2004 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

RECENTLY IN THE SUMMER OF 2004, I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 LEXUS RX330 SUV. THIS PAST JANUARY, MY BRAKES FAILED AND I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP (LEXUS OF ENGLEWOOD). THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK IN STOPPING THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS BROKEN, AND THEY PROCEEDED TO CHANGE MY ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM (?). NOW, THE BRAKES DO WORK, HOWEVER, THE "FEEL" IS JUST DIFFERENT. I READ IN THE NY TIMES THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 10 OTHER DRIVERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE AND I WANTED TO REPORT THIS SIMILAR PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T LET ME KNOW IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER.

STARTED CAR IN PARKING LOT IN CLARENCE, NY ON OR ABOUT DEC 22 IN THE PM. WEATHER COLD AND ICY. DROVE OFF AND APPLIED BRAKES TO STOP AT STOP SIGN AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP. BRAKE PEDAL WOULD NOT PUSH DOWN. MADE A TURN BACK INTO PARKING LOT AND FINALLY GOT CAR TO STOP WITH HAND BRAKE. CALLED THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND SPOKE TO SERVICE PERSON WHO SAID HE COULD NOT THINK OF ANY REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. HE ASKED ME TO TURN OFF ENGINE AND START AGAIN. I DID THIS AND CAR AND BRAKES REACTED NORMALLY. I WAS VERY SHAKEN AND TOLD HIM SO BUT HE ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS JUST A FLUKE AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER READING ARTICLE IN NEW YORK TIMES WITH REGARD TO SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT FAILURE WITH THE POWER BRAKES IN THE LEXUS RX330 WHICH IS THE MODEL OF MY CAR (YEAR 2004) I FEEL THIS WAS NO FLUKE AND THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH LEXUS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN IN A PARKING LOT AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED AND HAD THE SPACE TO MANEUVER. JB

ARTICLE IN NYTIMES RE RX330; PROBLEM WITH BRAKE BOOSTER KNOWN MONTHS AGO. WE HAD A # OF SCARY, ALMOST SERIOUS EPISODES WITH THIS ISSUE. NO ONE TOLD US, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW! IT WAS VERY HARD TO STOP THE CAR AND PEDAL REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. PROBLEM ALWAYS HAPPENED JUST AFTER STARTING THE CAR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DRIVE. OUR CAR WAS AT DEALER FOR ONE MONTH, WHILE WE AWAITED PARTS TO REPAIR. DEALER REPLACED VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE.*AK

HESITATION PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 LEXUS RX330. AT LOW SPEEDS OF 10-15 MPH TO UP TO AROUND 40-50 MPH. LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN & PRESS THE GAS PEDAL THERE IS A HESITATION. THIS HAS HAPPEN CHANGING LANES ON A HIGHWAY OR TURNING AROUND A CORNER. THIS HESITATION HAS HAPPEN MANY TIMES SINCE THE I LEASED THIS LEXUS FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE TAKEN THIS RX330 BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP HAS CALLED IT A SITUATION NOT A PROBLEM. BUT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. I HAVE VOICED MY COMPLAINT AT THE LEXUS CUSTOMER RELATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. I HAVE REPEATEDLY CALLED. THEY TELL ME HOW SORRY THEY ARE WHEN I TELL THEM SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE OR BE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THIS VECHICLE I HAVE BUT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HAVE HAD AT LEAST 4 NEAR ACCIDENTS WITH THIS LEXUS RX330 SINCE JULY OF 2004. *AK

BRAKES FAILED, AND CONSUMER UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN THE FRONT.*AK

I PURCHASE A LEXUS RX330 IN APRIL 2004 IN LARCHMONT, NY. THIS PAST SUMMER, AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE POWER BRAKES FAILED. I HAD TO PUSH MY FOOT DOWN VERY FORCEFULLY ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE POWER WAS RESTORED. I HAD THE BRAKES FIXED THAT AFTERNOON AT THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM UNTIL I READ THE 2/16 NY TIMES ARTICLE. I DOUBT THAT LEXUS IS TELLING YOU THE FULL STORY ABOUT ALL THE BRAKE FAILURES AND REPAIRS THAT THEY ARE ENCOUNTERING.*AK

WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK. *AK THE MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED AND REPAIRED IT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *NM

SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT WARNING THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHILE THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR IN COLD WEATHER. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DUPLICATE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

THE CONSUMER HAS TO PUT EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. *NM

THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT OF REVERSE IN A PARKING LOT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT WORK. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR CHECKUP AND REPAIR. *NM