2004 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

2004 LEXUS RX330. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WARRANTY COVERAGE ENHANCEMENT. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A RADIATOR LEAK WAS DISCOVERED DURING AN OIL CHANGE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE INDICATOR LIGHT, NEVER ILLUMINATED TO ALERT HER THERE WAS A PROBLEM.*JB

I OWN A 2004 LEXUS RX 330. AS HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE INTERNET, THE DASHBOARD IN THESE CARS HAS A TENDENCY TO CRACK AND PEAL, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE AREA ABOVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. AT THE OUTSET THIS APPEARS TO BE A COSMETIC ISSUE. HOWEVER, WHEN I RECENTLY WENT TO AN AUTO UPHOLSTERY SHOP TO INQUIRE ABOUT REPAIR, THE TECHNICIAN BECAME ALARMED BECAUSE I -- LIKE PRESUMABLY MANY OTHERS -- HAD SOUGHT TO INITIATE A TEMPORARY REPAIR BY PLACING HEAVY-DUTY DUCT TAPE OVER THE CRACKED AREA. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED ME TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE DUCT TAPE BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN THAT IT WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG. THUS, IN THIS INSTANCE, WHILE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM MAY ONLY BE COSMETIC, THE TENDENCY OF CONSUMERS TO SEEK TO TEMPORARILY REPAIR THE ISSUE PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE PROHIBITIVE COST OF DASHBOARD REPLACEMENT AS A PROPER REPAIR?? CREATES A SITUATION OF GRAVE CONCERN FOR PASSENGER SAFETY. I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR THOUSANDS OF MILES WITH THE DUCT TAPE COVERING THE AIRBAG WITHOUT A THOUGHT TO THE RISK I WAS TAKING. *TR

I WAS ON THE FEEDER OF THE FREEWAY AND WAS GETTING READY TO ENTER THE FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP. I PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE, AT THIS TIME THE CAR SPED UP ON ITS OWN BEYOND THE SPEED THAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GO. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL; HOWEVER THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I PUSHED ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE FLOOR MAT CAUSING THIS PROBLEM; SO I CHECKED THE GAS PEDAL AND THERE WAS NOTHING NEAR PEDAL. THE FLOOR MAT HAD NOT MOVED EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE. I PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE GAS PEDAL AND ATTEMPTED TO RAISE THE PEDAL; THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON THE SPEED. I STOMPED ON THE GAS PEDAL A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THE PEDAL THEN STARTED RESPONDING NORMALLY. I TRIED TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. *TR

OVER THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED A DETERIORATION OF THE DASHBOARD AS CRACKS AND PEELING HAVE OCCURRED . THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN FINE CONDITION. I ASSUME THAT THE FLORIDA CLIMATE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. HOWEVER, I MUST POINT OUT THAT MY VEHICLE IS NORMALLY PARKED IN THE BASEMENT OF A CONDOMINIUM WHERE I HAVE BEEN RESIDING DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD THAT I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. I DID CALL THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPT. OF LEXUS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AFTER 4 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES. I HAPPENED TO EXAMINE A 1990 MERCEDES BENZ SEDAN AND NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY INTACT. I UNDERSTAND FROM MEDIA COVERAGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DASHBOARD'S CONDITION. *TR

APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 FROM A DEALERSHIP THE DASH BOARD STARTED TO CRACK. EVENTUALLY, IT TRAVELED ACROSS THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD. I CONTACT LEXUS CORPORATE OFFICE TO COMPLAIN. AFTER REFERRING ME TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE IT AND TAKE PHOTOS AND WRITE UP THE DAMAGE, THEY LATER TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY WHICH I ALREADY KNEW. HOWEVER, THEY ADMITTED IT WAS DUE TO INFERIOR AND FAULTY MATERIAL LEXUS USED IN 2004 THRU 2006 IN THEIR MODELS AND ALSO TOYOTA DASHBOARDS. THE COST TO REPLACE THE DASH IS $2,500 THIS IS MY 3RD LEXUS SUV BUT IT WILL BE MY LAST! I FEEL LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO REPLACE THE DASH BOARDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK AND STARTED TO MELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DECLINED TO REPAIR OR DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I FIRST NOTICED CRACKS IN THE PLASTIC IN SEVERAL PLACES RUNNING VERTICALLY ON BOTH SIDES OF MY DASHBOARD AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS WET. IT WAS VERY STICKY TO THE TOUCH AND LEFT A RESIDUE ON MY FINGERS LIKE PINE TAR. MY CAR IS NOT SITTING IN THE HOT SUN AND IS GARAGED FOR THE MOST PART UNLESS GOING TO THE STORE. *TR

MY ELECTRICAL WIRING HAS A HUGE ISSUE. I AM CONFIDENT THIS HAS TO BE A HAZARD OF SOME KIND! A FEW YEARS AGO I STARTED HAVING ISSUES LOCKING/UNLOCKING MY CAR DOORS WITH THE KEY FOB. ONLY ONE OR TWO DOORS WOULD LOCK/UNLOCK ON COMMAND. AFTER RESEARCH I FOUND THIS TO BE A POSSIBLE ACTUATOR PROBLEM. LEXUS ESTIMATED THE COST TO BE $700/ACTUATOR (PER DOOR). WITHOUT HAVING THE ACTUATORS FIXED JUST YET, A COUPLE OF DAYS PASSED AND I NOTICED MY TAIL LIGHT WENT OUT. THE NEXT DAY A HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I VISITED OUR LOCAL ADVANCED AUTO WHERE THEY REPLACED MY HEADLIGHT AND ONLY 'WIGGLE' REAR TAILLIGHT RESULTING IN IT TO WORK AGAIN. UPON LEAVING, I NOTICED THAT ALL OF MY DOOR LOCKS WORKED AGAIN! THIS BULB ADJUSTMENT EFFECTED THE OTHER ELECTRICAL ITEMS. MANY MONTHS LATER, I HAVE REPLACED A HANDFUL OF BULBS AND HAD TO 'WIGGLE' TOO MANY BULBS TO COUNT. THIS EXACT ISSUE HAS NOW SUBSIDED BUT I AM STILL SEEING OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES THROUGHOUT. RIGHT NOW, MY WINDOW MOTOR GRINDS ON PAST THE WINDOW BEING CLOSED AND MY SUNROOF WILL NOT WORK. *TR

MY 2004 LEXUS RX330'S EXTERIOR LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS LEAKED. FRONT AND BACK BUT THE FRONT IS THE WORST. THIS NOW TO THE POINT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SO POOR THAT I HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. LEXUS WILL NOT CORRECT THIS ISSUE UNLESS YOU PAY THEM A WHOPPING $400 + PER UNIT! NO THANK YOU! I SOON HOPE TO PURCHASE SOMETHING NOT MADE BY LEXUS! *TR

MY 2004 LEXUS RX330'S DASHBOARD HAS BEEN CRACKING SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. THE VEHICLE ORIGINATED IN FLORIDA AND NOW IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY HAVE DESTROYED THIS CAR! WHEN I PURCHASED IT USED, THE DASHBOARD HAD A COUPLE OF CRACKS IN IT SO I ASSIDUOUSLY USED A WINDOW SHIELD EVERY SINGLE TIME I GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE TASK IS SUCH A HABIT THAT I EVEN DO THIS UNNECESSARILY AT NIGHT! THE HEAT INSIDE THE CAR STILL COMPLETELY MELTS THE DASH TO NO AVAIL. SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN THE KEY, MY FINGERNAIL WILL ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH THE DASH MATERIAL (IT WRAPS SO IT SURROUNDS THE IGNITION) AND THE MATERIAL WILL COME OFF UNDER MY FINGERNAIL. CRANKING YOUR VEHICLE IS NOT A FORCEFUL ENDEAVOR EITHER, IT IS GENTLE AND I AM VERY CONSCIOUS NOT TO TOUCH THE DASHBOARD MATERIAL BECAUSE OF THIS MELTING ISSUE. ONE WOULD THINK THAT A BRAND SUCH AS LEXUS WOULD BE EMBARRASSED TO HAVE THESE VEHICLES SEEN IN PUBLIC! *TR