Hello everyone... I have been thinking about getting a used RX...

This forum scares me frankly... seems like everyone has a lot of problems with these.

Are there certain years or options I should stay away from?

Should I go with the 300 or 400?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

Don't be scared by the forum. I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of members are very happy with their cars. It's just that like Lexus, we're also in pursuit of perfection, so we're trying to get to the bottom of any issues that we have with the car. Most of these issues are pretty minor, all things considered. It's just that we think car car should be perfect for $40,000+.

Use the things you find here to help make an educated decision about which model to buy and what to look out for when buying one used. The RX300, which was made from 1999-2003, is a very good vehicle. The key to buying one used is to get a maintenance history. The notorious engine sludge problem is caused by letting the oil go too long before changing it. There were a number of small, nice-to-have enhancements made in 2001; you'll find them discussed on the forum if you do a search.

The RX330 came out starting in 2004 with a bigger engine and a lot more optional electronic toys, such as a power lift for the back door, laser-guided cruise control (to maintain a certain distance from the car in front of you), and adaptive headlights (which can turn left or right with the steering wheel). The biggest issues with the RX330 are the excessive number of things that rattled in the 2004 model year, a couple of limited but important recalls, and the "intelligent" transmission software that can be more aggravating than intelligent. You'll find those things discussed in the RX330 sub-forum. Lexus has tried to address them all, and as time goes on, they're doing a better job.

 

Sounds good. I will be looking at models before the tranny "enhancement"

What is the difference between the RX300 and RX400 - Engine?

 

The RX400h is the electric / gasoline hybrid. It gets better fuel mileage in "city" driving than the 330 because it uses electric motors to drive the wheels.
The full story on the Lexus Web site:
http://www.lexus.com/models/hybrid/i...l?s_ocid=20225

 

The RX300 uses a 3.0 liter engine
The RX330 uses a 3.3 liter engine
The RX400 uses the same 3.3 as the RX330 only they added electric motors to the drive as well.

The RX330 and 400 share the same body style and same gasoline engine.

Hope this helps.
RickC