2009 LEXUS RX350 Complaints

I OWN A LEXUS SUV, MY THIRD LEXUS/TOYOTA BRAND VEHICLE. SO I TRUSTED THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY. ONE DAY EVERYTHING IS FINE. THE NEXT DAY, I SEE A SMALL CRACK IN THE LOWER PART OF THE DASHBOARD OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. LITERALLY, ONE DAY FINE AND THE NEXT CRACKED AND WITHOUT A SINGLE INCIDENT THAT CAUSED IT. IN JUST A MATTER OF WEEKS, MY ENTIRE LEFT DASHBOARD IS CRACKING AND CHIPPING AND IT CONTINUES TO SPREAD AND DETERIORATE DAY BY DAY. I AM SHOCKED AND ALARMED! I DO NOT TRUST THAT THIS DASHBOARD IS SAFE AS I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG (S) WILL BE COMPROMISED. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT IT COULD COMPONENTS INTEGRAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA AND LEXUS (AFFECTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES) YET LITTLE TO NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A RECALL. IT HAS BEEN COVERED EXTENSIVELY IN NEWS STORIES, ON THE WEB AND BY DEALERSHIPS CONCERNED ABOUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SAFETY. THERE ARE ALSO KNOWN TO BE INTERNAL DOCUMENTS BY TOYOTA THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED LEXUS CORPORATE AND IT SENT ME TO A LOCAL LEXUS DEALER TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUE AND THIS WENT BACK TO LEXUS CORPORATE. THIS LANGUISHED FOR MANY WEEKS WITHOUT FOLLOW UP AND THEN MY CLAIM WAS UNCEREMONIOUSLY DENIED AND WITHOUT EXPLANATION. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. *TR

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN OIL LEAK AFTER HAVING MY OIL CHANGED, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS LEAKING FROM A CRACK IN THE BOOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS CHARGED OVER $1400.00 TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING PART. A DISCUSSION WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND A REVIEW OF A NUMBER OF WEBSITES MAKES IT OBVIOUS THAT THIS HAS BECOME A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. *TR

ON 22 JULY 2014, I PROCEEDED TO THE LEXUS OF HUNTSVILLE DEALERSHIP FOR A 75,000 OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION, AND SERVICE MAINTENANCE FOR MY 2009 RX 350. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING HAD A LEAK NEAR THE LEFT SIDE BOOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO WAS TOLD THAT MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE SERVICED AS WELL. I WAS GIVEN AN APPROXIMATE QUOTE OF $1600.00 TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING PART, AND A NEEDED FRONT END ALIGNMENT ALONG WITH HAVING MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKES REPLACED AND THE ORIGINAL OIL CHANGE, AND TIRE ROTATION. I ENDED UP PAYING $2,265.00 THAT DAY. I WENT AHEAD AND HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED WITH THE INTENT OF FILING THIS COMPLAINT AS I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT LEXUS HAD A HISTORY OF THESE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND BOOTS LEAK AS I SHOWED HIM THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE. IN ADDITION TO PAY AT LEAST $38,00 DOLLARS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND STILL GET CHARGED FOR A MAJOR PART TO HAVE IT FIX IS WORTHY FOR A COMPLAINT. TO HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PARTS OVER THE AMOUNT OF YEARS TELLS ME WHY HAVEN'T THIS BEEN ON THE RECALL LISTS AND WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR? WILL IT TAKE A FATALITY TO GET THE ATTENTION OF A RECALL. I LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, AND THIS HAS PUT ME IN A MAJOR BIND FINANCIALLY. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

RECALL THERE HAS BEEN A SERIES OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DASHBOARD OF LEXUS GETTING STICKY AND CRACKING FURTHER AND FURTHER AS TIME GOES BY. I AM NOW ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS LIST OF UNSATISFIED AND CONCERNED OWNER. MY 2009 LEXUS RX350 HAS NOTICEABLE STICKINESS IN THE DASHBOARD AND CRACKING IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE DASHBOARD. WHAT IS ALARMING IS THAT THE CRACKS ARE BEGINNING TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE AROUND OR ON THE AIRBAG LOCATION ON THE DASHBOARD. I AM ALARMED AND CONCERNED BECAUSE OF HOW THE CRACKS IS SPREADING IT MAY CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY ACCIDENTALLY. THE DEALER OFFERED TO SUPPLY THE NECESSARY PARTS BUT WANTS ME TO PAY UP TO $1000 IN LABOR. THE TO ME IS VERY INSULTING BECAUSE THIS IS KNOWN AS AN ISSUE AND IT IS A MANUFACTURER FAULT NOT OWNER. PLEASE ADVICE. THANK YOU ON ADVANCE. *TR

TOOK CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY DID A OIL CHANGE AND TOLD ME THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED REPAIRS OF 1667.00. SEEMS LIKE A COMMON MALFUNCTION AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

EXPLODING PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR I OWN A 2009 LEXUS RX-350. IT'S IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH LIMITED MILEAGE. LAST WEEK, WE WERE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A VERY LOUD & FRIGHTENING EXPLOSION EMANATING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR. THE MIRROR CAME FLYING OUT OF ITS CASING, HANGING BY ITS WIRES, & WAS CRACKED. MOREOVER, THE FLUID THAT'S IN THESE AUTO-DIMMING MIRRORS SPRAYED/DRIPPED ONTO VARIOUS PANELS, DAMAGING THE PAINT. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. NO BIKER, PERSON, OR CRAZY BIRD HIT MY MIRROR, NOR WAS I SHOT AT. IT WAS ALSO NOT TEMP-RELATED. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE IN DIVERSE MAKES & MODELS: HTTP://WWW.PLANETLEXUS.COM/LEXUS-FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2787 HTTP://COMMUNITY.CARTALK.COM/DISCUSSION/2129791/SPONTANEOUS-EXPLOSION-OF-RIGHT-SIDE-MIRROR HTTP://WWW.JUSTANSWER.COM/MERCEDES/1KS72-POSSIBLE-SIDEMIRROR-RIGHT-OUSIDE-EXPLODE.HTML HTTPS://ANSWERS.YAHOO.COM/QUESTION/INDEX?QID=20100730125750AANPD6F HTTP://WWW.MYFORDFREESTYLE.COM/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=8&T=4095&VIEW=NEXT HTTP://WWW.TOYOTANATION.COM/FORUM/8-GENERAL-DISCUSSION/102512-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-EXPLODED-FREEWAY.HTML HTTP://WWW.MAZDAS247.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?123702932-[XXX]-IT!!-(SIDE-MIRROR-COVER-EXPLODED!!) HTTP://WWW.JAGUARFORUMS.COM/FORUM/XK8-XKR-17/ANYONE-EVER-EXPERIENCE-REAR-VIEW-MIRROR-EXPLODING-INTERNALLY-27371/ SOMETHING IS DEFECTIVE. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE YOU WERE DRIVING, IT COULD HAVE VERY SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. IN THE LAST LINK ABOVE, THE DEFECT HAPPENED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. WHAT IF THE MIRROR HAD ALSO EXPLODED & THE GLASS SHARDS WENT IN SOMEONE'S FACE? IN ANOTHER LINK ABOVE, THE MIRROR EXPLODED & THE DRIVER SAW PIECES FLYING THROUGH THE AIR BEHIND HIM. WHAT IF A PASSENGER WERE IN THE FRONT SEAT WITH THE WINDOW DOWN AND THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED? THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING IN THE VERY BUSY FREEWAY, THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING OR ANY SIGNAL. UPON LEXUS DEALER INSPECTION, THE CAUSE WAS , BOLTS USED TO SECURE THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL DEVICE CAN BECOME LOOSE, ONE OF THE BOLTS CAME OUT AND CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK AND IT BROKE THE ENGINE HEAD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STOP WHILE BEING DRIVEN. LEXUS HAS NOT RECALLED THE RX 350 MODELS, HOWEVER ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 LEXUS HAS RECALLED IS 350, IS 350C AND GS 350 VEHICLES FOR THE EXACT SAME REASON. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT LEXUS DEALER. ACCORDING TO LEXUS SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO PREVENT THIS OR TO KNOW. THE SUDDEN STOP OF THE VEHICLE IN THE FREEWAY AS THE RESULT OF THIS ENGINE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHICH WAS VERY LIFE THREATENING. THESE ENGINES HAS TO BE RECALLED FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR BY LEXUS. LEXUS DID NOT ACCEPT THE FAULT EVEN THOUGH THEY ACCEPTED TO PAY PARTIAL PART OF THE COST OF THE REBUILDING THE ENGINE AS A COURTESY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS RX 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PLANETARY ASSEMBLY HAD BECOME DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,410. UPDATED 2/11/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED AAMCO RE-BUILT THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. THEY FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE PINS HAD WORKED THEMSELVES OUT ON THE REAR PLANET ASSEMBLY GEARS, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. UPDATED 02/14/14

AFTER A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE AT 94,000 I WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION NEEDS REPLACEMENT FOR A FEE OF $1854, PLUS BRAKE PAD AND REPLACEMENT AND RESURFACING OF THE REAR ROTORS FOR $385. I FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. *TR