2005 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS A STARTLINGLY LOUD NOISE FROM THE BACK, UPPER LEFT PART OF THE CAR. AFTER REACHING OUR DESTINATION WE REALIZED THE TOP MOLDING ON THE QUARTER REAR DRIVER-SIDE WINDOW HAD RIPPED OFF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON DESIGN FLAW, BASED ON LEXUS CHATS. THIS SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURER COVERED DEFECT EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS DANGER IF THOSE HIT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING. *TR

DASH HAS HAIRLINE CRACKS NEAR FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG AND AROUND IGNITION AND GAUGES. I HAVE HAD MY DASH COVERED FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS AND ALSO VEHICLE KEPT UNDER A CARPORT. MANY FORUMS HAVE CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME ISSUE. LEXUS REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I'M CONCERNED IF MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED THE FLYING DEBRIS FROM DASH COULD POSSIBLY PUT SOMEONE'S EYE OUT OR CAUSE FACIAL INJURY. HOPEFULLY, THIS WILL BE INVESTIGATED AND LEXUS WILL HAVE TO ISSUE A RECALL TO REPLACE THE DASH DUE TO THE FAULTY MATERIAL USED TO MAKE THE DASH. *TR

VEHICLE STARTING MAKING NOISE, TOOK IT INTO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS VERY LOW. THEY ALSO STATED I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION. I LOOKED ONLINE, AND IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH 2005 RX330'S. OBVIOUSLY, READING THE COMPLAINTS, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR

BESIDES MELTING/SHINING/STICKY DASHBOARD THE WHOLE BOARD IS CRACKED STRAIGHT FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR TO THE DRIVERS DOOR. IN 2010 WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE TO JM LEXUS (MARGATE) I ASKED ABOUT GETTING IT FIXED OR REPLACED AS I WAS WORRIED IT FALL DOWN FROM WHERE THE CRACK IS. THE GENTLEMEN'S ANSWER WAS THAT THE CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD. I EXPLAINED I HAVE ANOTHER CAR THAT IS OLDER WITHOUT THE ISSUES. THE REPAIR WOULD BE MY EXPENSE. I NOW HAVE A CAR THAT HAS REDUCED RESALE OR TRADE IN VALUE THAT COST A LOT OF MONEY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX330. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE NEAR THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MERGE TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, BUT THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND HEADED BACK INTO TRAFFIC. ONLY THE FRONT TWO WHEELS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AND THE REAR TIRES WERE LOCKED. THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 11V112000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND 10V499000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.

A CRACK ABOVE THE GLOVE BOX STARTED TO APPEAR. IF THE CRACK CONTINUES, IT COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND CAUSE A WRECK OR LIFE. I BOUGHT THE LEXUS NEW AND PAID AROUND $38,000. I LOVE THE CAR, AS IT LOOKS BRAND NEW, EXCEPT FOR THE DASH BOARD. THE BACK SEAT HAS HARDLY BEEN SAT IN. *TR

DASHBOARD STARTED CRACKING ABOUT ONE YEAR AFTER WARRANTY. IT STARTED AS A SMALL HAIRLINE CRACK. ITS NOW EVERYWHERE. THE AIR BAGS ARE IN DANGER OF POPPING OUT. HERE IS A FORUM THAT EXPLAINS THIS AND SHOWS PICTURES. ITS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE IN MOST LEXUS VEHICLES HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/GX-FIRST-GENERATION/603916-MY-DASHBOARD-IS-CRACKING-9.HTML. *TR

POWER STEERING RACK UNIT LEAKING COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY LEXUS OWNERS AS SHOWN BELOW. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM LEAVING MANY OWNERS TO PAY FOR EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. I HAVE PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT PART MYSELF AND WILL HAVE MY LOCAL CERTIFIED MECHANIC DO THE LABOR. TOTAL COST TO ME WILL BE OVER $600 WHICH IS FAR CHEAPER THEN THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP CHARGES. LINK BELOW SHOWS HOW MANY LEXUS OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2005/LEXUS/RX+330/STEERING. *TR

POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY O-RING SEALS FAIL ALLOWING POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK OUT INTO RUBBER BOOT. REPLACEMENT IS RECOMMENDED AVERAGE COST TO OWNER $1000, LEXUS REFUSES TO COVER ANY OF IT. MY LEXUS WAS INSPECTED BY CAR CENTER LOCATED IN GREENVILLE MI LICENSED MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED AND DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM. CALLED MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MY PROBLEM. *TR

MY VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PARKED IN A GARAGE, AND I HAVE ALWAYS USED A SHIELD IN THE FRONT WINDOW WHEN IT IS PARKED OUTSIDE REGARDLESS OF WEATHER. I AM FANATICAL ABOUT CLEANING AND USED ONLY CLEANERS, CONDITIONERS, ETC THAT LEXUS HAD RECOMMENDED (BASICALLY I ONLY BUY WHAT LEXUS SELLS TO CARE FOR MY SUV). IN EARLY 2011, MY DAUGHTER NOTICED A VERY LARGE CRACK IN THE DASH RIGHT ABOVE THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. (WE WERE GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE NOT MOVING, ETC). LATER THAT AFTERNOON WE GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND NOT ONLY WERE THERE MORE CRACKS, BUT HUGE CHUNKS HAVE FALLEN OFF AND LITERALLY THE PIECES THAT FELL OFF JUST DISINTEGRATED WHEN PICKED UP. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AS TOYOTA HAS ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE, ALBEIT ONA CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF FORUMS & POSTS OF OTHERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE NO MATTER LOCATION, MILEAGE OR CARE OR CONDITION OF VEHICLE. LEXUS SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PREVIOUS REPUTATION FOR BEING A LUXURY VEHICLE AND NOT COMPROMISING ON THE INTEGRITY OF THEIR PRODUCT AND REPLACE OR FIX OR REIMBURSE THOSE THAT ARE AFFECTED! I AM A SINGLE MOM WITH THREE KIDS AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY OUT OVER $3000 TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT NOR SHOULD THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS DEALING WITH THIS PREPOSTEROUS SITUATION WE ARE FACED WITH. LEXUS NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE CARE OF THIS!! *TR