2008 Lexus RX350

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX350. WHILE REVERSING, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THREE TREES. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE/INOPERABLE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, BUT TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE IGNITION TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, BUT A REPORT WAS FILED 3 DAYS LATER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED COMPONENTS WERE WORKING PROPERLY AND CONSUMER MADE NO ATTEMPT TO STOP OR STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. VEHICLE ALSO CRASHED INTO 1 CAR.*PM CONSUMER'S INSURANCE COMPANY STATED CAR WAS TOTALED. ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW RACK & PINON DUE TO LEAKAGE WITH LESS THAN 92,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED JUST 2 YEARS AGO AND HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM PREVIOUS OWNER & DEALER SERVICE. HAVE HAD REGULAR SERVICE SINCE PURCHASING IT - WHICH IS HOW ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED. WILL COST OVER $1500 TO REPAIR. UPON DOING SOME INVESTIGATION ON-LINE, I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER EXPERIENCING THIS IN UNDER 100,000 MILEAGES.

I PURCHASED MY 2008 LEXUS RX 350 FROM A ONE OWNER. ONLY 122,000 MILES, GARAGED KEPT AND EXTREMELY CLEAN. UPON TAKING THE CAR OVER AND BRINGING IT HOME. I REMOVED THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE UNDERNEATH. REMOVED THE SPLASH GUARD AND WOUND THAT THE RACK/PINION WHICH IS COVERED BY THE SPLASH GUARD HAD ONE BOOT TOTALLY BUSTED AND THE OTHER (DRIVER SIDE) LEAKING. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS. I FIND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. WE'VE DRIVEN TOYOTA FOR OVER 25 YEARS. THIS IS OUR FIRST UPGRADE TO THE TOYOTA BRAND. THIS LEXUS WAS "BABIED" AND THAT WAS MY MAIN REASON TO BUY IT. I TOO "BABY' ALL OUR CARS AS WE KEEP THEM FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS. I'VE TAKEN THE LEXUS TO MY ASE MECHANIC THAT I'VE USED FOR 30 YEARS. HE IS GOING TO REPLACE THE RACK. MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER THAT I SOLD HAD 360.000 MILES. NEVER A STEERING OR "BOOT" ISSUE..... MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH LEXUS AND SO FAR....NOT GOOD. I WILL KEEP THIS CAR AND HAVE MY MECHANIC DO A FULL SERVICE ON IT (BELTS, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, TRANS OIL, ETC) SOMETHING I DO WITH ALL MY VEHICLES. BUT I'M NOT USED TO HAVING LARGE SAFETY ITEMS LIKE THIS FROM TOYOTA. DOMESTIC CAR MAKERS, YES, BUT NOT TOYOTA.....NOT RIGHT BY LEXUS! THE PREVIOUS OWNER COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THIS. IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR SOMETIME.

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE AROUND AND NOTICED MY STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME "LOOSE". THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. I FILLED IT BACK UP WITH ANTI-LEAK POWER STEERING FLUID, BUT A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I HAD IT CHECKED OUT BECAUSE THE STEERING BECAME NOTICEABLY LOOSER. RACK AND PINION IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FROM BRAND NEW SINCE 2007 AND ONLY HAS 75,000 MILES ON IT. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE (BASED UPON OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS). NORMAL CITY AND HIGHWAY DRIVING.

RACK AND PINION LEAKS THAT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE LEXUS RX 350. THIS FAILURE IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE STEERING SYSTEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE STEERING OIL COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST AND CATCH FIRE AND SHOULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! LEXUS IS WELL AWARE THEY HAVE AN ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AND THEY NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO COVER THESE INSANE COSTS.

I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH LEXUS FOR NOT ADDRESSING THE RACK AND PINION LEAKS THAT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE RX 350 MODELS. I AM NOT ALONE IN REPORTING THIS FAILURE OF A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE STEERING SYSTEM TO NHTSA. THE LEXUS DEALER THAT I TAKE MY CAR FOR SERVICE FOUND THESE LEAKS AT AROUND 91,000 MILES. THE DEALER COULD NOT PROCEED WITH THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT AFTER DISCOVERING THE RACK AND PINION LEAKS. THE REPAIR COSTS THE DEALER ESTIMATED WAS $1320. I DO HOPE THAT NHTSA WILL INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE, WAS INFORMED ONE OF THE POWER STEERING BOOTS WAS "RIPPED AND LEAKING PRETTY GOOD." I WAS QUOTED $1600 FOR A COMPLETE RACK & PINION STEERING REPLACEMENT INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR, WHICH I DECLINED BECAUSE THOSE ARE MSRP PRICES.. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR AND I AM NOW CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHER PASSENGERS. BASED ON OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH 2007-2009 RX350'S ON THIS SITE, LEXUS IS WELL AWARE THEY HAVE AN ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AND THEY NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO COVER THESE INSANE COSTS. WE MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A POWER STEERING FAILURE AT BELOW 75K MILES ON ANY VEHICHLE BUILT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS...NOT HAPPY AND THIS WILL BE ONE AND ONLY LEXUS!