rcannon409

Hello, I'm new here and live in Utah. My "new to me" rx 350 is an 08 and the miles just turned over to 60,000. This "wearing out" of vehicles is very much an American thing.

I have a friend who moved over her from the UK. He has a 1986 Ford Thunderbird. Really, quite a nice car considering he has 450,000 thousand miles on it. Virtually everything has been replaced on it. I know its gone through two engines.

I asked about a new car, he he said, "WHY?" I have a car....

Hes good about performing maintenance and will fix whatever brakes, no questions asked. In the time I've know him, I've spent 100,000 on vehicles...Hes at about 15,00 for repairs....

The key is to fix what breaks RIGHT NOW, and dont let things stack up. You dont want to get rid of a car when it needs tires. You get rid of it when it needs tires, brakes, body work, alignment, and third gear slips.....

Even awful repairs..lets say a transmission. It costs 5k, lets say, for a dealer to swap it. It is a lot, but its less than you lose in purchasing a new car are driving it off the showroom floor.

Life is short..trade the vehicle if you want to. But dont ever think of it as an investment. Why soemone beats on their own cars is beyond me. Thats what rental and leasing is for.

RXII

You got ALL that for $3000??? …I think it might be time for me to move!! Brakes alone here are about $700 +/- (for front OR back…not both!)

cdnewton

It was actually $3,250, so I rounded down a bit ...:-)

I don't go to the dealer, I use an independent that specializes/only works on Toyota/Lexus ... they are excellent and have fair pricing. All of their techs come from either Toyota or Lexus dealerships, so things are done right. For example, before their January price increase, they charged $189 for the V6 timing belt (not including water pump of course).

I usually don't wait and will fix things as required; however, the timing worked out with my wife getting ready to drive across country. We actually saved some because so much was done at once (i.e. parts were already off for transmission seal/front differential cover, it was relatively inexpensive to go ahead and do the rear main seal, etc).

Besides routine maintenance, this was the first time we have put much into the vehicle and it is getting ready to turn 190,000 miles .... great vehicle.

Rainbird

Unfortunately there are many posts here regarding the high cost of work and sometimes unnecessary work performed by Lexus dealerships in New York & New Jersey. I recently had front brakes and rotors done at Lexus in Santa Barbara, California, Cost $340. You might want to use a Toyota dealership or independent shop.

NYKnick101

With preventative maintenance here and there, knowledge on how to do basic maintenance by hand (brakes, oil changes, filters,etc) and probably ease up on the driving habits, that RX could have lasted you at least twice the milage for half the cost its already costing you.

RXII

*sigh* …I am about to send the woman's movement back a few decades, but as a girl, I have ZERO desire to learn how to work on a car! I DID learn to change a tire, although, if it happens again, I am not 100% sure I can get the lug nuts off on the side of the road…my service advisor was kind enough to walk me through it and give me step by step instructions - he was wondering why I showed up in a skirt and 3 1/2" heels - I said "the chances of me getting a flat in gym clothes - 5%…the chance of me getting a flat in work clothes - 95%" …( I have been fortunate over the years, whenever I have gotten a flat, some random guy has been kind enough to stop and change it for me )

jakenbake

I have never had a car for longer than few years before I get bored and get something else, but I always think that my Dad's strategy is a good one....He always kept a car until the repair cost more than the blue book value of the car. If that ever happened he would just sell the car to a junk yard for whatever he could get and go out and by a new one.

takeshi74

Regardless of make it all depends on the vehicle and specific situation. I'm not sure I could provide an exact dollar amount for when we would replace our RX 400h but it would be due to excessive and repeated repairs. Also depends on what the replacement would cost.

I know some do but I wouldn't factor in standard wear items. A new car will have new tires but it's not immune from tire wear and other wear.

Just be aware that you'll pay more for that kind of usage and your vehicles might not last as long.

Not much but our 2008 doesn't see that many miles. It hasn't hit 50K yet.

You could also look into roadside assistance. I know how to change my tires but it's too much of a hassle on our S2000 if one of the rears has a flat since the mini spare can only go on the front (rear would have to come off, a front would have to be moved to the rear and THEN the mini spare could be mounted). I've used roadside assistance at least once for a flat on that vehicle. Changing a flat on the side of the road is also just dangerous.

That has nothing to do with gender. There are plenty of women who do have an interest in working on cars and plenty of men who have no interest in working on cars.

RXII

I actually had TWO roadside assist companies ….AAA and NJ Manufacturers insurance…the few times I have needed them, it has been a 2+ hour wait and/or, they didn't show up! Last time I needed them, I got a phone call 4 hours after I got HOME to let me know it would just be another 15 minute …one of the times, I got a flat on a major highway in front of a prison…I told them I didn't feel I was in a safe place (that is the first question they ask you)…didn't matter!

Bill188

I also purchased a teenager!!

thomas1

When asking for roadside assistance, tell them you are on oxygen and are having a hard time breathing because you are anxious....maybe they will speed up...

Eliaquim

Your very funny. Congrats!

roadbike56

This thread raises the question of how a car was maintained vs someone who is "hard" on a car. I'm assuming "hard" means jackrabbit starts, hitting the brakes hard, turning hard and so on. If I had a choice between a gentle driver who pushed the changing of fluids to twice the normal change times/distance, put off repairs, pushed brake service until the rotors were scored or someone who maintained the car well within timelines, anticipated maintenance, repaired even minor issues in a timely manner, but ran the car "hard", I'd take the latter EVERY time. Most vehicles, especially Lexus brand, are built to take hard driving as long as they're maintained. Once you push oil changes, transmission fluid and coolant too far, the damage may not be able to be overcome with just maintenance. I've had cars for well over 100K that were still running strong despite my lead foot when I traded/sold them. But for the most part, I keep fluids changed and repairs up to date. IMHO, that's the key to long life.