LEXUS Complaints

THERE IS A NOISE THAT MANY OF THESE VEHICLES SUFFER AS A SYMPTOM FROM A PROBLEM IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. IT PRODUCES A HONKING OR GRUNTING TYPE SOUND WHEN FIRM PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN GARAGE. THOUGH NOT NOTICED IMMEDIATELY, SOMETIME DURING THE MORNING I NOTICED MY DASHBOARD VINYL AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LOOKED SWOLLEN , AND UPON EXAMINATION, IT SHOWED A SPLIT IN THE VINYL ALSO. I TOOK IT TO A REPUTABLE AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST THOUSANDS TO FIX, BUT THAT A DEALERSHIP MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP. SO I WENT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEAL WHO SAID SOME VEHICLES HAD RECALLS BUT MINE DID NOT. AS TIME GOES ON, THE VINYL SEEMS TO HAVE PRESSURE BUILDING BEHIND IT, AND THE SPLIT IS MORE OBVIOUS. I AM AFRAID TO ALLOW PASSENGERS TO SIT IN THAT SEAT. I AM AFRAID IF THE AIRBAG BURST OUT WHILE I AM DRIVING, I MAY OVERREACT AND WRECK. THIS IS NOT SAFE AT ALL. PLEASE HELP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

2008 LEXUS IS 250 EXHIBITS A BRIEF RATTLE NOISE (APPROXIMATELY 1-3 SECONDS) AT START-UP. THE ISSUE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHICH RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CAM GEAR ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING (VVT) SYSTEM. THE VVT GEAR HOUSING AND SPROCKET COULD SEPARATE AND RESULT IN THE ENGINE STOPPING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE SAME SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WERE SUBJECT OF THE TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395. THE RECALL EXCLUDED THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250, HOWEVER INCLUDED THE 2006-2011 LEXUS IS 350, 2010-2011 LEXUS IS 350C, AND THE 2006-2011 GS 350 MODELS. THE SAME DIAGNOSIS AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WAS DETERMINED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE MODELS ABOVE, BUT IS NOT IN THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250?

THE CFEI (CERTIFIED FIRE & EXPLOSION INVESTIGATOR) FIRE LIEUTENANT/INVESTIGATOR WITH THE CITY OF FT. LAUDERDALE'S FIRE DEPT, WHO ALSO RESPONDED TO MY 911 CALL, HAD POINTED OUT AND EXPLAINED TO ME THE INTENSITY OF FLAME, HEAT AND BURN PATTERN IN THE ENGINE AND STATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION. WHAT HAPPENED: I HAD JUST DRIVEN MY 2012 LEXUS RX350 A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I PULLED INTO A 7-11 PARKING LOT NOT FAR FROM THE GAS PUMPS AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, I OPENED MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW TO TALK TO A FRIEND WHEN I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I FILED A REPORT WITH LEXUS THE VERY NEXT DAY AND RECEIVED A LETTER 3 WEEKS LATER. THEIR LAST PARAGRAPH SAYS "WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU REPORTED THIS TO GEICO AS WELL. IF THEIR INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED ANY EVIDENCE OF PRODUCT LIABILITY, WE WILL GLADLY REVIEW THAT INFORMATION." I CALLED OUT TO HIM AS HE WAS WALKING FROM HIS VEHICLE TOWARDS MY CAR AND YELLED OUT TO HIM THAT SOMETHING SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING. HE THEN TOLD ME TO RELEASE THE HOOD BECAUSE HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE SLIGHTLY RAISED THE HOOD, SAW A FLAME, SLAMMED THE HOOD SHUT, THEN HE YELLED OUT TO ME "GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW YOUR ENGINE IS ON FIRE". I JUMPED OUT, CALLED 911, THEN STARTED TAKING PHOTOS WITH MY PHONE WHILE WATCHING AS MY VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND SMOKE. FIRST I HEARD THE TIRES BLOW OUT THEN I HEARD THE WINDSHIELD BLOW OUT. MY FRIEND SAW THE FLAMES WHEN HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAID HE OBSERVED THAT THE FIRE WAS BURNING IN THE CENTER OF THE MOTOR AT THE FUEL MANIFOLD. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES LATER AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS!

I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THIS VEHICLE STARTED TO FAIL - FIRST IT STARTED WITH FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND NOW IN ADDITION TO FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, THE DRIVER DOOR AND THE REAR RIGHT DOOR AUTOMATIC LOCKS TO NOT ENGAGE WHEN I TRY TO LOCK/UNLOCK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THESE AT A COST OF ~$1,000 FOR EACH DOOR AND THINK THIS IS UNFAIR SINCE THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THIS MODEL FAILING ONLINE AND IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE DOOR ACTUATOR FAILING (BUT NOT RECALLED) (SEE LEXUS OWNER SITE AND YOUTUBE - SEARCH "2013 LEXUS RX350 DOOR LOCKS NOT WORKING" ON GOOGLE FOR DETAILS). I AM CURRENTLY MANUALLY LOCKING/UNLOCKING THESE DOORS AND FEEL UNSAFE AND FEEL MY PERSONAL PROPERTY INSIDE THE CAR IS EXPOSED TO THEFT SINCE SOMETIMES I FORGET TO LOCK THESE 3 DOORS MANUALLY WHEN DRIVING ALONE IN VEHICLE. NOTE THE ABOVE OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON A CITY STREET/HIGHWAY, AND TURNING.

I RECENTLY TOOK MY NEWLY BAUGHT 2008 LEXUS RX 350 IN AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I DIDN'T NOTICE AND STEERING ISSUES OR LEAKS BUT WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW RACK AND PINION. SINCE ITS LEXUS DEALERSHIP I RESPECT THEIR INSPECTION AND RECOMMENDATION...BUT LIKE MANY OTHERS...IT TURNS OUT THE RACK AND PINION ON THE RX 350 IS COMMON ( TOO COMMON ) AND I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE WRITING A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA. I DON'T SEE ANY RESOLUTION OR EXPLANATION TO THE " SAME " COMPLAINTS. I ALSO HAVE TO PAY $1,800 + AND AM SUPPOSED TO PICK UP MY RX350 JULY 7 OR 8TH, 2020. THE RACK AND PINION IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE... SO I ECHO EVERYONE ELSE. WHY IS THE MANUFACTURER/ DEALERSHIP NOT GIVING US ANSWERS AS TO WHY THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. I FOUND THIS OUT BY RESEARCHING ONLINE. THEY SURE ARE QUICK TO TAKE THE $1800+. GOOD MONEY MAKER DON'T YOU THINK. ALL I'M SAYING IS, IF IT NEEDS REPLACED THEN YES OF COURSE I'LL REPLACE IT AND I'LL TRY TO SOMEHOW FIND THE MONEY TO DO SO... BUT IF THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS ON THE RX350... WHY AM I AND MANY OTHERS COUGHING UP MONEY THAT I HONESTLY DONT HAVE !! TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION ? I JUST CAME IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND 100,000 MILE OVERALL ROUTINE INSPECTION. STEERING FELT GOOD. NO LEAKS NOTED IN MY GARAGE FLOOR...OTHER THEN AC RESIDUAL FLUID WHICH OF COURSE IS NORMAL.

CAR WAS PDI AND DELIVERED ON 06/14/20 WITH AN OPEN RECALL 20LA01 THAT WAS LIKELY TO BE A LIFE-THREATENING ISSUE. EVEN AFTER PDI WAS PERFORMED, THE BREAKS WERE DISFUNCTIONAL, SO HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE ON 06/19/20. LEXUS FOUND THAT ROTORS REQUIRED RESURFACING TO FIX THE BREAKS AND AT THE SAME TIME COMPLETED THE OPEN RECALL 20LA01. HOWEVER ON 07/03/20, THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY TRAFFIC PUTTING THE PAX THRU A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. CAR HAS BEEN FINALLY TOWED TO THE SERVICE AND I AM VERBALLY PROMISED THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN FIXED TO NOT PRESENT ANY LIFE THREATENING ISSUES. SINCE IT IS JUST 15 DAYS OF PURCHASE AND VEHICLE BEEN INTO THE SERVICE REVIEW FOR 3 TIMES WITH SOME LIFE-THREATENING OPEN ISSUES, I AM REQUESTING LEXUS TO EITHER REFUND OR PROVIDE ME A REPLACEMENT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, I'VE BEEN ENCOUNTERING HARD GEAR UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS. I HAVE NOTIFIED MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IS NORMAL. THIS IS MY 3RD CAR I BOUGHT AND THE FIRST TIME I'VE ENCOUNTERED SUCH AN ISSUE. ISSUE USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN SPEEDS RANGE BETWEEN 50-70 MPH REGARDLESS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, GIVEN THAT THE CAR IS STILL PRETTY NEW.

I WAS INVOLVED IN THE INTERSECTION MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. WHEN I WAS T-BONED BY OTHER VEHICLE (MY VEHICLE WAS GOING 30-45 MILES/HOUR, AND MOVING) AND THE OTHER VEHICLE (WHO CAUSED AN ACCIDENT) WAS ALSO GOING 30-45 MILES/ HOUR. WHEN THERE WAS AN IMPACT TO MY RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. MY REAR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED. DAMAGES DONE TO THE CAR IS MY RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER SIDE (FRONT AND REAR) WAS DAMAGED AND UNABLE TO OPEN OR CLOSE. *TR