RVH

Just passed the 12-yr mark with my 2010. Other than brakes, tires and oil changes, it's never been in the shop. I'm 71 and tell myself I'm going to die with this car. I love it. But, at 12-yrs old, what should I be checking pro-actively? What should I worry about?

TIA,
Bob in New Hampshire

salimshah

One can worry about everything and can easily be driven insane (or close to it). Just open the thin Warranty and Service manual and check what items over time based on milage and time need to be serviced. If you have been going to the dealership, they should have done them for you [unless you told them to skip].
Not listed would be battery replacement [4-7 year life if you are lucky]. TPMS sending units [one in each tire ~7-10yrs].

Machines are machines and they can break down or can encounter an accident [as trivial as running over a nail or worst as totaled vehicle]. I would not lay in bed and worry about them.

Another approach is ... What would you do if you get rid of your current ride? Are you looking for something new/used. Some of the perils will remain [previous paragraph]. The only difference is warranty. Then it is a financial issues .... payments/cash_out_of_bank etc and additional concerns about mechanical soundness of a used vehicle etc.

Do keep in mind the intended use. I foresee short intercity trips and 2 days a week intracity trips. 5000 miles a year tops and if I live till 80, milage will drop to 1000 miles a year.

So in short I intended to keep any post 2010 model instead of jumping to 2020 models.

Salim
ps: I have 1995 SC400, 1998 GS400 [no issues with old vehicles mechanically]

RVH

Thanks, that's exactly what I've been doing. Battery changed two years ago and TPMS needs changing but what will wait until new tires in 2-yrs or so.

BillUK

My RX 450h has recently passed the 12 year mark, and I intend to keep it a while. Other than the time/mileage interval service items, I'd look into some kind of rust proofing, as rust can kill a car just as fast as anything else. I've just done mine myself. I sprayed the wheel wells, cavities and underside with a protective wax product.

salimshah

I live south so don't have to deal with snow/ice/chemicals. The key to protectant is to establish it before metal has started to rust. If you do it late, then you are encapsulating it. I would like to learn more, if you want to share.

Salim

BillUK

I imagine it's less of issue for you Salim, not having to deal with salted roads. Here we have a mixed climate, so rain and sometimes snow in winter. My car's in pretty good shape though for its age, with only a little surface rust around some bolts, an outer sill edge, and the rear subframe. You're right about some products, particularly the heavy rubberised ones, encapsulating any rust and even hiding it while it eats away underneath, and so I did the following.

First I cleaned away any loose surface rust and then treated it with a rust neutraliser/converter. Then I sprayed all the surfaces with a liquid anti corrosion wax called Dynax UB, and the cavities with Dynax S50. Once the Dynax had dried I then gave everything a good spray with ACF-50, which is an oil like product that's used to protect motorcyles from corrosion. Both the Dynax and the ACF 50 will arrest any existing corrrosion, whilst providing protection against any new rust taking hold. The latter remains liquid and seeps into any cracks and crevices.

The most time consuming part was taking the wheels off, removing the rear arch liners and cleaning up the arches (the fronts were pretty clean). The spraying didn't take long at all. I guess I won't have to do the arches again for a few years, as they're somewhat less exposed, but will spray the underside annually with the Dynax UB and ACF 50, but that takes less than an hour.

The other thing I do in winter is, when I wash the car, I stick a cheap lawn sprinkler attachment onto the end of my hose, and push it under the car to rinse off the underside every now and then.

It's not perfect, but relatively inexpensive (products cost around 100 pounds/dollars in total), and hopefully will keep the rust at bay, and extend the life of the car.

carguy75

I would keep an eye on the suspension parts such as tie rods and CV axles. I also would remove the engine bay covers every now an then to inspect the engine for leaky seals around the valve covers and front timing cover.

richelieu

Hi there,
I have RX450H, 2012 and 165K km on the clock (approx 102K miles). What I have did:
- I have had to replace HV battery (cost me here in Europe 5300 USD in August this year)
- replaced rear shocks using OEM one
- cooland replace
- oil changed every 7500 km (5K miles)
- spark plugs (irridium one at 145K km)
- replaced from air shocks (the upper mounting was completely smashed and gone) - done at 130K km (it was also costly)

Planning:
- to replace rear bushing in control arms and some control arms
- the same for front lower control arms

If I compare it to my LS430, 2001, US model, well what to say -> no battery, just coils and shocks (no air shocks) -> everything is cheap. If I calculate cost of the battery + air shocks on my RX450H I would say that better to have non-hybrid model without air shocks and the calculated money for gasoline will not be never high than HV battery + air shocks together (but nowadays because the cost of gasoline it could be comparable .
marek