NHTSA Complaint #10543842 — 2004 LEXUS RX330

I WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON THE 405 IN LOS ANGELES. I WAS BEGINNING TO CHANGE LANES AND WAS LOOKING INTO MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHEN I OBSERVED THE MOLDING COME OFF OF THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL WINDOW AND STRIKE THE HOOD AND WINDSHIELD OF THE CAR BEHIND ME. IT OCCURRED TO ME HOW DANGEROUS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN IF A MOTORCYCLIST HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ME. IT COULD HAVE EASILY HIT HIM OR HER DIRECTLY IN THE FACE. IN RESEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR A PRICE ON THE MOLDING, I HAVE SINCE LEARNED A LARGE NUMBER OF RX330 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT LEXUS DOES NOT SELL THE MOLDING SEPARATELY. INSTEAD, THEY SELL THE ENTIRE WINDOW ASSEMBLY, AND I HAVE SEEN POSTINGS OF SOME OWNERS PAYING AS MUCH AS $400.00 TO HAVE A DEALER REPLACE THE WINDOW. THIS ITEM SHOULD NOT BE REGULARLY LAUNCHING ITSELF OFF OF THESE VEHICLES ENDANGERING OTHERS ON THE ROADWAY. LEXUS SHOULD BE RETROFITTING THESE VEHICLES WITH IMPROVED MOUNTING FOR THIS MOLDING INSTEAD OF CHARGING OWNERS FOR THE COMPANY'S MISTAKE. WITH THE NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, IT SEEMS IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE FOLLOWING ONE OF THESE VEHICLES IS INJURED OR WORSE. *TR