(I posted this a few hours earlier, but I don't see it, so.....)

Considering purchasing a used 250h. Reading up about the oil consumption issues got me to thinking. Most used vehicles have a carfax and vehicle history can also be looked at on the Lexus site(via Clutchless, thanks!).

If a vehicle owner brought the car into a Lexus dealer with a oil burning issue and the piston work was done, would you expect this be on the car service history from Lexus.com service history? Basically I'm hoping folks can share some insights into their experiences with the oil burning issue and how it presented in the service history. Are their things to look for?

Thanks.

 

Not too many folks on this forum, but i don't recall many (any?) complaining about oil burning or needing piston work.

 

I think that oil burning repair would show up on the history. I found some serious repairs on other vehicles when shopping and checking service histories at the Lexus site and the similar Toyota site. This knowledge helped me avoid some bad vehicles that looked good on Carfax.

The oil burning is a minor issue that most just live with. I would never pay to have an engine rebuilt just because it burned a little more oil. It is a terrible investment. If it burns a quart every 1000 miles or so, just live with it. That used to be normal years ago. Your engine will last just as long, you just have to check the oil level when getting gasoline. Tip - wait until after you fill the tank to check it as this allows enough time for the oil to drain into the pan.
It is very difficult to get Toyota-Lexus to pay for a new engine under any oil burning extended service-warranty program. A friend had a RAV4 that had that issue and she got the dealer to run the test which became very involved. They change the oil, seal the engine then you return at certain times for them to check it. The car never appeared to burn enough oil for them to cover repairs. So it was traded in elsewhere for a newer RAV4.