2010 LEXUS RX HYBRID — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I WAS DRIVING LAST MONTH (APPROX 1,07000 MILES) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DASHBOARD DISPLAY HAD LIGHTS AND FLASHING MESSAGES THAT SAID THERE WAS AN ABS BRAKE MALFUNCTION. I DROVE IT THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER (ROYAL PALM BEACH, FLORIDA) AND THEY GOT THE ERROR CODE C 1391 ABNORMAL LEAK IN ACCUMULATOR PUMP AND THEY WANT THE ABS ACTUATOR REPLACED. MY 100K TOYOTA/LEXUS EXTENDED WARRANTY IS EXPIRED AND I AM LEFT WITH NO OPTIONS. I SENT THE COMPLAINT TO LEXUS AND THEY REPLIED BACK AND ASKED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, AFTER SPENDING $350 FOR DIAGNOSIS IN TOYOTA AND LEXUS, ITS THE SAME ISSUE ABS ACTUATOR FAILED AND IT WILL COST ME $3720 TO FIX IT. ALSO, DURING ABS DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AT LEXUS DEALER @ WEST PALM BEACH, THE CAR FAILED TO START AND WAS IN THE DEALERS LOT FOR 2 DAYS BEFORE THEY FIXED THE ISSUE (REPLACED SOME COMPUTER). LEXUS OFFERED ME $1000 AS PARTIAL PAYMENT TO FIX THE ABS ISSUE, AND AS SOON AS I STARTED TALKING ABOUT FILING A COMPLAINT WITH NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) , THEY RESCINDED THE OFFER AND SENT ME A EMAIL STATING THAT I AM FREE TO REPORT TO NHTSA. I WAS WONDERING HOW MANY LEXUS OWNERS TOOK PARTIAL PAYMENT TO FIX ABS AND NOT REPORT IT? DID LEXUS REPORT ALL THOSE CASES TO NHTSA ? I DOUBT SO! I THINK THIS IS CUSTOMER SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) AND A RECALL ISSUED FOR LEXUS ABS. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT A WELL ENGINEERED CAR LIKE THE LEXUS WOULD RISK CUSTOMER SAFETY.

VEHICLE SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT DURING A HEAVY RAIN THAT TURNED INTO FREEZING RAIN. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I WENT TO START THE CAR A WARNING CAME ON TO CHECK THE HYBRID SYSTEM. WHEN CALLED, LEXUS SAID THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION/REPAIR. AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY FLATBED CARRIER TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION/REPAIR AND UNLOADED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE AND LEXUS TECHNICIAN SAID LUCKILY ONE OF THE DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES SAW THE SMOKE, LET HIM KNOW, AND HE DISCONNECTED THE HYBRID ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND HAD HE NOT DONE SO, IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. THE WATER PENETRATION WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE COME FROM THE TOP REAR ROOF/BODY SEAM WHERE TWO PIECES OF BODY METAL JOIN. EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR LEAKED. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE OR CORROSION AT THE LOCATION OF THE LEAKS AND NO EVIDENCE OF PRIOR OR PROLONGED LEAKING. ONCE THE WATER GOT INTO THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NOTHING TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING TO THE HYBRID BATTERIES AND THEIR RELATED ELECTRONICS, THEREFORE ALLOWING WATER THAT GOT INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM AND CREATE THE FIRE RISK. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER. THERE IS NO REASON WATER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT BODY SEAMS THAT HAD NOT BEEN DAMAGED. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE SHOULD BE NO WAY THAT ANY LIQUID THAT GETS INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE HYBRID BATTERIES AND CREATE THIS DAMAGE AND THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE AND FIRE.

VEHICLE SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT DURING A HEAVY RAIN THAT TURNED INTO FREEZING RAIN. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I WENT TO START THE CAR A WARNING CAME ON TO CHECK THE HYBRID SYSTEM. WHEN CALLED, LEXUS SAID THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION/REPAIR. AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY FLATBED CARRIER TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION/REPAIR AND UNLOADED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE AND LEXUS TECHNICIAN SAID LUCKILY ONE OF THE DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES SAW THE SMOKE, LET HIM KNOW, AND HE DISCONNECTED THE HYBRID ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND HAD HE NOT DONE SO, IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. THE WATER PENETRATION WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE COME FROM THE TOP REAR ROOF/BODY SEAM WHERE TWO PIECES OF BODY METAL JOIN. EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR LEAKED. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE OR CORROSION AT THE LOCATION OF THE LEAKS AND NO EVIDENCE OF PRIOR OR PROLONGED LEAKING. ONCE THE WATER GOT INTO THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NOTHING TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING TO THE HYBRID BATTERIES AND THEIR RELATED ELECTRONICS, THEREFORE ALLOWING WATER THAT GOT INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM AND CREATE THE FIRE RISK. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER. THERE IS NO REASON WATER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT BODY SEAMS THAT HAD NOT BEEN DAMAGED. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE SHOULD BE NO WAY THAT ANY LIQUID THAT GETS INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH THE HYBRID BATTERIES AND CREATE THIS DAMAGE AND THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE AND FIRE.

OIL COOLER HOSE COMPLETE RUPTURE WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, NO OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER ALL OIL DRAINED OUT, BLUE FIRE BALL IGNITED OUT BACK OF CAR & ENGINE FROZE UP HAVING CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. THANKFULLY MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT INJURED ONLY STRANDED. HOWEVER CAR IS DEAD. 8 YEARS OF REGULARLY MAINTENANCE SERVICING AT THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP & BUYING A NEW LEXUS, NO ONE EVER MENTIONED THIS OIL COOLER HOSE DEFECT ISSUE

OIL COOLER HOSE COMPLETE RUPTURE WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, NO OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER ALL OIL DRAINED OUT, BLUE FIRE BALL IGNITED OUT BACK OF CAR & ENGINE FROZE UP HAVING CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. THANKFULLY MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT INJURED ONLY STRANDED. HOWEVER CAR IS DEAD. 8 YEARS OF REGULARLY MAINTENANCE SERVICING AT THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP & BUYING A NEW LEXUS, NO ONE EVER MENTIONED THIS OIL COOLER HOSE DEFECT ISSUE