The suspension on our rx300 seems to be slightly sagging in the rear. Can anyone tell me what kind of shocks/suspension system is on this vehicle? There are over 60000 miles on this vehicle, is it time for suspension replacement?
Thanks, Fish
The RX 300 uses a strut and coil spring independent rear suspension. Struts typically carry some of the weight of the vehicle along with the springs so replacement struts may cure the rear end sag.
Unless you typically drive over bad roads and/or have routinely overloaded the SUV, you should not yet be at the point where your struts need replacement. If so, I would certainly look into after market springs and shocks of a better quality than it appears Lexus/Toyota puts in their vehicles. Koni or Bilstein come to mind.
The rear shocks on our 1999 RX300 were shot at less than 40K miles. The front shock mounts were gone, too.
CPO warranty replaced them for free. However if I were paying out of pocket, I would get an upgraded shock on all four corners, such as Koni or Bilstein, as has been suggested. It makes a world of difference in the handling, though you will lose some softness in the ride. Personally I prefer a well-controlled ride to a soft one. But I'm an Audi guy - The Lexus is my wife's car....
Stephen Clark
89 Audi 100 99 Lexus RX300 Houston, Texas USA
My wife's Pilot at 42k has absolutely no problem with the shocks at this point -- just like new. My 01 Prelude with 62k is the same. And, my son's
98 Accord with 110k drives and handles like new. Find it surprising that your shocks were out at 40k. Wonder how many other owner have had the same problem. For my part, just darn glad we traded our RX300 at 30k.MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.