jimxo

I'm thinking of buying a 1999 RX300 4X4 with 144k miles with a bad transmission.

The car has been well cared for and all the routine maintenance has been done, The rebuild will cost me 2,000 to fix it.

$3,000 for the car, plus $2,000 for trans = $5,000

Could I get 100k miles out of this car?

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

TIA

Russ White

Pull valve cover and check for sludge. It none, it might well be something you would want to do.

Russ

hypervish

Make sure oil changes were done on time... If they were get it, it's a beast of a SUV. It'll easily go for another 150k.

Going by the pictures, the car appears to be in great shape. The price is good for $3k, did you already get an estimate for 2k or are you just putting a number out there? If it's just a number then, try and see if you can get an estimate this way you can see how much you are spending overall.

In my area the 99' still go for around 7.5-9K. The later models sell for a bit more.

BTW: Make sure the "new" transmission has the updated planetary gear set.

lserlohn

I would suggest put in more money to replace a remanufactured one instead of rebuilt it. Rebuilting work maybe not reliable in the long run. The price is low, even if you spend $3500 on the tranny.

jimxo

The current owner thinks the first owners had a sludge problem. The engine was rebuilt by Toyota/Lexus at 50,000. the dealer confirmed this. It was part of a service campaign thru Lexus.

If that's true the engine has 94k miles since the rebuild.

I'm going today to buy it and tow it back to my transmission guy. My trans guy spoke to the owner and feels confident he can do it correctly for 2k with a 24 month warranty.

If not this RX I was looking at a 2001 CRV for about 5k with 120k miles. Better mpg but a lesser car in every way.

My wife drives a 2001 RX300 4X2 so I know the in and outs of this car. We replace our trans at 115k miles (now 148K) . It blew up literally driving home with no warning, not thrilled with Lexus transmission but it could work.

Not to many changes from 99-01 except for gas tank is smaller on 1999 and the 01 is refreshed lights and wood steering wheel ect.


Thanks for the feedback.

code58

Depends on who does the rebuilding. AAMCO? I wouldn't trust it around the block. A sharp local Mom & Pop with a good honest trans guy that you can talk to personally, I'd go for that any day. Most "Remanufactured" (which is a total misnomer) are done by trained monkeys in a huge shop where the top guy makes about $10. an hour and doesn't know anything about transmissions, only knows he's trained to use this tool to check wear and put this part in this hole. Sorry, I am less than impressed. There is no way anyone in that huge factory could go work in a trans shop diagnosing trans. problems and repairing them when most of them don't even speak english.

hypervish

x2, agreed.

Try to find a reputable shop that's been around for years.

crankshaft

Timing belt/water pump probably needs to be replaced.

Australian

I would buy it seems cheap enough for the trouble.

crankshaft

IndyRX300

I was just telling the wife today that we will go ahead and replace the transmission whenever it does go. (KNOCK ON WOOD). The body is in excellent shape and it is will go places where our explorer could not go. To sum it up, We would rather put the money in a transmission rather than go thru the hurdles and worries of buying another used car. Stepson will be driving in a year or so and he will likely get the RX. I have be debating on getting her a 330 , 350 or a Volvo XC90. But the xc90 seems to be more problematic than I would like.

code58

I have nothing against Volvo's (used to work on 'em), but I agree with your statement about them being more problematic. My niece owns an '08 Volvo station wagon that she bought new (husband was aginst it) and it has been less than what anyone should ever expect from a vehicle that cost what that thing did. The dealer has been a bad advertisement for Volvo too, whenever they've had to have anything done to it. She didn't ask me before she bought it or I'd have told her not to, as well as a whole lot of other brands. The 4 Runner her husband drives (used to be hers) has been absolutely trouble free for the many years they've owned it.