2004 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

MOM AND DAD WERE STRUCK ON PASSENGER SIDE BY PERSON WHO RAN STOP SIGN AT HIGH SPEED 55+. THE WERE TRAVELING @ 35 MPH IN A 35 MPH ZONE. VEHICLE WAS FLIPPED MULTIPLE TIMES FROM THE IMPACT OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO RAN STOP SIGN. DRIVERS SIDE "CURTAIN" AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED DESPITE THE MULTIPLE ROLLOVERS. BOTH PARENTS WERE CARRIED OFF UNCONSCIOUS BY AMBULANCE. DAD HAD TO HAVE SURGERY FROM HIS INJURIES. MOM SUFFERED HEAD INJURY. I WANTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INVESTIGATED AS TO WHY THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. IT FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES. MOM WAS ON DRIVER SIDE AND WAS THE ONE WHO SUSTAINED THE HEAD INJURY. PASSENGERS CURTAIN AND SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. ALL OF THE WITNESS WHO OBSERVED VEHICLE COLLISION, COULD NOT BELIEVE WITH SUCH A BAD ACCIDENT AND ROLLOVER HER BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. *TR

2004 LEXUS RX 330 THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS CONCERNING THE VIBRATING THE CAR DOES AT SPEEDS OF 65MPH OR MORE. THE CARE DOES NOT DO IT ALL THE TIME AND RARELY DOES IT IN WITHIN CITY MILES. BUT ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STARTS VIOLENTLY VIBRATING WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO TRY AND KEEP THE CAR STEADY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE CHANGES AND THE SPEED DROPS DOWN TO AROUND 60 WHILE THE EPISODE OCCURS AND THEN OUT OF THE BLUE IT CLEARS AND THE CAR DRIVES NORMAL. I HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS REGARDING THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING. I WANT THIS INFORMATION ON RECORD IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AND SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR OR TO SOMEONE ELSE AS A RESULT OF THE VIBRATING EPISODES. LAST OCCURRENCE WAS JANUARY 21, 07. I HAVE NOT BEEN BACK ON THE HIGHWAY SINCE THEN BUT OCCURRENCE WAS ALSO ON DEC 17 WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, AUG WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, MAR, MAY, JULY ALL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, IT EVEN OCCURRED IN FEB AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSEDLY TAKEN CARE OF. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELS TO DO HERE BUT REPORT THE PROBLEM TO YOU ALL. *TR

QUESTIONS ON ANY RECALLS FOR 2004 LEXUS RX330. CONSUMER IS ASKING IF THERE IS ANY RECALLS FOR ON THE 2004 LEXUS RX330. *KB

IN HEAVY RAIN, WITH DEFOGGER TURNED ON TO KEEP WINDOWS CLEAR, IF THE CAR HITS A LARGE PUDDLE, THE AC SHUTS DOWN AND THE DEFROSTER STARTS BLOWING HOT, MOIST AIR. ALL WINDOWS FOG OVER IMMEDIATELY. NO WAY TO CONTINUE DRIVING. AC CAN ONLY BE RESTARTED BY TURNING IGNITION OFF THEN BACK ON. THIS HAPPENED ON LOCAL ROADS SEVERAL TIMES, THEN IN MID AUGUST 2007, IT HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE GRASS MEDIAN BY ROLLING DOWN THE DRIVERS WINDOW AND STICKING MY HEAD OUT INTO THE RAIN. AFTER TURNING IGNITION OFF AND ON, THE DEFROSTER WORKS AGAIN. LEXUS DEALER REPORTS THAT THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE ENGINE IN CASE THE AC COMPRESSOR LOCKS UP. THEY REFUSE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. I NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR IN THE RAIN. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

UPON ACELLERATION, THIS VEHICLE SOMETIMES HESITATES AND AT TIMES ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE AWARE OF IT. THEY SAY THERE IS NO FIX. I WAS TOLD TO USE PREMIUM GAS, AND I HAVEBEEN TOLD THAT THE NEW SOFTWARE IS IN AND THAT IS ALL THEY COULD DO.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I GET A LOT OF HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION DURING HIGH SPEED DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND ALSO DRIVING IN THE CITY. THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION STRUGGLES TO INCREASE IN SPEED AND CHOKES UP BUT IT DOESN'T CUT OFF. I'VE NOTICED THAT WHEN I DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS OF 55 OR 60 AND TRY TO INCREASE THE ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT WILL TAKE 5-10 SECONDS TO THINK ABOUT INCREASING AND THEN IT REVVS UP IN RPMS AND THEN JUST KICKS IN. YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINE MAKING ALL OF HESITATION NOISE AND ALSO SEEING THE HESITATION ON THE RPM AND SPEEDOMETER READING. I'VE TAKEN THIS ISSUE INTO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IS OPERATING PER THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS AND THAT IT IS NOT OUT OF SPECS. THEY THEN TELL ME THAT THERE IS AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE SO THEY SUPPOSEDLY UPDATE IT TO OPERATE BETTER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DIFFERENCE AFTER THE UPDATE. *JB

TRANSMISSION HESITATION ON 2004 LEXUS RX330 NEARLY RESULTED IN HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ON JULY 14, 2007 WHILE MERGING FROM I-75 IN TAMPA ON RAMP INTO RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE LEXUS AT FIRST FAILED TO SLOW (TO MATCH SPEEDS) WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS RELEASED, THEN WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO ACCELERATE AFTER THE MERGE (TRAFFIC FLOW WAS ERRATIC), IT FAILED TO ACCELERATE FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS, AND WE HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE PAVEMENT TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION. WE HAVE REPORTED THE TRANSMISSION HESITATION PROBLEM TO LEXUS 5 OR MORE TIMES SO FAR, AND THEY SAY IT IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THIS SITUATION IS HAZARDOUS UNDER CERTAIN COMMON TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THE JULY 14, 2007 INCIDENT WAS ONE OF SEVERAL WHERE WE NEARLY HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION DELAY. *TR UPDATED 01/09/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED IN HEAVY RAIN DEFOGGER TURNED TO KEEP WINDOWS CLEAR. WHILE DRIVING IF VEHICLE HITS A LARGE PUDDLE A/C WILL TURN OFF AND NO WAY TO RESTART THE A/C OTHER THAN TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

NOISE, THUMPING, STEERING VIBRATION CAUSED BY GOODYEAR EAGLE RS A TIRES ON 2004 LEXUS. AFTER READING ABOUT OTHER COMPLAINTS, ETC. CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY OF TIRES.*AK

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. HE STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT IN THE BACK SEAT WON'T RELEASE. THERE WAS RECALL #06V023000. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO GET THE PART FOR THE RECALL, BUT THE CONTACT HAS BEEN WAITING FOUR MONTHS. HE FELT THE WAIT WAS TOO LONG. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 40,000 MILES. *AK

I OWN A 2004 LEXUS RX330. SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT, THERE HAS BEEN A POWER "FADE" WHEN I MAKE SUDDEN SPEED CHANGES USUALLY FROM A SLOW DOWN TO QUICK ACCELERATION--SAY A LANE CHANGE TO AVOID SLOWER TRAFFIC. THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 2 OR 3 SECONDS WHEN THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. IT FEELS LIKE ALL POWER FALLS AWAY. I AM LEFT LIKE A SITTING DUCK UNTIL THE VEHICLE DECIDES WHAT TO DO WITH MY COMMAND. IF I AM CROSSING A MEDIAN, I MUST ALLOW FOR THIS DELAY. HOWEVER, IF I HAVE TO CHANGE LANES TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE MAKING AN UNSIGNALED TURN OR SUDDEN STOP, I AM PUTTING MYSELF AND OTHERS IN DANGER BECAUSE I CANNOT COUNT ON HAVING THE POWER TO AVOID THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME BY CHANGING LANES AND THEN I RISK AN INCIDENT IN TRYING TO MATCH THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE THAT IS NOW BEHIND ME. I HAVE ADDRESSED THIS WITH LEXUS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS INCLUDING ONE TRIP WHERE I DEMANDED THAT THE MASTER MECHANIC RIDE WITH ME. HE EXPLAINED THAT LEXUS IS AWARE AND THAT IT IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM FOR WHICH THERE IS NO PATCH AVAILABLE. AS OF TODAY, THERE IS STILL NO CURE. THE LAST UPDATE MY VEHICLE RECEIVED WAS IN SEPT 2006. *NM