Lexus RX 2007 Problems

Lexus has won a place alongside the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz in the minds of prestige car buyers who believe it to be a worthy alternative to the European establishment.The RX was an important plank in the Lexus platform given the growing popularity of crossover wagons in this country. It began with the five-seater RX330 in 2003, and stepped up with the RX350 in 2006.The changes made to the RX in 2006 made it better placed to attack the Mercedes-Benz ML and the BMW X5, regarded as its main rivals. For starters the V6 engine was increased in capacity from 3.3 to 3.5 litres, the outcome being 18 percent more power and four percent more torque. In a nutshell, that means more get up and go when needed, and better towing performance.Backing up to the V6 was a five-speed auto with touch-change manual shifting feeding into the permanent all-wheel drive system. Underneath it had full independent suspension and disc brakes all round. Even in base form the RX350 had a swag of standard gear, pretty much everything could want or expect in a car of its standing.Inside there was leather trim, heated front seats, auto climate controlled air-con, cruise, power windows and mirrors, a six-speaker CD sound system, and blue-tooth phone connection. Outside it had alloy wheels, fog lights, roof racks, and a rear spoiler.The RX350 is not the vehicle you'd choose if you wanted to go bush in a big way, but it is the sort of wagon you'd be happy to drive around town and on the odd excursion beyond the city limits.Its uprated engine gave it noticeably better performance without sacrificing any of the smoothness for which it had been renowned.Some thought the suspension too soft and less responsive than its rivals, but its ride was comfortable and it handled well enough.IN THE SHOPReliability in service is largely determined by the initial design work and the build precision, and in those areas Toyota has excelled. There's no question that the RX350 is well designed and put together, and as a result, little appears to go wrong with them. The most important thing is to ensure any prospective purchase has been serviced correctly, so check for a service record. Make the usual visual checks for crash repairs and walk away if it's suspected a car has been in a crash.IN A CRASHANCAP doesn't have a rating for the RX350, but its almost identical predecessor was rated at four stars out of five. There was a comprehensive array of safety gear in the RX350. It began with front, head and side airbags, and continued with ABS braking, and electronic stability and traction control systems.UNDER THE PUMPBig, heavy, all-wheel drive; they're not the ingredients to deliver fuel economy. Toyota claimed the RX350 would do 10.8 L/100 km, meanwhile CarsGuide's road tester returned 11.1 L/100 km.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $74,800 to $84,100Engine: 3.5-litre V6; 203 kW/342 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, AWDEconomy: 10.8 L/100 kmBody: 4-door wagonVariants: Sports, LuxurySafety: 4-star ANCAP.VERDICTA great choice when you want a wagon that looks down on its neighbours.

Lexus RX has been a huge success for the upmarket Japanese marque since its launch in Australia in April 2003. More a high riding station wagon than a 4WD it has mild to medium off-road ability in its AWD versions, though very few owners ever take advantage of it. The introduction of the fourth generation RX series in

...and what to watch for when you are buying it.Lexus cars are about comfort and refinement and the Lexus RX SUV leans very much in that direction and well away from the rugged off-road nature of its big brother the LandCruiser-based Lexus LX Series.The Lexus RX350 has significantly less ground clearance than the typical crossover. Which gives it road holding almost on par with that of a sedan or station wagon. While the Lexus RX350 does have all-wheel drive and can travel on dirt roads, forest trails and the like, taking it to the beach could leave it beached on its belly.Interior room is good for two adults and three junior travellers, but three adults in the back seats starts to stretch their friendship. It goes without saying that the choice of materials and the quality of fit and finish of cabin is immaculate in all models, and has been taken to even higher levels over the years. Boot space is reasonable considering the steep slope of the rear window, but most SUVs of this size give you more versatility when it comes to carrying boxy items. The rear seat has a handy 40/20/40 split to give you loading options.Australian buyers weren’t offered the chance to buy the first-generation Lexus RX300 as it was only sold in the USA. The second generation went on sale in this country in April 2003 as the RX330 (the numbers refer to the engine size in decilitres in most models, more about that later) and was a hit pretty well from the start.The third generation Lexus was introduced in February 2009 and, with a moderate facelift and the introduction of several new variants remains on sale today. The gen-three was virtually all-new, being longer and wider in the body than its predecessors and sitting on a longer wheelbase and wider track. The new model was designed to provide more interior space and even higher levels of interior comfort than before. It truly is a luxury wagon and the great majority of buyers use it that way.The twin-cam petrol engine V6 has a capacity of 3.0 litres in the 330 and 3.5 litres in the RX350. The third generation cars have noticeably lower fuel consumption without any loss of performance. The petrol engine was mated to a five-speed automatic transmission until the arrival of the all-new 2009 model saw it lifted to six-speed unit, which partly explains its lower fuel use.An interesting model is the petrol-electric hybrid RX. Sold since October 2006, it uses a 3.3-litre engine and an electric motor in combination. The hybrid’s model name breaks with convention by being tagged RX400h, that’s because Lexus reckons it has the performance that would be offered by a 4.0-litre petrol engine.A mid-life upgrade in July 2012 saw the introduction of an RX 2WD, four-cylinder model badged RX 270. Until then all RXs used 4WD and a V6 engine. The lighter weight of the 2WD model (which drives through the front wheels) means there is less loss in performance than you might expect. Naturally, it’s still a rarity on the used market but if you never plan any unsealed road driving its lower price may make it worth a wait.Lexus dealers are mainly in metropolitan areas of capital cities and major regional and country locations. Should you need work done in other areas some top Toyota mechanics have been trained in Lexus work. Service and repair costs are about average for an SUV in this upmarket class and we have heard of no real complaints about cost or availability of routine spare parts. Insurance charges don’t seem to vary significantly between major companies, but it may be worth shopping around.WHAT TO LOOK FORVery high build quality means that troubles are rare, but these are relatively complex machines and we highly recommend a professional inspection after you've completed yours to the best of your ability. If you find body damage indicating off-road use, a rarity, it’s most likely to be on the bumper corners, under the sill panels and in the form of scratches on the doors. Unless the price is right we suggest going for another RX instead.Look for a smoking exhaust on a high-mileage engine. It will be at its worst when the engine is worked hard. Check the automatic transmission is all but unnoticed in its actions unless you’re accelerating hard. Look over the interior and boot carefully because the RX is popular in the Mums’ taxi cohort.CAR BUYING TIPFaded paint on any vehicle, particularly those with strong colours, is likely to indicate it hasn’t been garaged very often. This can be hard on the interior as well as the body.