2008 LEXUS RX Complaints

I DRIVE A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. I EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILURE, WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. ON OCT 15, 2009, I DROVE MY CAR ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. LATER THAT DAY, I PARKED MY LEXUS RX VEHICLE, AND IN DOING SO I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT "LOCK' POSITION. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR I MADE A HARD LEFT U-TURN TO EXIT THE PARKING AREA. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED AND TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK TOWARDS THE RIGHT TO STEER, I REALIZED MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED COMPLETELY, AND I COULD BARELY CONTROL THE CAR. AFTER STRUGGLING WITH THE STEERING FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PARK THE CAR AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE EVENING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST LEXUS DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REPAIR TECHNICIAN INITIALLY REPORTED THAT "STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT WORK" - "TOWED-IN" - "LIGHT IS ON" "CHECK AND ADVISE". UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, THE LEXUS REPAIR TECH REPORTED A "CODE C1568 POWER STEERING OPEN CIRCUIT". THE LEXUS DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM WAS "COVERED BY WARRANTY". THE LEXUS REPAIR TEAM INSTALLED A COMPUTER ASSY, POWER STEERING 89650-48010. SUDDENLY, LEXUS REFUSED TO COVER ANY COST TO REPAIR THIS FAILURE BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE COULD ONLY BE CAUSED BY A COLLISION. I DID NOT HAVE A COLLISION. I WROTE TO TOYOTA OF AMERICA, AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS CONCLUSION TO BE CORRECT. *TR

LETTER FROM SENATOR DURBIN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE PROBLEMS WITH HER 2008 LEXUS RX350 (DOT/ I#2010-1104 *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE RAIL DUST. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOTOFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON APRIL 16, 2010, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 2 MPH. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CURB AND THEN A TREE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A HIP INJURY AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *YEAR: 2008 * MAKE: LEXUS * MODEL: RX400H * COMPONENT: THE HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEMS * VIN: [XXX] * COMPONENT -- THE 2008 LEXUS RX400H HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEMS DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES OVER A SMALL ROAD DEPRESSION OR A SMALL POT HOLE ON ONE SIDE OF THE WHEEL, IT TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE BRAKE WHILE THE DRIVER'S FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT ALSO BEHAVES THE SAME WAY WHEN THE VEHICLES SLIPS ON THE SNOWY ROAD. IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKING PROBLEMS. I REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. THE TOYOTA DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT INTENDED THAT WAY. IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING IN A TRAFFIC BUMPER TO BUMPER, IT IS VERY LIKELY TO HIT THE CAR IN THE FRONT REAR END WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEMS LET GO THE BRAKE WHILE THE OPERATOR IS PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME AND IT CAN BE DUPLICATED UNDER THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. THEY SHOULD FIX THIS LIKE THEY DO WITH THE PRIUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX350. UPON PLACING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IT IMMEDIATELY BOLTED IN REVERSE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. AT SPEEDS OF 40-45 MPH. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BUT WITH NO EFFECT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHIFT TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL , THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO INVOLUNTARILY ACCELERATE LEAVING THE DRIVER NO CHOICE, BUT TO CRASH INTO A TREE. THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. UPDATED 11/16/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 LEXUS RS350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH INTO HIS DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE WAS NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE CONTACT TOWED THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT ESTIMATED REPAIR COST WAS $12,000. THE INSPECTOR INFORMED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO OFFER HIM ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24980 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25000.

### I HAD ORIGINALLY IGNORED THIS INCIDENT AS REPORTED BY MY WIFE BUT WITH THE TOYOTA PROBLEMS IT MAY BE USEFUL IN YOUR TOYOTA INVESTIGATIONS. ### MY WIFE WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A LIGHT (5 MPH) AND HIT A SIGNIFICANT BUMP AND IMMEDIATELY ALL BRAKING WAS GONE FOR ABOUT 5 TO 10 FEET AND THEN RETURNED. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT EXCEPT THE CAR IN FRONT MOVED. THIS HAS OCCURED ONLY ONCE . . . SHE IS A CONSERVATIVE DRIVER AND DRIVES ALMOST ALWAYS ON PAVED CITY STREETS . . . THE BUMP WAS IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA. *TR

2008 LEXUS 400H. WHEN APPROACHING A STOP, AT AN APPROXIMATE 25-35 MPH, ON TYPICALLY CITY STREETS WITH SOMEWHAT UNEVEN SURFACE, WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD MOMENTARILY SHORTLY INTO THE STOP. IT PRODUCES THE SUDDEN ANXIETY FEELING THAT THE CAR WILL NOT STOP AND CAN BE FELT BY DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AT EVERY STOP, JUST NOW AND THEN. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED SOME TIME BACK TO ADDRESS THE "B" GEAR NOT SLOWING THE CAR ON HILLS. THE "B" GEAR ISSUE WAS RESOLVED DURING THIS SERVICE. INADVERTENTLY THE BREAKING ISSUE SEEMED TO OCCUR LESS FREQUENTLY. SINCE IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME SINCE THE SERVICE, THE BREAKING ISSUES HAS SLOWLY RESURFACED AND WITH A GREATER FREQUENCY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WALKED AROUND IT, SUDDENLY THE WINDOWS AND MOONROOF OPENED. UPDATED 04/05/10.*JB UPDATED 4/30/10 *CN UPDATED 07/09/10.*JB