Mar 27, 2024
While purchasing the RX350 might seem effortless, there are a lot of grey areas to consider to avoid premium tears, after all, you don’t want a car that would ...
Automotive Technician
The Lexus Rx350 is no new name in the Nigerian diaspora, offering the marque’s finesse and reliability at its peak.
A quick search shows Nigerians remain at the peak of top searches for used Lexus rx350, and it’s no surprise as the SUV offers the premium efizzy most Nigerians seek for way less compared to its European counterpart. While it doesn’t share the maintenance cost of a Corolla, you're surely getting Toyota’s reliability and an Òmoluabí feel as you sit in its plush interior.
Unfortunately, things don cost and the same goes for Tokunbo Lexus rx350, the new spike in prices has caused wagging heads among Nigerians as the Naira continues to turmoil and increased import duties have left some Nigerians with the somewhat dreaded decision of purchasing Nigerian used vehicles. If you’re in this shoes look no further as I share the ultimate guide to purchasing a Nigerian used Lexus Rx350.
While purchasing the RX350 might seem effortless, there are a lot of grey areas to consider to avoid premium tears, after all, you don’t want a car that would keep you up thinking in the middle of the night.
MAINTENANCE
The Rx350 comes equipped with a 3.5-liter v6 engine spanning from the 2007 to the 2022 model year with each model bumping up in power, with the latter years running on a 2.4l turbo 4 cylinder. The engine comes mated with a range of transmissions, ranging from the infamous u151e aka 13-pin gearbox to the rather jolting u881E/F transmission.
While you get the beautiful façade of a Lexus, owning a Lexus RX350 requires a great maintenance culture packed with a bit of owner’s knowledge, for every model year, it’s advised to know its most frequent complaint. After all, every man with him own wahala!, for example, THE WORST MODEL YEAR TO PURCHASE IS THE 2008 Lexus Rx350, plagued with troubles ranging from the dashboard cracks to its power steering rack leak all down to its engine which could leak it’s oil leading to a catastrophic engine failure setting you back with a repair bill worth a shy of a million naira, God abeg!. A simple search through the CARCOMPLAINT database could help you narrow down your search and avoid choosing a lemonade.
In summary, all model years suffer from varying degrees of defect, with the latter years having less pronounced drivetrain issues. Is the RX350 then reliable? You’d ask, well the short answer is YES!, giving a good maintenance culture.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s the moments you’ve been waiting for, change that thought of “ shey no be wahala I wan go buy so” and become a full pledged Lexus fanboy, follow me.
KNOWING WHERE TO BUY A NIGERIAN USED LEXUS RX350
We’ve all heard tales of purchasing Nigerian used vehicles portrayed to be in great condition, only to be faced with a plethora of problems in the next 3 months. It often plays out like this” Mr A GOES to an auto dealer in search of a Nigerian used Lexus Rx 350 but the vehicle has had a history of usage of wrong motor oil weight, which the dealer is clueless about, with the major intent of making a sale. Sadly, Mr A purchases the vehicle, sources for the right oil weight, and does a maintenance service only to be faced with a smoking engine and a bamboozled look on start-up, sighs. This could be avoided by looking out for direct owners who could give you somewhat background information { don’t expect full honest disclosure} on your soon-to-be vehicle. The great thing is they are always there like the Japa crew looking for funds to travel to Obodo or your friend who knows another friend that knows another friend that owns a Lexus Rx350 for sale.{ no reason am too much}.
GETTING THE RIGHT MECHANIC
While this step doesn’t apply to everyone, for those who aren’t mechanically inclined. It is pertinent that the service of an auto-mechanic with a scan tool capable of checking the powertrain, SRS{ airbag} systems are employed and obviously with a sound technical know-how. I mean, you’re about to make a multi-million naira purchase, a 30k mistake shouldn’t give you nightmares.
What better way to check a car than creating a simple outline of things to check and questions to ask, this provides a less cluttered mind and the overwhelming nature of purchasing a vehicle. Below is a well-outlined template that would work just fine.
A. BODYWORKS AND UNDERCARRIAGE
Without a doubt, the vehicle’s paintwork acts as a focal point capable of drawing your attention. While you’re drawn to that nicely taken photograph, visual inspections should be taken to expose any Ojuju Calabar.
During visual inspection, the vehicle’s paint job must be viewed from different angles possibly revealing any excessive use of Bondo a.k.a body fillers, and misaligned lines along its panels
suggesting a botched body job.
B. POWERTRAIN CHECK
The powertrain systems actively produce the power that propels your vehicle. The major prime-movers are the engine and transmission which don’t come cheap for any Rx350 models.
Preliminary checks include:
C. ELECTRICALS
If you thought rust issues were your village people, well I guess you’ve never experienced the devil reincarnated in a mist of electrical problems Electrical problems could arise from different issues ranging from world-class rewires performing their artwork on your soon-to-be whip to flooded import. Whatever the case might be, run from rx350’s with:
D. DRIVELINE INSPECTION
This system consists of your drive shaft, wheels, and suspension component, while checks are done majorly during a test drive, visual inspection is still required:
E. VIN REPORT
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)/Chassis number is a 17-character sequence of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies a vehicle.
A VIN report gives a detailed report on the unique features, specifications, and manufacturer of a vehicle, and also tracks the usage record.
With a VIN report from Flickwheel (for N4,999 only), here's what you gain access to:
Learn more about how to get started here: https://flickwheel.com/vin-check
F. TEST DRIVING
By now you’re satisfied with your Lexus Rx350 after a visual check, but what would a preliminary check be without a feel of the vehicle? While during a test drive, Buyers should pay close attention to the:
G. GETTING VEHICLE’S TITLE/DOCUMENTS
Now, you should be satisfied with your Lexus after your preliminary checks, it’s time to confirm the vehicle’s documentation and proof of ownership. The list of documents to be requested includes:
It is also customary to always check the authenticity of each document, to avoid issues of dispute or theft. The vehicle’s identification number should correspond to the information listed on the vehicle’s document.
H. CHANGING VEHICLES TITLE
Now you don’t want the previous owner’s info reflecting on the vehicle’s document, which could spell trouble when encountered by Law enforcement personnel ( dem go to use you play). To avoid this, a change of ownership process must be done via the New Vehicle Information Statement, Nigeria( NVIS.FRSC.GOV.NG), where necessary directives are given to lawfully register your Lexus.
CONCLUSION
Phew!!, We made it, that was probably a lot to take in, and I hope you enjoyed every bit of this piece. Now, always remember, a Nigerian used vehicle usually is a good deal and a quite cheaper alternative to a foreign used vehicle because there’s a catch. So you’ll probably spend an itty bitty amount of cash fixing something ( depends solely on how good your preliminary checks were).
Hello there!, My name is Obahor Louis and I am an automotive technician and writer based in Lagos, Nigeria. I have a diploma degree in mechanical engineering and I am also certified in automotive diagnosis from Automedics Auto Care Shop respectively. With a professional experience of two years in the automotive field, I have always been passionate about creativity and cars, which led me to become an automotive content creator. My ultimate dream is to build my own auto brand someday, which I am working towards. Other than my love for cars, I’m also a big fan of photography, graphics designing and reading the online banters from the Nairaland Forum. Connect with me on:
Instagram: @Louiscarz
LinkedIn: Louis Obahor
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