2008 Lexus Rx

AFTER MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT OF EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS, THE CAR BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. I HAD IT TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER, WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 136,000 MILES, WHICH IS NOT MANY FOR THE QUALITY USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEXUS BRAND. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NO REASON FOR THE FAILURE, BUT ARE CHARGING ME ALMOST $5,700 TO REPLACE IT. I ASKED LEXUS CORPORATE TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS REPAIR, DUE TO THE KNOWN TRANSMISSION ISSUES ON MANY RX MODELS, BUT THEY DECLINED. THE VEHICLE ALMOST DIED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE EXPERIENCING THESE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS, WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO A BAD ACCIDENT. I THINK THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND SHOWS POOR QUALITY IN THEIR MANUFACTURING.

FOLLOWING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT MY LEXUS DEALER, THE CAR EXHIBITED AN OIL LEAKAGE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR'S ENGINE BEGAN SMOKING, A BURNING SMELL WAS NOTICEABLE, AND THE REAR WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED IN OIL. THE VIEW THROUGH THE REARVIEW WINDSHIELD WAS NOT VISIBLE. THE CAR ENGINE MADE SOME STRANGE NOISES AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. RESIDUAL ENGINE DAMAGE IS POSSIBLE, AND AN ACCIDENT WAS LUCKILY AVOIDED. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT THEY WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE OIL COOLER. SOME RESEARCH ONLINE YIELDED SOME CONFLICTING INFORMATION. MANY DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO RECALL WAS EVER ISSUED. T.S.B. POL-14-02 (NHTSA NUMBER 10056509) WAS ISSUED IN JULY 2014 TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT PUTS DRIVERS AT RISK, WHEN A RECALL MAY HAVE BEEN WARRANTED. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED BY LEXUS OR THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS A POTENTIAL ISSUE. THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS OWNERS MAY HAVE FACED OR WILL FACE A SIMILAR RISK IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

AS OF THIS DATE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT OR FAILURE TO THE STEERING RACK ON THIS CAR. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CAR WAS IN THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THERE IS A LEAKAGE OF FLUID FROM THE STEERING RACK BOOT AND IF LEFT UN-REPAIRED IT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION MORE WAS THEIR STATEMENT THAT THIS SHOULD BE/HAVE BEEN A RECALL AS IT IS A PROBLEM ON THE LEXUS RX350 SPANNING SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. I DON'T KNOW IF BY "RECALL" THEY MEANT A VOLUNTARY RECALL OR A NHTSA RECALL. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO LET ONE'S IMAGINATION WANDER TOO FAR TO CONTEMPLATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF A FAILURE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THAT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE FAILURE WOULD TAKE THIRTY DAYS TO COMPLETE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS GIVEN BACK TO HER AFTER THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE MEMORY CARD THAT WAS RETRIEVED WAS NOT INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.