I have an 1999 RX300 sitting at 202,500+ miles and got her tires replaced and did a wheel alignment a week ago for $600. Someone(s) thought it would be great to slash the tires of all the cars around my block. Anyway, per KBB, my car is barely worth $1,200+. I don't have a car payment so I plan to drive her until she breaks down, but after replacing the tires, the tire store noted the following:

Valve cover gasket leaks
Struts due leaks and PM mileage
Belts cracks both
Lower control arms bushing cracks

What exactly is all this and how much is it going to cost me to fix? Could these even be diagnosed from the tire replacement? Is it even worth fixing if I plan on driving her until she doesn't run anymore? I haven't done a 200,000 mile service. I just don't know if it's worth putting in the money in this car anymore. The car has many issues:

Front bumper looks to have this clear coat peeling off
2 chips in the windshield
Loud screeching noise at start-up
Pretty sure ignition coil(s) is misfiring, but no codes/CEL yet
Rotors need to be machined
Premium wheels have rusted like hell
Wood trims are sun-damaged and half of them have peeled off
"Drive" light in the instrument cluster is out (I tried the DIY but can't get the two screws on top off)
Interior leather is worn out
Right rear passenger door bumped in
6-foot scratch along left side of the body
Rear bumper has a generous amount of scratches
Can't even remember replacing the timing belt or other important items

I do love driving this car, and I especially love the $0 car payment, but we're going to have our first kid on the way and my wife is concerned the car may breakdown on the road. We drive this car 2-3 times a week, so safety is definitely a concern. What do you guys think?

 

Try the home insurance for the tires.

Are you a DIYer? If yes then you can keep the RX going for much less than paying some one to do the repairs.

I was in a junk yard Sunday afternoon and they have a $9 a tire.. then there is $3 to take it off he rim. Talking about your rims, you may price the tires with the rim.

Valve cover leak ... just make sure you have enough oil and park where a few drips dont matter. If there is more than a few drips then you may like to have the gasket replaced.

Belts cracked .. that is your source of screeching noise.

Control arm discovery ... please go back to the Alignment place and ask them why did they do the alignment without inspecting suspension. Ask them for deep discount on the alignment after repairs.

Timing belt ... well you should get that done is you plan to keep.

Salim

 

Sounds like a real pile of crap. If it isn't dripping oil from the valve cover gasket I would just keep driving it and check the oil level every week or two.
Cracked belts aren't good but they shouldn't be too costly to replace. This should also take care of the screeching noise at start-up.
Leaking struts...if your car aligned fine then I would just drive it, might be a little rough but it's fine.
Lower control arm bushings cracked....these can be kind of costly but again, if the car aligned fine I would drive on them until it becomes apparent that they have separated (loud clunks over bumps, sounds like wheels are loose)
Timing belt....given the condition of the car I wouldn't waste money on replacing the timing belt, drive it til it blows.
Drive light in the instrument cluster is out...so is mine, has been for years...not going to fix it.
Most of the other issues seem to be pretty much cosmetic.

The way I see it, you could throw a few hundred into the RX and maybe get another year or two out of it, or you can get a newer car with a nice $250-$400 payment every month.

 

Been reading CL forums for over 10 years and this is probably the worst advice I have ever seen. OP's wife is concerned about breaking down and OP said safety is a definite concern.

 

I cant answer your question. Its of your own making. You have two choices. Learn how to wrench or expect to pay a lot for your car maintenance No matter which car you own. Today its the rx300, tomorrow its your next car. You sound like a "deferred maintenance" kind of car owner. Maybe leasing is what you should do.

its not like there isnt a BILLION youtube videos to help people fix their cars, available to you.

good luck,

from the big jerk

 

It's perfectly fine advice. The timing belt can blow, she can coast to the side of the road and call triple A. It's not like the car will literally blow up. The other option is to have a nice fancy car with a car payment.

 

Or look for a low mileage used vehicle (preferably a Toyota product) and enjoy your blissful driving with no maintenance.

 

learn to wrench and or make friends with people who know and learn from them. , Alot on your list are wear and tear items and cosmetic items that can be addressed with a little elbow grease. If your maintenance history has otherwise been good regarding fluids and otherwise operational trouble free, IMO its worth putting some maintenance money towards the car rather than recurring payments and possibly higher insurance.

As far as the rotors, buy new replacements. Cutting rotors is often 1/4 or more the cost of new ones and will be more prone to warpage due to less material afterwards.

 

Interference engine plus depending on traffic, speed and driver reaction, result could be major accident instead of a leisurely coast.

 

How to deal with vehicle breakdown is Drivers Ed 101. Interference engine does not equal a tire blowout, the engine simply shuts off and, yes, you usually leisurely coast to the side of the road.

 

Folks:

Please bear in mind that admonitions to "do you own car repairs and maintenance" are not particularly helpful to 95%+ of the population.

 

Moderator edit - drcoffee please exit this thread

 

These are not admonitions but practical advice for these cars that have very little residual value and labor costs are high. Everyone has a choice to pay up or attempt the maintenance work themselves.

I'd like to think this community tries to give the best advice and will be able to discern what can be repaired by the average person with basic mechanical skills vs what work should be done by a career mechanic. There are plenty of resources in the form of Youtube vids, copied "backup" OEM shop manuals, etc... The 1st gen cars have had a long documented history of common maintenance points that can be performed by the avg DIY'r with confidence. Tools are cheap and will pay for themselves back with a successful repair. Specialty tools can be rented free at most auto parts stores now days.
The owners have the personal decision to make to pass the maintence on to someone if they do not have the resources like a garage and/or skilled friends that can double check their work. Safety and confidence in the workmanship is key in the end.

You always have the option to bring your car to a mechanic if you feel your repair was not done right.