minidanas

Hi all,

I am a long time Toyota owner; never drove anything Lexus, or German, or even anything that end with XLE. My wife wanted an RX for a long time, and I know that used ones (2006-2008) are not that expensive, but we always thought luxury cars are too expensive to maintain. Now we realize that we never really substantiated that. Just what is too expensive, and how much? 10% or so extra for premium gas is no big deal. On the other hand, $350 battery and $20 a quart Pentosin engine oil and other fluids are kinda ridiculous. How much are oil filters? Brake pads and rotors?

I do all service and minor repair myself (Oil change, brake job, radiator, alternator, starter, exhaust etc), so unless special tools/machines are needed, I generally don't go to dealership.

Any tips on what's expensive and what's reasonable will help.

Rainbird

Welcome to Club Lexus minidanas. The Lexus RX second generation is mechanically the same as a Toyota Highlander. Doing this work yourself is the way to go. No need to buy parts from the Lexus Dealership. Most owners here buy at Toyota or RockAuto, Costco for batteries, etc. I would recommend you skip the 2006 RX330 and buy the RX350 2007 - 09 model. Many improvements were made. There is no special oil required although many here have switched from dino oil to Mobil 1 Synthetic. The search function on this forum is excellent. Almost any question you have will have been previously discussed.

RX3302004

I had a Toyota Sienna 2000 model and 2006 4Runner which both had 1 issue total. While I like my RX330 it's had more issues. So it could go either way for you. My RX doesn't require premium fuel, the 350 might.

Rainbird

Starting with the 2007 RX350 Lexus implemented a new oil change procedure. The old spin off filters went away and were replaced by a filter element. Here is a posting showing the new method. It shows a Lexus GS350, but the RX350 is done the same way. The RX350 does require premium fuel.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-pictures.html

speedkar9

I was considering the RX as a replacement for my ES.

From the used cars I've seen so far the RX330 might be the better choice long term. I've read the RX350's water pumps go bad and the engine is a really tight bay to be working in, making the job very tedious (and thus expensive).

Leaking steering racks were the other common issue I found on all year 2RX's I've seen on dealer lots so far, which is also an expensive repair.

jfelbab

My 2004 RX330 total maintenance costs over 10 years was $0.05 per mile and gasoline cost was $0.13 per mile. All maintenance was performed at the recommended intervals at the Lexus dealership. Those maintenance costs could have been less had I chose to have my RX serviced at a Toyota dealership or even less at a trusted independent shop. I was not unhappy with the ownership costs of this RX or the quality of the service given.

I believe this RX would run well for another 10 years. Everything worked, no rattles or leaks. This was the best built vehicle of the 24 I've owned in my life so far. This RX was manufactured in Japan, FWIW.

robbyk

minidanas,

As the other member explained, an RX is a Toyota very similar to a Highlander except in a Luxury box per say.

In regards to obtaining parts you don't have to buy expensive parts at the Lexus dealer, which are very expensive. What I do is I get the Lexus part number and go to the Toyota dealer to get parts for my 05 RX330 AWD. Last week I replaced the outside temperature sensor, first thing I did was obtained the Lexus Part numbers and drove to my local Toyota dealer to purchase the replacement part. The part I received was an identical match for under $20.00 with a discount.

Ebay is another very good source to buy OEM parts at a very good price.

Not long ago I replaced the rear struts, when I asked at the Lexus dealer for the price of the struts I almost went through the roof. I did not want to buy KYB because I installed them in 2 other cars (Nissan Pathfider and Toyota Corolla) and the ride is a bit stiff. However I found an excellent deal on EBay for a pair of OEM Toyota struts. Rockauto is a very good source, I just purchased both front Lower Control Arms from them for under $100, shipped.

If you are the DIY type of guy you can save a lot of $$$ by doing your own maintenance. Stay away from the RX 2006 as recommended by Rainbird and go with an RX 07 - 09. The RX 350 engine does not have a timing belt anymore, it will save you the headache of replacing it.

takeshi74

As other have said a Lexus is basically a Toyota.

If that's the case then the stuff you work on can definitely be reasonable. Just don't rely on a Lexus dealership for parts and use the other sources mentioned above.

pablo87

Original owner of a 2005 330, 158K miles. Timing belt and plugs are the only maintenance I've had done other than brakes and tires. So very reliable. Not burning any oil (using toyota 0w20).

Things specific to this vehicle that could be done on mine:

1 Valves should def be adjusted, very noisy.
2 start up top end noise for a minute if it hasn't run for a few days - mitigated by throwing in some Liqui Moly Motor Oil Saver.
3 Oil control valve filter should be cleaned, and OCV changed I guess.
4 noise from timing belt area - when the belts and water pump were changed, there are other parts probably could have been changed but aren't SOP.

5 Still on original struts, strut mounts may need changing.

robbyk

This is a must, if you are going to buy an RX

Please follow this link to read this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...air-dam-6.html

minidanas

Thanks to everyone that contributed. As a matter of fact, I did like the Highlander when I got a brief chance to drive it. Lexus RX looks very attractive now.

jamieZ

Rainbird said it all. Just make sure you find a good used one. Do you own oil changes, cheap. Make sure when inspecting a used one look for condensation in the headlights and the rear hatch works properly. A couple of weak points in these SUV's. The 2004-2007 were the best years with their space age tail lights and stuff. The newer ones look like Subrau's and the inside isn't much different than the 2004's. Toyota Company is a money spinning machine, you can see why. Jamie

Rdoktbr

Interesting that you should mention Subaru as shortly after that, Toy purchased Subaru.

gadgetman1

Incorrect; Toyota does NOT own Subaru. They each own a small portion of each other, creating something of an alliance. (https://www.motortrend.com/features/...-made?slide=11)