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2008 Lexus RX350

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most RX350 years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Lexus RX350 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 29.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

101 reports with mileage · 25 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Structure. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports4 fire reports7 injury reports

Steering complaints

18 reports
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104,542 miles · Mar 27, 2015
Steering

THERE WAS A TORN POWER STEERING BOOT ON THE RACK. THE TORN SHOULD BE THERE FOR A WHILE. I PURCHASED A 100K MILES WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT THE LEXUS DEALERS NEVER MENTIONED OR POINTED OUT ABOUT THE DAMAGE UNTIL THE 100K MILES WARRANTY RAN OUT. AS SOON AS THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, I GOT INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING BOOT …

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THERE WAS A TORN POWER STEERING BOOT ON THE RACK. THE TORN SHOULD BE THERE FOR A WHILE. I PURCHASED A 100K MILES WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT THE LEXUS DEALERS NEVER MENTIONED OR POINTED OUT ABOUT THE DAMAGE UNTIL THE 100K MILES WARRANTY RAN OUT. AS SOON AS THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, I GOT INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING BOOT ON THE RACK GOT TORN AND IT WILL COST ME $1600. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10702277

95,256 miles · Jan 19, 2015
Steering

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE SERVICE; WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING, THERE WAS A TEAR IN THE BOOT AND IT WAS LEAKING FLUID, AFTER BEING QUOTED $1800 FOR PARTS AND LABOR I DECLINED THE REPAIR. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A 7 YEAR OLD CAR WITH MAJORITY OF HIGHWAY MILES WOULD HAVE…

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I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE SERVICE; WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING, THERE WAS A TEAR IN THE BOOT AND IT WAS LEAKING FLUID, AFTER BEING QUOTED $1800 FOR PARTS AND LABOR I DECLINED THE REPAIR. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A 7 YEAR OLD CAR WITH MAJORITY OF HIGHWAY MILES WOULD HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE RACK AND PINION GOING BAD. WHEN I CAME HOME I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND GENERATION RX. IN MY FAMILY, MAJORITY OF OUR CARS ARE TOYOTAS & LEXUS; WE HAVE A COROLLA, 2 CAMRY'S, SIENNA, HIGHLANDER, IS350, RX350. ONE CAMRY HAS ALMOST 200KMILES, THE COROLLA HAS OVER 150K MILES. WE'VE OWNED 2 OTHER COROLLAS, ES250, CELICA, I'VE OWNED OTHER BRAND CARS TOO AND HAVE DRIVEN OVER 150K MILES AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION BOOT TEARING. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE RX, THE LAST TIME THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH A (MOTOR) OIL LINE BURSTING, THE OIL LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE OIL COOLER - THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPENED, THE CAR MADE IT HOME SAFELY HOME (BUT NO LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON) AND WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE OIL LINE BURSTING WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THAT THE NEWER RX MODELS THE PIPE WAS REPLACE WITH METAL PIPE. IN MY OPINION ABOUT THE RACK AND PINION, IT'S DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE - THE STEERING OIL COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST AND CATCH FIRE, AND IF ALL THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKS OUT ONE MAY NOT REALIZE IT AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STEER THE CAR OUT OF HARMS WAY. WE'VE OWNED SO MANY TOYOTA/LEXUS CARS AND WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN BELIEVER OF TOYOTA/LEXUS, BUT THIS RX HAS GOT ME WORRIED. I HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. WILL BE THINKING REALLY HARD ABOUT TOYOTA/LEXUS WHEN IT COMES TIME TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676555

Mileage unknown · Jan 3, 2015
Steering

THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BLEW UP SPEWING POWER STEERING FLUID ALL OVER THE UNDERCARRIAGE. LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING RESULTED DO TO LACK OF FLUID. NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY LEAKS OR POOR PERFORMANCE FROM THE STEERING. NO NOISE INDICATING THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LEAK. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENTS WAS CAUSED. THE OIL GOT A…

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THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BLEW UP SPEWING POWER STEERING FLUID ALL OVER THE UNDERCARRIAGE. LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING RESULTED DO TO LACK OF FLUID. NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY LEAKS OR POOR PERFORMANCE FROM THE STEERING. NO NOISE INDICATING THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LEAK. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENTS WAS CAUSED. THE OIL GOT ALL OVER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10669811

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

I TOOK MY RX 350 FOR THE 80,000 SERVICE. MY SERVICE ADVISER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THE I HAD AN OIL LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND IT MUST BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2600.00 TO $3000.00. I BELIEVE THIS IS A LEXUS PROBLEM THEY SHOULD TAKE CARE IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10651354

55,000 miles · Oct 3, 2014
Steering

WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD THE POWERING STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1600. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. THIS …

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WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD THE POWERING STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1600. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. THIS TYPE OF LUXURY CAR AT 55,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED THIS REPLACED. IT SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND LEXUS SHOULD DO A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR ALL 2008 LEXUS RX350. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10641280

81,840 miles · Oct 1, 2014
Steering

WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR AT THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1602.44. MY CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE RESEARCHED T…

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WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR AT THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1602.44. MY CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND FOUND SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THIS TYPE OF LUXURY CAR AT 81,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED THIS REPLACED. DESPITE WITH ALL COMPLAINTS AND SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS LEXUS 2008 RX350 REGARDING THE POWER STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY, LEXUS SHOULD RECALL THIS PART FOR REPLACEMENT WITH NO COST TO OWNER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10640369

65,742 miles · Aug 29, 2014
Steering

WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD THE POWERING STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1790. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. I H…

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WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD THE POWERING STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1790. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE 2 FRIENDS WITH THE EXACT SAME CAR AND SAME YEAR AND THEY BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAD TO HAVE THEIRS REPLACED AS WELL. ONE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, ONE WAS NOT. I CALLED TO COMPLAIN TO LEXUS CORPORATE AND WAS OFFERED $700 TO HELP PAY HALF OF THE REPAIR. THIS TYPE OF LUXURY CAR AT 65,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED THIS REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10629376

35,000 miles · Feb 20, 2014
Steering

AUTO UNDERWENT ROUTINE 35,000 MILE MAINTENANCE - DEALER NOTED POWER STEERING LEAK, REQUIRING RACK AND PINION REPLACEMENT. IS THE PART DEFECTIVE? WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? NOTED LARGE NUMBER OF THE SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10565071

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.