2006 LEXUS IS 350 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 350. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR DRIVING, THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE UPPER FUEL RAIL WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH THE INJECTOR SEALS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT WANTED A SECOND OPINION. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V020000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

LEXUS/TOYOTA HAS PROMISED TO REPLACE RECALLED PARTS FOR A 2006 LEXUS IS 350- STICKY DASHBOARDS AND SIDE PANELS OF CARS IN WHICH LOW-QUALITY OR DEFECTIVE MATERIALS WERE USED WHEN MANUFACTURING- THAT WHEN EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT AND SUBSEQUENT HEAT THE PARTS MELTED BECOMING STICKY, AND PERMANENTLY REMAINING IN A SEMI-VISCOUS STATE. HOWEVER, NO PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE TOWARDS REMEDYING THE SITUATION. REGARDLESS OF HAVING BEEN ON A WAITING LIST TO HAVE THE DEFECTIVE DASH AND DOOR PANELS REPLACED SINCE 2015-AS OF JAN 2017 THERE IS STILL NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR WHEN THE REPAIR WORK WILL BE DONE. LEXUS CLAIMS TO HAVE LIMITED PARTS/SUPPLIES TO WORK WITH THUS CAUSING THE DELAY, HOWEVER AFTER CHECKING WITH A LOCAL THIRD PARTY AUTO REPAIR SHOP, I LEARNED THAT THE THIRD PARTY CAN PERFORM THE REPAIRS IMMEDIATELY. I SPOKE WITH A LEXUS REP ABOUT HAVING THE REPAIRS MADE BY A THIRD PARTY AND BEING REIMBURSED BY LEXUS- AND I WAS INFORMED BY THE REP THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS DONE BY A THIRD PARTY BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE GENUINE LEXUS PARTS TO BE COVERED- BUT THE THIRD PARTY ASSURES ME IT WOULD BE USING GENUINE LEXUS PARTS- AND THAT DUE TO THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE PARTS (DASH AND DOOR PANELS) LEXUS WOULD BE THE ONLY MANUFACTURER THAT MAKES THOSE PARTICULAR PARTS. I BELIEVE BEING ON A WAITING LIST WITH NO ESTIMATED DATE AS TO WHEN TO EXPECT RELIEF IS A DELIBERATE RUSE TO PUT CUSTOMERS OFF INDEFINITELY AND THAT LEXUS/TOYOTA HAS NO INTENTION OF ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE REPAIRS. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY DO THE REPAIRS IMMEDIATELY AND THEN BE REIMBURSED FOR THE OUT OF POCKET COST OF CORRECTING THE DEFECTIVE/ RECALLED PARTS. HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NEWS/2015/TOYOTA-REPLACE-MELTING-SHINY-DASHBOARDS.SHTML. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILING TO ASSIST EXTREMELY HEAVY TO TURN HARD TO DRIVE CAUSES DELAYED RESPONSE IN ABILITY TO STEER CAR HAPPENED DURING DRIVING CITY STREETS ALSO ON FREE WAY NO REAL IMPROVEMENT BEEN RECALLED ON OTHER LEXUS MODELS BUT NOT THIS ONE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TAKATA RECALL IT'S BEEN 4 MONTHS SINCE THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED AND STILL NO REMEDY AVAILABLE YET. IT'S ALSO A SIGNIFICANT IN THAT NOONE CAN SIT IN MY PASSENGER SEAT UNTIL THE RECALL IS REMEDIED.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V340000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 08/31/16*LJ UPDATED 12/6/2017*JS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V340000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE CLUSTER IS ON. HAPPENED RANDOMLY ONE MORNING UPON START UP OF VEHICLE AND HASN'T WENT AWAY EVEN AFTER RESETTING THE BATTERY. I AND SEVERAL OTHER 2ND GENERATION IS OWNERS FROM CLUB LEXUS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND IT IS ATTRIBUTED TO A LOOSE WIRE HARNESS. IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION THERE'S A HIGH RISK THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE FIX THIS AS THIS IS A SERIOUS AND FATAL ISSUE. IT WAS A FAIRLY WELL KNOW ISSUES AMONGST IS OWNERS AND THIS I FEEL THAT LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIX.

WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED ON, OUR AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. SCANLON LEXUS OF FT MYERS, FL EVALUATED THE PROBLEM AND CONCLUDED THAT THE DRIVER-SIDE KNEE AIRBAG IS THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO STATED THAT LEXUS IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL AND THAT THE DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER, THE CAR IS OUTSIDE OF A WARRANTY, SO THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO FIX IT FOR FREE. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY 2100 JUST FOR PARTS (NOT INCLUDING 8 HOURS OF LABOR). THEY ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON, THE ENTIRE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM WILL NOT DEPLOY. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN THAT IS NOT CAUSED BY NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON A VEHICLE, BUT BY FAULTY DESIGN. THEREFORE, I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL.

LARGE SCALE DESILVERING OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAS LEAD TO THE APPEARANCE OF BLACK SPOTS AND LOSS OF REFLECTIVITY. THE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF REFLECTIVITY HAS RESULTED IN DIFFICULTY SEEING OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING LANE CHANGE MANEUVERS. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG-STANDING ISSUE WITH AN UNKNOWN START DATE (PRIOR TO THE DATE GIVEN BELOW). ADDITIONAL RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY REVIEWING OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINTS FOR THIS MODEL, AND BY SEARCHING OTHER INTERNET SITES INDICATES THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE, E.G. <HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/GS-3RD-GEN-2006-2011/556707-REARVIEW-MIRROR-QUESTION.HTML>.

THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE ELECTRIC P/S FAILING, INCLUDING A NEAR MISS WHEN MY FRAIL WIFE LOST THE ASSIST. IN MY SEARCH FOR THE CAUSE, I HAVE FOUND THAT LEXUS IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK AS THE "FIX". LEXUS IS SIMPLY INSTALLING A REPLACEMENT STEERING RACK THAT HAS THE SAME MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS THE ORIGINAL STEERING RACK, COSTING SOME OWNERS $1000 PLUS. AFTER A FEW YEARS, THE REPLACEMENT POWER STEERING RACK WILL FAIL, JUST AS THE ORIGINAL DID. WHEN I PURCHASED MY LEXUS, IT WAS ALREADY 10 YEARS OLD. THAT CAUSED ME TO DECIDE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE P/S FAILURE AND REPAIR IT MYSELF, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. EACH TIME THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE P/S ASSIST, I FOUND THAT IF I SHUT THE POWER OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE THE PROBLEM WOULD BE GONE. HOWEVER,IT WAS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX. THE MORE OFTEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED, THE INTERVAL BETWEEN FAILURES WAS LESS. I FOUND THAT ONE PARTICULAR ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON THE P/S RACK HAS 4 VERY SMALL PINS IN IT. IN FACT, THEY ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE FEMALE PART OF THE FITTING. THE MATING OF THE 2 PARTS OF THE CONNECTOR SHOULD HAVE A SNUG FIT. THEY DON'T! WITHOUT A SNUG CONNECTION, OXIDATION OCCURS. THAT PREVENTS THE CURRENT FROM GOING THROUGH THE CONNECTOR AS WELL AS IT SHOULD. CLEANING THE CONNECTION WILL TEMPORARILY ALLOW THE P/S RACK TO FUNCTION PROPERLY, BUT ONLY UNTIL THE OXIDATION RECURS. DE-MATING AND RE-MATING THE CONNECTOR WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT. THAT WILL ONLY WORK FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, EVENTUALLY CAUSING MULTIPLE FAILURES IN A SINGLE DAY. MY REPAIR WAS TO SNUG UP THE 4 FITTINGS BY INSERTING A SMALL STRAND OF COPPER WIRE IN EACH OF THE FOUR FEMALE CONNECTIONS. IT HAS NOW BEEN 3.5 MONTHS WITHOUT A FAILURE. LEXUS SHOULD MODIFY THE FAULTY PARTS AND INITIATE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!