In late 2012 my girlfriend, now wife, had an accident totaling out her 2000 Toyota 4Runner. Leaving her without a car, and me just getting my ’08 Volvo, her dad was looking to get her something. Since this was my wife’s car that she had, and I spent a lot of time myself behind the wheel, I consider this my car as well. Surprisingly, there are no surviving pictures of the Lexus that her dad bought for her, so all the pictures in this post are off the net.
My wife’s dad is an insurance agent, so he was sitting pretty good when the 4Runner got totaled. He had a decent budget to find a used car, with lower miles that would last Anna (my wife) until she got out of college on her own. He has always been a Toyota man since I have known them. So Anna’s dad found her a nice used 2004 Lexus RX 330. It was forest green pearl over a grey interior. I was surprised to find this color is named “green pearl”, as it was basically a dark grey. Just goes to show you that classy color names sell, as it was a very popular color.
This RX was decked out with all the options for 2004, minus AWD. I can remember sitting inside for the first time, and thinking “wow a back up camera and navigation in 2004, my Volvo doesn’t even have that!”. It was true, I was very impressed how much tech, and luxury that they were able to squeeze in this SUV. In a lot of ways her Lexus beat my XC90, and it was 4 years older. It had the tech, the ride, the power, more rear leg room, and the quality. In my opinion that is one thing that Toyota has done well at: the quality of materials used. One thing that it was lacking, was the comfort of the seats. To this day my, wife and I argue about which car has better seats, and I always think that hands down Volvo, no matter what model, has the best seats out there.
The car was originally bought out of Oklahoma City by a younger guy, who then traded it in on something else. It wound up here in Arkansas at a small used car dealer, where they bought it. It only had about 100,000 miles on it, and the previous owner took excellent care of it. Knowing it was a Lexus, there was not a whole lot that would go wrong with it. Her dad knew it would last her for a while. I can remember taking it to Little Rock for a football game, and it rode like an older Cadillac. The car seemed to bounce quite a bit in the rear over bumps, even though the suspension had been checked out. I guess that is just the way it rode, as later Anna’s mom would have a 2007 RX 350, which is the same body style, and it rode the exact same way.
I only recall one major thing that went wrong with the car, and it ended up being its downfall. I can remember a few things that popped up on the car, like the headlights getting really foggy. Like most cars now, with plastic headlight covers, they get micro scratches that cause them to look foggy. The RX was no exception, as about 125,000 miles they had gotten really bad. I had remembered reading an article about how they were recalled because of this, so I did some research. Sure enough, all we had to do was take the car to the nearest Lexus dealer (2 hours away), and they would change the headlights free of charge. So one Saturday we made an appointment, and got a rental from Lexus, and made a day out of it in Tulsa. Then there were maintenance items, like drive belts that started to squeal, brakes and tires. The one and only power plant for this model I believe, was the 3.3 V6. Like most Toyota engines, it was rock solid.
The issue that did this car in was the transmission. At around 150,000 miles, the transmission started to act kinda funny when I drove it. I had asked Anna if she had noticed anything weird with the car, and she said it had just started doing it. The transmission would flair when it would go into certain gears, and when it would shift down it would go in hard. Starting with simple things, they had the fluid changed at a local transmission shop. Then when that had absolutely no effect on it, we took it to the dealer again for them to check it over. After about an hour there, the tech came out and said it was toast. It wasn’t throwing any codes, and you really had to be looking for it, but it was confirmed that it was on its way out. I guess this transmission had this “learning mode”, where it would learn the driving patterns of each driver, and shift differently with each driver. For example, if you were a bit of a “sporty” driver, it might shift quicker than if you were easier on the gas pedal.
We were just sophomores in college, and her dad, taking pity on her, said he would buy her one more car. Anna is a very modest person, and did not want her dad buying her anything fancy. She wanted to get another older RX, but her dad was not having any part of that since this one let him down. He told her that she is getting a car with a warranty at least, and find something in the $20,000 range. In the end, it came down to a Subaru Crosstrek, and a Honda Crosstour. Right after Subaru just had an issue with their engines in the Crosstrek consuming oil, I was strongly against this car, but hey I wasn’t paying for it.
The Lexus really wasn’t a really memorable car. Yes, it had cool features on it for it being a 2004, but it was so boring. Looking back, I really have to think about that car because it really doesn’t stick out. My wife still talks about how she would love to get another “Lex”, but honestly I find it a waste of money. To me, it was like crab legs, you work so hard to get to the meat, and when you do its hardly anything. Oh well, we had a good run at it, on to something else.
Surprised about the transmission. To your knowledge, had the fluid ever been changed?
I honestly don’t remember if it was changed before they had done it.
I get your dad’s visceral hesitation to buying the same vehicle to replace the one in which the transmission failed early. I wasted money on a CVT Nissan and wouldn’t go back either. However, I think he biffed that decision. Transmission failures on this car are more an anomaly than a pattern. Replacing the transmission seems like a smaller and better use of money than a new Crosstrek, but at least Subie’s don’t seem to lose much value and everyone’s preferences are different. I’d rather spend the change on a 150K mile luxury wagon than get a new economy car.
That said, I wouldn’t have a ton of affection for this Lexus. It’s a NICE car, and a comfortable car, and a well-built car, but in the end it is a FWD mushy wagon on stilts.
Happen to remember the replacement cost for the Lexus transmission, btw?
This is the first transmission failure I have seen on an RX 330. I’m sure it has happened to many, but this is the first one I have actually read about first hand. Failure seemed much more common on the RX 300s.
My 2007 RX 350 187K miles doesn’t shift as smoothly as when I first got it. So I pray it lasts for at least another year or two. It does a weird flare up when driving at parking lot speeds. like 10mph, the engine will rev up but won’t accelerate and then the car will kinda lurch forward. I found threads on CL from 2007 where people were complaining about this on brand new RX350s. So make of that what you will.
From Lexus the cost of a new transmission was around $5,000. I am sure they could have had it rebuilt for a fraction of the cost.
You have me wondering what food analogies I could come up with for the cars I’ve owned.
In the ’60s one of Doyle Dane Bernbach’s famous VW bug ads had a photo of a bug being used for delivery by a Chinese restaurant. Headline: “Half an hour later it won’t get hungry again.”
Just try to run a commercial like that TODAY!
Ah, how the tables have turned in perceived interior quality. In 2018 we cross-shopped a Hyundai, a Toyota, and a Buick and the Toyota by far had the worst interior. It reminded me of late-90s Tupperware GM interiors. I’m sure the Lexus equivalent would have been much nicer but I didn’t see the need to pay a 15k premium to get what other automakers were giving us in the 25-30k class.
Yes, I agree, And even the new Lexus’s have hard plastic in places(particularly around the start button), Where on mine it is soft and padded.
I understand where your father in law is coming from. After my Saturn experience (’94 SL-2), I have no interest in ever owning another Saturn. Period.
In that era, heavy FWD vehicles (minivans and CUVs) were known for lunching transmissions. It wasn’t unique to anybody, but clearly didn’t leave anyone out, either.
Brings back fond memories of my very first car, this car’s mechanical twin 2004 Toyota Highlander Limited. I’ve also driven several examples of this generation RX over the years, a virtually identical driving experience with a few extra luxury and tech features. The seats were definitely plusher than in the Highlander, but I agree that Volvo will usually top any car when it comes to comfortable seats. I guess I always just assumed all RXs were all-wheel drive though.
My wife’s sister in Orlando had an identical RX-330. A nice ride, though at one time when we were visiting in 2011 the rear tires were wearing unevenly, and I pointed it out to her now ex-husband. The next time we visited in 2015 she still had the RX-330 and the rear tires were in much better shape…and the husband was history.
The RX has always been somewhat interesting in that while it’s been extremely good for Lexus, it’s always been styled somewhat “different”, i.e. not nearly as conservative as people think of Lexus as. But as a result the RX hasn’t aged too badly, I wouldn’t have assumed this car is fifteen years old and the original RX300 still looks pretty good as well. The new (current) edgy one is now going on four years old as well, time sure goes by fast.
While we haven’t owned one, we’ve ridden in a few and they ride well and perform well enough, not a bad ride at all, especially if someone else is supplying it 🙂
It was a decent car, just not exciting. My wife wanted to look at another one when we were car shopping a few months back. I humored her, but the cost for one without tech that some cars offer, just didnt make sense.
I have a 2007 RX 350, Which replaced a 2007 XC90 3.2 In April 2015. The Volvo was my first car and I won’t go into details, But it had 145K Miles and was turning into a self-destructing moneypit and it was full of electrical problems. Anyways my dad got me the RX and it had 137K miles which is a bit more than I liked but it now has 187K and has been great. It hasn’t been flawless though.
The most notable failure was the dreaded oil cooler hose failure. If you’re familiar with the 2GR FE, you might know about this. They had an extended warranty but it was only good for 150K. Mine had over 160K. So that was out of pocket. I think it was about $600. Not too bad but it did have to be towed, because of oil loss so it was an inconvenient failure. Lexus replaced the dashboard for free in 2016 because it was sticky, shiny, and hairline cracks were forming around the gauge cluster. A common problem for many Toyota, Lexus models made during this time. Some Nissan, Subaru And Mazda products had this defect in southern states as well. So that was very nice.
You mentioned the ride being bouncy and bobby. That’s because on these RXs the rear struts are usually bad after 100K(!) miles and need to be replaced if you want a smooth ride again, I did this and it’s worth the cost. Because on mine it kept getting worse and it was driving me insane! Not like on the ES where people have 200K and the original struts still ride nice and smooth. In 50K miles I have had to replace Ignition coils, alternator, radiator(!), Ball joints, waterpump, thermostat, drive belt, brakes, and now the front door speakers are sounding a bit rattly but those can be replaced easily and cheaply. The vehicle has ZERO electrical problems, and every luxury feature still works as new.
Also, you mentioned an extended warranty for the headlights being foggy. It was actually for condensation in the headlights and it expired in 2015. Mine occasionally gets condensation on the driver’s side after heavy rain. I pray it doesn’t short out the ballast for the HIDs. I may look into having that sorted out.
But overall I enjoy my RX it’s very nice and comfortable and I view it as superior to many new luxury crossovers. Particularly in regards to engine performance, refinement, and interior quality.
Oklahoma City, indeed. I recognize the Eskridge Lexus plate, which is our resident Lexus dealership.
Lexus of Tulsa is also great. I went with my best friend’s husband last week to Lexus of Tulsa, where he got a CPO 2017 Lexus GS 350 F Sport, in a beautiful color combo and only 17K miles. I think my next car will be a Lexus; they have superb customer service.
Are you yourself based here in OK?
I’d like to hear more about the GS, It’s top of my list to replace our 2012 Accord. Great sedan! Lexus service is really great. Our GX has been rock-solid and will get you through anything, including this week’s snowstorms between Colorado and Idaho.
Our experience with Lexus of Tulsa was ok. The dealer was massive and very nice. I did not feel like they went out of their way to help us, but I felt satisfied with how we were treated. Now, we were in a old Lexus, that was not bought from them so I can understand.
In the end they tried to sell us a new car after telling us the trans was shot. Hey why not, but I wonder if they were telling us this to get us to buy.
We are based in Northwest Arkansas.
My wife drives a 2007 Toyota RAV4 Limited V6. It is very close to a Lexus RX350 as they are both based on the Camry chassis. The V6 was available in the RAV4 from 2006-2013. Good way to save a few bucks over a Lexus. The only non-maintenance item needed was a water pump.
https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/remember-when-rav4-was-fastest-toyota-258707
The XA30 and XA40 RAV4s (2006-18) shared the New MC platform with the Corolla, Auris, Prius, and various other compacts, not the K platform of the Camry/ES, Avalon, and other mid-size and larger vehicles.
I still see a TON of second gen RX’s all over the place, which is a testament to their quality. While the headlights are often cloudy, the rest of the vehicle tends to hold up well, with some looking practically new even though the last year for these was 2009.
The interior on these was really nice too. It’s a shame that Lexus went a bit downmarket with the interior on the third gen. I don’t have any experience with the fourth gen, so can’t comment on whether they’ve returned to using really nice materials on the inside. Overall, these are great vehicles and, IMO, the second gen was really the sweet spot and still very current looking today.