Originally Posted by lexusrus

I realize that there is no "PERFECT VEHICLE" out there. Maybe it is out there and I just have not found it yet.

Having a Toyota/Lexus will have odds in your favor. Try it with any of the demostic BIG THREE. How about any of the euro brands? Ok, how about the "better Korean brands" (Equus comes to mind..... multiple problems with it's air suspension and GDI engines with carbon built up, and other many problems.). Sure all the above mentioned brands MAY drive F.I.N.E. when new or relatively new. But at the high mileage you are talking about, most of these above brands will FAIL way before a Lexus.

You can NOT compare a say, Hundai Elentra or Sonata or whatever to a Lexus bc these are not on the same "level". So to compare apples to apples......you need to compare "higher brands" to make it a fair comparison. Similarly one would not compare a Lexus to a Buggatii.

For example:. Those air suspensions found in MB SL, Rang Rovers, and recently......in the Korean built, Equus......... Even the air suspensions found in the Equus are made in Germany. Expensive indeed. I know of a friend of mine who bought a "low mileage (60K miles)/6 years old MB SL hardtop CONVERTIBLE" and about a year later, the air suspension went bust literally one corner after one corner. Soon all 4 corners went out and the car became a low rider. It cost anywhere from $1.5K to $2.5K PER CORNER (yes, per corner) to fix!!! He did not have the money to fix it, so he just parked it in the garage for a little over a year until he saved up enough to fix it. Very soon thereafter, he sold it for a loss.

Another example:. Our previous 2000 LX470 bought new with 8 miles on the odo in 2000.......we traded it in in 2013 with 280K+ miles on the odo and still running strong. We did routine maintenance by the book on it mostly at Lexus dealerships and a few time at independent Toyota specialists shops. The only breakdowns we had were the motorized antenna quit, the power steering pump hose went bust, and the key ignition tumbler just kept turning and not engaging. All these occurred at 250+K miles during the last year of our 13 years of ownership. One may argue that the above items are wear and tear items anyway......which after 250K+ miles......I tend to agree. The good thing was the hydraulic auto height suspension system was still working like a charm without fail. Try your luck with a MB GL or G Wagan, or any of the Land Rovers/Range Rovers, or Chey Tahoe, Ford Expedition!! Ok, you like the KIA.....try it with a KIA Sorento (I know it's not an apple to Apple comparison) ....... No way it will last to 280K+ miles WITHOUT AN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL/REBUILD.

All I'm saying is with a Toyota/Lexus.......odds are in your favor for breakdowns. And when breakdowns do happen......it costs WAY LESS compared to the Euro brands.

What you have experienced maybe skewed bc there were "hidden problems" undiscovered by you when you bought it??? IDK??? Was it a CPO? Did you get a PPI by someone who is an expert with Lexus/Toyota? Just bc it drove "FINE" on a test drive mean little in the long run. According to one source, F.I.N.E. = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.I.N.E.*

Originally Posted by RX in NC

If you need an AWD SUV and you do not want to pony up for another RX, I suggest you consider a fourth-generation Subaru Outback 3.6R. I did significant research throughout 2015 and determined at that time that it was the best bang-for-the-buck SUV on the market from a cost-of-acquisition standpoint, a long-term cost-of-ownership standpoint, and an overall performance standpoint. I found and purchased our 2013 3.6R in early November 2015 and it has been a fantastic vehicle which has done everything we have asked of it and more. I liked it so much that I sold my beloved daily-driver 2005 Jaguar S-Type sedan and now daily-drive our Outback. Just be sure to get the 3.6R / 5EAT engine / transmission combo (the best drivetrain Subaru has ever offered). You will not regret it.

By the way, no "sealed for life" transmission on the 3.6R. It has a dipstick / fill tube and an easy-to-access drain plug. I do a simple ATF drain-and-fill every 30,000 miles as an added protection against transmission failure down the road. Takes me all of 20 minutes and costs me only $35 to $40 for the recommended Subaru ATF-HP.

Originally Posted by matts6887

I believe yes there were hidden issues that the lexus dealer we paid to have a pre buyers inspection done at should have caught. If they had "investigated" more thoroughly I believe they would have uncovered other things like the power steering hose that blew up on me spraying fluid everywhere and no it was not a cpo and yes it was done by a expert lexus master tech but they apparently still failed to see these issues which they would of had to fix if they were to expect a sale otherwise i would have gotten up and just walked away from it and looked elsewhere but I was also in sorta a bit of a rush because i do not have any other vehicle and my previous rx had transmission issues as it was a dreaded first gen.

Originally Posted by matts6887

I believe yes there were hidden issues that the lexus dealer we paid to have a pre buyers inspection done at should have caught. If they had "investigated" more thoroughly I believe they would have uncovered other things like the power steering hose that blew up on me spraying fluid everywhere and no it was not a cpo and yes it was done by a expert lexus master tech but they apparently still failed to see these issues which they would of had to fix if they were to expect a sale otherwise i would have gotten up and just walked away from it and looked elsewhere but I was also in sorta a bit of a rush because i do not have any other vehicle and my previous rx had transmission issues as it was a dreaded first gen.

Originally Posted by salimshah

After 2 bad experiences and little faith in dealership, why dont you give another make a chance. Some combinations [owner/make] do not work.

Salim

Originally Posted by salimshah

After 2 bad experiences and little faith in dealership, why dont you give another make a chance. Some combinations [owner/make] do not work.

Salim

Originally Posted by matts6887

Indeed this is so so true salim!. Even though I only had my previous brand 2011 acura rdx for 5 years; i still put almost 60,000 on the clock before i had to sell it due to payments through the roof; and had not a single issue!. I mean even in that time anything could have happened even with it being new. So im contemplating seriously going back to the other side because the fact Ive had 3 big issues come up in a matter of 2-3 weeks time with a lexus of all brand which is supposed to be (key word here RELIABLE!!! or so i thought; has just left a very bad and sour taste in my mouth and has like turned me off of the brand in more ways than one.

Originally Posted by matts6887

and yes it was done by a expert lexus master tech but they apparently still failed to see these issues which they would of had to fix if they were to expect a sale

Originally Posted by takeshi74

Unfortunately individual data points may not always fall right along the trend curve. RX's are generally very reliable but the OP has had 2 that have had significant issues. In other words, even though RX's are generally reliable there are certainly outlying examples that are not reliable for whatever reason(s). FWIW, our 2RX and 3RX have been very reliable with no major problems. That said, that OP has to go with the OP's experience and a change might be the way to go.

Regardless of what replacement vehicle is selected I highly recommend finding a reputable inspector -- I recommend this with any used vehicle purchase. Dealerships are not necessarily the best places for inspections even though people tend to assume that they should be as they should have experience and ready access to information.


Are you saying that the dealer selling the vehicle did the inspection? If so, you definitely want your inspections done by a 3rd party.

Originally Posted by RX in NC

I expect our current 2015 RX350 (now approaching 34,000 miles) to be of similar quality and longevity to our previous 2004 RX330. My major concern long-term is that our 2015 RX350 was built in Canada whereas our previous 2004 RX330 was built in Japan. Deserved or not, the Japanese-built vehicles have a better build-quality reputation than the Canadian-built vehicles do.