2004 LEXUS RX Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. HE STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT IN THE BACK SEAT WON'T RELEASE. THERE WAS RECALL #06V023000. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO GET THE PART FOR THE RECALL, BUT THE CONTACT HAS BEEN WAITING FOUR MONTHS. HE FELT THE WAIT WAS TOO LONG. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 40,000 MILES. *AK

MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 HAS REPEATEDLY HAD ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WHEN I HAVE SLOWED AND NEED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY DUE TO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. TODAY ON THE WAY TO WORK I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ON TO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND NEARLY GOT REAR-ENDED BECAUSE MY VEHICLE DIDN'T ACCELERATE WHEN I PRESSED THE PEDAL AS I WAS TRYING TO MERGE IN TO THE LANE. THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS TIMES IN THE 2 YEARS I'VE OWNED THIS VEHICLE THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED NEAR COLLISONS DUE TO THE SLUGGISH OR LACK OF ACCELERATION WHEN I DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MY HUSBAND WON'T EVEN DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM AS HE FEELS UNSAFE ON THE ROAD IN IT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY INSTALLED A COMPUTER UPDATE OR PATCH TWICE WITH NO RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE '04 RX330 AND THAT LEXUS HAS SAID THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH THEY DID CORRECT IT IN THE 2005 MODEL. GIVEN THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO THIS THEY ARE FOR SOME REASON NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE OR RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. CONSUMER PROTECTION FROM NEGLIGENT MANUFACTURERS IS THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY, ISN'T IT? WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REQUIRE LEXUS TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THIS SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE?

I OWN A 2004 LEXUS RX330. SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT, THERE HAS BEEN A POWER "FADE" WHEN I MAKE SUDDEN SPEED CHANGES USUALLY FROM A SLOW DOWN TO QUICK ACCELERATION--SAY A LANE CHANGE TO AVOID SLOWER TRAFFIC. THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 2 OR 3 SECONDS WHEN THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. IT FEELS LIKE ALL POWER FALLS AWAY. I AM LEFT LIKE A SITTING DUCK UNTIL THE VEHICLE DECIDES WHAT TO DO WITH MY COMMAND. IF I AM CROSSING A MEDIAN, I MUST ALLOW FOR THIS DELAY. HOWEVER, IF I HAVE TO CHANGE LANES TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE MAKING AN UNSIGNALED TURN OR SUDDEN STOP, I AM PUTTING MYSELF AND OTHERS IN DANGER BECAUSE I CANNOT COUNT ON HAVING THE POWER TO AVOID THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME BY CHANGING LANES AND THEN I RISK AN INCIDENT IN TRYING TO MATCH THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE THAT IS NOW BEHIND ME. I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS WITH LEXUS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS INCLUDING ONE TRIP WHERE I DEMANDED THAT THE MASTER MECHANIC RIDE WITH ME. HE EXPLAINED THAT LEXUS IS AWARE AND THAT IT IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM FOR WHICH THERE IS NO PATCH AVAILABLE. AS OF TODAY, THERE IS STILL NO CURE. THE LAST UPDATE MY VEHICLE RECEIVED WAS IN SEPT 2006. *NM

THE TOP LATCH STRAP PROVIDED ON THIS SEAT CANNOT BE TIGHTENED FIRMLY AGAINST THE VEHICLE SEAT. RATHER THAN PROVIDE A (NORMAL) TENSIONING DEVICE FOR THE TOP STRAP, THE MANUFACTURER ELECTED TO PROVIDE A DUAL LOOP STEEL PLATE. THE STRAP IS THREADED THROUGH THIS PLATE IN A RIDICULOUSLY COMPLEX MANNER, AND NO AMOUNT OF PULLING, TUGGING, OR TRYING TO FINAGLE ENOUGH SLACK THROUGH THE MULTIPLE LAYERS THE STRAP GOES THROUGH (TO ALLOW THE WHOLE STRAP TO BE PULLED TIGHTLY) ALLOW PROPER TENSIONING TO SECURE THE CHILD SEAT BACK TO THE VEHICLE SEAT. A FEW DOLLARS SAVED IN MANUFACTURING COST BY PROVIDING THIS PLATE RATHER THAN A TENSIONING DEVICE HAVE RESULTED IN A CHILD SEAT THAT CANNOT BE USED PROPERLY. THIS IS SIMPLY INCOMPETENT ENGINEERING. I RETURNED THE SEAT TO WAL-MART FOR A REFUND, BUT THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE SAME OPTIONS FOR RETURN, AND END UP INSTALLING THE SEAT IN AN UNSAFE AND INSECURE MANNER. NOTE THAT THE CORRECT MODEL OF SEAT WAS NOT SHOWN IN YOUR DROP-DOWN MENU, SO I HAD TO SELECT ANOTHER MODEL IN ORDER TO PROCEED. THE SEAT I'M FILING A COMPLAINT ABOUT IS A SAFETY 1ST BOOSTER SEAT MANUFACTURED BY DOREL JUVENILE GROUP. MODEL # 22-561-WAL. MANUFACTURED: P102 B 220565 09/22/06. THANK YOU. *NM

2004 LEXUS RX 330 HAD A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN ON DECEMBER 6, 2006 WITH JUST OVER 43,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN IN THIS NEWER LUXURY VEHICLE. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY WHICH WAS UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATED WHEN MAKING THE SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR AND FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR AS WELL. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A FAILURE IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN SEVEN TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE SOFTWARE HAD BEEN RESET SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER, THE DEFECT WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION.

I LEASED A 2004 RX330 IN JANUARY, 04. IMMEDIATELY I BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTY PREDICTING WHAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING TO DO NEXT. SHIFT POINTS ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE "UPGRADE" WAS PERFORMED, PROVIDED TEMPORARY ADJUSTMENT. MERGING IS DEADLY. I THOUGHT PERHAPS I WAS SLIPPING OFF THE PEDAL, BUT NOW KNOW IT WASN'T RESPONDING. THE DRIVELINE HAS ALWAYS HAD A "CLUNK" OR "THUMP" THAT OCCURS WHEN LIFTING FROM THE THROTTLE. WE HAVE REPORTED THIS TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP (TOM WOOD LEXUS, INDIANAPOLIS) ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS "ROCKS UNDER THE SEAT!!!!" EACH TIME, ANOTHER SERVICE WRITER WOULD EXPERIENCE THE THUMP/CLUNK, AGREE THAT THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, AND CLAIM "I'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT." IN EVERY INSTANCE WE RECEIVED THE STANDARD RESPONSE, "IT'S A NORMAL NOISE. THEY ALL DO IT." IN MID SEPTEMBER, THE VEHICLE WAS IN SERVICE FOR ANOTHER ISSUE, AND A NEW, EAGER SERVICE WRITER DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, ABSOLUTELY AGREED THAT THE NOISE WAS CAUSING WEAR ON SOMETHING AND THAT HE WOULDN'T WANT TO BUY THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT COMES OFF LEASE, IF IT DOES THAT!" AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR 10 DAYS TO FIX THE OTHER PROBLEM, THE PREVIOUSLY EAGER SERVICE WRITER TOLD US HE HAD DRIVEN OTHER RX'S ON THEIR LOT, AND APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM IS A "NORMAL" ONE. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE AND LEXUS/DEALER DON'T CARE. UNTIL SOMEBODY DIES, POTENTIAL LEXUS CUSTOMERS BEWARE!! *NM

2004 RX 330, STILL HAVING TROUBLE FROM DAY 1. I ALMOST GOT SLAMMED INTO BY A TRUCK 2 DAYS AGO. THE HAVE FLASHED THE COMPUTER, FOR TRANSMISSION HESITATION, BUT INSIST IT IS PERFORMING THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW, AND LEXUS WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED! THIS IS VERY SERIOUS, IT HAPPENS AT ABOUT 20 MPH, WHEN YOU NEED TO ACCELERATE TO GET ON FREEWAY, ETC, IT WILL HESITATE, AND ACT LIKE IT DIED, OR REVS UP, AND DOES NOTHING. THEN YOU LET OFF PEDAL AND HIT IT AGAIN, AND IT HESITATES A SEC THEN GOES. I ALREADY HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES FOR THIS, AND CALLED 80025LEXUS TWICE, AND THEY ARE NOT DOING A RECALL THEY SAY. IT IS PERFORMING TO THE SPECS OF THE TRANSMISSION. *NM

1994 LEXUS RX330 HESITATES WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. *KB THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM BUT THEY CLAIMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL SPECIFICATIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN PLAGUED BY OTHER MALFUNCTIONS TO INCLUDE SQUEAKS, RATTLES, MULTIPLE MALFUNCTIONS OF THE SUNROOF ELECTRONICS, BROKEN SEATS AND LIFTGATE ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. *NM UPDATED 08/14/06. *JB

HESITATION, JERKY WHEN SHIFTING. TOOK TO DEALERS 3 TIMES AND UNABLE TO RESOLVE ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT VEHICLE IS OPERATING WITHIN PARAMETERS. NOW IT IS JERKY WHEN SHIFTING MOST OF THE TIME. *NM