2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID Complaints

WHILE DRIVING A 2006 LEXUS 400H THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, LIGHTS, EVERYTHING! JUST QUIT AND THE CAR HAD TO BE MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER WHAT SO EVER. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THE CAR'S INVERTER HAD FAILED. THIS CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND SERVICED BY THE DEALER FOR ITS ENTIRE LIFE AND HAS HAD NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE NEW INVERTER COSTS $8300! WE WILL PROBABLY SELL THE CAR FOR SALVAGE AS ITS WAY TOO MUCH MONEY AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL GO OUT NEXT! APPARENTLY THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER HYBRIDS BY LEXUS AND TOYOTA. ITS A MIRACLE THAT THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INVERTER FAILED WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE COMPUTER AND ENGINE TO FAIL. THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/15/10 BF UPDATED 10/19/10

I READ ON THE EDMUNDS SITE FOR LEXUS 400H, MANY OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC INVERTER ON THE MODEL YEAR 2006. I OWN THIS CAR AND I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEM. I BELIEVE YOUR AGENCY SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO THIS SITUATION AS IT APPEARS THAT OWNERS ARE REPORTING THAT LEXUS IS NOT ADMITTING TO THIS SITUATION. ONE OWNER REPORTS THAT LEXUS KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN 2006 AND CHANGED TO A DIFFERENT INVERTER STARTING WITH VIN #'S GREATER THAN 60036526. MY CAR'S VI # FALLS BELOW THAT CUTOFF AND I AM VERY WORRIED. WHEN THE INVERTER FAILS, ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE FAILS AND THE DRIVER IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY WHILE DRIVING. *TR UPDATED 06/02/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA LEXUS RX400H HYBRID. WHILE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE WERE ILLUMINATED. AN ALARM WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED LEXUS DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SKID CONTROL WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL DUE TO THE COMPUTER WHICH WAS ALSO REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND IT COST HER A TOTAL OF $2,106.19. NOTHING WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,560.

I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT BRAKING PROBLEM IN MY 2006 LEXUS RX400H AS DESCRIBED IN RECENT "CAR GUYS" COLUMN. WHILE COASTING TO A STOP WITH FOOT LIGHTLY ON BRAKE PEDAL, IF I SUDDENLY STEP HARDER ON BRAKE, IT SEEMS TO DISENGAGE FOR A SECOND BEFORE THE BRAKE TAKES HOLD AGAIN. MY GUESS, SAME AS THE CAR GUYS, IS THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT DELAY IN SWITCHING FROM REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO REGULAR FRICTION BRAKING. IT IS DISCONCERTING, BUT SOMETHING I CAN LIVE WITH AS I AM A CAUTIOUS DRIVER -- LEAVE PLENTY OF FOLLOWING DISTANCE, ETC. THIS HAS HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY, AT VARIOUS TIMES, SO "INCIDENT DATE" IS FICTITIOUS JUST TO GET THROUGH THIS FORM. *TR

LEXUS RX400H 2006 - ABS - WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, IF THE CAR IS ON A BUMPY ROAD, THE BRAKES SEEM TO GIVE OUT AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN AS CAR SWITCHES FROM REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO REGULAR BRAKES. I HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, AND THEY HAVE YET TO FIND ANY PROBLEM. *TR

MY UNCLE BUMPED HIS LEG ON THE DOOR EDGE OF HIS 2006 LEXUS400H, CUTTING HIS LEG WHICH REQUIRED 5 STITCHES. THE EXTERIOR PANEL IS MUCH BIGGER THAT THE INTERIOR PANEL WHICH LEAVES A HUGE POINTED SECTION THAT STICKS OUT RATHER THAN TAPERING SAFELY IN: IF YOU LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN ON IT YOU CAN SEE HOW IT STICKS OUT. *TR

MY 2006 LEXUS RX 400H HAS EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION DURING ACCELERATION. IT SEEMS TO STALL THE ENGINE. BRING THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CHECKING. THE DEALER SAID MY VEHICLE USES INCORRECT GRADE OF GASOLINE OR NOT GOOD QUALITY GASOLINE AND RECOMMEND THAT I SHALL ALWAYS USE BETTER QUALITY GASOLINE, I.E. GASOLINE FROM SHELL. THE VIBRATION IS CAUSED BY THE MISFIRE. SUBSEQUENTLY USING THE GASOLINE FROM SHELL AND THE VIBRATION SEEMS TO BE REDUCED OR GO AWAY. LATER ON, TRY TO USE A DIFFERENT BRAND OF GASOLINE (SAME GRADE, PREMIUM) AND THE VIBRATION COMES BACK. IT SEEMS THE VIBRATION HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TIMING OF IGNITION WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY THE COMPUTER. IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE THAT THE DESIGN OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE MODELING IS BASED ON CERTAIN BRAND OF GASOLINE OR THE DESIGN MARGIN IS SO TIGHT THAT THE IGNITION TIMING DOES NOT WORK WITH THE GASOLINE THAT IS SLIGHT DEVIATED FROM THE GASOLINE THAT LEXUS USES TO MAKE THE DESIGN. IF I DRIVE THE CAR LONG DISTANCE OR OUT OF TOWN AND CAN NOT FIND THE GAS STATION THAT SELL THE GASOLINE WHICH PRODUCE NO VIBRATION, THEN, I COULD RUN INTO A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT MY VEHICLE COULD BE STALLED OR BROKEN DOWN DUE TO SEVERE VIBRATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH ON A BUMPY ROAD SURFACE, THE BRAKING SYSTEM BECOMES FAULTY CAUSING UNPREDICTABLE STOPPING DISTANCES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A CRASH DUE TO THE FAULTY BRAKES. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

MOMENTARY ACCELERATION DURING NORMAL BRAKING. PROBLEM OCCURS REGULARLY (BUT NOT EVERY TIME) DURING NORMAL BRAKING. LEXUS DEALER SERVICE WRITER REPORTS THIS AS NORMAL AND EXPECTED PERFORMANCE. IT APPEARS THAT NORMAL BRAKING STARTS WITH REGENERATIVE BRAKES AND THEN TRANSITIONS TO FRICTION BRAKES. THERE IS A MOMENT DURING THE TRANSITION THAT BRAKING POWER IS LOST AND VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATES. TO MAINTAIN EVEN DECELERATION DURING EVERY BRAKING MANEUVER THE DRIVER MUST BE PARTICULARLY AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND BE PREPARED TO QUICKLY APPLY SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL DURING THE TRANSITION PHASE THEN IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE ADDED PRESSURE TO PREVENT OVER-BRAKING.. *TR