My wife is considering purchasing a 2015 RX350 AWD or FWD as her daily driver. She drove a 2000 RX300 AWD from August 2003 to February 2007 (it was relatively problematic), and a 2004 RX330 AWD from February 2007 to February 2012 (it was far superior to her RX300). She then transitioned into a 2006 Jaguar XK8 Victory Edition convertible which she still loves to this day, but our transportation needs have changed and she wants to return to an SUV.

I DIY all the maintenance and as many of the repairs as I can on all of our vehicles. What are the primary known design flaws / trouble areas on the 2015 RX350 model that every owner eventually needs to address?

And does the 2015 RX350 model still run Toyota Type T-IV ATF, or has something else replaced it?

Thanks for your kind assistance as we determine whether or not to acquire one of these vehicles.

 

I too do all my maintenance and most repairs (mostly brakes). I have done a few transmission drain and fills which is how you need to do it for this transmission. There is no dipstick, instead it has an insane over complicated temperature dependent level check system that requires Techstream. Or just do a cold drain and fill measuring your fluid. Search as it has been covered.

Toyota WS ATF has replaced Type IV in the transmission and transfer case if AWD.

t has electric power steering, so no fluid there. I suggest you do some searching and browsing to gather the information you seek as it has been asked and answered many times!

These are great super reliable vehicles. The 2015 being the last of the 3rd gen has all the bugs removed and most of the latest safety features. Good luck shopping.

 

Thanks for the information. I will investigate and be back in touch.

 

When we purchased my wife's 2004 RX330 back in 2007, the general perception at that time was that the ones built in Japan typically exhibited a better build-quality than the ones built in Canada. Is this still the general perception today?

 

We indeed purchased a 2015 RX350 today. A Florida car with just under 33,000 miles, a perfect dealership service history, and nearly 10 months left on the factory warranty so I will have plenty of time to shake the vehicle down and get it right at Lexus's expense before I take over with full-time DIY maintenance and repairs.

One question: Is this vehicle's oil filter the conventional metal spin-on type, or is it a paper element type similar to what Mercedes-Benz has been using for a number of years?

 

It's a cartridge filter like the MB, and oil changes in the 3rd gen are very easy. The filter housing and drain plug are near the front of the vehicle. I put my RX up on ramps to do the changes but some people don't even bother to do that. I picked up a Motivx 64mm oil filter wrench (pretty much required) and 27mm socket (a good idea) on Amazon to do my changes.

And the filters are cheap -- I think I paid something like $14-$15 on Amazon for two genuine Toyota filters, shipped (Prime).

 

Thanks for the tips - I will check into those tools. I have already ordered two five-quart jugs of 0W-20 oil (from walmart.com) and some oil filter cartridges (from amazon.com).

By the way, do any belly pans / undertrays have to be removed in order to access either the oil drain plug or the oil filter?

 

No nothing in the way .

 

Glad to hear that no belly pan removal is required for this job. I have had vehicles in the past on which fighting with the belly pan(s) takes more time than doing the actual oil & filter change.

I removed all three of the engine bay black plastic dust covers this morning just to have a look around. Saw that the coolant reservoir tank was nearly empty so I topped it up with some of the Toyota pink coolant. I will leave the dust covers off and watch this tank as the vehicle is driven during the next few days. Are these tanks prone to cracking and leaking with age?

 

Have not read issues with coolant tank or radiator problems. Occasional water pump posts. Your low level may be from the dealer...I had my 100k service awhile back and they changed coolant. When i checked after a few days, (cold check) coolant level was low so added some pink stuff. For 15 k miles since, no change in level even in 117 degree desert heat, so I surmised it was dealer. I think they replaced at the minimal amount and checked when engine was HOT, so when cold, it drops an inch or so.

 

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afpj,

Thanks for your feedback. My issue very well may be due to no one checking the coolant level for the past few months or longer. I am accustomed to various coolant reservoir tanks dropping perhaps a half-inch or so from evaporation if not checked periodically, but in this case the coolant expansion tank was essentially bone dry. I should have removed the dust covers and inspected the tank more thoroughly than I did prior to vehicle acquisition, but we have purchased two prior vehicles from this particular seller and the two brothers that own the business have always been meticulous with their inventory. The good news is that thus far my top-off is holding at the proper level and that I still have nearly 10 months of factory warranty remaining if there is indeed a leak somewhere in the cooling system. I am checking the tank level a couple of times per day now, both hot and cold, so we shall see.

 

Update:

After having to top off the coolant expansion tank with an ounce or two of coolant each morning before driving the vehicle, the tank finally remained at the proper level overnight when I checked it this morning. So hopefully there was air in the system from the tank being empty for an extended period of time, and that air has now finally been burped out by repeated cycles of topping off and driving. Just to be safe I will continue to check the tank level every morning for the rest of this week.

 

Air can still be trapped in the heater core. Turn up the cabin temp and drive a few miles. Check again next morning,

Unknown is still why the level dropped for you. Only time this happens is when there is a leak or after drain and fill.

Salim

 

Yes, there may indeed be a pinhole leak somewhere in the coolant system. That is why I am leaving the engine dust covers off for now and checking the tank level and the rest of the engine bay every morning prior to start-up to see if I can spot or smell any coolant residue or wetness. If the issue continues, the vehicle is under its factory warranty through next August 21st so into the local dealership service department it will go.