roadbike56

Well our old Highlander is going to get handed down to our son who needs a reliable car badly.
So we started our search for a replacement. We currently also own a 2009, RX350 so we're not new to the RX family.
We found a 2014 RX350 with 35K on the clock at a very good asking price from a new car dealer, but not a Lexus dealer. It still has about 15K and 20 months on the bumper to bumper warranty. Also, we will have it checked out by the local Lexus dealer before buying.
My question is, are there any areas of the 2014 we need to focus on during the inspection?
This car has heated & cooled seats, blind spot monitoring, Navigation, and park assist. The wheels are the basic silver painted wheels, nothing special. Also its a 2 wheel drive, so is our current RX.
Please let me know if I need to watch for any special issues with the 2014.
Thanks

sunnyside

Be sure to run some fuel system cleaner thru it. Since they run on regular gas the additives are usually missing. I just bought a CPO 2014 with 8700 on it and a bottle of Tehron improve the in town milage from 19 to close to 21 under the same conditions. Next step is a low restriction air filter( probably AFE). I understand they also give a little improvement.

roadbike56

Thanks for the feedback.

Iamfrugal

I am new to the forum and this is actually my first post.

Regarding your question about special issues on 2014 RX.

I would simply share that a good look at the undercarriage can reveal potential issues. I just looked at a 2013 RX 350 that looked great on the exterior and interior. However, there was significant corrosion to the entire undercarriage. Turned out the vehicle spent its first three years in Pittsburgh, PA.
My local mechanic put it on the lift and said, "don't buy it."
By comparison, my older 2009 Mazda6 had no corrosion on the undercarriage.

Clutchless

It is a common issue/complaint about these vehicles. They develop a lot of superficial surface rust on the undercarriage. I am disappointed that Toyota/Lexus does not provide better corrosion protection at the factory.

roadbike56

I'll have to keep that in mind. Our current 09, Gen2, RX350 came from Florida. I would have thought the salt air on Gulf side of the state would have been a problem. Not at all. Our mechanic that changes the oil said he's never seen one with over 60K on the clock that looked that clean. Guess we got lucky.
Let's hope we get lucky again.

Iamfrugal

Vehicles from regions that have snowy winters are more susceptible to road salt corrosion, especially if the salt remains on the undercarriage.
I wonder how many car washes have those undercarriage spray blasters.

Zmon

iTrader: (2)

Would have to say the sun, acid rain, and heat would do more damage to the car than the salty Florida air. Had quite a few cars in the family come out of Florida (Gulf and Atlantic sides), never had any rust or corrosion problems, can't say the same thing about the cars that came from up North though. Although, you may see it on cars that were kept near the ocean all day and never washed.

My 13 RX came out of Miami when I picked it up last December, not a lick of rust or corrosion anywhere.
You would need to find one that specifically advertises an undercarriage wash. Most of the dedicated car wash places should have an undercarriage wash, your local gas station on the other hand may not have it.

azinn

No special issues with my 2 1/2 year old, purchased new, 2014 RX350 F Sport.