In Jan 2020, I leased a 2020 NX300 (not hybrid) with the intention of buying out the lease in Jan 2024.
In July 2021, the vehicle stopped driving while on the highway. The issue was described as “FOUND #2 CYLINDER MISFIRE 10LBS LOW ON COMPRESSION, SPARK PLUGS CARBONED UP” and “AFTER CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT RANDOM MISFIRE/FOUND CYLINDER #4 MISFIRE, #4 DIRECT INJECTOR”
In June 2023, the vehicle stopped driving again while on the highway. Description “DIAGNOSED AND FOUND CYLINDER 1 DIRECT INJECTOR FAULTY. REMOVED INTERCOOLER AND INTAKE MANIFOLD TO GAIN ACCESS TO CYLINDER. REPLACED INJECTOR WITH ALL NEW RELATED GASKETS AND O RINGS AND REASSEMBLED INTAKE AND INTERCOOLER ASSEMBLY”
My question… should I be concerned about these repairs at the age and mileage (Under 50K) of the car and should I reconsider buying the vehicle at the end of the lease period? Should I consider adding a warranty? Other considerations?
It might be wise to have a trusted mechanic take a look and give their expert opinion before making a final decision on buying out the lease. If you’re still worried, adding an extended warranty could provide some extra peace of mind, helping cover potential future repairs.
What has been the oil change history? I’ve been a little concerned with direct injection, valid or not and would not choose it if I had a choice. Whether 5000 mile oil change would help or not I don’t know but I do believe the extended oil change pushed by manufacturers has resulted in unforeseen issues.
Turbocharged, direct injection injection? Quite complex technology, expensive to diagnose & repair. What with the problems experienced already , fewer than 50 k miles, & still needing cylinder head repair, I’d say your best bet is to move on to another car.
It sounds to me like the long-term fix for this vehicle is going to be “replace engine”…and it sounds like the dealer is trying everything under the sun to avoid doing that under warranty. Once the warranty is expired, rest assured that this will be the recommended course of action, at your own expense if you still have the misfortune of owning this thing. Return it at the end of the lease, and let someone else deal with the headache!
There is a revised cylinder head to correct that problem, the exhaust valve guides wear and cause the valves to close off-center. I have seen a few with this problem, usually between 50,000 and 90,000 miles. You don’t need a new engine.
The direct injectors are another problem, I have replaced those, that is an all-day job.
The older Lexus NX: 2015 to 2017 have failing HVAC servo motors, 8 hours labor to replace.
I would not keep this car. However it may be possibleto sell it formore than the lease buyout. You need to find out if the price you can easily sell it for is enough higher than the buyout to make it worth your trouble.
Don’t forget to include the sales tax (if any) you will have to pay on the buyout.
Recent “Best of” podcast, Ray said he gave his Dodge Caravan away for free to someone at fewer than 100k miles, didn’t want to create bad feelings if the (known to be problematic) timing chain guide gadgets went south soon after the title transfer. Apparently this didn’t occur, Ray said the DC was still on the road at well over 100k with new owner.