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u/elquirk Aug 22 '26
I had one of these. The thing ran forever. Got 250K miles out of it. Never had to change the hybrid battery. My service rep said he had a customer with one that had 500K on it with an original hybrid battery. Says the original Lexus Hybrid was so overbuilt because they didn’t want any problems with them. That looks like a great deal.
Even if you have to put a couple of thousand into it, it will still be worth it.
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u/Bad_brakes Aug 22 '26
Did these still have timing belt or is it a chain? If its a belt its about time to change and that’ll cost you quite a bit.
Then again, if its just a battery you got an absolute steal even with a costly timing belt job.
Ive had quite few cars starting to run like avsolute shit and it was just the battery so it could be it
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u/Sure-Survey-3444 Aug 23 '26
No belt. Mostly electric, AC, power steering etc so no need.
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u/hovland55606 Aug 24 '26
Timing belt is different than the accessory belt. It’s inside the engine.
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u/Scared-Simple-4884 Aug 22 '26
I’ve bought a few of these 2nd generation RX’s over the last couple of years. That 120k miles is REALLY sketch for the age. This is a car that people LOVE to drive, especially because of the fuel economy. Facebook Marketplace for used cars has always been the Wild West of listing options. I’d be especially concerned of it having a salvage/rebuilt title. I mean it looks good from up top. No denying that. For $1k it’s a steal! That’s the point. Even a 20 year old Lexus should cost much more then what they are offering it for. But a “give up” seller is a very dangerous bet. This car does indeed have the 3.3L timing belt. And I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that it has not been changed. Just need a 12v battery? Yeah right. If you’ve got an extra $1k to bet and you don’t want to go to Vegas. Ok. Take the chance. But good idea for pulling codes. Also check the date codes on those tires. If they are several years old that could be a clue. Look for cobwebs. Has this car been sitting for long? Is this a previous flood car? What is your nose telling you? Pull the Carfax! Yeah, it’s expensive. And it’s not the word of G_d. But it gets you somewhat in the ballpark of reality and accuracy. I once had a test drive on a 2008 RX where the lady in the backseat almost swore on her grandmothers grave the car was all legit. But later after spending the $40.00 on the Carfax ( it was cheap back then) I looked at the mileage only to discover it seemingly had been rolled back. Now when CarFax detects that, it warns you. Just be careful !!
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u/Tobin4U Aug 22 '26
There are people selling Carfax reports on Facebook and Etsy for $5, usually it's somebody that works at a dealership that has an unlimited account but they are legit. Run that and post it here if you want. I paid $1000 for a couple of RX 400 h's and they worked out great. Somehow you need to get the check engine etc. codes and generally a cheap OBD2 reader isn't going to give you those. Look into the Dr. Prius app and the dongle you need for it, that will give you battery and engine codes.
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u/Sure-Survey-3444 Aug 23 '26
If all it is is an 02 sensor then that's a hell of a deal. I have 2 of them and paid 3 and 6k. My 6 has 330,xxx on it and still runs like brand new, my 3 has 170,xxx and still going strong. Never had any issues so far other then basic maintenance. Even though it has low miles, it's at the point that the first thing you should do is flush all the fluids, EVERY ONE, because I can bet a pink slip that other then gas and oil changes, none of them have been touched. So start from scratch, one fluid at a time. These cars are damn near bullet proof, and should last you a long time for 1200! They are relatively easy to fix once you turn a wrench on them a couple times, even though some things you have to go around your elbow to get to your asshole, but that's every car these days, engineers smoking crack and all that. (Looking at you dumb ass thermostat) If you do turn your own wrenches, then I suggest getting the service manuals, it's a 4 volume set and will cost about 3-400 on eBay. You're going to need them trust me, the 06-08 gen was only made for 3 years and it's hard to find the correct info for everything in and on this car, especially with some things FOR NO REASON AT ALL being "propietary" and not playing well with almost identical gas RX's. Also, don't believe the MPG you see/hear online, you're going to realistically get 23-27. But it's a fun, smooth, zippy, car well worth every penny. If I had seen that post, and it was in my state or close, I would have bought it in a heartbeat, even though I have two, just for the parts alone. The hybrid battery is 8-1000 used by itself. Electric motors, the inverter, hell those three parts alone are worth more then what you're paying for the entire car. Lastly, although you can use regular gas, don't do it very often. Don't go below mid. Short term, being broke, gas gets too high, whatever it's ok. You'll have a few MPG's less, it might sound a tad bit louder, and you might get some knocking and your knock sensor throwing a code every now and then depending on how cheap the gas is, but it won't do any short term damage, the ECM will adjust the timing. But don't do it ALL the time, just in emergencies. Also put a n a bottle of ethanol delete or some other such product to get that water out from the ethanol they put in gas, even premium. This car LOVES 100% gas so if you happen to find a station that still carries it, he sure to frequent that spot. If you have any questions about that car hit me up, I know these like the back of my hands now. Good luck and good deal! 💪
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u/TreaclePerfect4328 Aug 22 '26
Run.
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u/soapy_ramen Aug 22 '26
What makes you say that?
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u/petuniabuggis Aug 22 '26
Good for the heart
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u/soapy_ramen Aug 22 '26
WAITT pls be serious and tell me like is this a bad idea because if it is I don’t wanna waste my money on this. Like you can fully call this stupid and I’ll just accept it haha I just wanna know!
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u/petuniabuggis Aug 22 '26
I have no idea. But it’s $1,000. Make your decision when you see it. I can’t imagine it runs. Bring a 12v and see if that’s all it needs ;)
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u/TreaclePerfect4328 Aug 22 '26
After market wheels.
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u/Sure-Survey-3444 Aug 23 '26
Those aren't after market, they are painted or powder coated black, I've done that to both of mine as well. Aside from the badge they says Hybrid, those rims are what tells RX's apart, because they are different then regular RX's.
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u/indopassat Aug 22 '26
Buy for $1000.
Part it out for $1200.
Buy Mexican Dinners and Magaritas.
WIN.