khoab88

iTrader: (5)

I'm an IS owner but looking for another higher ride. I used to own a RX300 and I truly miss that car. Today, I search on local advertise and come across this one deal. It's a 2000 RX300 black on gray which is my favorite combo. The car looks immaculate and everything works. I test-drove and it was smooth. The downside, the clock reads 170ish thousand miles. From the seller, who claimed himself as a mechanic, said that he rebuilt the motor completely new, with new spark plug, new water pump, new engine motor. I'm no expert for things under the hood but I tried to spot a lie (if there is) by asking question but couldn't found any. I know, "scare tactic never worked in history." I asked where the engine was from and he said it was from another RX got totaled with 40k miles. He showed me proofs such as paper works, receipts of the motor.

So should I or shouldn't I take this deal? Seller asked for $7500 which is way higher than book.

Any suggestion is appreciated. thx members!

Barryst

Other than the motor being replaced, I would buy it.-
Come to think about it, after owning mine for over 5 years (its a 1999)I would probably buy it, anyway.
See how the transmission shifts, the color of the fluid, Any other history on the car?
Are there any fluid leaks?
Motor sludge issues, and transmission problems are sometimes issues on the RX.
Other members will probably give their two cents soon. Do a search in this forum.
I love my RX, (same color as the one your looking at.) I have over 300,000 miles on it now. I purchaced it with 46,000 on it.

When this RX is dead, I'm going to look for another one!

But again, thats just me...

Good luck!

barryst

MVLEX

I say go fir it!!!
These trucks are great!!

hypervish

Buy it! You won't regret it.

khoab88

iTrader: (5)

Ya I'm leaning toward it. Only the price and the motor is really holding me back. The price I can start negotiate it down. Kbb quote is $6600 for excellent condition and $6000 for good. So I'm trying to push him down to $6500.
For the motor, I guess I have to trouble him bringing it to my known mechanic so we can triple check on the car. How much should I pay for my mechanic just to look at it?

I really like the ride. Once I drove the truck from NY to CA in 2 days, yes 2 days and it was smooth. I got to CA and didn't feel exhausted at all. It was a really nice ride. Hopefully this deal will come thru. Thx everyone for the suggestion.

Dadikins

How many miles were on the car when the engine was replaced? Take the 170k - <replacement mileage> + 40k and plug that value into KBB.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Do yourself a favor and have a qualified mechanic check it out first. If it's good, go for it (but you may still find some "wiggle room").

khoab88

iTrader: (5)

OMG,
Today I called the guy to set up another appointment so I can look at the car again and maybe negotiate a little bit on the price and also set up another appointment so he can bring it to my known mechanic's shop so we can look at the underneath. Guess what? I called him around 6:30 and said I was gonna be there in 15 minutes. When I just passed the front community gate, I saw a yellow Mustang then the RX followed by. The guy called me right away and like: "Oh my friend I'm sorry I just sold the car to my brother's friend; he just came and he likes the car and he also brought the cash and so we sealed the deal." I was like "WTH that quick?" So I asked him by curiosity like: "how much did he pay?" and he said "$6500." Then I was gamble too and I said: "You should have called me before you sold the car, I could have paid you $6800 and that's $300 of free money; Do you wanna think about it and sell the car to me man? I have the cash ready too." So he said he was gonna called me back but never did he. Deal slipped!
Now I have to look for another black RX. Damn, these are like hot cakes.

Gazootech

Your better off without that one. These are like hotcakes and have a timeless design. T he only cheap Lexus is a damaged Lexus. Check out the Silversport.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

No, they aren't. Most people who have done a modicum of reasearch are aware of the higher than normal transmission problems. You can find plenty of them on craigslist, autotrader.com or cars.com.