Make sure it wasn’t flooded and “nobody knows about it”...
Usually non certified models have been in some form of fender bender, or have tires or brake pads worn out, or some other type of issue which made it fail the certification process and the dealer did not want to invest money in fixing.

i would take an ODBII reader to it and go straight to the last time time that the codes were reset. Then do your own scan to see if anything comes up.

My anecdotal experience when I bought my 2012 with 105k on the clock from a Lexus dealer in Orlando is that after I purchased it I kept wringing out the RX to try to unmask any codes hiding in the computer, and sure enough got a check engine light tap out in just 1500 miles.
I then acquired an ODBII reader and got the code... but since your popcorn may be running low I’ll cut to the chase...
With my ODBII scanner I found out that either the dealer or previous owner reset the codes just before I acquired my RX and the check engine light translated to code:P0015 - "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 1)

I took it in to the service department and paid them $80 to diagnose the vehicle with their fancy tools with which they came back saying no issues were found.
I told them to replace the damn engine sensor anyway, and that if I wanted Christmas tree lights on my instrument cluster I would have bought a beautiful used Mercedes, not a used Lexus.
My service advisor and customer service Director definitely came through with great customer service and got me a great discount on the repair considering the codes were reset just before I bought the vehicle.
After that and to this date, my RX has received from your truly, an arduous work out and had to quit the endeavor due to no more error codes found anywhere.
In conclusion, a vehicle not being “Lexus Certified” is not a deal breaker. How do I know?... I own one...

 

for that price it’s a deal breaker. Unless it’s a good deal, which that is not, then why bother getting a non CPO RX. The price of changing tires and or pads alone would make up for the difference. Also, you can’t really compare an RX with 100k which obviously can’t even be certified in the first place to an RX with low miles that should be certified. When your spending over $30,000 on a used car that has low miles it makes sense to get certified.

 

I had a CarMax / MaxCare warranty on 2008 Highlander I bought in 2013 and never had a single issue getting anything covered, they were great to work with, never had an issue with independent repair shops or a dealer working with them..
I paid $1,500 for a 6 year - up to 150K mile warranty and it covered over $4,500 in repairs. The big one was a common issue in 2008 Highlanders, a Transfer Case gasket leak, the warranty covered 19 hours of dealer labor, a $2.8K repair bill I paid $0 for. The other repairs completely covered were $600 on a water pump, $800 on steering shaft and $600 on a heated seat.

 

Thats awesome. However in my neck of the woods, the service writers tend to be apprehensive towards carmax warranty products. I`m not saying its the norm, as shown by your experience, but its good to get the opinion of whom who decides to work with your extended warranty product.

 

She is bsing. The reason a car is certified is because of low mileage, clean carfax, and flawless condition. I traded a 2015 NX with 32000 on it this past August.
The car was in perfect condition. Dealer detailed it, certified it, put it on the show room floor and sold it in 3 days.

Extended warranties are usually not a good buy. However, the cost of them is negotiable even with the Lexus dealer.

$35,500 is way too much for a 3 year old RX.

 

When i bought my is200T it only had 19,980 miles on it. It was a lease return. It was not certified. I asked the salesman about that and he said they can certify any car and if I paid the amount to get it certified. Essentially it's just an extended warranty. I didn't get the car certified as it seems like a racket. I bought the lexus brand because I believed in the product, so yeah.

 

That is exactly what it is, another dealership profit center. Really geared towards those that are paranoid about having an extended warranty.

 

Not so. I suggest looking on Youtube for the videos of a consumers lawyer named Steven Lehtos, who seems to specialize in auto law, for the one where he discusses "certified" CPOs. My memory is that he says "CPO" doesn't mean they actually performed the 125 (whatever) inspections, if they did, it's no guarantee the fixed things that were wrong..."CPO" guarantees nothing. He may have noted favorable aspects of CPO, I don't recall. I think it is something between the manufacturer and dealer.
After watching many of his discussions, I conclude that nothing said by the salesman, service writer, general manager, anyone at a dealer, means anything unless it is reduced to writing.

 

Yup, and unfortunately alot of comes down to reassurance to a customer who stop worrying about stuff when they hear Lexus backs the CPO product. Its excellent marketing tactics, regardless of how favorable it is towards the end customer.

 

CPO gives you two years of extra warranty which is a “guarantee.” Additionally you get four free services (both of my cars included the 30K service which is costly). Not bad for about $2K. More importantly - peace of mind on a used vehicle.

 

I bought a CPO Toyota a few years ago and I got a package that stated exactly what was checked and replaced. Also got a 2 yr warranty, all in writing.
Have no idea who Steven Lehtos is, but if it's on the internet, it must be true, right?

 

Let's start a history lesson

The CPO concept and the special under-roof show room for lease returns was invented by Mercedes Benz, where they chose only the best units, went over them with a fine toothed comb, gave them additional warranty and sold them at a premium over the standard used car.
It worked so well that this system was copied by BMW AUDI & LEXUS, others followed later on. They realized that they had to maintain a tight control over the units or else it would become meaningless. If the CPOs of today are as you described, where anyone can put that label on a unit if you pay $2K, it defeats the original concept of picking only the best, I don't doubt that this is going on, but someone ought to report this to Lexus corporate as it doesn't bode well for the future.

 

And thankfully both of you knew what you were getting into, a used car with a better warranty and some free maintenance. The issue here is though folks believe that the CPO vehicle is essentially a troublefree, almsot new vehicle...and thus as a buyer you can trust the dealers due diligence.

Anyways, Steve Lehto automotive lemon law attorney who has stints on Jalopnik.com

 

Wow, you have a way with words... do you know that the vehicle I bought could not have passed the CPO certs? I bet they knew it would. They would have already done everything they do before reselling the a low mileage Lexus. It was in perfect condition.

 

You guys do realize the OP hasn’t even replied once yet right? Most likely he or she got the car and now regrets it or is ashamed to admit it. This has now turned into a pointless debate. Hopefully someone can learn from this.