Lexus RX repair: what you need to know in order not to "fly" on the money

High build quality is Toyota's trademark. For this manufacturer, Lexus copies are not uncommon, which, having traveled 200 thousand kilometers or more, had only a history of replacing consumables (filters, brake pads, etc.).

The most common Lexus RX problems

With all the advantages of the model, there is still a fairly specific list of malfunctions that are typical for it. To avoid unpleasant moments with car repair, you should be familiar with this list in advance and know how to prevent the occurrence of a breakdown as efficiently as possible.

Broken transmission

In the photo: the gearbox in the cabin of the Lexus RX

Traditionally, it is believed that the U140 E / F four-speed automatic transmission used in many Toyota models is a reliable unit, several hundred kilometers for it is not a time. But the irony of the situation lies in the fact that it is for the owners of Lexus RX that this seemingly impeccable unit can present a number of unpleasant surprises.

The crux of the problem is that the weight and engine size of the model are considerable. This leads to the fact that, in low gear, the planetary gears receive a load that is borderline with the critical one. Prolonged slip of the car or driving in a sporty style leads to the failure of the "machine".

It is possible to avoid this repair or, in any case, to move it as far as possible in time, provided that you adhere to a competent driving style, as well as do the following:

• install an additional oil cooler, which will contribute to additional cooling of the automatic transmission oil;
• correct, timely change oil and filters;
• Also, do not forget that the quality of the automatic transmission oil is extremely critical for the normal operation of the U140 automatic transmission.

Lexus RX chassis problems

In the photo: the process of replacing the silent block on the Lexus RX with the removal of the lever

The chassis of the model suffers not from poor design decisions, but from the unsatisfactory condition of the roadway. The first "next in line", as a rule, are faster than others the wearing out rear bushings of the front lever. In fact, this part has a high level of strength, but Russian roads are able to easily finish off any structure.

The purpose of the silent block is to neutralize the vibrations that occur when the unevenness of the road surface passes in the places of the main suspension mounts. If you do not change the silent block in time, the car may roll, the steering during cornering may give a slow response, and the car itself, when driving in a straight line, may "go away" to the side. The most deplorable result of a negligent attitude towards the state of the silent block is a complete replacement of the suspension.

It is better to choose a “native” part for replacement, but Russian realities are such that often you have to make do with parts from other manufacturers, and in this case, when choosing a replacement, the advice and experience of professionals are important.

If you take care of purchasing a part on the Internet, the cost of one silent block on specialized resources will range from 350 to 600 rubles. The cost of work in a car service is from 1500 to 4000 rubles. The spread in prices is mainly due to the peculiarities of the regional pricing policy and the degree of "promotion" of a particular service station.

Failure of brake discs Lexus RX

In the photo: replacing brake discs on a Lexus RX

This Lexux RX problem stems, again, from the weight of the SUV. Brake discs that have to work with a heavy vehicle weight wear out faster. It is for this reason that it is better to check the braking system of an SUV whenever any car diagnostics are carried out.

Typical problems with the failure of Lexus RX brake discs can be:

• extraneous sounds at low car speeds when the brakes are activated;
• beating or vibration when the brake pedal is depressed.

Repair of the Lexus RX brake system has an important nuance: all parts of the system must be produced by the same manufacturer. This extends the life of the brake system and avoids many problems.

The approximate price of a set of brakes for d19 Lexus RX II wheels is 120,000 rubles. The purchase of a sports braking system HPB on a Lexus RX350 will cost an average of 160,000 rubles.

If a set of brakes has already been purchased and the services of specialists for its installation are required, the work consists of replacing the front and rear brake discs and servicing the brakes of both axles. As a rule, the cost of such work is hourly, on average - 3000 rubles, and the time to install the system may take from 4 to 6 hours. In some service stations, the cost of an hour of work may vary depending on the age of the car - the difference in price per hour of work can reach 300 rubles.

When choosing a replacement brake system for repairs, you should pay attention to your driving style. When driving in the city, a system rated at 370 degrees Celsius is usually sufficient. But if the owner prefers a sporty driving style, it is better to choose a system that will withstand load temperatures up to 480 degrees.

Failure of the Lexus RX air suspension

In the photo: Air bellows on the Lexus RX

The main "culprit" of this breakdown is the road surface and the presence of winter reagents. Open-type pneumatic cylinders are the first to suffer. When damaged, they cease to hold pressure, thereby increasing the load on the compressor, which tends to maintain the falling pressure in the system.

Frequent compressor operation leads to cascade problems in the rest of this unit and its complete failure.

Thus, the main damages to the Lexus RX air suspension are:

• depressurization of pneumatic bellows;
• piston wear;
• valve wear.

You can understand that there are problems with the Lexus RX air suspension by the following signs:

• vehicle clearance is unstable;
• the front of the car drops when driving, and when it stops, it lifts higher than the rear;
• the car cannot be put into service mode and it is impossible to perform similar collapse.

The price of a used air suspension Sustec Pro Tanabe Air Cobra Aristo / Lexus [Leks-Auto] - from 45,000 to 60,000 rubles.

Often, car owners whose air suspension has become unusable think about replacing pneumatics with springs. The cost of such a replacement (together with work) is on average 55,000 rubles, which, of course, is cheaper than replacing with original pneumatics. The spring version in Russian conditions is traditionally considered more durable and reliable, so the savings are obvious. But, on the other hand, real Lexus fans are unlikely to easily give up the "pneumatics" - otherwise why would they have bought it in the first place!

Violation of the integrity of the boot steering rack Lexus RX

In the photo: Lexus RX steering rack boot

The steering rack is responsible for the process of transferring steering rotation to traction. The boot serves to protect the hinge joints of the rail from dust, moisture and dirt. In principle, the boot is not such an expensive part to panic because of its failure. But if you ignore the violation of the integrity of the boot, this can lead to jamming of the steering and an accident.

A dangerous sign of a violation of the integrity of the boot of a Lexus RX car is the appearance of spots of power steering oil under the car. The simplest solution is to purchase a steering rack repair kit and replace it.

The price of a new steering rack for Lexus RX 09-15, RX270, RX350, RX450H SAT ST-45510-48040 is within 8000-15000 rubles. Second-hand options, respectively, will be cheaper - from 4000 to 8000. The cost of replacing the steering rack - from 5000 to 9000 rubles.

Failure of engine valve springs

This breakdown is more likely not typical for all RX models, but for 2012 models. It was in that year that a defective batch of springs was used in the assembly of the Lexus RX. When this became known, Toyota launched a large-scale campaign to eliminate the flaw.

The 2012 cars were recalled and checked, and the defective springs in their engines were replaced with high quality ones. Naturally, it was not possible to achieve a 100% solution to the problem - and to this day there may be a car that has escaped recall. The chances of this are small, but you shouldn't discount this possible malfunction.

Other breakdowns of Lexus RX

In the photo: the fused rear dimensions of the Lexus RX

The remaining list of breakdowns typical for Lexus RX is not so critical, so we have combined it into a general section. This includes:

• thinning of the luggage cover seal;
• loosening of the exhaust system mountings;
• loss of appearance of chrome-plated body parts and interior trim of the passenger compartment;
• creak of wipers and interior;
• constant fogging of headlights and rear dimensions;
• weak paintwork and interior finishing materials;
• the rear dimensions are melting.

It is better to solve most of the problems not when they have already happened, but to act "ahead of the curve": to strengthen the exhaust system, to cover chrome parts with a special protective coating, etc. In this case, the repair will be less expensive and will not cause problems.

Lexus RX repairs are not needed so often, if you provide the car with decent care and do not neglect the regular diagnostic and maintenance procedures. The list of the most frequent malfunctions of this model is not the most harmless, but timely steps to eliminate them will provide the car owner with many years of comfortable use of the car.

Why Lexus RX is hard to sell in the aftermarket

Premium cars lose value very quickly after purchase. Therefore, there is a fairly large segment of buyers who cannot afford a new car, but are happy to come for it to the secondary market. But there are exceptions to any rule, and in this case the exception is the Lexux RX. Even in the secondary market, its price will be quite high, but at the same time, the merits of such a purchase often look dubious.

First, it is necessary to analyze the model composition of the domestic Lexus secondary market.

About a third of the Lexus RX aftermarket is represented exclusively by models with 2.7 liter gasoline engines, which no longer fits well with the image of a premium crossover. Heavy and powerful, it clearly needs a stronger engine, and the 2.7 engine is also installed exclusively on front-wheel drive models, which, to put it mildly, is not very logical for a large crossover.

The next model presented on the secondary market is a hybrid version - an unreasonably expensive car with a 3.5-liter gasoline engine of 249 hp. and a pair of 25 hp electric motors, only one of which is responsible for the rotation of the rear wheels. Even on the "secondary housing" for such a model aged 8 years they ask for up to one and a half million, which is quite enough to buy a slightly less advanced model of a Japanese or German SUV.

Due to the fact that only one 25 hp engine has to work on the rear axle, it turns out that in general this model behaves on the road no better than its mono-drive "brother". Moreover, the torque of the front axle, increased due to the dual motor, makes driving in extreme situations unpredictable.

The only remaining option is a model equipped with a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine, a 4 × 4 transmission and an electronic clutch that activates the rear wheels if the front wheels begin to slip. It seems to be a good option, but it has a high fuel consumption, and the price of the "secondary" is not much lower than the price of a hybrid model.

Secondly, there is a characteristic feature of used Lexus models - noisy brakes. This problem is well known to dealers of the brand, who offer their customers, owners of used cars, a whole range of services, from soundproofing the wheel arches to a complete package of anti-noise protection. The cost of such a service, accordingly, ranges from 15 to 100 thousand rubles.

Among other "minuses" it is worth mentioning the inconvenience of Lexus for tall drivers, as well as the insufficiently high quality of the interior coating of the passenger compartment, which, to put it mildly, does not reach the level of the declared prestige.

Speaking of merits, it is difficult to ignore the reliability of the Lexus RX. But here, too, one must take into account the fact that the same Aisin U660E gearbox, which these models are equipped with, will serve depending on the driving style. If the driving style is aggressive, then, most likely, after the first 100 thousand km it will require repairs, the cost of which is at least 120,000 rubles. Around the same period, revision and prevention will be required, and then engine repair - replacement of VVT-i couplings, a drive belt with a tensioner and rollers.

To summarize, it should be noted that for all the reliability of the Lexus RX, its price in the secondary market does not match the quality of finishing materials and equipment features that are not very suitable for the status of a premium crossover.

Real reviews of Lexus RX owners: advantages and disadvantages

Anton, Lexus RX 270, 2014, 100,000 km

A great option, regardless of the year and mileage. Even when buying with low mileage, you should rather be on your guard - you never know why you decided to sell. Excellent restyling of the previous version, a prestigious, comfortable model for city driving.

Advantages:

1. Excellent handling.
2. Spare parts availability.
3. Sleek design.

Flaws:

1. Fuel consumption is high.
2. The interior decoration is light, darkening and abrasions quickly appeared.
3. The service is a little expensive.

Ivan, Lexus RX 400h, 2008, 150,000 km

An excellent car, for which 150 thousand kilometers is not the limit at all. A worthy car for both the city and the highway. On most Russian roads - no problem, but on rough terrain, it's better to be careful.

Advantages:

1. Reliable.
2. Excellent dynamics.
3. Prestigious.

Flaws:

1. With a driver's height above 1.8 m, it is not very comfortable - the head almost rests on the ceiling.
2. Decent fuel consumption.
3. Hybrid afterburner begins to prowl.

Sergey, Lexus RX 300, 2002, 195,000 km

Decent car. If the previous owner didn’t ignore the maintenance, didn’t pretend to be the owner of the jeep “I’ll get it out of the mud, just ask!”, Then there will be no problems even with the used one. The unit is reliable, worth the money.

Advantages:

1. Comfortable.
2. Dynamic.
3. Universal.

Flaws:

1. The varnish on the wooden parts of the steering wheel has turned white, the “wooden” texture has disappeared.
2. When the outboard temperature is below 10, the transmission begins to "sing" at a speed of 40.
3. In winter, dry thoroughly after washing, otherwise the locks on the doors will freeze and will not close.

Denis, Lexus RX 350, 2007, 31,000 km
Great car for every day, restyled version. True, according to rumors, hijackers love him very much. I ride on a spring suspension (I have an "American"), and this is probably good - in winter there are fewer problems.

Advantages:

1. Convenient.
2. In winter, four-wheel drive is very good!
3. The engine is powerful, no problem.

Flaws:

1. The suspension is soft.
2. Fuel eats too much.
3. After the rain, the locks on the doors junk.

Leonid, Lexus RX 300, 2001, 140,000 km

Comfortable, kofmortabelny salon. Excellent undercarriage. A good car, if once again do not let the "craftsmen" to it. Service and repair must be trusted by professionals, especially since maintenance is quite budgetary.

Advantages:

1. High driving performance.
2. The engine is unpretentious.
3. The car is safe.

Flaws:

1. The stove is weak - at minus 20 in the back seat, the passengers' legs freeze.
2. Fuel consumption.
3. Big U-turn.

Mikhail, Lexus RX 400, 2008, 60,000 km

Hybrid is the future! For all the complexity of the design, Toyota has managed to make the car truly reliable! The battery has been in service for 6 years and does not require replacement yet. The car easily overtakes the slow-moving ones, there is always traction under the pedal!

Advantages:

1. Dynamics and handling at altitude.
2. Lexus is prestige!
3. The salon is comfortable.

Flaws:

1. The motors are incorrectly distributed along the axes, it can "yaw".
2. Not suitable for off-road conditions, it may skid.
3. The driver's seat is narrow.