2009 LEXUS RX350 Complaints

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT LEXUS DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BOOT WAS LEAKING AND THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING SOON AS IT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON RECURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AND VALIDATED AS SUCH ON-LINE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR THAT I WAS QUOTED: $1,536.88. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE AND THAT THE COST SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

T-SB-0201-11 FROM TOYOTA/LEXUS STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS TSB AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL INSTEAD OF A TSB DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IF/WHEN THE PIPE BREAKS. I RECENTLY ELECTED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIRED ON MY OWN JUST SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAPPENING TO ME OR MY WIFE, AND THUS BLOWING UP MY LEXUS RX 350'S ENGINE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SEEMS PRETTY BAD THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR ISSUES, BUT NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN DRAIN THE OIL FROM YOUR ENGINE IN A MINUTE, BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE, AND THEN POSSIBLY WRECK YOUR VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S ENGINES ARE NOW BEING DESTROYED, AND THIS IS SHOWING UP IN DIFFERENT ONLINE FORUMS. I FEEL THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA/LEXUS TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE NEWER METAL ONES THAT THE TSB ADDRESSES. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE FORCED TO REIMBURSE ALL COSTS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT EITHER NEEDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE, OR DECIDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THOSE PIPES BURST ON THEIR OWN. *TR

ON OR ABOUT MARCH 5TH 2014, I ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE TAILGATE ON OUR 2009 LEXUA RX350 AND ENCOUNTERED HOT MELTED RUBBER STICKING TO MY FINGERS. I REMOVED THE STICKY BLACK RUBBER FROM THE LOCK, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE TAR-LIKE MATERIAL. AS A CERTIFIED ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN, I CONCLUDED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH ON THAT TAILGATE LOCK STUCK AND HEATED TO A POINT THAT MELTED RUBBER, MAKING A GOO-LIKE MATERIAL. PLEASE NOTE THIS ABOVE REFERENCED CAR WAS NOT IN THE SUN DURING THE TIME THE RUBBER MELTED. WE HAVE BEEN USING THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT USING THE TAILGATE LOCK WITH THE RUBBER BOOT, BECAUSE WE DO NOT LIVE WITHIN 80 MILES OF A LEXUS DEALER, NOT CAN PAY THE $295 TO REPLACE THE BOOT AT THIS TIME. *TR

MELTED, GOOEY, RUBBER STRIP ON REAR HATCHBACK OPENER (CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL DOOR OPENER SWITCH OVERHEATING?) *TR

THE VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VSC, AND TRACTION LIGHTS ARE ON. HAVE SPEND OVER 500.00 ON TRANSISTOR AND MODULES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE NOTHING WORK. MOST RECENTLY, WAS ADVISED THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT $4,400. FOR A CAR WITH SUCH A GREAT REPUTATION, AND NOW SEEING ALL OF THE OTHER LEXUS OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR TRANSMISSION, ITS SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A TREND OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES THAT FOLLOW THESE VEHICLES. *TR

THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND FALLING APART. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS SUPPOSE TO PROTECT YOU DURING AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WHILE BEING SERVICED FOR BRAKES FOR 3RD TIME , DEALER NOTICED TORN/LEAKING RT FRONT BOOT. APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. $15 PART, $475 LABOR. FORTUNATELY THIS WAS COVERED DUE TO 3RD PARTY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE, THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE COVERED. THIS NEGLIGENCE SHOULDN'T HAPPEN ON A PREMIUM BRAND, THIS WILL BE OUR LAST LEXUS. *TR

VEHICLE STARTED LEAKING OIL AND WITHIN 50 YARDS LOST ALL ENGINE OIL. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOUND OIL COOLER PIPE HAD LEAKED AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE OIL COOLER ASSEMBLY - PARTS NUMBERS - 15767-31020, 11496-31010, 15785-31010. *TR

DURING VEHICLE SERVICE TODAY, I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK OF POWER STEERING IS LEAKING. I WAS CHARGED $1750 FOR REPLACING POWER STEERING RACK. AFTER LOOKING ON LINE, I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR RX 350 WITH LOW MILEAGE . THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE LEXUS SHOULD RECALL AND TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

I TOOK OUR 2009 LEXUS RX 350 IN FOR ROUTINE 60K MILE SERVICE AND WAS NOTIFIED BY THE SERVICE ADVISER OF A POWER STEERING LEAK WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RACK AND PINION MECHANISM. WAS QUOTED A COST OF $1700 - $1800 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I DENIED THE SERVICE RECOMMENDATION. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH TOYOTA/LEXUS SHOULD ADDRESS. *TR