slorunner

Hello,

I am new to the forums and I am in the market for a used 2014 or 2015 RX 350. Found a 2014 that is the color combo I really like (Claret Mica with Parchment interior) and the options I want (even Mark Levinson sound system!) but it has about 71k miles on the odometer. Had a 2001 Toyota Highlander for 14 years and sold when it had 160k miles and it ran just as good as the day I bought it. So, knowing that the Lexus engine is probably just as good as the Toyota (aren't they the same?) should I be hesitant about purchasing a car with high mileage like that? This will not be our daily driver, it will be driven mostly on weekends, occasionally during the week and on trips, so we will not be putting a lot of miles on it quickly. I have poked around and seen some threads about RX's with high mileage on them. Just wondering if this is something I should hesitate on. One other option I have is a Starfire Pearl 2015 model with Parchment interior and all the options I want (premium sound, but not Mark Levinson...not a deal breaker) with 21k miles on the odometer, but this one would be about $6k more than the 2014. Would love your feedback!

Thanks in advance!

F250

The mileage is not a problem, as long as the vehicle has had proper maintenance and regular oil changes. For example, I try to purchase vehicles with the intent of keeping them for at least 5-7 years (50-100K miles of life), I and just bought a 2010 RX450h last August with 72K miles on it.

I would have it inspected by a knowledgeable and reliable third party shop for the typical RX wear issues... shocks, struts, oil cooler line replacement, brake inspection... just to be sure. Also, take the VIN to a Lexus dealer and have them show you all of the maintenance records to review frequency of maintenance. If you can;t verify mechanical condition and maintenance records on a '14 with that many miles, I would consider being patient and looking for something more verifiable.

slorunner

Thank you for your input - good information. We ran the Carfax on the car and it only showed one reported maintenance, that was a concern. Nearest Lexus dealership to me is about 100 miles. I will try to do more research before I put in an offer, but it was helpful to know what to look for.

Freds430

Agree 100%. If you can verify the oil was changed at every 10,000 mile interval and the brake fluid was changed at the 30 and 60,000 mile mark than the maintenance was done. If you log onto Lexus.com and click owners you can sign up for free. Log the car in by the vin # and it will tell you everything done at a Lexus or Toyota dealer. Get it checked out to make sure it has not been in an accident.

F250

Carfax reported maintenance is completely unreliable information. Completely! They do good on other issues, but the most common errors are found in "No. of Owners" and "Maintenance Records". Not all dealers or repair centers subscribe to the database from which Carfax polls for these details.

Here's one more thing you can do... register at the Lexus Owner's website as if you are the vehicle owner, using the actual vehicle VIN. It costs nothing to register, and you get access to ALL Lexus dealer records on that vehicle, regardless of which dealership did the work. When we were looking for our Lexus, I registered each candidate vehicle individually to get the Dealer records and was able to rule out several vehicles before confirming that we were getting a good one. Just un-register each vehicle as you rule it out, and I would suggest that after you register a vehicle, print the records and then un-register it as soon as you get another vehicle VIN to consider.

Here's the link the where you can register. >>> https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/home

tkill

+1
When I bought my RX, Carfax only showed a couple of maintenance records. I went to the Lexus site, registered my vehicle and voila! every single scheduled maintenance record was on there showing as completed-many that did not show on Carfax. I bought it with 120k miles on it. At 180k now and she still runs and looks like new!

F250

Again, just to be clear about my previous post. You can register yourself as the owner of a vehicle with just it's VIN. You don't have to make the purchase before registering, and that's where the beauty lies... getting your dealer maintenance records up front so you can have that knowledge before committing to buy.

kanke

This looks incredibly useful!
I've registered an account and add a VIN there, however I don't seem to find where to get the all the maintenance record. In the selling dealer section it shows "No Selling Dealer or Preferred Dealer available"... would you please point me to the right direction?

salimshah

I think Lexus should change it and only allow real owner or selling Lexus dealership to share the info.

Salim

F250

1. Log in to your account.
2. Place the cursor over the menu item "Resources" at the top of the page and a drop down menu will appear.
3. Move the cursor into the drop down menu over to the "Service" column and down to "Service History"
4. Click "Service History", and all of the Dealer service history will appear on the screen in reverse order of when it was performed (most recent on top, oldest on bottom). There is also a way to Print the report by clicking on the word "Print" which is immediately to the left of the black box title "Add Service"



I understand your point completely, and have honestly been quite surprised about how "open" the registration process is. At the same time, though, it is an extremely helpful service for those who are vetting potential vehicles for purchase, and in that way, I see it as a help for the Lexus lineups in terms of promoting additional sales. I believe the optimum way this should be managed by Lexus is to not allow non-owners to register a vehicle, but to also still have access to the review of a vehicle's service history as described above. Exactly the best way for them to do this is certainly an issue for Lexus to decide.

kanke

Yes that's the place I looked for.
I registered one car we interested from Dealership, but didn't have any service record. not sure why.

Registered another one from carmax I interest, it does have service records, read through looks fine except one item:
SERVICE: REPAIR LT FT DAMAGES AS PER SHOP ESTIMATE
DESCRIPTION: REPAIR LT FT DAMAGES AS PER SHOP ESTIMATE ~ ~REPAIR LT FT DAMAGES AS PER ESTIMATE ~ ~

Googled around but didn't find what " LT FT DAMAGES" means. LT FT means left side front side? or?

F250

If there are no service records showing up, I would assume that the owners never had it serviced at a Lexus dealer, and would probably leave that one alone and move on. For the one with the non-descriptive initials, I would call the dealer directly and ask for a service advisor to confirm what the initials mean. I did that for a few vehicles, telling them I was considering purchasing them used, and they were able to confirm what was meant by the written report with no real issue. If they confirm "left front" for damage, I would ask if they can provide any additional details (accidental traffic collision, some form of accident in the shop where something fell against it, etc.).

salimshah

Just a guess ..

LT FT ---> abbreviation for ---> LefT FronT

Salim

11bravo

I don't think he meant take it to a LEXUS dealer and have them look it over. Have a competent independent shop look it over. There is nothing wrong with high mileage if the condition and price are inline with the mileage. There is also nothing wrong with only finding one entry for repair/maint. That doesn't mean a thing. Owner could have used a non-dealer, or done maint. himself, or maybe it did not get reported correctly, or at all. Not a concern if vehicle looks and runs like it should.