2008 Lexus RX 400h Hybrid

Summary:

The vehicle is a good vehicle, but not worth the premium that the name Lexus generally engenders

Faults:

This car has performed well, but for the body, engine, transmission, drive train, which I believe are well built, the other aspects of the vehicle are substandard for a high end vehicle. The following is a list of some of the irritations found in the equipment and design of the vehicle:

The back up lights are much too faint to allow for safe backing up at night.

The retractors for the front seat belts are weak, and do not retract well.

The exterior paint is soft and thin. The paint will scratch by coming into contact even with plastic materials.

The arm rest padding is thin, and after four years has worn through.

The finish on the steering wheel, after four years, is showing about 40% wear spots.

The original tires are cheap and wear quickly.

The radio and CD player is low end quality.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th July, 2012

4th Jan 2014, 13:00

So a Mark Levinson stereo is low end quality? What exactly is that? I think you're here to bash Lexus for no apparent reason. It's one of the best stereos in any car.

The tyres are Bridgestone, which from when I last checked, are some of the best out there. Clearly no faults, just nit picking.

As for the reverse lights, it meets the required standard, and I've yet to hear or read anyone moaning about such a fault.

In reply to 4th Jan 2014, 13:00

17th Mar 2014, 16:11

Actually I agree with the rear reverse lights being too weak; I have the same problem with them when backing up in the dark. The camera is not of much use in those situations...

2008 Lexus RX 350

Faults:

My 2008 Lexus 350 with 21,000 miles on it just had the transmission fail! Shocking! My warranty is covering all costs including the rental car they gave me. I've obviously been treated well by Lexus, but it makes me nervous to have a new car with low mileage lose its transmission. Is this common?

General Comments:

Comfortable car and very stylish for an SUV. I get 20-21 mpg.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th April, 2010

2008 Lexus RX 350 AWD 3.5 (6 cylinder)

Summary:

Kinda disappointed

Faults:

Rear window at right side started rattling at 17K; fixed under warranty. Now the rear left side window has started rattling.

Transmission failed at 19K; repaired (not replaced) under warranty. I don't know the details, but after that it's been OK for almost half a year.

Driver's seat has started wearing; dealer does nothing for it :(

General Comments:

Well, don't get me wrong. I am giving low scores to a luxury car well over 40K. If it was the problems I have had with a 20K economy car during 2 years, I would give it much higher score, but you know when you spend double the money, your expectation is higher.

Although I like the style of the car over the Cadillac I used to drive, I am thinking it was a better SUV, both regarding the ride and the performance (and it was just a GM!)

I guess I will trade this car when it's fully paid to something else (sure not from Toyota) before it goes out of warranty.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th March, 2010

8th Jul 2012, 18:48

"just a GM"?

My wife owned a Lexus RX 300 & traded it for a Saab 9-7x, which is a Saab engineered Trailblazer/Envoy, and the 9-7x is the much better vehicle.

I certainly wouldn't buy another Lexus; yes, the dealers treat you great, as they present you with ridiculously high repair bills.

Personally, I'd rather drive a Jeep Liberty Limited than an RX,and keep the extra $15,000 or so in the bank.

In reply to 8th Jul 2012, 18:48

21st Sep 2012, 00:04

I'm afraid I must agree. Originally the big Lexus (LS 400) was designed to dethrone MB, BMW, Lincoln and Cadillac. OK, done... but then after getting market share, they went bling and to a generally lower concern for perfection and reliability. I console myself with sticking with old garage kept LS400s. I've only needed a few. I use them as summer cars, and give them to my kids as 2nd backup cars since they need AWD in the winter. They live in Reno-Tahoe, and 450-600 inches of snow make the LS400s a joke in the winter. So Subarus win the winter snow contest. Winter or summer, we stick with what feels and works the best. All we want is a car that has very low costs to keep on the road... and that has a great feel, and year after year reliability.

I've come to believe that newer just isn't better, and sadly Lexus has proven the point over and over. We wanted to switch from Subaru AWDs to the Lexus AWD, but reliability has won the argument. Head gaskets notwithstanding, Subarus have won the AWD contest... and old LS400s have won on the best quiet luxury car with the lowest repair costs of any car I've ever owned. I thought as I got older and could afford it, that we would all be driving nearly new cars. Sure hasn't turned out that way. Pretty funny actually.

In reply to 21st Sep 2012, 00:04

4th Sep 2014, 01:10

"newer is not better".

Well, not always, because it depends on the management staff. Let's say they hire a new manager that wants to cut costs and starts looking for cheaper parts providers. A company standard can change as new management staff are hired.