2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID Complaints

BRAKE SLIPPAGE ON 2006 LEXUS RX400H - I BOUGHT THIS NEW IN 2005 AND EVER SINCE THEN, WE'VE SEEN THE SAME KIND OF BRAKE SLIPPAGE THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE BEEN REPORTING. WHEN WE'RE BRAKING TO COME TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY LUNGE AS IF THE BRAKES STOPPED GRABBING OR SLIPPED. THE CAR DOES COME TO A STOP WITH CONTINUED PRESSURE BUT THE SUDDEN FEELING OF ACCELERATION IS MOST DISCONCERTING. I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND EACH TIME I'M THERE, I MENTION THE BRAKING ISSUE. AND, EACH TIME, THEY TELL ME THAT ITS NORMAL FOR THE TYPES OF BRAKES USED IN THE HYBRID TECHNOLOGY. *TR

I OWN A 2006 LEXUS RX400H WHICH I BELIEVE HAS EXACTLY THE SAME FLAW AS RECENTLY REPORTED IN THE PRIUS. SEVERAL YEARS AGO I HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT CAUSED BY MY CAR LURCHING FORWARD DURING BREAKING WHICH CAUSED ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE LEXUS OF WATERTOWN DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I REPORTED THAT I THOUGHT THE ISSUE MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE REGULAR BRAKE. IT SEEMED LIKE THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS TURNED OFF SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE REGULAR BRAKING SYSTEM KICKED IN CAUSING A GAP IN THE BRAKING THAT WAS PERCEIVED BY ME TO BE A "LURCHING FORWARD". OF COURSE, WHAT IT WAS A DECREASE IN DECELERATION THAT APPEARED BE ACCELERATION. IN ANY EVENT, THE DEALER SAID HE CHECKED THE BRAKES AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I WOULD SAY FROM THAT TIME UNTIL NOW I HAD ABOUT ONE OR TWO INSTANCES OF THIS LURCHING PER MONTH. I AM VERY USED TO HYBRIDS AND CURRENTLY OWN A PRIUS AS WELL, SO I KNOW THE IDIOSYNCRATIC NATURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. HOWEVER, AFTER THE RECENT CASCADE OF REPORTS ON PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIUS I CALLED MY DEALER AGAIN AND TOLD THEM, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE LEXUS HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY LEXUS HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER REPORTS OF PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE I WAS TOLD NO, HOWEVER, THE WORDING OF THE ANSWER WAS GUARDED. TODAY, I HAD ANOTHER LURCHING EVENT. APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, ON A SMOOTH, DRY ROAD I LURCHED FORWARD AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. IF A PEDESTRIAN WERE CROSSING THE STREET AT THE TIME I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY, HOPEFULLY NOT DEATH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I CONTACTED MY LEXUS DEALER TO RELAY THIS ISSUE TODAY AND SAY WE MUST DO THE RIGHT THING. THEY DID NOT RESPOND, SO I AM MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS FORMAL COMPLAINT BEFORE MORE SERIOUS HARM IS DONE. *TR

BRAKES SLIP ON MY LEXUS 400 HYBRID SUV, 2006 MODEL. THIS OCCASIONAL SLIPPAGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THIS CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND THEY SAY THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THESE INCIDENTS HAVE CONTINUED TO HAPPEN FROM 2006 PURCHASE DATE UNTIL THE PRESENT, 2010. *TR

RE: LEXUS RX400H NOT ON ANY RECALL LIST BY TOYOTA. HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF BRAKING/ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. TOYOTA WON'T DO ANYTHING EXCEPT SAY BRING IT IN FOR A TEST DRIVE. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN TEST DRIVEN SEVERAL TIMES AND THE PROBLEM DOES NOT DUPLICATE. IT IS RARE, BUT IT IS DANGEROUS. TOYOTA JUST SHRUGS IT OFF. I KNOW WHAT THE CAR DOES, I'VE DRIVEN IT FOR NEARLY 3 YRS WITH APPROX. 12 INCIDENTS OF THE PROBLEM. CAN YOU HELP? *TR

I OWN 2 2006 LEXUS RX 400 H HYBRID SUV'S. FROM THE FIRST WEEK I COMPLAINED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE WHEN YOU DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHEN THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE FOR 1 OR 2 SECONDS. THE LEXUS DEALER HAS DISMISSED MY COMPLAINT EACH TIME. NOW THERE APPEARS TO BE A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF TOYOTA HYBRIDS AND ONE LINE OF LEXUS HYBRIDS WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST WITH THEIR NEW S50 LEXUS HYBRID. IT HAS EXISTED AT LEAST AS FAR BACK AS 2006 WITH MY CARS. *TR

I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP LAST MORNING OF FEB 3 2010 FOR MY REGULAR SERIVICE. I DIDN'T KNOW YET THAT TIME ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND THE BREAK TIME LAG OF PRIUS. BECAUSE THAT DAY I TOLD LEXUS TO TAKE A LOOK ON MY BRAKE AS I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE PRIUS. MY CAR IS A RX400H 2006 MODEL. NOT ONLY I'M HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM DURING SLOW MOVEMENT(APPROACHING THE TRAFFIC LIGHT) BUT EVEN ON A HIGH SPEED(60-65). I COMPALAIN THE PROBLEM TO LEXUS 3 YEARS AGO AND THEY DID SOME ADJUSTMENT(I DON'Y KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IS) BUT STILL I ALWAYS HAVE THAT PROBLEM AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. MYWIFE IS THE ONE WHO DRIVES THAT CAR A LOT, AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE NEVER HAVE THAT EPISODE ON A HIGH SPEED, BUT SHE SAID SHE ALWAYS HAVE THAT ON A 50MPH SPEED ON A LOCAL STRRET, WHICH IS EVEN WORST, AS THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU ARE VERY CLOSE. ACTUALY LAST FEB 3 2010 THE LEXUS GAVE ME A LOANER CAR FOR THAT DAY AND IT IS A HS HYBRID CAR(450 MILES) AND IT'S ALMOST NEW, AND I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN I'M APPROACHING THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. SO I TOLD MYSELF, IS THIS NORMAL TO A HYBRID? MY RX400H IS NOW 4 YEARS AND I CANNOT REMEMBER I'M HAVING THAT PROBLEM ON IT'S 1ST YEAR. I BELIEVE THE SLOW SPEED WAS STARTED A MONTH AGO.(MID JAN 2010) AND THE HIGH SPEED IS PROBABLY 3 YEARS NOW. THIS MESSAGE IS NOT A COMPLAIN, BUT RATHER THEM(TOYOTA) TO INVESTIGATE IF EVERYTHING IS STILL NORMAL. *CN

MY LEXUS RX400 H HYBRID VEHICLE IS EXPERIECING SMILAR PROBLEM REGARDING THE BREAK LIKE TOYOTA PRIUS . WHEN BUMPY , DOWN HILL AND ICE ROAD, THE BRAKE WILL EXPERIENCE TEMPORARY DISABLE AND THE CAR WILL MOVE FORWARD.WHEN BRAKING ON UNEVEN OR SLIPPERY SURFACES, THE BRAKING SYSTEM GETS CONFUSED AND BRAKING POWER IS LOST MOMENTARILY.

WHEN BRAKING, IF A POTHOLE OR BUMP IN THE ROAD IS HIT OR WHEN EITHER THE TEMPERATURES ARE REALLY COLD (ON OCCASION) OR THE HYBRID BATTERY CHARGE IS CLOSE TO FULL, THE CAR'S REGENERATIVE BRAKING STOPS AND THERE IS A DELAY IN THE FRICTION BRAKES BEING APPLIED BY THE SYSTEM. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE CAR SEEMINGLY JERK FORWARD FOR A SECOND. DEALER STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THIS BEHAVIOR HAS RECURRED OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS/60,000 MILES. NO FIX FROM LEXUS. HAD TO LEARN TO EXPECT THIS BEHAVIOR AND DRIVE ACCORDINGLY (ON OCCASION HAVING TO EMERGENCY BRAKE WITH ABS ACTIVATED). *TR

2006 LEXUS RX 400 AT SLOW SPEEDS STEPS ON BRAKE AND NOTHING HAPPENS FOR ABOUT 2 - 3 SECONDS. THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENTS AS I HAVE ALLOW ENOUGH SPACE FOR BRAKES TO RESPOND. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WITH ANY PATTERN AND IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. *TR

LEXUS RX400H HAS A BRAKE ISSUE. INSTEAD OF STOPPING IT SOMETIME ACCELERATES AND CONTINUOUS BRAKING LEADS IT TO STOP. THE HYBRID TECHNOLOGY FORCES MANY OF US TO CHANGE ALL FOUR COMPANY FITTED ALL FOUR TIRES JUST IN 2 YEARS. VERY DISAPPOINTED BY PAYING PREMIUM FOR PREMIUM BRAND BUT NOT GETTING PREMIUM QUALITY! *TR