NHTSA Complaint #10129609 — 2000 LEXUS RX300

DT: VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A HONDA DEALER IN TEXAS, BANXTEN HONDA. VEHICLE WAS JUST OUT OF THE FOUR YEAR WARRANT., HOWEVER, IT HAD POWER TRAIN WARRANTY LEFT. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING IN CALIFORNIA WHEN HE MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION. VEHICLE PULLED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT AND CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT WITH GREAT EFFORT TO AVOID A BIG TRUCK. VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP, AND CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINT ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FAILED. CONSUMER HAS PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS. INSURANCE HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER IN VAN NUYS CALIFORNIA, KEYES LEXUS. ALSO, MANAGER CHECKED ON VEHICLES SERVICE HISTORY AND FOUND THAT VEHICLE WAS SERVICED REGULARLY, AND THAT THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY WAS STILL IN AFFECT. VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON IT. MANUFACTRURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT DEALER SHOULD NOT DO ANY REPAIR UNTIL FACTOR INSPECTOR HAD A CHANCE TO DO AN INSPECTION ON VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT JULY 11, 2005. YESTERDAY, JULY 20, 2005, MANUFACTURER CONTACTED CONSUMER AND SAID THAT INSPECTION WAS DONE, AND MANUFACTURER WOULD PAY TO HAVE VEHICLE FIXED BECAUSE THE COMPONENT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY DEFECT WITH THE BALL JOINT. CONSUMER SAID THAT HE HAS FOUND THAT BALL JOINT HAD THE SAME PART NUMBER OF BALL JOINTS THAT THEY HAD ISSUES WITH THE FINISHING PROCEDURE FOR. RECALL ON A LEXUS GS 300 1993, RECALL WAS DATED APRIL 3, 1995, DEFECT SUMMARY STATED THAT SPHERICAL PORTIONS OF CERTAIN LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD FINISHED SURFACES THAT WERE NOT SMOOTH, CAUSING FRICTION WITH THE SURFACE OF THE BALL JOINT CAP. THIS CONDITION COULD LEAD TO SEPARATION OF BALL JOINT, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT. ALSO, SAYS TOYOTA HAS HAD OTHER ISSUES WITH BALL JOINTS USED IN PICKUPS AND SUVS. ALSO, ABOUT FINISHING. PART NUMBER FOR PART WAS L2020-146563. CONSUMER'S INECK AND SHOULDER WERE INJURED. *AK