Hello

About 5 years ago I purchased a 2000 RX300 from a friend. He was the original owner. The dealer replaced the transmission when the car was around 3 years old.

Reviewing the records 2 or 3 of the O2 sensors have been replaced.

I recently had the water pump and timing belt replaced. An oil control valve failed and was replaced and then I replaced the other oil control valve out of preventative maintenance.

Brakes and filters have been replaced over the years. And I recently replaced one of the Water Temp sensors, the one that feeds the ECU as it was failing and throwing codes.

I also recently dropped the transmission pan and changed the filter. Front and rear diff gear oil has been changed. I also replaced the alternator. I also cleaned the IACV

The car runs great and I don't know what else it needs, maybe spark plugs, I don't see any history of them ever being replaced.

So here is the reason for my post. I am pondering the reliability of the car given its age and miles and previous work.

I live in the SF bay area and use the car (since it is a AWD) alot in the winter to drive the the sierra mountains (Lake Tahoe) to take my 7 & 9 year old kids skiing. The trip is 225 miles each way via highway 80 with an elevation gain of 7,200 feet. With traffic, bathroom breaks, and a stop for food each way is around 5 or so hours. Last winter we made about 7 weekend trips between the months of November and March,

I tend to hold onto cars for a long time, I just got rid of a 1984 GTi with close to 400k and have a 1987 300E with about 240k miles.

Am I foolish to continue to drive this car to the mountains in the winter with my 7 & 9 year old? My fear is the car breaking down on me. Worse case would be in a snow storm at night in the mountains when the kids are asleep in the car. I'll leave it at that, I think you get the concern.

If I was to continue to make these trips what are some recommended repairs or things I should consider? I do have AAA towing the Plus membership with the higher towing (I think 100 miles). And I know where the Lexus dealerships are on the way.

 

My 1999 with 260K is my daily driver. It has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. But would I use it for what you describe? Probably not. I have a 2003 RX with half the miles and that is what I drive for longer trips.

 

Here is a question Murphysf:

Hypothetically, if you encounter a break down ... towing is payed for and covered and how much of repair cost would you be willing to accept?

IMHO, you can skip the extra coverages and use the RX for intown use. If it breakdown, you can sell/give_it_away. For trips, I always rent. Weekend rents are cheap.

The vehicle at this time is pure bonus. You may be ready for a new vehicle which you can pass down in next 5~7years. If not now then in next 2 years. If you catch my drift, I would keep using the RX till the repair cost becomes more than its street value.

Salim

 

thanks Salim, by "skip the extra coverage" do you mean just have the basic AAA, the cost isn't much more and towing is expensive, I will keep the 100 mile towing as I have another vehicle as well as my wife's 2004 Honda Civic.

AAA membership is $56 a year for only 5 mile tow, and $91 a year for 100 mile tow. To me its worth the $91 as towing can be expensive.

So my question isn't based around the cost of a repair. The spirit of my post is, is my RX300 still trustworthy for the winter mountain trips. I will look into renting but in the SF bay area they can't guarantee a AWD or 4WD vehicle.

 

Hi, Murphy!

Being a parent myself (of now-grown children), I feel your pain. I wouldn't mind being stuck on the highway by myself, but I think at this point I would hesitate to rely on that for a long trip with the kids as you describe. As wonderful as our RX's are, I think yours may be near the end of it's useful/reliable life. I agree with the above comments. It's a great "bonus" car for in-town use, but the risk of getting stranded is increasing.

How wonderful you are able to take those ski trips with your kids! Good for you!

 

We have a 1999 RX300 (bought it new) with 200,000 miles on it. As Salim says, I consider this a freebee now. I take it on trips up to 100 miles (each way) but probably wouldn't trust it on anything longer (especially in potentially hostile weather and with young children). It's a backup car and will remain so untill a major repair comes along.

 

I still take my RX300 on long road trips, if I need the space (I prefer to take any of the ES's as they get far better fuel economy). In fact, I just got back from a 1200 mile road trip with over 262k miles on the clock! Still running like a champ! I wouldn't hesitate to drive it to California tomorrow, assuming someone else is paying for gas, haha!

 

I still take mine everywhere. It will hit 300K miles soon.

 

If it runs good now and is maintained, there is no reason it will not go another 100K miles, or like any car including a new one could break down tomorrow. We are about to head to the mountains, my daughter wants to take her own car up there to go places since I will not let her drive my truck much. We have a Toyota landcruiser with 300K miles and a Lexus RX300 with 180K miles. I just replaced the oil control valves and it running good. In the last two years the only issues it had was the oil control valve and the alternator. So she is taking the RX300 up there. 600 miles each way. But we will be an hour behind her in my RAM 2500, so if it brakes down I can rent a trailer and tow it home. As long as you have a plan for if something goes wrong, I would not hesitate. Depending on where you are, some rental companies will actually deliver a car to you along side the highway. A nice thing to know.

Its all about your comfort level if it brakes down, but even a new car can break down, just less likely. But if it has not had a lot of issues and is running good, no reason it will not keep going.

 

Hi All,
I just went from Denver, Co to Orlando, Fl and other places for a total of 4363 miles. Mine is a 2001 RX300 . The car was a very pleasant surprise.
It did use some oil probably because I tried that Penzoil high mileage stuff. When It got a quart low I put i 5w-30 standard penzoil and it hardly
used any for 1400 miles , maybe it was the oil. Car now has around 197,000 miles I guess. Drove 70-75 mph and the Aamco trans has worked fine for last 1 1/2 years.
Regards,
GM