NHTSA Complaint #10311506 — 2010 LEXUS RX

THE RX450H IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT SWITCH "ON DEMAND" AS THE ADVERTISING SAYS. I LIVE IN SNOWY MASSACHUSETTS AND DO NOT NEED PERMANENT 4 WHEEL DRIVE, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL WHEN THE ROADS ARE FULL OF SNOW OR ICE. I WAS PUZZLED AT FIRST THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE ONLY ACTUATED UNDER 25 MPH. I TESTED IT ON SHARP CORNERS IN THE SNOW: THE BACK SLID OUT; AND ON FASTER, GRADUAL CORNERS: THE CAR SIDE SLIPPED. NEVER DID THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH ON AND CORRECT THE SLIDE. I LOOKED IN THE MANUAL FOR THE METHOD TO MANUALLY ACTIVATE 4 WHEEL DRIVE BUT COULDN'T FIND IT. I CONTACTED LEXUS. THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD USE THE SNOW SWITCH. THIS IS A MENU ITEM WHICH ANNOYINGLY MUST BE SWITCHED ON EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE. IT DIDN'T WORK AS IT ONLY CHANGES THE GEAR AND ACCELERATION CHARACTERISTICS LIKE ANY OTHER WINTER/SUMMER SWITCH. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT SHOULD WORK AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN MORE POWER IS NEEDED. I TRIED THAT AND FOUND THAT AT 60 MPH IF I ABSOLUTELY FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR ON A STEEP HILL THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WOULD SWITCH ON BRIEFLY. THAT'S HYBRID TECHNOLOGY BEING USED TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION?! I WENT BACK TO MY DEALER: WHAT WAS I DOING WRONG? AFTER TWO MONTHS OF PHONE TAG WITH THE DEALER AND LEXUS, THE DEALER PROMISED TO PICK UP THE CAR AND TEST IT. AFTER A WEEK OF TELEPHONE CALLS THEY SAID THERE WAS NO POINT IN TESTING THE CAR AS IT WAS WORKING "AS DESIGNED". HOWEVER IT WASN'T WORKING AS ADVERTISED WHICH IS THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WILL COME ON "AS NEEDED". I'D SAY THAT A BROAD SKID IN SNOW IS "AS NEEDED". LEXUS DOES NOT INTEND TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS COMPLAINT. THEY PUT ME ONTO A "BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT" SPECIALIST WHO TRIED TO UPSELL ME ON A NON-HYBRID 4X4 WHICH HE SAID HAD "A NON SLIP DIFFERENTIAL" AND WOULD THEREFORE HAVE BETTER HANDLING. I CONSIDER IT VERY DANGEROUS THAT A DRIVER THINKS THEY WILL HAVE CONTROL BECAUSE OF LEXUS ADVERTISING AND SALESMAN CLAIMS BUT WILL LIKELY LOOSE CONTROL IN SNOW OR ICE AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR