captdalton

Recently purchased a 1999 Lexus RX300. Drove decent, looked GREAT. Not a scratch on it, paint not faded. Nice sound system. Brand new set of BFG's. Did not look into the purchase further than checking Edmunds and KBB. Friggen glorious owner reviews.

So I bought this beautiful car that just reeks of the smell of fine leather. First day, brake lights are no more. All good, I'll do a little look-see on the internet.

Whaaaa???? Brake light failure sensor? That seems pretty ridiculous. If I have a light out, a cop or irate driver will let me know. And I'll buy a light bulb and fix it without taking a day of work off to tear the entire rear compartment of said vehicle apart, to find something that is supposed to let me know my break lights have an issue. However, this ill conceived, miscreant, abomination of electronic demondry turns your brake lights off without any indication from the ECU. No dash light. Nothing. Nadda. And the topper, if you'd like to purchase a new one, see the finance department because this piece of non-workmanship will set you back further than Good time Charlie getting a hold to your wallet at the honky tonk on a paycheck Friday.

But, thanks to this and another website that allows an industrious owner to tackle these issues, I soldier on. I can fix this. How hard can it be........

I cant fully answer. I've owned this high maintenance vehicle for one week. I am far to intimately knowledgeable of its drivers side rear interior panels. I bought it knowing the auto-antennae didn't work. After being abused by the Brake Light Failure Sensor, I can tell you right now, I am not taking the entire passenger side of the rear quadrant of that vehicle apart to get a better radio signal. No sir. I'll earn enough money to buy every Lexus plant on planet earth and blow them up so no more of these ridiculous vehicles will ever be produced.

One might think that a company that has produced so many legacy cars would know what to put in a vehicle and what not to put in a vehicle. But, alas, I think not. Most every part I have been forced to encounter in my very first repair on this beautiful turd, has "TOYOTA" embossed upon it.

My 2001 Tundra is ashamed of me. I have a 1999 Lexus RX300 sitting next to it. Like I brought home a strip club tart and am spending all of my time, effort, money and energy just to get it to perform up to marginal car expectations. (Come on, brakes lights are pretty freakin marginal, and required, by law...)

I have read the DIY's for this lame excuse for a vehicle. I fear I will be performing each and every one just to make this car somewhat as reliable as a 1977 Toyota Corolla.

I have a transmission mission in my near future. CD changer that refuses to work, no doubt some coils to be changed, IACV to be taken care of, door actuators that are bi-polar.....and miserable fuel economy!

Good people, do not be lead astray by the good looks, fine handling and performance of this night mare, it looks good but treats you bad.

Note: Opinion subject to change depending on level of sobriety, number of cuts, bruises, burns inflicted during repair and how light my wallet just became....

salimshah

Oh no!

You bought a 16 yr old vehicle labelled Lexus, built by Toyota. Did not share how many miles on the odo. You did not share if you looked at the history before making the purchase.

Problems listed:
1. Brake light (actual bulbs, wiring, sensor, one or all).
2. Antenna that you knew was broken.
3. CD changer.
4. Audio quality


Post purchase lead you to list of DIYs and now you are mad and scared of what might happen.

Here are your choices:
Live with it or Sell it.

Since it has been a short time since you bought the vehicle, you should be able to sell it for almost the price you bought it at.

If you need our help in keeping the vehicle please ask.

Salim

trhs75

So sorry, man!
I've been very happy with our two '99's, and I would readily buy one again. I think your experience is unusual (and as Salim says, may relate to the age and/or mileage of the vehicle), but it's no consolation to know bad experiences are rare when you are the one it happens to. I have gotten a tremendous amount of help on this forum. It has saved me money and trouble, and I hope it can do the same for you -- good luck!

fastnoypi

i would be fine with these fixable issues. After all, if the drivetrain is sound, my priority is safe comfortable transportation. In a used and virtually completely depreciated vehicle, my priorities are not in the sound system.

FWIW, if i had bought a '99 like this, i would rip out the CD changer and do the USB wiring mod to connect an ipod. Fix the brake light and antenna.

rudyH

Sounds like you just wanted to vent a little. Maybe YOUR particular car is lousy, but the majority of people love these things. You said yourself you found a lot of great reviews. Maybe your car has a checkered past? Accident? No maintenance? Flood car? Any company can build a lousy individual car. Stuff happens. You think Rolls Royce and Mercedes have never built a car with issues? Flip it and sell it to the next person. You can always get a newer one with a warranty of some kind.

maxSteel

That's a pretty funny review, Cap.

I'm guessing it's not the first time you've brought home a strip club tart and dealt with "level of sobriety, number of cuts, bruises, burns inflicted ... and how light my wallet just became..."

Now go enjoy the fine leather.

hypervish

My RX300 has been the best vehicle I've ever owned, and definitely tops the best Toyota's that I have owned.

But, your mileage may vary.

Although everything you listed sounds simple, and if that's all that is wrong than boy I'd hate to see you own a german car.

captdalton

Yes, above review was after a few barley pops and a day off work, de-then re-constructing said vehicle's interior. It was intended to be satirical.

It's a 1999 with 174,000 on it. Engine compartment is extremely clean. No leaks anywhere I've noticed. Does not shift out smooth until it's been run a bit. I am thinking it was nice and warmed up when I first drove it. Just ran the first full tank of fuel through it, 19 mpg. Ain't gonna cut it for my 115 mile daily round trip commute.

No doubt I'll be dropping the tranny pan and doing that service, as well as front and rear chunk.

A/C will give you frost bite. Stereo sound is very, very good. Ride quality is fantastic.

Wasn't really looking for one. Had been shopping Rav4s, Honda CRVs and Mitsubishi Outlanders. Ran across this one and hit the Edmund's reviews, KBB reviews, didn't run into much of anything scary. Drove it and liked it. Brought it home quite inexpensively, well under trade in value, well under KBB private sale price. Owner in final stages of cancer and hadn't been driven much in a couple of years. Figured I'd drive it until June when car prices start dropping again and either trade it or sell it, unless fuel goes back to $1.50 a gallon.

I'm a mechanical designer by trade, 26 years. Boat captain by choice, 16 years, also why I live on an island. I run charters, so being in a hot engine room getting burned, cut and mistreated by inanimate objects is part of my routine. It just galls me to no end the idiotic places companies decide to bury items necessary to a vehicles proper operation. When I am not designing mechanical/piping systems and instrumentation for chemical processes, I am offshore, or in the woods if its deer season. Oh yeah, also the Assistant Fire Chief for Dauphin Island Fire and Rescue. More fun keeping old equipment operating.

I am very glad this board exits. Really speeds up the learning curve. I have a mechanic that gives us very fair prices through the fire department, but, I am a believer that if you want something done right, do it yourself.

2KHarrier

Well, that kind of terminology is fine for a Chevy Pick up, but sir you have purchased a Lexus product, so we prefer to call that portion of the drivetrain the "differential".

In all seriousness, I'm sure once you work out the few minor issues, you'll find that it's a rather enjoyable vehicle to drive.

You may want to research engine sludge, however.......

4matador

"It looks good, but treats you bad" -- this guy is hilarious! That is how I felt about me x5 a while ago. Anyhow, good luck with the rx300.

matts6887

I agree with a lot of the others; seeing as its a used 16 year old vehicle; it may very well have some items that need attention maybe not immediately but just down the road. If that is the case then so be it. Ya cant expect to always get a USED(emphasis here on USED) vehicle and expect everything here to be 100% peachy and in perfect working order. It could have some maintenance items that need attention and so forth. I picked up my 99 300 almost 2 months ago now(it will be 2 months in 5 days from now) and it just happened that we got very lucky with mine in that there were no real big urgent items that needed attention(of course the dealership's service department did fix a number of items for us before the sale) and it seems from what i can tell; whoever had the vehicle before me took very very good care of the one I have. And yes the gas mileage is far from being the greatest; but ya gotta expect that from a 16 year old vehicle. remember; back then they did not have the engineering to get the bigger fuel mileage numbers out of these rx's that they have now a days. And as far as doing work on it yourself; hey; if you have the tools needed and the skills etc to do a lot of work yourself to save some decent $ off of dealership prices then definitely go for it. Bottom line here; ya just gotta take the good with the bad dude. And when it comes to used vehicles; sometimes ya luck out like i did and get a very good one; and other times it unfortunately turns out to not be so good in which case ya just gotta try and fix needed items yourself or pay to have them done. Hope this puts it into perspective for you and just remember that not all used cars are bad cars.

salimshah

Lot of what I am going to state is extremely subjective, so please give me lot of latitude,
Age:
We all would like to own and drive a vehicle till it quits or till we get bored and want a change. Typical ownership is less than 6 yrs from production date [changes/improvements/cost of repairs etc]. With 10 years of service the vehicle has exceeded it expected life (10*15k = 150kmiles). Anything beyond is pure bonus.

Back in 98/99 Lexus took their qualified engine and put it in a SUV (with lot of margin for improvement in off-roading). Accessibility to service items was compromised as the shell was built around the engine. In any case the quality of products has extended the time of service and so what if knock sensors go out at 130k and need quite a bit of time to service (6-8hrs labor). Note 130k is twice the base warranty milage.

Back then there were only 2 choices in this new class Lexus RX and Benz ML. I test drove both and Lexus was an easy choice once you get over the Benz name brand. I see so many RX 99-02 still on the road and that attests to the popularity and longevity of this model.

Keep in mind that the RX cuts out the high gear till it warms up. So keep it below 3k rpm till that time.

If you are getting 19mpg, you are doing better than most. SUV with their profile are going to be like your flat bottom boats. With that much of daily commuting 115 miles .. this is not the right vehicle (imho). It will be a drain on your wallet, even if your purchase was sweat.

One last thing, if you have not found out. Parts and specially the labor through dealer is going to be steep.

In any case I would like to extend a warm welcome and hope that you will stay around. Even if the vehicle does not live up to your expectations, we as CL members certainly strive to be as helpful as we can.

Salim

matts6887

I too; like salim; see a ton and i mean a ton of 99-03(first generation) rx300s on the roads still around here which shows how much people like holding onto them even despite the debacles etc that can come with owning a used vehicles. And to me hands down there is no comparison between merc and lexus. Lexus is by far i would say overall more reliable in the long run(unless you are talking about some of the older older diesel mercs of the late 70s and early to mid 80s; as those things would practically run forever as long as they are properly maintained) and lexus is by far much less expensive to maintain then a german vehicle such as merc. as once those are out of warranty; they can cost serious $ to do repairs. Trust me; I know first hand. I know a older gentleman around here that has a 2003 SL and once it needed 1000+ bucks worth of repairs and fortunately for him he had the $ to take care of it. But that just shows ya a example. Bottom line here; the lexus is far more reliable etc.

Bobster999

For the year and mileage you virtually can't find a much better car. The condition of the car is very dependent of who and how it was cared for. That goes without saying for any vehicle. Of course "a better" car is highly subjective. If your looking for a comfortable run about vehicle this is a nice one. It's a lexus and therefore fuel economy was little consideration when building it. By your self description, it would seem like you could easily afford to drive it.

artbuc

You can easily drop well over $1k at a Lexus stealership for scheduled maintenance so your point is not made unless you specify exactly what was done on the Mercedes for $1k.