2009 Lexus RX350

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT LEXUS DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING AND THE ENTIRE RACK NEEDED REPLACING SOON AS IT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON REOCCURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AND VALIDATED AS SUCH ON-LINE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR THAT I WAS QUOTED: $1,678.85. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE AND THAT THE COST SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE OF AN OIL CHANGE ON MARCH 21, 2015. I WAS INFORMED BY MY ADVISOR THAT THE POWER RACK & PINION ASSY. IS LEAKING FLUID. THE ENTIRE ASSY. HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1, 900.00 (REALLY). IF THE FLUID IS LEAKING THAT WOULD AFFECT MY STEERING THE VEHICLE AND TURNING (GOD FORBID). THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD HOW CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH MY FAMILY. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THE MATTER WAS INFORMED THAT ISN'T A RECALL ON THE PART. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD AND DEFECT OF PART. I AM ASKING FOR ASSIST IN THIS PRESSING (DANGEROUS) MATTER. I WILL CONTACT ANY ONE I KNOW THAT IS LOOKING TO PURCHASE THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I WILL LET THEM KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS MODEL VEHICLE. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT LEXUS DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BOOT WAS LEAKING AND THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING SOON AS IT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON RECURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AND VALIDATED AS SUCH ON-LINE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR THAT I WAS QUOTED: $1,536.88. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE AND THAT THE COST SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

T-SB-0201-11 FROM TOYOTA/LEXUS STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS TSB AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL INSTEAD OF A TSB DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IF/WHEN THE PIPE BREAKS. I RECENTLY ELECTED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIRED ON MY OWN JUST SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAPPENING TO ME OR MY WIFE, AND THUS BLOWING UP MY LEXUS RX 350'S ENGINE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SEEMS PRETTY BAD THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR ISSUES, BUT NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN DRAIN THE OIL FROM YOUR ENGINE IN A MINUTE, BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE, AND THEN POSSIBLY WRECK YOUR VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S ENGINES ARE NOW BEING DESTROYED, AND THIS IS SHOWING UP IN DIFFERENT ONLINE FORUMS. I FEEL THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA/LEXUS TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE NEWER METAL ONES THAT THE TSB ADDRESSES. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE FORCED TO REIMBURSE ALL COSTS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT EITHER NEEDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE, OR DECIDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THOSE PIPES BURST ON THEIR OWN. *TR

ON OR ABOUT MARCH 5TH 2014, I ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE TAILGATE ON OUR 2009 LEXUA RX350 AND ENCOUNTERED HOT MELTED RUBBER STICKING TO MY FINGERS. I REMOVED THE STICKY BLACK RUBBER FROM THE LOCK, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE TAR-LIKE MATERIAL. AS A CERTIFIED ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN, I CONCLUDED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH ON THAT TAILGATE LOCK STUCK AND HEATED TO A POINT THAT MELTED RUBBER, MAKING A GOO-LIKE MATERIAL. PLEASE NOTE THIS ABOVE REFERENCED CAR WAS NOT IN THE SUN DURING THE TIME THE RUBBER MELTED. WE HAVE BEEN USING THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT USING THE TAILGATE LOCK WITH THE RUBBER BOOT, BECAUSE WE DO NOT LIVE WITHIN 80 MILES OF A LEXUS DEALER, NOT CAN PAY THE $295 TO REPLACE THE BOOT AT THIS TIME. *TR

THE VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VSC, AND TRACTION LIGHTS ARE ON. HAVE SPEND OVER 500.00 ON TRANSISTOR AND MODULES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE NOTHING WORK. MOST RECENTLY, WAS ADVISED THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT $4,400. FOR A CAR WITH SUCH A GREAT REPUTATION, AND NOW SEEING ALL OF THE OTHER LEXUS OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR TRANSMISSION, ITS SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A TREND OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES THAT FOLLOW THESE VEHICLES. *TR

WHILE BEING SERVICED FOR BRAKES FOR 3RD TIME , DEALER NOTICED TORN/LEAKING RT FRONT BOOT. APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. $15 PART, $475 LABOR. FORTUNATELY THIS WAS COVERED DUE TO 3RD PARTY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE, THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE COVERED. THIS NEGLIGENCE SHOULDN'T HAPPEN ON A PREMIUM BRAND, THIS WILL BE OUR LAST LEXUS. *TR