2003 LEXUS RX Complaints

2003 LEXUS RX300 VEHICLE STALLED. REPLACE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE TWICE**CW** THE CONSUMER ALSO REFERENCED A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER THAT HAD THE SAME STALLING ISSUE. *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO OTHERS I HAVE FOUND AND IS VERY SERIOUS. PURCHASED 2003 LEXUS RX300 FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP; APPROXIMATELY 57000 MILES NOW, ABOUT 56000 AT PURCHASE. CAR CHECKED BY DEALERSHIP, OK. NO HARD DRIVING. AFTER FIRST DISTANCE TRIP (ST. LOUIS TO KC) CHECK OIL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOWED TO LEXUS DEALER WHO KNEW RIGHT WHERE TO LOOK. FOUND GELLED SLUDGE ALL THROUGH AND SAID IT WAS MISUSE. COMPLETE LIE. SAID ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. NO HELP SO FAR FROM LEXUS. EXPECT TO SEE IF THIS IS HIDDEN DEFECT IN ENGINE, SINCE I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET THAT READ ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME.

WHILE TRAVELING OUT TO DENVER FROM OMAHA, RECEIVED LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ON MY 2003 LEXUS RX300. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY, HAD CAR TOWED TO LEXUS DEALERSHIP. THEY IMMEDIATELY KNEW WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND SAY..THE CAR HAS BEEN MISUSED, (NO OIL CHANGES) AND OIL GELLING WAS RESULT. WITHIN MINUTES THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS SHOT AND WOULD REQUIRE NEW ENGINE. THEY SHOWED ME THE SLUDGE WHICH WAS ONLY FOUND ON ONE CYLINDER HEAD, BY THE OIL RETURN LINE. QUANTITY WAS ABOUT ONE HANDFUL AND AS STATED, ONLY NEAR THE RETURN LINE, REMAINDER OF HEAD CLEAN. I HAD CHANGED OIL NIGHT BEFORE TRIP. THEY WILL NOT HONOR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, SINCE I CANNOT PROVE OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 7500 MILES. CAR HAS 50,000, AND I PURCHASED CAR FROM INDIVIDUAL WHO STATED HE ALWAYS MAINTAINED CAR BUT CANNOT PROVE WITH RECEIPTS. CALLED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LINE WHO SAID UNLESS I PROVE THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD OIL CHANGED THEY WOULD NOT HONOR. DEALERSHIP HAD STATED TODAY THAT ONLY ONE HEAD IS DAMAGED, THE OTHER IS FINE. SHORT BLOCK WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AS WELL. IF IT WAS AN OIL CHANGE ISSUE WOULDN'T THE SLUDGE BE IN BOTH HEADS AND WHY WAS THE SLUDGE ONLY FOUND IN ONE SMALL SECTION OF HEAD, BY OIL RETURN LINE. IF THIS WERE A LACK OF MAINTENANCE, SLUDGE SHOULD BE EVERYWHERE (BOTH HEADS) NOT JUST ONE AREA...LEXUS STATED IT IS MY FAULT AND THEY DO NOT HAVE A DESIGN ISSUE WITH THIS V-6 ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER SEEN OIL GEL LIKE THIS...REGARDLESS OF MAINTENANCE HISTORY. LEXUS REPUTATION IS BIG JOKE IF THEIR ENGINES CAN'T MAKE IT 50,000 MILES. *NM

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKING FOR NO KNOWN REASON WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. CONSUMER REPLACED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, WITHIN ONE WEEK. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED ANOTHER CRACK WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT.*AK

CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WITH VEHICLE NOT BEING IN THE PARK GEAR. AS A RESULT VEHICLE ROLLED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE.*AK

MAJOR BLIND AREA IN THE BACK OF THE LEXUS RX300. MR. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE SMALL CHILDREN WHEN BACKING UP THE VEHICLE. A BEEPING DEVICE WAS INSTALLED TO WORN CHILDREN/PEDESTRIANS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BACKING UP, INSTEAD THE LOUD NOISE ATTRACTS THE CHILDREN. (THE CONSUMER NEEDED TO BE GUIDED) THE 2004 VERSION CAME EQUIPPED WITH A CAMERA. THE CONSUMER FELT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A SIMILAR PROBLEM WHEN BACKING UP. THE DEALER REFUSED TO INSTALL A CAMERA ON THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE. * SCC *JB

NOT MY VEHICLE, BUT ON OTHER VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. NUMEROUS TIME I HAVE HAPPENED UPON A NEWER LEXUS RX 300 (2002 OR 2003 MODEL??) WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS, TRAVELING ALONG PUBLIC ROADWAYS WELL AFTER DARK. IN A RECENT INCIDENT, I WAS ON A MULTI-LANE FREEWAY AND HAD A CHANCE TO PULL ALONG SIDE A LEXUS RX 300 WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS, GLANCING OVER AT THE DRIVER COMPARTMENT OF THE RX 300, I NOTED THAT THE DASH/INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WERE ON! AND, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DLRS) WERE PROVIDING SOME FORWARD ILLUMINATION FOR THE VEHICLE. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE RX 300 VEHICLES ALWAYS HAVE THEIR INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED, THUS WITH THE COMBINATION OF THE DLRS, IT SEEMS THAT THE DRIVERS OF LEXUS RX300 SUV'S FREQUENTLY FORGET TO TURN THEIR HEADLIGHTS ON. THERE IS AN "AUTO" FEATURE, BUT IF NOT USED, THE VEHICLE IS VERY PRONE LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH A FALSE SENSE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON- WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. I CAN NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT ILLUMINATES THE DASH WITHOUT AT LEAST TURNING ON THE TAIL/PARKING LAMPS. I FEEL THIS IS A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE DESIGN THAT COULD NEEDLESSLY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. *NLM

THE CAR WAS HIT ON THE REAR PASSANGER SIDE; THE WHOLE REAR AXLE CAME OFF DUE TO SUCH ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD SON. DT