1st post - I'm considering buying a used 400h to replace my wife's BMW 325, because we're expecting our first child next spring. The performance of the 400h attracts me more than its mileage, because we don't commute. I've been considering a Porsche Cayenne, but the owner's complaints about problems with them have me concerned. I've owned several Toyota trucks, and they've all been outstanding, including my current DD Tacoma.

My question is, were/are there any problems with the first RX400h's sold, that have been resolved later?

I know if a vehicle this complex were built by any other manufacturer (except possibly Honda) teething problems in the first year or two would be plentiful.

I'm attracted to the early 400h's, because they have nearly every option, and can now be found for close to $35K.

Any other tips or info would be appreciated.

 

I have one of the early ones (June 2005) and while there were some glitches, they were easily taken care of by the dealer (no recalls or anything that major). Mine drives very smoothly and has no problems with alignment or other ills. The key is if the dealer took great care to make sure everything was "updated". I love mine. Performance is great!

 

I also have one of the early ones and have had no problems at all. I would just stay away from the Good (BAD) Year tires.

 

I agree the Goodyears don't give you many good years. I had to change mine at 20,000 miles (evenly worn).

 

If I am not mistaken, some of the early TSB addressed things like...

Dash Rattle (requires the front dash to be taken apart).

Hiccup between cycling between ICE and Electric at a certain speed.

Sensitive regenerative braking when going over a bump.

If you do a google of TSB and 400h's you may hit the motherload, so to speak.

Each of these issues seems to be adressed. My mid 06 suffered from the Dash Rattle, and I adressed myself the rear cargo area rattles.

Cheers,

MadloR

 

Thanks for that info. Are any of these issues incurable?

I noticed one 400h for sale on ebay that had been bought back by the factory (lemon) because of a persistent rattle.

 

I have been unlucky in the past with my vehicles, and have always gotten stuck with rattle boxes. Perhaps it is the extremely poor roads, where I live. Perhaps unlucky. In either case I have gone the extra mile on my own to solve rattles.

I even had one that was traced to a pebble that got lodged inside the plastic housing for the spare tire. Talk about

The main rattles for me... 1) yep, the front dash (dealer fixed 1st shot), it was more of a squeek than a rattle.

2) The second was the pebble, that took 2 attempts.

3) I used hook & loop tape (velcro) to secure the rattles from the cargo area. The flap doors rattle and require the hook part of the tape, i lined the housing part of the door compartment so that the fuzzy bottoms of the doors (carpetting looks like the loop part of velcro) secures itself to the hook part of the tape. You need to strategically place some hook on the cubby hole plastic bins of the two smaller compartments and the main one for the tools.

4) open up the main cargo door, the one with the tools and jack. Remove all the tools, remove and lift up the molded plastic container. Take some bubble wrap, 8" x 11" sheets about 1/2" thick and place them over the two electronic modules (they are made of aluminum and resonate, they require dampening). Try to use enough of the bubble wrap so as they are pushed evenly across the two aluminum modules.

5) Took some velcro, the loop part and lined the drivers rear seat map pocket. The flap part of the map pocket would squeek against the seat, especially in winter.

6) Took some more velcro, the loop part and the hook part and used both ends under the circular spare tire cover. The spin on spare tire cover rattles against the main plastic spare tire cover. It is in place like a loose lid, hence the hook and the loop attaches firmly and does not allow plastic on plastic contact.

It has been about 9 rattle free months, so far.

Cheers,

MadloR

 

Ours has been perfect.

 

well , for some reason, when we test drove an early rx400, the horn beeped everytime we braked, but maybe it was just the car