2008 LEXUS RX HYBRID Complaints

THE ROAD WAS SNOWY AND SLIPPERY, BUT NOT ICY. WHEN THE VEHICLE ABOUT 50 FEET AHEAD OF ME STOPPED FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, I APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT TO NO EFFECT. MY VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW, AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE NOISE OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. I CHOSE TO GO OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A PIPE RAILING RATHER THAN THE TANKER TRUCK THAT WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. OTHER VEHICLES AT THE SAME LOCATION HAD NO PROBLEM STOPPING. COPIES OF MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH TOYOTA ARE AVAILABLE. TOYOTA ONLY ROAD TESTED THE VEHICLE ON DRY PAVEMENT.

WHILE TURNING INTO PARKING LOT FROM ROAD BUMPED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE INTO CURB AT APPROX 4 MPH. POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY CEASED TO FUNCTION. TOLD BY TOYOTA MECHANIC THAT A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SPIKE DESTROYED THE POWER STEERING COMPUTER. PAID $1050 FOR REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING COMPUTER. DOES THIS MEAN A POTHOLE CAN ALSO FRY THE P/S COMPUTER. *TR

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

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

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

TL*THE CONTACT ONWS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT CRASH INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS SUFFERED A FRACTURED A STERNUM AND THE OTHER PASSENGER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND SUFFERED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MAJOR BRUISES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND CAUSED THE CRASH TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN HE DROVE OVER A POT HOLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DIDN'T INDICATE ANY FAILURE CODES. THE CONTACT STATED ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE TOYOTA DEALER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. UPDATED 3/8/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED IT FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING MOMENTARILY AFTER SLOWING DOWN. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM DURING RAINY, SNOWY OR WET ROAD CONDITIONS MORE SO THAN DRY CONDITIONS. UPDATED 03/29/10 UPDATED 05/13/10. *JB