OKEH1

I have been through that route, tokk the BBB to get them moving, they are always full of promises. My dealership is SteVens Creek , San Jose, and although they have been very helpful and understanding, even to agreeing thereis a noise, they cannot replace the parts due to Lexus being stubborn, I think they understand my problem and even gave me a complementary 30000 mile service, now no dealership would give away $700 worth of servicing if there wasnt a problem. Anyway, ggod luck and I'll keep watching and waiting.

I suggest you register a complaint with the NHTSA for this complaint, I have and suggest everyone who has had similar problems do the same. I say this because a couple of days ago , Toyota is recalling around 3/4 million suv's and trucks for suspension and steering problems, mainly due to poor assembly of ball joints. I am convinced my vehicle has this problem and is getting worse, but Lexus continue to deny any probelm although they now acknowledge they can hear the noises but are unwilling to fix the car , saying it is not a safety issue. Lets see when someone has an accident if they can continue a cover up.

I too have had similare noises on my 2004 330, and the local dealer told me it was the front struts, they ordered them but were stopped from fitting them by Lexus head office and I was informed the senior engineer from Torrance would inspect the car to confirm if they were needed. As this is an obvious concern to me , I wated a month for them to carry out the inspection. The engineer arrived along with the area manager and they test drove the car, then to my suprise told me the car was operating withing noise limits and the sounds from the supension were normal operation, and on no account would they repair anyhtin, in fact they told me they will not warrant any suspension repairs on y vehicle , even though I have two years of warranty left. I tried the BBB but to no avail so really I ma stuck with a car thaty I considr faulty but cannot get any recourse.

I remeber seeing an e-amil from Toyota/Lexus re not changing the RX400 wheels from standard, maybe you should check and see if the dealer change was legitimate and not compromising warranty or safety.

I have a 2003 RX330 with almost 30000 miles on the clock, the car is driven approx 30 miles per day , split roughly 50% freeway /city driving . my average is 21 - 22 per gallon and have monitored this on a regular basis by the onboard comp and by my fuel reciepts.Now here is the good part, when we do a good run , all freeway at constant 65 we can return easily 25 -26 and have had up to 28 if i cruise at 60 ish , so no complaints here on MPG . I can't justify buying the 400H on fule economy, it would take way too long to offset the difference and prefer the 330's wood interior anyday to the designer look which may get dated fast. Remember wood is a renewable product, not like plastic or metal which has to be recycled at a cost .

The 400 is more alike the 330 than the 300 was to the 330, I thought the 330 was a complete redesign differing from the 300. In my opinion the 400 event though hybrid is basically the same platform and probably has similar issues to the 330 such as component fit , rattles, materials, mileage etc Keep it here so any future purchasers can easily compare the vehicles.

The vehicle was a Lexus demo/fleet vehicle, I reckon a lot of the problems would have been sorted from new if it had only one owner/driver, but as nobody probably drove it on a regular basis , then the problems went unresolved. In any case , I bought Lexus thinking I was purchasing a state of the art vehicle which would come with associated quality of build and components, so far this has not proved a reality and this is my complaint, we are talking 2004 technology etc, and not mid-70's Detroit built cars.

Amongst the problems which are more serious and not cosmetic these being related to Transmission, all the fluid lines had to be replaced , very noisy injectors, almost diesel like, roof rack rails locks broke, both sunvisors broke, Hood stay failed, would not hold hood open, front suspension very noisy over bumps at low speed,leaking rear window seal . So in all not just cosmetic.

The underseal is applied during the vehicle build, it is not just underseal protectant, but a very thick soundproofing, and should be around 3 to 4mm thick. On my vehicle it seems as though the coating has dried out and is now detaching it self from the primed body as I can see light grey areas appearing and find chunks in the drive. My main worry is due to its location in the wheel wells, corrosion will start soon The main dealer is taking it in for photos Friday to send to Lexus , so hopefully they will resolve the problem

Appreciate all the advice, and have taken note. My car was purchased from the main Lexus dealer who had used it for demo's etc, I have full history of the vehicle, with all repair documents etc. I feel this was a rogue vehicle and not the norm , but really have had enough and it has become very stressful with me wondering what will fail next, It is going in for the next problem on Friday, this is for the underseal which is falling off, and the dealer wants to photo the problem now to send to Lexus. I have a feeling they cant believe all the problems this vehicle has had, so maybe they can help persuade the HQ to respond. On another note, I did write to Dennis Clements, VP, Lexus US., I never recieved an acknowledgement from him, I checked to see if they recieved the letter and they had and passed to a rep, but she never called back, I had to follow it up and then to be told they thought my problems had been resolved by the dealer, leading me to think they are trying to get me to go away. Oh, well, maybe I have to resort to Legal aid. Thanks again anyway

My 2004 RX330, bought used from main dealer last July with 20500 on clock, car has been back to dealer for 18 repairs under warranty and been off the road for around 25 days, I have just reached 28000. Have I any legal recourse available to help me, does the lemon law apply to a used vehicle?. I am at my wits end with this car, any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

I have an early 2004 RX330 and notice the underseal / sounddamping coating in the rear wheel wells is falling off, there are quite a lot of patches now seemingly down to metal surfaces, which seemed to be primed I hope. Has anyone elso noticed this problem, I am sure my vehicle cannot be alone with this problem. I asked my service department on two occasions, they agreed there is a problem and would look for further evidence on others of similar age, I am still waiting for a reply.

My 2004 RX330 is presently in the service dept (4-days), for a variety of fixes, two f which are recurrent problems. I sat down with the service manager and discussed with him about the transmission lag, which has been a main concern of mine for some time now, he told me these cars HAVE to run on premium fuel to eliminate this problem, I told him this was not acceptable as it states in the manual and I was told when purchasing the car it was fine to use regular, is Lexus misleading customers by telling them they can use regular gas and then when it performs poorly claim the cure is to use premium fule and increase your fuel expenditure substantially. The next lot of words of wisdom from him was regarding the bad mold odor from the AC , he told me that I must leave the system on permantly to ensure air passes through at all times, I told him this would make the car uncomfortable to drive, WHY is this not stated in the drivers manual then ?. Are these just excuses from them because they cannot cure the probelm on a poorly designed product. I am sitting doen this weekend and writing a letter to Lexus and if no joy of htme will have to take further steps. I cannot believe I am having such problems with what I perceived to be a reliable, safe and luxurious vehicle, am I just unlucky or do others just put up with these misgivings.

Just returned from dealer, the suspected weld crack, they state it is only the filler material under the paint that is cracked , but I am not convinced so have asked for further investigation. Regarding the mold smell from the A/C demister, they told me to leave the controls set to automatic permanently to stop any build up of mold etc, I dont really agree with this as a remedy as now I dont really have any control over the heater air settings and no other car I have driven has similar problems. They have the Bonnet/hood strut so will replace that, they forgot to let me know it was in stock. They loaned me a new rx330, and this car feels like a different car altogether, no transmission lag, very smooth and quiet, and NO RATTLES, . I am going to vivsit my salesman this week, see if he can sort out something, my car is definatly not what I would say and led to believe Lexus quality and reliability. The only thing mine is reliable for is getting me to and from the servicing dept where it spends most of its time.

Last weekend I was cleaning my 2004 RX330, I noticed a small paint chip on the inside seam of the passenger door where the window pillar meets the main door frame, I looked closer an can see the weld and there is a clear crack line across from the inner and edge of the seam, this leads me to presume a poor weld and has probably fractured due to closing the door, I very rairely have a passenger in the car so it has not been overused , I was just wondering if any other owners have spotted this problem or is mine an anomoly. I intend to take it into the dealer to have it looked at , but I dont want them to start welding and respaying the vehicle as I am sure it wouldnt be the same again, any suggestions?. I also have to return it again for very bad odours from the aircon which continually re occurs, de odiorising just masks for a week or so, also while it was in last time they noticed the bonnet stay was fainlng to support the bonnet properly so a new one has been ordered, that was 3 weeks ago, and I'm still waiting. Another annoyance is the popping noise I get from the suspension when driving slowly around carparks even the smallest bump tends to emit a loud noise from the passenger side, and along witht he dashboard creaks and knocks it is an uncomfortable car to be in . I guess my bets bet would be to contact Lexus, but who do I address the problems too,?. Thanks in anticipation of any helpful replies.

I experienced similar problems with my 2004 model, the dashboard would rattle on the freeway or uneven roads, the dealer infomed me of two service bulletins for dash and glovebox noise and after two attempts did fix the problems by new insulation around cabling and adjusted the dash cover so it did not touch the windscreen. I am now experiencing suspension noise from the front which sounds like a holow pinging noise when driving slowly, so will be taking it in for inspection shortll. My RX330 now has 26500 miles on the clock and has been back to the dealer more times than any other car I have owned and has left me quite dissapointed after spending so much for what I thought would be a quality vehicle. Two other new problems occured this last week, Mould smell from the A/C and the passenger sunvisor mirror hinge broke. Just glad it has a 4 year warranty.

I have a 2004 RX330, and live in California, the weather has recently turned cool and wet, and I now have a probelm witht he windscreen misting up randomly, I then operate the de-mister switch on the dash and within a minute the windscreen clears, but during this operation there is a foul mouldy smell , which fills the car , to such an extent now it is making us feel ill, and my wife and kids don't want to travel in the car ias it is starting to linger now. Does anyone else have a similar problem?, the smell only appears when the demister switch is operated and not with the A/C. should I take it in for inspection?, any help greatly appreciated.

Ok, just back from the dealer, I took the mechanic for a spin, he assured me the noise is from the fuel injectors, apparantly , Lexus are aware of a problem on some RX engines, which have excessive noisy injectors, and mine is one, there isnt a service bulletin at the moment, mainly due to them not being able to fully diagnose the problem, so I will keep taking it back until they replace the noisy ones. My loaner is the same model and is very smooth and quiet, a definate diffence to my RX which feels much rougher on acceleration along with the noise.. There was another problem after the service, there had been vibration from the dashboard, so the problem was sorted in accordance with a service bulletin, but it now appears they incorrectly replaced the dash top anfd it now rubs on the windscreen causing pretty annying groan over rough roads. I dont think I should have had these problems with a #35000 + car and not what I had been led to believe was the norm for Lexus, maybe mine is heading for Lemon staus. Watch this space. ;)

:chairshot:

I recently took my RX330 in for 25000 mile service, I also told the dealer about a noise emmanating from the engine on cold start which sounded like lack of oil to the rockers which dissapeared after driving the car for around 1 - 2 miles. The service was carried out and the startup sound seems to have gone, but now I can hear the rockers more prominantlly all the time now, here is my questions. Have any other owners experienced thiis increase in engine noise?, can te valves be set to make them quieter?, or is this just something that happens to the Lexus engine over time (my car war origianlly registered MAY 2003) I am going to take my RX back today for them to take a look and see what can be done., at the momentt I feel the car does not have that nice low noise cabin I had experienced when first purchased. Any comments from servicing personnel ?. Thanks

My 2004 RX330 is in the Lexus service dept at the moment they are applying a TSB "fix" fir the transmission thump/poor shifting, they told me it was a problem with the Transmission Oil cooler pipe causing pressure fluctuations, so thye will be replacing the assembly. Overall after six monts of owning this vehicle it is not the Luxury auto I was led to believe, along with the transmission problem, there are numerous rattles which have become very distracting, especially over rough roads. and my other gripe is the paintwork seems to chip very easily right down to bare metal, I bought the touchup kit but very poor match. If I was asked whether I would buy another Lexus , I have to say NO, its just not worth the extra to have a nice looking vehicle which performs poor and below expectations. :(

I also have numerous rattles in my 2004 RX330, it was so bad this weeknd I took it into Lexus , they told me of a number of TSB fixes which hopefully will sort it out. I bought this car thinking I was buying QUALITY but having had the car now for 6 months feel it no better than my wifes Suzuki wagon, which has given 6 years of faithfull service with no faults or annoying rattles, and it cost half as much as the RX. My other gripes with this car are the transmission thumps and poor shifting , the paintwork seems to chip very easily and the touch up does not match, and lastly I hate the Air and heater controls , very difficult to get a comfortable temp and each time I get in or out the damn thing resets itself and I have to start over again. Not my idea of luxury, after reading other comments , I wish I had seen this forum before I purchased, it would have swayed me away.