2018 LEXUS RX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS PROJECTED APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET AHEAD OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO SEE ANYTHING CLOSE UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NEWPORT LEXUS (949-482-6122, LOCATED AT 3901 MACARTHUR BLVD, NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER SENT A REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE WHO STATED THAT THE MATTER WOULD BE RESEARCHED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT CALLED BACK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

I WAS TRAVELING ON A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY AT 60MPH. WEATHER CONDITION WAS SUNNY AND 10DEG. SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD CRACKING NOISE THAT WAS STARTLING. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND AND THE INTERIOR SHADE WAS CLOSED. I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION TO FIND THE SUNRROOF HAD SHATTERED AND THERE WAS GLASS SHARDS ON THE INTERIOR SHADE. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR 5 MO., AM THE ONLY DRIVER. THE CAR IS PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND I HAVE NEVER OPENED THE SUNROOF OR THE INTERIOR SHADE. I RETURNED THE CAR WITHIN TWO HOURS OF THE EVENT FOR REPAIR ASSUMING IT WAS A DEFECTIVE SUNROOF. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT IT WILL COST $960 PLUS TAX TO FIX. SINCE MY INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE IS $1000, THIS IS AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE! I HAVE REPORTED THE EVENT TO THE LEXUS GUEST EXPERIENCE CENTER AND THE REP SAID THAT THEY WILL REVIEW BUT THERE IS NO PROMISE OF REIMBURSEMENT. I AM ALSO REPORTING THIS TO CONSUMER REPORTS. SINCE EXPLODING SUNROOFS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM FOR YEARS WITH DIFFERENT MAKES AND MODELS, I FEEL IT IS IMPERATIVE THE NHTSA DO MORE TO REGULATE THE MANUFACTURERS.

1.CONSTANT JERKING SENSATION OCCURS BEFORE VEHICLE SHIFTS INTO LOWER GEARS WHILE AT RELATIVELY LOW SPEEDS AND THROTTLE SETTINGS (25-45 MPH, STOP AND GO CITY DRIVING, MAINTAINING SPEED). 2.WHEN MINIMAL INCREASE IN POWER IS NEEDED OR A MILD GRADE IS ENCOUNTERED, ADDITIONAL THROTTLE PRESSURE SEEMS ONLY TO RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER UNTIL THE TRANSMISSIONS SHIFTS INTO SOME LOWER GEAR. THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATES TOO RAPIDLY, FOLLOWED BY THE NEED TO REDUCE THROTTLE PRESSURE ' OR APPLY BRAKES - WHICH IN TURN CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT BACK TO A HIGHER GEAR. THE SEQUENCE THEN REPEATS ITSELF. 3.NOTE: POOR DRIVABILITY ISSUES ARE REDUCED WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. ALSO KEEPING RPM ABOVE 2000 HELPS. 4.DEPENDING ON DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE WELL WHILE SHIFTING UP THROUGH THE GEARS BUT SEEMS TO LOOSE POWER AS RPM DROPS, FORCING A DOWNSHIFT OR INCREASED THROTTLE POSITION. 5.WHEN UNDER SLIGHT ENGINE LOAD, THE SUSPENSION SEEMS TO AMPLIFY ROAD BUMPS, TO THE EXTENT OF FINDING BUMPS WHERE THERE ARE NONE. THIS CONDITION IS REDUCED WHILE AT IDLE THROTTLE SETTINGS AND COASTING. 6.A RECENT DRIVE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS PROMPTED ME TO RESORT TO MANUALLY SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO IMPROVE DRIVABILITY BECAUSE OF HILLS AND CURVES. 7.I FREQUENTLY RESORT TO DRIVING IN S4 EXCEPT FOR INTERSTATE DRIVING SO AS TO KEEP RPM ABOVE 2000 TO IMPROVE DRIVABILITY. 8.FREQUENTLY THE ENGINE FEELS TO BE MISSING, RESULTING IN VIBRATION THROUGH STEERING WHEEL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL. 9.ON FOUR OCCASIONS SINCE OWNERSHIP THE RX HAS SUDDENLY AND EXPECTANTLY ACCELERATED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, FORCING EMERGENCY BREAKING. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. 10.WHEN USING CRUISE CONTROL (~65 MPH) AND IF THE SET SPEED IS REDUCED A COUPLE OF MPH, THE RPM JUMPS TO 6,000. 11.TRANSMISSION SLOW TO CHOOSE A GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING INTO TRAFFIC.

HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. THE ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND IN A LINEAR MANNER WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL.