2010 Lexus Rx

I WAS DRIVING MY NEW LEXUS 450H (2,000 MILES) IN A FRESH LIGHT SNOW (1.5 TO 2 INCHES) IN INCLINE VILLAGE NV AT 25 MILES PER HOUR ON A SLIGHT DECLINE WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN FOR A CURVE A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY. IT LOCKED THE WHEELS IMMEDIATELY AND AS A RESULT I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL. GIVEN THAT I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO GET MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE BEFORE HAVING TO MAKE TURN AHEAD, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN SNOW MY WHOLE LIFE SINCE I WAS RAISED IN CANADA) AND IT HAD NO EFFECT -- THE WHEELS REMAINED LOCKED AS I GAINED NO CONTROL OF STEERING AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLIDE UNTIL IT HIT THE GUARD RAIL ACROSS THE STREET AS I ENTERED THE TURN AT SOME 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE 450H TRYING TO GENERATE POWER WHENEVER THE GAS PEDAL IS NOT DEPRESSED -- THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN MY FORMER LEXUS 400H WHICH ONLY TRIED TO GENERATE POWER WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED (I KNOW ABOUT THE NEW LOGIC BECAUSE THE POWER GAUGE (THAT SHOWS WHETHER THE BATTERIES ARE CHARGING OR DISCHARGING) SHOWS CHARGING WHENEVER ONE'S FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE GAS PEDAL ON THE 450H, NOT ON THE 400H). NEEDLESS TO SAY, I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER AND TRADED THE VEHICLE FOR AN RX350 THAT WILL DRIVE LIKE A NORMAL CAR. I AM ONLY INTERESTED IN HAVING PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN HILLY SNOW CONDITIONS AVOID BUYING THE RX450H AS THEY WILL NECESSARILY HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. I DO NOT HAVE VIN AT THIS TIME AS I AM AT MY SECOND HOME IN CALIFORNIA AT THIS TIME. *TR

WE BOUGHT A LEXUS 450H 3 MONTH AGO. ON LAST SATURDAY, WHEN THE CAR HIT CURB AT STARTING SPEED, THE STEER WHEEL TURNS 90 DEGREE. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAS ONLY VERY SMALL IMPACT, SOME DUST MARK CAN BE EASILY WIPED OFF. THE CAR IS STILL DRIVABLE, BUT WE ARE AFRAID THAT THIS CAR MAY LOSS CONTROL VERY EASILY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS OFF ROAD ON BUMPY ROAD. DEALER IS STILL TALKING WITH THE FACTORY TO CHECK WHETHER THE FACTORY WARRANTY WILL COVER THE DAMAGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 LEXUS RX450 HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS IN A PARKING LOT WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE DESPITE HER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 16,000.

I WANTED TO ALERT YOU THAT OTHER HYBRID MODELS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THE SAME BRAKING SYSTEM AS THE PRIUS SUFFER THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE A 2010 LEXUS 450H RX AND ITS BRAKES DISENGAGE WHEN I AM DRIVING ON BUMPY ROADS AND OVER POT HOLES. I LIVE IN A NORTHEASTERN CITY WITH MANY BUMPS AND MY BRAKES STOP WORKING OFTEN AND AS A RESULT I HAVE TO SLAM THEM ON MUCH MORE QUICKLY. ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T HAD A CRASH AT THIS POINT, I CAN EASILY SEE RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF A STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME IF MY BRAKES DISENGAGE AT THE WRONG TIME. THIS IS A CONTINUAL ISSUE AND I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE BUT GIVEN THE PRIUS RECALL, I AM CONFUSED WHY MY OWN BRAKES HAVE NOT HAD A SIMILAR SOFTWARE FIX AND THE ISSUE SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME. THE DATE BELOW IS NON SPECIFIC. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FROM DEC 2009 UNTIL NOW AND THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS. THE BRAKES APPEAR TO WORK FINE ON SMOOTH ROADS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2010 LEXUS RX 450H IN JULY OF 2009. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT, I HAVE NOTICED THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR SEEMS TO SURGE FORWARD(!) MOMENTARILY BEFORE IT SLOWS DOWN. THIS HAPPENS MOST FREQUENTLY WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPY ROADS. AND IT WILL HAPPEN EVEN IF I AM ONLY COASTING AND NOT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE INITIALLY. IT HAPPENS TO ME AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. IT IS SOMEWHAT DISTURBING. I HAVE MENTIONED THIS TO MY LEXUS DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE DISMISSED MY CONCERNS BOTH TIMES I BROUGHT IT UP. I NOTICED THIS EVEN BEFORE I HAD HEARD OF THE TOYOTA RECALL ON HYBRID PRIUS BRAKES, BUT FROM WHAT I READ, THE ISSUE SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE PRIUS HYBRID 2010 PROBLEMS. BUT THERE IS SO FAR NO RECALL ON LEXUS 2010 HYBRID BRAKES. HAS ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THIS ISSUE? *TR

I WAS DRIVING A 2010 LEXUS RX450H ON A HIGHWAY AT @60 MPH WHEN IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO @80 MPH WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. IT RESPONDED TO THE BRAKE AND I EXITED THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY CHECKED BY THE DEALER, RALLYE LEXUS IN GLEN COVE NY, AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NO PROBLEMS. THE DEALER AND FACTORY REP. CHECKED THE VEHICLE AFTER THE INCIDENT AND THEY AGAIN SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. HOWEVER, THE EVENT DID OCCUR AND NOW I WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THE MALFUNCTION. *TR

PURCHASED A 2010 LEXUS 450H IN AUGUST OF 2009 AND LESS THAN ONE WEEK AFTER PURCHASED MY WIFE PARKED THE CAR FOR TWO HOURS AND RETURNED AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. LEXUS SENT SOMEONE TO JUMP START IT AND WE BROUGHT TO SERVICE AT THE DEALER IN CARLSBAD, CA. THE NEXT DAY. THEY CHECKED IT OVER AND SAID THAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTER NEVER FOUND A PROBLEM AND THAT ALL APPEARED TO BE PERFECT. THEY DOUBTED THAT THE CAR WAS EVER JUMP STARTED BUT THEN CALLED THE TOWING PEOPLE AND FOUND THAT TO BE TRUE. THEY GAVE ME A READOUT SHOWING THE CAR WAS FINE AND THAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTER SHOWED NO ERROR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 LEXUS RX450H. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH OVER A BUMPY ROAD SURFACE. THERE WAS PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IN WHICH THERE WAS A DELAY POWER RESPONSE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE IN OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER ENCOUNTERING A BUMPY ROAD SURFACE. IN ADDITION, DURING ACCELERATION THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE WHICH OCCURRED INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETECT A PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 900. UPDATED 03/15/10 *BF UPDATED 10/05/10

THE RX450H IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT SWITCH "ON DEMAND" AS THE ADVERTISING SAYS. I LIVE IN SNOWY MASSACHUSETTS AND DO NOT NEED PERMANENT 4 WHEEL DRIVE, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL WHEN THE ROADS ARE FULL OF SNOW OR ICE. I WAS PUZZLED AT FIRST THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE ONLY ACTUATED UNDER 25 MPH. I TESTED IT ON SHARP CORNERS IN THE SNOW: THE BACK SLID OUT; AND ON FASTER, GRADUAL CORNERS: THE CAR SIDE SLIPPED. NEVER DID THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH ON AND CORRECT THE SLIDE. I LOOKED IN THE MANUAL FOR THE METHOD TO MANUALLY ACTIVATE 4 WHEEL DRIVE BUT COULDN'T FIND IT. I CONTACTED LEXUS. THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD USE THE SNOW SWITCH. THIS IS A MENU ITEM WHICH ANNOYINGLY MUST BE SWITCHED ON EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE. IT DIDN'T WORK AS IT ONLY CHANGES THE GEAR AND ACCELERATION CHARACTERISTICS LIKE ANY OTHER WINTER/SUMMER SWITCH. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT SHOULD WORK AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN MORE POWER IS NEEDED. I TRIED THAT AND FOUND THAT AT 60 MPH IF I ABSOLUTELY FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR ON A STEEP HILL THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WOULD SWITCH ON BRIEFLY. THAT'S HYBRID TECHNOLOGY BEING USED TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION?! I WENT BACK TO MY DEALER: WHAT WAS I DOING WRONG? AFTER TWO MONTHS OF PHONE TAG WITH THE DEALER AND LEXUS, THE DEALER PROMISED TO PICK UP THE CAR AND TEST IT. AFTER A WEEK OF TELEPHONE CALLS THEY SAID THERE WAS NO POINT IN TESTING THE CAR AS IT WAS WORKING "AS DESIGNED". HOWEVER IT WASN'T WORKING AS ADVERTISED WHICH IS THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WILL COME ON "AS NEEDED". I'D SAY THAT A BROAD SKID IN SNOW IS "AS NEEDED". LEXUS DOES NOT INTEND TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS COMPLAINT. THEY PUT ME ONTO A "BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT" SPECIALIST WHO TRIED TO UPSELL ME ON A NON-HYBRID 4X4 WHICH HE SAID HAD "A NON SLIP DIFFERENTIAL" AND WOULD THEREFORE HAVE BETTER HANDLING. I CONSIDER IT VERY DANGEROUS THAT A DRIVER THINKS THEY WILL HAVE CONTROL BECAUSE OF LEXUS ADVERTISING AND SALESMAN CLAIMS BUT WILL LIKELY LOOSE CONTROL IN SNOW OR ICE AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

LEXUS HYBRID SUV 2010 RX450H. CAR WAS IN SNOW SETTING AND WHEN I TRIED TO BRAKE ON A LIGHT SNOW SURFACE, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKES AND I ALSO WAS UNABLE TO STEER. I CONTINUED FORWARD UNTIL I REACHED CLEAR PAVEMENT AND WAS THEN ABLE TO BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES TODAY UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. LUCKILY NO CARS WERE COMING OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT BROADSIDE ON A BUSY STREET. *CN