2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID Electrical System Problems

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the "All-Wheel Drive and Hybrid System Failure" warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with inverter assembly failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V342000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING A HYBRID SYSTEM CHECK MESSAGE, AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN DRIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL CAPABILITIES TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. I WAS ON A CITY STREET WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC TO PULL OVER. MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN REGULARLY, AS I JUST PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT HAD BEEN SITTING ON IT FOR SOME TIME. THE CARFAX CHECK OUT FOR THE VEHICLE, SO IT COULD BE A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INVERTER.

CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED FOLLOWING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE IN 2011. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE.

THE HYBRID BATTERY FAILED, POWER INVERTER, LOCKING UP POWER STEERING AND MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO OPERATE ON THE ROAD. I WAS QUOTED 7500$ COST. I HAVE READ OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS OCCURRING. I WOULD LIKE HELP REPAIRING FROM LEXUS

ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITH NO WARNING WITH NO POWER TO CONTROL OR NAVIGATE THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.

YEARS AGO, I BEGAN TO HAVE A SERIES OF BATTERY FAILURES WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. EACH TIME, LEXUS JUST TOLD ME IT WAS A DEAD BATTERY, AND REPLACED IT (PRO RATA, NOT FREE TO ME). I GRADUALLY BECAME AWARE THAT THESE FAILURES WERE BEING ACCOMPANIED BY A MESSAGE TO "SHIFT TO P WHEN TURNING OFF IGNITION," WHICH I ALWAYS DO. I SUSPECTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SOMEHOW SENSING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LEVEL AND WAS WRONGLY ENGAGING SOME SORT OF STABILITY SYSTEM, DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE CURRENT EPISODE IS ACCOMPANIED BY A "VSC" ERROR MESSAGE, WHICH IS INDEED A STABILITY SYSTEM. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS ONLINE AS HAVING KILLED THEIR VEHICLES WHILE THEY ARE IN MOTION. I AM FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME...YET. HOWEVER, I AM NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND AM TOLD THIS WILL COST OVER $8000 TO FIX. I THEREFORE WANT TO ADD MY...

I WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY DISPLAY STARTED READING "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" AND "CHECK VSC SYSTEM" SIMULTANEOUSLY. I SEARCHED AND SAW THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE (INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE INSIDE THE INVERTER MODULE) FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES OF MY EXACT MAKE/MODEL/YEAR BUT FOR SOME REASON MY VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE REGULAR 12 VOLT CAR BATTERY WAS THE ISSUE SO THEY REPLACED IT AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE CAR TESTED NORMAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS HOWEVER WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE SAME LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKES, POWER STEERING, AND THE WINDOWS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

ALL SERVICE LIGHTS ARE ON, ABS VSC, AND INFO DISPLAY STATES SOME SORT OF VSC MALFUNCTION.

AS WE WERE APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT, A WARNING SOUND WENT OFF, FOLLOWED BY THE ENTIRE CAR SHUTTING DOWN AND REFUSING TO TURN ON AGAIN. THE "HYBRID BATTERY FAILURE" WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN THE CAR ON AGAIN. WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO A PARKING LOT, WHERE WE WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US WE MUST HAVE LEFT THE WINDOWS OPEN - NOT THE CASE, SINCE IT WAS STILL TOWARDS THE END OF A COLD WINTER. THE WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. HOWEVER, THROUGH SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT THIS ISSUE OCCURS IN THESE VEHICLES AFTER A COLD AND WET PERIOD; CERTAIN SEAMS WILL COME APART, THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS WILL FLOOD WITH WATER OVER TIME, AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM WILL SHORT OUT TO THE TUNE OF 5+ THOUSAND DOLLARS. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE,...

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I BUMPED A TREE WITH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE MIRROR. THE IMPACT WAS SLIGHT, ESTIMATED SPEED WAS 5MPH AS THE DRIVEWAY WAS ICY. THE WHEELS WERE NOT TURNED MUCH AS THAT PORTION OF THE DRIVEWAY IS STRAIGHT. AFTER THE IMPACT, I FOUND THAT THE WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND THE "P/S FAIL" LIGHT WAS LIT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. AFTER EXAMINING THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR, THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS A PAINT CHIP ON THE MIRROR. THERE WERE NO FLUID LEAKS. THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL IN NOV. 2011 (LEXUS SAFETY CAMPAIGN 9LC) FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE DUE TO OTHERS HAVING SIMILAR SUDDEN AND UNEXPLAINED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. MY INSURANCE COMPANY DENIED MY CLAIM FOR REPAIR BECAUSE THE EXPERTS THEY CONSULTED SAID THIS TYPE OF IMPACT COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF POWER...

ON NOVEMBER 12, 2014 EVENING, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND GOING UP A HILL IN MY CITY STREET AND SUDDENLY I HEARD A THUMP SOUND AND THEN MY LEXUS RX400H LOST ALL POWER AND THE CAR STALLED. IT WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AS I WAS GOING UP A STEEP HILL. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND PUT THE PARKING BRAKE ON. WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, MY DASH LIT UP WITH "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" , "CHECK VSC" AND OTHER LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON. I TRIED TO START THE CAR, BUT THE HYBRID "READY" LIGHT WOULD NOT STAY ON. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A LEXUS DEALER. I PUT A NEW BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE AND THAT STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEN, THE LEXUS DEALER MECHANIC DID A COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS AND SAID THAT IT INDICATED "HYBRID INVERTER...

ABS SYSTEM INTERMITTENT FAILURE AND MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER FAILURE. *TR

LEAKAGE OF COOLANT FROM THE RADIATOR DISCOVERED AND IN LESS THAN 50 MILES AN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT LIT, INDICATING FAILURE OF THE HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE SYSTEM , NAMELY THE HYBRID INVERTER. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT INTO A LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND THE RADIATOR AND INVERTER WERE REPLACED. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND P0AA6 WARNING ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE WENT COMPLETELY DEAD, COULD NOT START UP. THERE WERE CRACKED BODY SEAMS ABOVE THE REAR DOOR STRUT MOUNTS ALLOWING WATER INTRUSION TO FLOOD THE ENTIRE BOTTOM WELL UNDER THE FLOOR BOARDS WHICH SHORTED OUT THE ENTIRE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF WATER INTRUSION INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE, NOTHING WAS WET. APPARENTLY, LEXUS HAS TWO TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE, L-SB-0019-09 & L-SB-0045-09, ON HOW TO REPAIR THE SEAMS SINCE OVER TIME THERE APPEARS TO BE A STRUCTURAL FLAW ALLOWING THE SEAMS TO SEPARATE. THE WATER INTRUSION HAPPENS SILENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AND PRESENTS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD AS YOU GET WATER INTO AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND PARTS BEGIN SHORTING OUT WITHOUT ADVANCED WARNING. IMAGINE TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED AND THE HYBRID BATTERY SHORTS AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPS! OR AN ELECTRICAL SHORT STARTS A...

ON FRIDAY EVENING APRIL 29 2011 , I WAS DRIVING ON THE NY THROUGHWAY SOUTH BOUND TO NY CITY. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I LOST ALL POWER AND I HAVE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER AND I CANNOT RESTART THE CAR THEN I TURNED ON THE BLINKERS BUT IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES ALL POWER WERE GONE IT WAS DARK AND VERY DANGEROUS NOT TO HAVE THE EMERGENCY FLASHING LIGHTS ON. I CALLED THE AAA THEY TOLD ME TO SIT IN THE CAR WHILE THEY ASK FOR A STATE TROOPER TO LOCATE ME AND STATE POLICE HAD TO PARK BEHIND ME WITH HIS FLASHING LIGHTS TO PROTECT ME UNTIL THE TOWING TRUCK ARRIVE THE DEALER CHARGING ME 248.00 JUST TO DO THE DIAGNOSES THEY TOLD ME IT IS THE HYBRID INVERTER ($10,000.00) AND THE HYBRID BATTERY ($6,000.00) THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED, LABOR NOT INCLUDED, I BELIEVE THIS IS AN...

1. NONE, LUCKILY I WAS ACCELERATING FROM A DEAD STOP WHEN THE PART SEEMED TO POP OUT OF GEAR. THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING NOT QUITE AS SMOOTH 2 WEEKS PRIOR SO I HAD IT CHECKED @ THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IF THIS PART WERE TO MALFUNCTION @ HIGH SPEED I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ISSUE THIS COMPLAINT. 2. ONCE, I WILL REQUEST OLD PART IF DESIRED BUT EXPECT LEXUS TO TRY TO KEEP THE PART. WILL NHTSA HAVE IT PICKED UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP? 3. CAR IS IN REPAIR SHOP NOW. NOTHING DONE YET. HYBRID INVERTER W/ CONVERTER QUOTED TO BE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT PART #G92A0-48090, INDICATING TO ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THAT THE ORIGINAL PART IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND PROCEEDING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS BEING THE HYBRID INVERTER BATTERY WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400 HYBRID (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE POWER SYSTEM SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITH NO POWER BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT A NEW HYBRID SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

DEAD STARTER BATTERY - 1. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW (WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNERS) THE STARTER BATTERY WOULD BE DEAD IF WE DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR 4 OR MORE DAYS (OBVIOUSLY NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE IT ANYWHERE WHERE IT WOULD SIT WITHOUT A CHARGER NEARBY LIKE TO AN AIRPORT). LEXUS HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY 3 TIMES BUT JUST 1 MONTH AGO REPLACED IT AGAIN AND NOW AFTER A 1 WEEK TRIP TO CANCUN BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. LEXUS PRETENDS TO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM BUT MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT IS OFTEN MUCH WORSE WHERE THE CAR SHUTS DOWN WHEN DRIVING. MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME SERIES OF PROBLEMS ULTIMATELY NEED TO HAVE THE INVERTER REPLACED WHICH IS A $9K PLUS PART (SO FAR IT SEEMS WHEN ITS PROVED TO LEXUS THEY DO THIS AT NO CHARGE -- BUT MINE IS NOW...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED BUT HE WAS ABLE TO COAST IT TO A STOP ON AN EXIT RAMP. THE HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

WHILE DRIVING A 2006 LEXUS 400H THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, LIGHTS, EVERYTHING! JUST QUIT AND THE CAR HAD TO BE MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER WHAT SO EVER. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THE CAR'S INVERTER HAD FAILED. THIS CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND SERVICED BY THE DEALER FOR ITS ENTIRE LIFE AND HAS HAD NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE NEW INVERTER COSTS $8300! WE WILL PROBABLY SELL THE CAR FOR SALVAGE AS ITS WAY TOO MUCH MONEY AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL GO OUT NEXT! APPARENTLY THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER HYBRIDS BY LEXUS AND TOYOTA. ITS A MIRACLE THAT THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INVERTER FAILED WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE COMPUTER AND ENGINE TO FAIL. THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/15/10 BF UPDATED 10/19/10

I READ ON THE EDMUNDS SITE FOR LEXUS 400H, MANY OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC INVERTER ON THE MODEL YEAR 2006. I OWN THIS CAR AND I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEM. I BELIEVE YOUR AGENCY SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO THIS SITUATION AS IT APPEARS THAT OWNERS ARE REPORTING THAT LEXUS IS NOT ADMITTING TO THIS SITUATION. ONE OWNER REPORTS THAT LEXUS KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN 2006 AND CHANGED TO A DIFFERENT INVERTER STARTING WITH VIN #'S GREATER THAN 60036526. MY CAR'S VI # FALLS BELOW THAT CUTOFF AND I AM VERY WORRIED. WHEN THE INVERTER FAILS, ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE FAILS AND THE DRIVER IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY WHILE DRIVING. *TR UPDATED 06/02/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA LEXUS RX400H HYBRID. WHILE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE WERE ILLUMINATED. AN ALARM WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED LEXUS DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SKID CONTROL WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL DUE TO THE COMPUTER WHICH WAS ALSO REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND IT COST HER A TOTAL OF $2,106.19. NOTHING WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,560.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING 70 MILES PER HOUR THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO FLASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ALSO LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE INVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $700 TO HAVE THE PART INSTALLED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILES WERE 140,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, CAR SHUT DOWN TOTALLY. *TR