2007 LEXUS RX HYBRID Complaints

I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP. THE CAR BRAKED NORMALLY AT FIRST, THEN THE CAR EITHER FREE-WHEELED OR LURCHED FORWARD FOR ABOUT HALF A SECOND, BUT AS I CONTINUED TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE THE CAR CAME TO A STOP BUT A LITTLE FURTHER THAN I WANTED. I HAVE NOTICED THIS ABOUT 10 TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS BUT HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS. I FINALLY CONTACTED MY DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HE SAID THAT THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION OF THE BRAKES ON THIS MODEL. HE SAID THAT WHAT I WAS SENSING WAS THE INTERVAL WHEN THE CAR SWITCHES BETWEEN REGENERATIVE BRAKES AND HYDRAULIC BRAKES. HE SAID THAT THERE IS AN ORDER TO FIX THE HS 2010 MODELS SO THAT THE INTERVAL IS MINIMIZED OR ELIMINATED BUT NONE FOR MY MODEL CAR. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 LEXUS RX400H THAT I PURCHASED NEW IN DECEMBER 2006. EVER SINCE FIRST TAKING OWNERSHIP, I HAVE NOTICED AT SPEEDS LESS THAN ABOUT 25 MPH THAT THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SOMETIMES RELEASES THE BRAKES WITHOUT WARNING AND THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES DO NOT IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE TO TAKE UP THE DESIRED BRAKING FUNCTION. THE RESULTING FEELING IS ONE OF LOST BRAKE CONTROL AND A SLIGHT SURGE FORWARD BY THE VEHICLE. I FIRST REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AT THE 10,000 MILE SERVICE CHECK (09-18-2007) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY. "CANNOT VERIFY CUSTOMER CONCERN." I HAVE SEVERAL TIMES SINCE ASKED THE LEXUS DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE, AND EACH TIME HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT MY BRAKE SYSTEM IS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE DEALER HAS SAID THAT IT MUST BE THAT I'M NOT USED TO THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM ACTION, DESPITE THE FACT THAT I'VE NOW DRIVEN THE CAR OVER 55,000 MILES. I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY'VE HAD NO OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE WITH MY MODEL VEHICLE. I'VE KNOWN ALL ALONG THAT I WASN'T IMAGING THIS PROBLEM AND AFTER ALL THE PUBLICITY REGARDING THE PRIUS BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS I REALIZE THAT TOYOTA / LEXUS HAS BEEN IGNORING THIS ISSUE. *TR

THERE IS A COATING INSIDE THE CONDENSER THAT FLAKES OFF AND BLOWS INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS LIKE SAND. I AM TOLD IT IS ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE. MY WIFE AND I WERE TOLD IT WAS SAFE AND WE COULD TAKE OUR TRIP. DURING THE TRIP WE BREATHED IN THIS STUFF FLYING IN THE CAR. WE ENDED UP WITH SINUS INFECTIONS. IT IS TROUBLING THAT IT WAS BLOWN OFF AS NO BIG DEAL. THE PART WAS REPLACED, BUT I WORRY THAT OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT END UP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *CN

I HAVE A 2007 LEXUS 400H HYBRID. I WAS COMING UP BEHIND A CAR COMING OFF THE INTERSTATE. THE CAR AHEAD OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES. THE BRAKES WORKED AT FIRST THEN THEY LET UP AND THEN KICKED IN AGAIN, BUT THAT DELAY IN BETWEEN CAUSED A LUNGE INTO THE CAR AHEAD OF ME CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO LEXUS ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR A YEAR. THEY SAY MY BRAKES ARE FINE, BUT NOW THAT I SEE ALL OF THESE RECALLS I REALIZE THEY MAY BE TRYING TO COVER UP THE ISSUES WITH THEIR HYBRID BRAKES. I THINK THAT ALL OF THEIR HYBRID BRAKE SYSTEMS NEED TO BE EXAMINED FOR THIS DELAY BETWEEN THE TWO BRAKE SYSTEMS. *TW

MAY 2008: PURCHASED 2007 LEXUS 400H SUV. CAR GREAT EXCEPT BRAKES. SOMETHING WAS ODD. JUNE 2008: SENT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK BRAKES. THEY INSISTED EVERYTHING WAS FINE. MY DISCOMFORT WAS DUE TO MY INEXPERIENCE WITH THE 'REGENERATIVE' BRAKING SYSTEM. I TRIED TO GET USED TO IT. IT SEEMED TO GET WORSE OVER TIME. AT AROUND 10 MPH, THE BRAKING MOMENTUM CHANGES SUDDENLY. THE CAR FLOATS BRIEFLY THEN SURGES A LITTLE. IT WAS UNCLEAR IF IT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME, OR ONLY WITH GRADUAL BRAKING, OR ONLY WHEN STOPPING FROM A SLOW SPEED. JULY 22, 2009: ACCIDENT. BRAKES SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AS I TURNED THE CAR INTO A PARKING SPACE BEHIND ANOTHER CAR. I PANICKED WHEN THE CAR DIDN'T STOP AT THE EXPECTED POINT. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, MY FOOT SLIPPED AND I HIT THE ACCELERATOR. I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SENDING IT TOWARD THREE OTHER CARS. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE BRAKES WORKED PROPERLY. AUGUST 2009 -REPORTED ACCIDENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD TO TALK WITH LEXUS HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA. THEY ARRANGED FOR A FIELD AGENT TO GO TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 - CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR EVERYONE'S REVIEW. AFTERWARDS, TOLD BY PHONE THAT NO PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED AND THE CAR WAS SAFE. I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH THAT DECISION. ON NOVEMBER 27, 2009, I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN, INSISTING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I DROVE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE ADMITTED HE FELT THE FLOATING/SLIGHT SURGE. HE CLAIMED IT WAS THE MOMENT BETWEEN THE END OF THE "REGENERATIVE" BRAKING SYSTEM AND WHEN THE CONVENTIONAL BRAKING SYSTEM KICKED IN. NOT HAPPY WITH THE EXPLANATION. THE FLOATING/SURGE MEANS YOU'RE NOT QUITE SURE WHEN YOU WILL STOP. ON JANUARY 6, 2010, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM LEXUS. THEIR FIELD TECHNICIAN INSPECTED MY CAR, FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND THE ACCIDENT COULD NOT BE RELATED. I DO NOT AGREE. NOW I HEAR ABOUT LEXUS HYBRID BRAKES PROBLEMS AND I ASSUME IT'S WHAT I'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT ALL ALONG. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2007 LEXUS RX 440H WITH 22,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IMMEDIATELY (AND SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR TO LEARNING OF POTENTIAL TOYOTA AND LEXUS ACCELERATION AND BRAKING ISSUES) I NOTED THAT WHEN BRAKING FROM A LOW SPEED, SAY 20 MPH AT A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKES WOULD INITIALLY TAKE HOLD IN A NORMAL MANNER AND THEN, FOR A VERY BRIEF TIME, IT FELT AS IF THE CAR WAS SLIDING, THEN THE BRAKES WOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE HOLD AND BRING THE CAR TO A NORMAL STOP. TYPICALLY THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A SNOWY OR ICY SURFACE, BUT I HAVE NOT DETECTED THE ABS KICKING IN AT ANY TIME. THE ABS HAS OPERATED NORMALLY UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. AT FIRST I ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE HYBRID TECHNOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE CAR. HOWEVER, IT NOW SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE THE EXPERIENCE THOSE DRIVING PRIUS AND LEXUS 250H AUTOMOBILES HAVE DESCRIBED THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE MEDIA. THIS BRAKING ANOMALY OCCURS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY EVERY TIME IT OCCURS AND IT OCCURS FREQUENTLY. SO FAR I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH. *TR

PROBLEMS WITH CAR ALIGNMENT. PERSISTENT PROBLEM DESPITE GETTING IT CORRECTED. PROBLEM RIGHT FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT THE CAR. *JB

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2007 LEXUS RX 400H WHICH HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS, AND CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I HAVE NOTICED AN IRREGULARITY IN MY BRAKING SYSTEM UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I HEARD DESCRIBED THIS EVENING ON THE NEWS ABOUT PRUIS HYBRID VEHICLES. IT CAN SIMPLY BE DESCRIBED AS WHEN BRAKING, IF A POTHOLE OR BUMP IN THE ROAD IS HIT, OR SOME OTHER SMALL IRREGULARITY IN THE ROAD SURFACE, THE CAR SEEMINGLY JERKS FORWARD/ACCELERATES FOR A SPLIT SECOND. THE FEELING IS OF A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND HAS HAPPENED WHILE SLOWLY APPROACHING A STOP SIGN OR BRAKING/DECELERATING IN TRAFFIC, BUT NOT TYPICALLY WHEN SLOWING AT HIGHER RATES OF SPEED. I HAVE HAD THESE EXPERIENCES... WHERE I HAVE BEEN SLOWLY APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, BRAKING, WHEN I HAVE HIT A SMALL BUMP, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE THE STOP SIGN, AND IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC WHERE I LOST MOMENTARY CONTROL OVER THE CAR AS THE BRAKES "HICCUPPED" OVER A ROUGH SPOT ON THE ROAD AND LURCHED AT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER, LEXUS OF AUSTIN (TEXAS) REGARDING MY CONCERN WHEN I SAW THIS EVENING'S NEWS. IT COMPELLED ME TO NOTIFY YOU. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THIS PROBLEM MAY BE MORE WIDESPREAD WITH ALL TOYOTA PRODUCTS. *JB

I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE ACCELERATING ON THE 2007 LEXUS 400H WHILE COASTING TO STOP SIGNS. THIS OCCURRENCE STARTED ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS AFTER WE GOT THE CAR AND DOES NOT OCCUR ALL OF THE TIME. THE GAS PEDAL SEEMS TO OVERRIDE THE ENGINE ACCELERATION PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE SIMILAR TO WHAT OTHERS HAVE SEEN IN OTHER CARS. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP IN THE PAST BEFORE THE RECALLS WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION. THIS MODEL IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST, BUT I WANTED TO RAISE THE CONCERN AS IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OTHER VEHICLES AND MAY HELP TO INDICATE THAT THE TRUE ISSUE MAY NOT BE THE FLOOR MATS OR THE GAS PEDAL DESIGN. MY WIFE IS CONCERNED SINCE THE ENGINE IS ACCELERATING WITHOUT THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED. SINCE THE BRAKE IS OVERRIDING THE ACCELERATION, IT WOULD INDICATE TO ME THAT THE ISSUE IS NOT A STICKING GAS PEDAL. *TR

WHEN BRAKING AND CAR ENCOUNTERS ROUGH ROAD OR A POTHOLE, CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND LOSES COMPLETE BRAKING POWER. HAVE TO DEPRESS BRAKES ALL THE WAY TO BRING TO A STOP. OCCURS CONSISTENTLY WITH ABOVE STATED ROAD CONDITIONS. DEALER SERVICE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM AND CLAIMED TO HAVE NEVER HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR