GhostMeat

I was very lucky to find an amazing deal on an RX 350 years ago. Literal "little old lady" car deal: she owned it for 8 years, never drove it and even did scheduled oil changes. I bought this 2011 with only 7600 miles on it ... for $20K.

So I brought it in to a dealership yesterday — with now 43K miles on it — for an oil change and was encouraged to do some fluid flush n' fills since they have no record of it being done. Ever. That's reasonable thinking considering the age and I did it.

So, I'm a long term thinker and thought, hrm, what kinds of long term maintenance issues might bubble up on this car? I figured it is a little different than a normal 2011 because of the low miles. But time is time and no car escapes that. 🤑

Former Ford Taurus owner. Worst ever 10 year+ car to own. I'm sensitive. Haha.


Gm.

RX in NC

As the years pass, the engine bay heat bakes the hoses, plastics, wiring, electrical connectors, etc. You may not need to address any of that at this point, but I would certainly be paying attention on a regular basis.

Also, prior to the 2013 model year, the vehicles with the tow package / extra engine oil cooler have a rubber hose for that connection. It is subject to bursting causing you to lose all your engine oil. If you are driving when that happens, the oil pumps out so fast that when your dashboard oil warning light comes on, it is too late and you have probably already locked up your engine. 2013-and-newer models have a metal tube for that connection. If your vehicle still has the rubber hose connection, replace it immediately with the metal tube. The new part has traditionally been under $100 and any Toyota indie shop can replace it if you are unable to DIY it.

Also, the rear shocks prior to the 2013 model year tend to start leaking by 60,000 miles or so. Plenty of threads here on the forum that address this issue. Some owners tend to upgrade to Bilstein rear shocks when the factory rear shocks begin to fail.

N4wwt

Shocks and CV axials usually will need to be replaced with higher milage vehicles. Just continue doing the regular maintenance and these cars will last a long time. My 2011 with 155k miles still going strong!

GhostMeat

Woah, dang, now this is the kind of intel I'm wary of. I don't think mine has the tow package though. I should check, but I doubt the lady got it. But if she did, does this only happen when it's used for towing? Or would it happen regardless?

And, yes, I think I did have to already replace the rear CV or shocks already. Something back there that was expensive. 😅 I would have been open to upgrading to something that'll last and last.

Thanks.


G.

GhostMeat

One of the reasons I jumped on this vehicle even though I didn't need a new car is because of this. I'm constantly seeing even first generation RXs on the road. And not just a few ... A lot.

I expect to be driving this for quite some time. Happy to be without car payments.

RX in NC

That oil cooler rubber hose can fail regardless of whether you ever tow anything. The general consensus is if you have one, replace it with the metal tube ASAP.

RX in NC

You should also consider doing a few successive ATF drain-and-fills around 60,000 miles or so. These Aisin transmissions are mediocre at best and fresh ATF can really help extend their life. There are several good threads pertaining to this subject that you should read. Quite a few of us have done this on our 3rd generation RXs during the past year or so.

ellocovg

iTrader: (1)

Congrats that’s a very good find! It’s basically a Toyota so it should be trouble free for many years to come. First off register at drivers.Lexus.com there you can see your build to see if you have the tow package or not. You can also see the cars Lexus service history and most original owners tend to service at the Lexus dealer. I would swap out all of the fluids assuming that besides the engine oil they are all original. Cars like to be driven and rubbers/plastics will tend to dry out if not used so I would take a close look for any seeps or sign of aging on rubber parts. I’d also have the serpentine belt/ tires/ brakes professionally inspected because again they might still be original. Just to be safe I’d assume everything on the suv is original unless you have a service history in front of you.