2012 Lexus RX 450h - Timing belt (chain)

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I recently bought a 2012 Lexus RX450h with about 100,000 miles on it. I bought the extended warranty on it, because at that mileage, I am concerned about the timing belt/chain. Was this a good idea? It cost about $2000. And should I be concerned about other problems at that mileage? If so, what should I get checked out?

2

If it has a timing belt, that is a maintenance item, likely not covered by your warranty.

1 Like
3

Seems a little late to be concerned about this vehicle. What you should do is pay a shop to look it over for problems it might have and do service that it should have and was not done. Also read that extended warranty and I think you will find it has giant loop holes as to what is actually covered.

4

Would it be covered if it broke?

Bill O’Connor

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” - George Bernard Shaw

5

If you are asking about the timing belt if it has one the answer is Not likely. They have a replacement at a certain mileage and time in months . And if you cannot prove that the belt was replaced at the proper time you will be on your own.

6

It is a little late to be asking these questions. The car has a timing chain, not a belt. I personally never buy the extended warranty. It is always a bad deal since both the dealer and the warranty company make a LOT of money on these sales. That means you LOSE a lot of money on this sale.

Any car with 100K will have more issues that a car with fewer miles. Maintenance issues and reliability issues. This goes double for the hybrid system as it makes the car much more complicated than regular cars. Toyota/Lexus makes pretty good hybrids. They’ve been doing it a long time, so I doubt you will have many issues IF the car was well maintained by its last one or 2 owners.

4 Likes
7

While on average the extended warranty favors whoever sells it – after all they have to make money to stay in business – it may well pay off for you. It’s like throwing dice in Las Vegas, no way to predict the specific outcome. This is not something to be overly concerned about. Your chances of a major repair expense are indeed reduced, albeit your wallet is a little lighter now.