Looking at a used 2007 LEXUS RX 350

Anyone have one?

Reliabiity?

It appears to be well maintained, but it has nearly 200,000 miles. Is this going to be a money pit? How much more would I be able to put on it before it is?

I can do most of my own maintenance, but it will be a daily driver for my wife so I don't need it breaking down all the time.

TIA

i have an 2008 RX 350 with nearly 200k on it and it run really well. so far, very few/no major maintenance events but it is nearly 200k so if something came up, i wouldn't be completely shocked.

Should have plenty miles left in it. My fear would be small things going out, like relays, switches, sensors, starter, alternator, AC, etc. The motor and ****** will go forever, but 11 years and 200k miles will take a toll on all the little things.

Again, there may never be an issue, and I'd have no problem putting myself in it. Not sure if I'd want to put my wife in it as a daily though and have her kill me when something goes out.

The 3.5L engine has a timing chain. I would make every attempt to look in to maintenance history to ensure that it has stayed well lubricated with good quality oil.

Check front end suspension joints/bushings/etc. My wife's RX330 with 160k miles had pretty badly deteriorated LCA bushings that I needed to change out.

At that mileage, check to see if struts have been replaced.

Steering rack & pinion is also prone to leak on those cars. Check valve cover gaskets, transmission pan gasket, and oil pan gasket for leaks as well.

vansprinkle said:

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Should have plenty miles left in it. My fear would be small things going out, like relays, switches, sensors, starter, alternator, AC, etc. The motor and ****** will go forever, but 11 years and 200k miles will take a toll on all the little things.

Again, there may never be an issue, and I'd have no problem putting myself in it. Not sure if I'd want to put my wife in it as a daily though and have her kill me when something goes out.

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I would agree with this. My in-laws had a 2008 and it was a fantastic car. If it's been well maintained, it should have quite a few miles left. Also agree that I wouldn't want this to be the primary family hauler, but would be a great second auto.

vansprinkle said:

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Should have plenty miles left in it. My fear would be small things going out, like relays, switches, sensors, starter, alternator, AC, etc. The motor and ****** will go forever, but 11 years and 200k miles will take a toll on all the little things.

Again, there may never be an issue, and I'd have no problem putting myself in it. Not sure if I'd want to put my wife in it as a daily though and have her kill me when something goes out.

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X2

The Engine and trans would be ok, but your suspension, brakes, chassis, etc all have 200,000 miles of driving.

Be prepared to spend money on the upkeep of the little things.

We have had two of them over the years. They are for the most part bulletproof. As mentioned there will be components that start wearing out that may need replacement such as suspension parts etc.

Everyone keeps mentioning suspension parts, and for good reason.

I interned and worked for Sewell Lexus for a little bit as my first career. Other than the obvious oil filters, and regular maintenance items, it seemed like our top parts sales were in motor mounts and suspension pieces. We sold a ton of control arms, which was a real surprise to me.

My thought is that maybe part of the Lexus "feel" is a soft ride, so soft rubber is used in the motor mounts and suspension pieces. And with this rubber being extra soft, it just tends to wear out a little quicker than say the stiff rubber bushings on a regular Toyota or Honda car. (*this is just a theory based on past experiences)

vansprinkle said:

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Everyone keeps mentioning suspension parts, and for good reason.

I interned and worked for Sewell Lexus for a little bit as my first career. Other than the obvious oil filters, and regular maintenance items, it seemed like our top parts sales were in motor mounts and suspension pieces. We sold a ton of control arms, which was a real surprise to me.

My thought is that maybe part of the Lexus "feel" is a soft ride, so soft rubber is used in the motor mounts and suspension pieces. And with this rubber being extra soft, it just tends to wear out a little quicker than say the stiff rubber bushings on a regular Toyota or Honda car. (*this is just a theory based on past experiences)

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I was pretty shocked to see how badly degraded the rubber was on my wife's LCA bushings.

As-installed, the rear bushing is constantly under tension. You can see in this picture that the mounting bolt is straight up/down, and the LCA is cocked at an angle, putting the bushing in static tension.

When the rubber dries out, it starts to pull apart.