2005 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

DURING ROUTINE STATE INSPECTION, DEALER INFORMED ME THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING AND MUST BE REPLACED. THE COST TO REPLACE THE RACK IS ESTIMATED AT $1600. FROM READING SIMILAR STORIES FOR LEXUS VEHICLES, I UNDERSTAND THE LEAK COULD LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE STEERING SYSTEM AND POSSIBLE FIRES FROM FLUIDS ON THE ALTERNATOR. *TR

MOISTURE INVADES SEALED HEADLAMP HOUSING CAUSING LAMP(S) TO FAIL. LEXUS HAS REDESIGNED THE PART. NO VOLUNTARY RECALL EVEN THOUGH LEXUS KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART. OUT OF WARRANTY REPLACEMENT COST IS $1650 FOR ONE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY PLUS 1HR. LABOR. THAT'S NEARLY $2000 FOR ONE HEADLIGHT!! *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMP OF THE RX330 CEASED OPERATION DUE TO A BUILDUP OF MOISTURE. CONDENSATION HAS BEEN PRESENT IN THE HEADLAMP FOR SOME TIME, BUT THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO HEADLAMP FAILURE. THE SUV IS MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP EXCLUSIVELY, AND AT NO POINT DID THEY MENTION THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE CONDENSATION COULD CAUSE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT NIGHT IN A DARK SECTION OF HIGHWAY AND COULD HAVE LED TO SERIOUS BODILY HARM OR DEATH. LEXUS HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE RX330 HEADLAMPS SINCE 2005 AND HAS FAILED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MOISTURE ISSUES COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN SERIOUS HARM TO THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF THE LEXUS OR OTHER MOTORISTS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 LEXUS RX330 WHICH WAS A RE-CERTIFIED VEHICLE WITH 27,000 MILES. THE RESPONSE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS ERRATIC AND CAUSES UNEXPECTED SURGES. THIS HAPPENS LESS THAN 5 % OF THE TIME BUT I CANNOT TIE IT TO ANY SPECIFIC CONDITIONS (IE COLD TEMPERATURE, DOWN-SHIFT OR UP-SHIFT, CORNERING, OR ROAD CONDITIONS. IT OCCURS RANDOMLY BUT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS DEPENDING ON WHEN IT HAPPENS. *TR

WE OWN A 2005 LEXUS RX330. MOISTURE ACCUMULATED IN ONE OF OUR HEADLIGHTS CAUSING IT TO FAIL. COST OF REPLACEMENT WAS $1800,00 WHICH AFTER MUCH ADO WAS PAID FOR BY LEXUS. NOW OUR OTHER HEADLIGHT IS DOING THE SAME AND LEXUS WILL ONLY PAY FOR HALF, WHICH WOULD BE VERY GENEROUS EXCEPT THAT THIS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD NOT BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. PLEASE HELP US GET THIS REPLACED AT NO EXPENSE TO US. THANK YOU. *TR

TRANSMISSION SHIFT POINTS ARE OCCASIONALLY NOT SMOOTH AND EXHIBIT INCONSISTENT ENGINE RPM SHIFT POINTS. INITIALLY NOTICED WHEN DRIVING UPHILL AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED LOWER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE. NO ERROR CODES HAVE BEEN FOUND BY THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. A FIRMWARE UPDATE ON THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN TRIED TWO TIMES WITH LIMITED SUCCESS ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO. THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN ELIMINATED. OCCASIONAL HARD UPSHIFTS ARE FELT UNDER LOW LOAD AND THROTTLE. FEELS LIKE THE NEXT GEAR UP OR OVERDRIVE IS CONFUSED ABOUT WHEN SHIFTING IS NEEDED. CONTRARY TO THE ABOVE SMOOTH SHIFTING DURING LIGHT ACCELERATION MAY FEEL SLOW AND A BIT UNCERTAIN. DOWN SHIFT POINTS CAN HAPPEN WITH MINOR ACCELERATOR PEDAL MOVEMENT CAUSING HIGHER RPM OF ENGINE THAN NEEDED. FEELS LIKE TWO GEAR DOWN-SHIFTS INSTEAD OF THE ONE THAT'S NEEDED. THIS WAS A LEXUS CERTIFIED VEHICLE WITH 28675 MILES WHEN PURCHASED USED MAY 2008. GAS MILEAGE HAS BEEN A BIT LOW AND I SUSPECT THE SHIFTING BEHAVIOR IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN TRANSMISSION IS COLD AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE (FROM NEUTRAL OR REVERSE) A RAPID BUT DISTINCT TWO "BUMPS" ARE FELT IF THE BRAKE IS NOT ON. I AM NOT CONVINCED THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR AND NEVER HAD ANOTHER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DO ANY OF THE ABOVE. CURRENT MILEAGE IS ABOUT 36,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX330. WATER ENTERS THROUGH THE HEAD-LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND HE WAS ADVISED THAT IT COST $1000 TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX30. WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE SHE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION. CONSEQUENTLY, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE RECEIVED $9,088 WORTH OF DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX330. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION IN THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD LAMP WHICH CAUSED THE LIGHT BULB. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE REPAIR WAS MADE; HOWEVER, HE NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS INTENSITY WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ALIGNED CORRECTLY AND SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE INTENSITY. THE CONTACT PROVIDED PHOTOS TO PROVE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BOTH OF THE LIGHTS PER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53000. UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/15/09

CONDENSATION IN HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO BLOW. HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY COSTS $1,900 EA. TO REPLACE. LEXUS RX330. VEHICLE HAS BEEN OFF WARRANTY FOR ALMOST 2 MOS. 62,700 MILES ON VEHICLE. LEXUS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SAYS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR. LEXUS DEALERSHIP WILL GIVE US A DISCOUNT (FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS). CANNOT DRIVE VEHICLE WITH NO HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT. RESEARCH SHOWS A NUMBER OF LEXUS RX330 HEADLAMP PROBLEMS. VEHICLE CANNOT BE REPAIRED BY ANYONE OTHER THAN LEXUS AS THIS IS A COMPUTER ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT. RAIN HEAVY, CONDENSATION BUILDS UP INSIDE ASSEMBLY CAUSING SHORT AND BLOWING OUT HEADLIGHT. *TR