car wash thru Amazon Local. As long as the garage temperature stays below 50F there is no need to worry but when the temperatures start climbing in the Spring, get the salt off and do it every week until the salt is washed off the road by a heavy rain. The reactive rate doubles with every 10 degrees F.

Talk to your Lexus dealer about installing underbody wash equipment. Suggest it to corporate Lexus. Remember the more of us that contact them the more likely they are to make a change.

AussieAuto

They do up here! (Canada) They have a under body rinse spray as you drive in, worth doing every now and then.

Band

Temperature permitting, place a lawn sprinkler (oscillating type) under the car for an hour or two moving it about as required for coverage. Not the best solution, but it helps.

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

... Or spend the 100$ a year to get it undercoated. Then you have an extra "warranty" from the rust inhibitor place, against rust on certain year range vehicles.

There's a big difference between vehicles that are coated and not. Lexus is no different, a car never got coated vs. one that has been will appear the same on the outside, sure. But the underbody tells a different story altogether, very rusty components, bolts breaking, etc.

My 2001 ES300 was cleaner on the underside than the exterior [couple of rust spots due to damage], due to rustproofing. And my city salts the road... A LOT.

COPAPILOT

Yes I know, I lived in Kincardine, Ontario for 3 years.