Eagles10

Hello, I was looking for some feedback/thoughts on buying a particular RX in need of work. I have stumbled upon a particular RX400h Premium Plus listed for $11,500 with 56k miles. The catch is that there is some minor damag to the front end of the car. The hood is dented above the left headlight and there are some minor dents to the bumper and the windshield is cracked. The inside panels are also removed from the rear doors, yet are not damaged and inside the car. I am wondering how much a new windshield, hood and bumper would cost. The car runs and drives well with no damage internally. It is also loaded, with navigation and entertainment systems. Is this a worthwhile buy? What should I expect to pay in repairs for the hood, windshield and bumper? Thank you for your time and assistance.

RX330inFL

All very subjective, Eagles10. Do you want new parts or used parts? If you source the parts through a Lexus dealership the parts are going to cost $$$. However, if you find a wreck you can source parts from then the costs would be so much less. Are you going to do this work yourself? If not, you would be better served by checking with a local body shop to price out your repairs. What repairs cost you there in PA are probably much more than say here in FL. For the windshield you can talk to the folks at Safelite and they can discuss with you about the costs to make sure all the rain sensors are replaced as well.

Finally, after putting all this money into this RX you will probably still have a vehicle with a salvage title. You will want to check on the status of the title. If a salvage, it will always be a salvage and you would never get your money back out of it. Would be something to own until it falls apart.

Rainbird

What year is the vehicle?

JLeffler

I was quoted $230 on a windshield replacement which includes the rain sensor. This was on an rx330. I imagine its quite similar. Call around. Prices vary by location and availability.

Eagles10

It is a 2008. The parts would likely be new from a dealer or local autobody repair shop. I fancy the idea of saving money by buying parts from a junk yard or parts from a wrecked car, however I'm not certain as to how much time I am willing to spend looking. Now, what is the significance of the salvaged title? It simply has a few dents, but nothing major or unrepairable. Lastly, based upon the information I have provided, is there any doubt that this car could run for 100k miles? Thank you all.

takeshi74

RX330inFL's post pretty much sums it up. It is difficult to sell a vehicle with a salvage title.

Eagles10

I'm not concerned about selling it. I was thinking of buying it to be my everyday car. I figured it is cheap, low mileage and in need of minor repairs. I was simply wondering if the cost of the repairs would make it a worthwhile buy compared to other similar used models.

RX330inFL

Assuming you were to fix everything on the vehicle that is wrong to new condition -- yes, the RX400h is very well capable of going 200K with its batteries and hybrid system especially if heavily used on a yearly basis. However, if it is to be a lightly used vehicle then perhaps not so much. You can use the search features here of the forums to research known problem areas with the 2nd Generation RX.

As for part pricing, Club Lexus is sponsored by Sewell Lexus of Dallas and many have found them a good source for parts and pricing information over the years. Have a look yourself in the body parts section:

http://lexus.sewellparts.com/oem-cat...400h-2008.html

BTW, one of the reasons we are reluctant to provide you numbers for your repair request is that too many times a shop will take a part from the dealership and mark it up 200% to 300%. If you do the work yourself then you can use the part pricing from Sewell or other places online. However, if a shop is doing the work then they can charge what they want for parts should they choose to do so. So, is as much about finding an honest shop as anything else. For that you will need to do your own research.

Here is an example of what some RX400h are selling for in your area, I even see your vehicle at the end from Thompson:

http://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchr...RM&enableSeo=1

To me, there is something wrong with the deal at that price. Something else is going on moreso than just a few dents and a windshield and regardless of having the salvage title. Why was it salvaged with that little damage if only what we can see? Is there radiator damage or damage to the hybrid system behind the scenes? Would have the vehicle thoroughly inspected, as I would recommend to anyone making a used car purchase, to see what all is going on. Talk to the folks selling the vehicle. What do they say is wrong with it? Why don't they fix it and sell it as a fully repaired, yet with salvage title, used vehicle?

spacecraft

+1.
The declared/visible damages surely don't justify such low asking price.
Not sure about the salvage title thing, having been only occasionally in the US I never really understood how it works.
What's the damage limit which "marks" a car as salvage?
Surely it can't be due to a dented hood and a cracked windshield, that would be ridiculous.
And who decides when a car gets a salvage title, and on which basis?
Just curious.

RX330inFL

More than likely the insurance company wrote this one off after an accident.

Salvage Vehicle - A vehicle which is inoperable or unable to meet the vehicle equipment and inspection standards to the extent that the cost of repairs would exceed the value of the repaired vehicle.

So, what they are saying is that they believe there is more than $11.5K, or some figure near that, worth of damage. Salvage vehicles are not always a bad thing. Especially for old vehicles and for someone who is a DIY and wishes to drive a vehicle until it is worn out. In the case of this particular RX400h, if you were to replace the windshield there is nothing I see which would prevent someone from putting it back out on the road. You could drive it with the dents. Therefore, the salvage title and price lead me to believe there is something else we are not seeing.

RX330inFL

instead of purchasing a salvage vehicle such as this one which will require additional money and time, I would look for something else without the hassles. Here are a couple off the same search above. Of course, would have them inspected before any purchase. There are plenty of deals out there. Sometimes, you just need to be patient and to keep your eyes and ears open.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...nal&listType=3

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...nal&listType=1

mowmow

So I gather this is a 3rd party windshield ? because OE windshield with rain senor still cost around $1500 a pop so are you sure you are getting the real deal ?

RX330inFL

I would expect a replacement from Safelite to be in the range of $400 to $500 if done outside of insurance.

Eagles10

The dealership claims that the car is fully drivable and that the damage is simply "minor damage to the hood, number and windshield". But I am skeptical as to how it could be so cheap with such minor damage. From a business perspective, one would assume if the damage was so minor they would fix and sell it themselves for book value on a normal model. Perhaps I should ask the dealership more about it, or if it is truly drivable I may ask to test drive it

Dadikins

I'm also very skeptical - this seems like a great price & very "minor" damage.

Now perhaps it had a salvage title BEFORE this accident, which could explain its low price.

I would suggest registering the VIN on the Lexus owner site to see service history, and also check the Carfax (or similar service) to see if this accident is the cause of salvage title (there may have been prior frame damage, etc)


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