NHTSA Complaint #10713595 — 2005 LEXUS RX330

I STARTED THE CAR AS USUAL, LET IT IDLE FOR 10-15 SECONDS, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND LEFT THE DRIVEWAY. SECONDS LATER OR 150-200 FEET LATER, I APPLIED THE BRAKES, FELT THE BRAKES GETTING MUSHY FOLLOWED BY A HUGE BILLOW OF WHITE SMOKE BLOWING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR (WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT 5-8 MPH) AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. WHEN I INSPECTED THE MASTER CYLINDER, I NOTICED IT WAS EMPTY - ABSOLUTELY NO FLUID IN IT. SURMISED THE WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY EXHAUST WAS THE BRAKE FLUID BEING DRAWN INTO IT BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW OR WHY. I LEFT THE CAR SIT IN MY DRIVE WAY UNTIL I HAD THE ENERGY AND TIME TO DEAL WITH IT. LATER ON, I LOOKED UP HOW TO REMOVE THE MASTER CYLINDER OFF THE INTERNET WHEN I NOTICE RECALLS FOR 2004-2005 RX330'S, IN PARTICULAR MASTER CYLINDER SEALS AND VACUUM BOOSTERS. BOTH ISSUES REFLECTED EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO LEXUS OF WESTMINSTER WHO PROMPTLY SAID A RECALL SEAL WAS REPLACED (ALTHOUGH I DON'T RECALL THIS HAPPENING) AND IT WILL COST ME $200 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE AUTO TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LEXUS MECHANIC WHERE I FOUND OUT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH FOUND RECALL NOTICES ON BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIBING WHAT OCCURRED ON OTHER RX330'S WAS EXACTLY WHAT OCCURRED WITH THIS LEXUS, YET LEXUS OF WESTMINSTER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM OR LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THESE TWO ISSUES. ALL THEY SAID WAS THE SEAL (MASTER CYLINDER) WAS REPLACED SOME TIME AGO AND ANY FURTHER REPAIRS ARE ON ME. *TR