Element123

Hi,

Hoping to get some advice from y'all. I' wouldn't call myself a car guy so please bear with me. I'm looking to purchase a used 2015 RC350 F Sport. It is a rebuilt title car but I've seen all of the paperwork from the shop that repaired the damage and everything looks like it is on the up and up. The only issue giving me worry is the gauge (speedometer? Dashboard?). During the test drive I saw a vertical line going through the gauge like you see on a TV or monitor. The owner said it appears intermittently and should be something an auto electrician can fix for ~200. I don't have a picture but it looks something like this: http://jestineyong.com/wp-content/up...onitor-fix.jpg

Context: the price of the car is 24k that I plan to be paying cash for. Its been my car savings for years and getting a RC350 for 25k is a dream!

Has anyone with an RC experienced anything like this? Is this something that I will end up sinking a lot of money into trying to repair? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

15RC350F

Hi Element123,

Not specific to the auto industry, but this is my advice on LCD panels in general: vertical lines - when transient (meaning not present all the time) - are either a loose connection or a component problem in the circuitry that sends the signals to the panel. If it's the first issue it's a pretty easy fix (aside from the disassembly required to do it). If it's a circuitry problem then it's more complex (read: run far away from this car).

Just my two cents.

louczar

Given that the car has a salvage / rebuilt title...I would be very skeptical. As 15RC350F said, it could easily be a connection issues. Or it could be worse.

I would suggest calling the dealer and finding out what it would cost to replace the whole display assembly....just so you know what a worse case scenario might end up costing.

tfischer

There is a 4 year warranty on your car, and they went on sale 3 years ago. Take it to a dealer and surely he will gladly repair or replace it. My dealer just replaced my entire driver's seat because of a separating seam, no questions asked. (I had to leave the car at the dealership all day but, and this is real, they gave me an LC500 to drive around town. Should their new slogan be: "LEXUS - Home of the $100,000.00 loaner"?)

15RC350F

Beware this provision of a Lexus warranty (from their website):

This warranty covers repairs and adjustments needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship of any part supplied by Lexus, except in the following situations:

• (list of other things)
• Any vehicle that has been issued a "salvage" title or similar title under any state’s law.

So if you truly have a "salvage" title, you no longer have a Lexus warranty.

tfischer

He didn't say it was a salvage title, and I don't know what a rebuilt title is, but I'd stay away from either, and advise him to spend a little more and get a CPO car. He's paying half of what a new RC costs (depending on options) after 3 years, which is too good to be true. He calls it "a dream." In the real world we call that a nightmare in the works. I say move on and let somebody else take this giant gamble.

Element123

Hello,

Thank you all for the feedback. Y’all have helped put my mind at ease that I made the right decision passing on the car.

Under different circumstances I may have been able to take the risk on the car but I appreciate the help understanding how big of a risk this would be.

Thanks again!

louczar

Down here...a vehicle that has suffered a significant amount of damage to the point the insurance company says its not worth repairing. Then the title will be changed to a salvaged title. If the vehicle is repaired and passes state inspection...then the title can be updated to rebuilt.