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Electric gremlins after major battery repair by local Lexus dealer


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My 400 rx 2006 well maintained always by local Lexus dealer worker perfectly well for years until one day 4 weeks ago my wife got stuck with a dead car, all light s came out and had to be towed to the dealer where it has been serviced for 16 years. Never an accident or a major repair. A/c worked perfectly to the point I drove 80 miles to a local small town and had to raise the thermostat because my hands were getting ice cold.. got a call from dealer that it was a water leak from the pillars and there was water in the battery. Initial quote was 1600 then more than 3000 and 2 weeks of work. On return the day after the turn indicator died. Went back replaced a bulb in the back left. On return from there the windshield motor died no water spray. Back to the dealer. Prior to taking it back thr a/c died hot air coming from thr vents.mind you the a/c worked perfectly well.also the service light came out despite doing the current inspections due, 2500 more. So took it back and those repairs required a new wiper motor and recharging Freon, when I picked it up the a/c was blowing more hot air than outside air. So left it there. Got a call 2 days later now the compressor and 2 fans require close to 7000. All in all 5 electrical malfunctions after a major leak and battery work. My presumption is that the initial repair fried components that led to a lemon for what was a perfectly maintained and running hybrid which is worth no more than 6000 on the market. It has 90,000 miles or so.what a disaster. Any comments appreciated.

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Back in the late 90s, Corvette lead acid batteries were leaking acid on electrical and vacuum components, underneath. Some owners caught the leak before it caused extensive damage but many did not. GM eventually changed the battery to an AGM-type which is far more leak-proof. 

I am puzzled how water did that much damage without your noticing it. Water on the battery would not do that, however, water on an engine control unit circuit board could certainly cause issues. Previously flooded vehicles are notorious for causing all kinds of havoc on electrical systems. Your issues appear to be similar to those of a flooded vehicle.

You may want to contact Lexus Customer Care to discuss the matter.  Also, if you have a Bureau of Automotive Repair as we do in California, call them.
Search for complaints by other RX400 owners who have had similar issues due to drain clogging. Worst case is that you scrap the RX and accept the loss. We rarely park under trees or other vegetation that can cause blockage of the drain channels.

 

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1 hour ago, RX400h said:

Back in the late 90s, Corvette lead acid batteries were leaking acid on electrical and vacuum components, underneath. Some owners caught the leak before it caused extensive damage but many did not. GM eventually changed the battery to an AGM-type which is far more leak-proof. 

I am puzzled how water did that much damage without your noticing it. Water on the battery would not do that, however, water on an engine control unit circuit board could certainly cause issues. Previously flooded vehicles are notorious for causing all kinds of havoc on electrical systems. Your issues appear to be similar to those of a flooded vehicle.

You may want to contact Lexus Customer Care to discuss the matter.  Also, if you have a Bureau of Automotive Repair as we do in California, call them.
Search for complaints by other RX400 owners who have had similar issues due to drain clogging. Worst case is that you scrap the RX and accept the loss. We rarely park under trees or other vegetation that can cause blockage of the drain channels.

 

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I did not see mention of the model and year but the complaints are for hybrids. There is mention of body seams separating and allowing water in. The question is: Is that a design issue? If we look at Consumer Reports data from tens of thousands of RX hybrids, this issue is never mentioned. I wonder if any or all of these vehicles were taken off-road which RX models are clearly not designed for.

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5 hours ago, RX400h said:

Back in the late 90s, Corvette lead acid batteries were leaking acid on electrical and vacuum components, underneath. Some owners caught the leak before it caused extensive damage but many did not. GM eventually changed the battery to an AGM-type which is far more leak-proof. 

I am puzzled how water did that much damage without your noticing it. Water on the battery would not do that, however, water on an engine control unit circuit board could certainly cause issues. Previously flooded vehicles are notorious for causing all kinds of havoc on electrical systems. Your issues appear to be similar to those of a flooded vehicle.

You may want to contact Lexus Customer Care to discuss the matter.  Also, if you have a Bureau of Automotive Repair as we do in California, call them.
Search for complaints by other RX400 owners who have had similar issues due to drain clogging. Worst case is that you scrap the RX and accept the loss. We rarely park under trees or other vegetation that can cause blockage of the drain channels.

It’s a hybrid and notes like these are abundant 

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