New Rx 350 Pulling To The Right

[LJS]

Hi I'm new to the forum and to Lexus.

The forum is great, but the Lexus RX 350..

My wife got a new 2008 Lexus 350 a couple weeks ago, our first Lexus, 11 miles on it. On the drive home we noticed that it pulled to the right, so I brought it back that day. The mechanic looked at it and saw nothing wrong, claimed it was Lexus sensitive steering we will get use to it.

We took it home thinking maybe, but it continued the next few days so returned to the dealer. This time different mechanic said he felt it also and he did an aliment, also rotated the tires, claimed it was fixed.

Well, it's not, it may be better but it's not right. The 99 Ford Explorer we had, never pulled one way or the other.

We will be bringing it back to the dealer, but if they already did an aliment & rotated the tires what else can they do?

We are extremely frustrated, has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

thanks for any advice

[gordonw]

If theres nothing mechanically wrong, I would guess it would be the tires. How did they "rotate" the tires? Was it from front to rear, or left to right? We usually swap the tires left to right and see if pulls the other way. If it pulls the other way, we replace the tires.

[LJS]

If theres nothing mechanically wrong, I would guess it would be the tires. How did they "rotate" the tires? Was it from front to rear, or left to right? We usually swap the tires left to right and see if pulls the other way. If it pulls the other way, we replace the tires.

The dealer tells me there is nothing mechanically wrong.

I am not sure how the tires were rotated.

There was some improvement after they worked on it.

I'm not sure which helped the alinement or the tire rotation.

[GDixon]

Get the service manager to take a test drive with you in the car to be a witness. Have him take his hands off of the wheel and see what happens. (Make sure his knee is not holding the steering wheel. ;) )

My RX almost drives itself straight down the highway.

What tires did the car come with? The Michelin tires seem to work well but some have complained about the Bridgestones.

[tj1]

Hi I'm new to the forum and to Lexus.

The forum is great, but the Lexus RX 350..

My wife got a new 2008 Lexus 350 a couple weeks ago, our first Lexus, 11 miles on it. On the drive home we noticed that it pulled to the right, so I brought it back that day. The mechanic looked at it and saw nothing wrong, claimed it was Lexus sensitive steering we will get use to it.

We took it home thinking maybe, but it continued the next few days so returned to the dealer. This time different mechanic said he felt it also and he did an aliment, also rotated the tires, claimed it was fixed.

Well, it's not, it may be better but it's not right. The 99 Ford Explorer we had, never pulled one way or the other.

We will be bringing it back to the dealer, but if they already did an aliment & rotated the tires what else can they do?

We are extremely frustrated, has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

thanks for any advice

This is a know problem and there is a Technical Service Bulletin. Ask your service advisor to pull the TSB , if you can send an email: tinkujain@hotmail.com I can forward you the TSB. print it out and take it to the dealer.

[SmilingBoognish]

You can register here:

http://forums.lexushelp.com/local_links.php?catid=47

And download all the TSB's - one a day for free or you can pay them to have unlimited downloads.

[LJS]

I want to thank everyone who has replied,

I will be going to the dealer with the TSB

[Wilson2007]

Hi I'm new to the forum and to Lexus.

The forum is great, but the Lexus RX 350..

My wife got a new 2008 Lexus 350 a couple weeks ago, our first Lexus, 11 miles on it. On the drive home we noticed that it pulled to the right, so I brought it back that day. The mechanic looked at it and saw nothing wrong, claimed it was Lexus sensitive steering we will get use to it.

We took it home thinking maybe, but it continued the next few days so returned to the dealer. This time different mechanic said he felt it also and he did an aliment, also rotated the tires, claimed it was fixed.

Well, it's not, it may be better but it's not right. The 99 Ford Explorer we had, never pulled one way or the other.

We will be bringing it back to the dealer, but if they already did an aliment & rotated the tires what else can they do?

We are extremely frustrated, has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

thanks for any advice

Welcome to the Lexus family. My 2007 RX 350 has pulled to the right since it was new. Now has over 40,000 km on it. As in your experience, the dealer told me it was sensitive Lexus steering :( After alignment, switching tires from side to side, it still was not acceptable. So, I wrote an e-mail to Lexus Canada complaining - ended up getting their servive rep to drive it. He acknowledged the pulling and approved replacement of the power steering pump and rack. Replaced Japanese rack with North American one - supposedly lighter steering touch - more assist. After all that, it was improved - did not feel like the steering was not 'centered' any more, but still wanted to head for the ditch on normal highway driving. Drove it for a while and finally after 1 year warranty was expired, another dealer did another alignment at no charge while I was paying for a replacement windshield after 3 major cracks - but that's another story. It was improved a bit more, but still takes pressure to hold the lane. Seems to be very sensitive to road camber - left lane tends to hold straight, right lane drifts right.

Apparently, the design limits the alignment adjustment they can do - cannot do camber, I think - only caster so it is hard to really do a good job of getting things lined up like they should be.

I'm planning on trying a non-dealer specialty shop to try to get it more comfortable to drive. Sorry to have to advise of ongoing troubles - suggest you not accept the dealer pacification and get them to aggressively make it right. Try driving other vehicles on dealer's lot to see if they are different.

God luck

Wilson

[LJS]

Hi I'm new to the forum and to Lexus.

The forum is great, but the Lexus RX 350..

My wife got a new 2008 Lexus 350 a couple weeks ago, our first Lexus, 11 miles on it. On the drive home we noticed that it pulled to the right, so I brought it back that day. The mechanic looked at it and saw nothing wrong, claimed it was Lexus sensitive steering we will get use to it.

We took it home thinking maybe, but it continued the next few days so returned to the dealer. This time different mechanic said he felt it also and he did an aliment, also rotated the tires, claimed it was fixed.

Well, it's not, it may be better but it's not right. The 99 Ford Explorer we had, never pulled one way or the other.

We will be bringing it back to the dealer, but if they already did an aliment & rotated the tires what else can they do?

We are extremely frustrated, has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

thanks for any advice

Welcome to the Lexus family. My 2007 RX 350 has pulled to the right since it was new. Now has over 40,000 km on it. As in your experience, the dealer told me it was sensitive Lexus steering :( After alignment, switching tires from side to side, it still was not acceptable. So, I wrote an e-mail to Lexus Canada complaining - ended up getting their servive rep to drive it. He acknowledged the pulling and approved replacement of the power steering pump and rack. Replaced Japanese rack with North American one - supposedly lighter steering touch - more assist. After all that, it was improved - did not feel like the steering was not 'centered' any more, but still wanted to head for the ditch on normal highway driving. Drove it for a while and finally after 1 year warranty was expired, another dealer did another alignment at no charge while I was paying for a replacement windshield after 3 major cracks - but that's another story. It was improved a bit more, but still takes pressure to hold the lane. Seems to be very sensitive to road camber - left lane tends to hold straight, right lane drifts right.

Apparently, the design limits the alignment adjustment they can do - cannot do camber, I think - only caster so it is hard to really do a good job of getting things lined up like they should be.

I'm planning on trying a non-dealer specialty shop to try to get it more comfortable to drive. Sorry to have to advise of ongoing troubles - suggest you not accept the dealer pacification and get them to aggressively make it right. Try driving other vehicles on dealer's lot to see if they are different.

God luck

Wilson

Thanks Wilson,

I have an appointment monday, I will do as you suggest and bring in the TSB.

It,s amazing how from a dead stop when I apply gas it just wants to turn to the right.

I am having trouble understanding how Lexus can stand by this.

[skywagon]

Hi I'm new to the forum and to Lexus.

The forum is great, but the Lexus RX 350..

My wife got a new 2008 Lexus 350 a couple weeks ago, our first Lexus, 11 miles on it. On the drive home we noticed that it pulled to the right, so I brought it back that day. The mechanic looked at it and saw nothing wrong, claimed it was Lexus sensitive steering we will get use to it.

We took it home thinking maybe, but it continued the next few days so returned to the dealer. This time different mechanic said he felt it also and he did an aliment, also rotated the tires, claimed it was fixed.

Well, it's not, it may be better but it's not right. The 99 Ford Explorer we had, never pulled one way or the other.

We will be bringing it back to the dealer, but if they already did an aliment & rotated the tires what else can they do?

We are extremely frustrated, has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

thanks for any advice

Welcome to the Lexus family. My 2007 RX 350 has pulled to the right since it was new. Now has over 40,000 km on it. As in your experience, the dealer told me it was sensitive Lexus steering :( After alignment, switching tires from side to side, it still was not acceptable. So, I wrote an e-mail to Lexus Canada complaining - ended up getting their servive rep to drive it. He acknowledged the pulling and approved replacement of the power steering pump and rack. Replaced Japanese rack with North American one - supposedly lighter steering touch - more assist. After all that, it was improved - did not feel like the steering was not 'centered' any more, but still wanted to head for the ditch on normal highway driving. Drove it for a while and finally after 1 year warranty was expired, another dealer did another alignment at no charge while I was paying for a replacement windshield after 3 major cracks - but that's another story. It was improved a bit more, but still takes pressure to hold the lane. Seems to be very sensitive to road camber - left lane tends to hold straight, right lane drifts right.

Apparently, the design limits the alignment adjustment they can do - cannot do camber, I think - only caster so it is hard to really do a good job of getting things lined up like they should be.

I'm planning on trying a non-dealer specialty shop to try to get it more comfortable to drive. Sorry to have to advise of ongoing troubles - suggest you not accept the dealer pacification and get them to aggressively make it right. Try driving other vehicles on dealer's lot to see if they are different.

God luck

Wilson

Had one of those lemons a couple years ago and after stealers did everything they raised right tire pressure by 3 lbs and it was perfect until lube job time and they aired them up all the same so added 3 lbs and ok again for 80,000 miles. sometimes you need to just live with the lemons and make lemonaid lol :D :D :D

[Randy&Bonnie]

..

[Gary_RX]

Had the same problem with my 2007 RX-350. Pulled to the right; dealer checked and found "no problem"; rotated tires..no help; so I drove it for a year. Then I started having an intermittent, then solid tire pressure light. Found the LEFT REAR tire had a slow leak. Replaced the tire and, WOW!, the car no longer pulls to the right...goes straight down the road. Interesting that replacing the left rear tire would correct the pulling to the right problem but clearly it did. Problem now is a low speed "growl" and a high speed "howl" in the left rear. Sounds like a tire noise, not a bearing. Having it checked tomorrow.

Update 7/8:

Well, the reason replacing the left rear tire solved the "pulling to the right" problem was that although the bad tire was at the left rear, they rotated the tires and the same time the new tire was installed. The new tire ended up at the left front, duh. That makes the change in handling much more understandable.

The howling turned out to be sever "cupping" on the inside edge of the left rear (left rear again??) tire. Installed the spare, had an alignment done...so far so good. We'll see how it does on a trip.

As noted on other comments/threads on this forum, I have 20k miles on the car and the Goodyear Eagles are about gone. Probably need to replace in 4-6 months. Looks like Michelins are the best choice.