2008 LEXUS RX Steering Problems

I RECENTLY TOOK MY NEWLY BAUGHT 2008 LEXUS RX 350 IN AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I DIDN'T NOTICE AND STEERING ISSUES OR LEAKS BUT WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW RACK AND PINION. SINCE ITS LEXUS DEALERSHIP I RESPECT THEIR INSPECTION AND RECOMMENDATION...BUT LIKE MANY OTHERS...IT TURNS OUT THE RACK AND PINION ON THE RX 350 IS COMMON ( TOO COMMON ) AND I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE WRITING A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA. I DON'T SEE ANY RESOLUTION OR EXPLANATION TO THE " SAME " COMPLAINTS. I ALSO HAVE TO PAY $1,800 + AND AM SUPPOSED TO PICK UP MY RX350 JULY 7 OR 8TH, 2020. THE RACK AND PINION IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE... SO I ECHO EVERYONE ELSE. WHY IS THE MANUFACTURER/ DEALERSHIP NOT GIVING US ANSWERS AS TO WHY THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. I FOUND THIS OUT BY RESEARCHING ONLINE. THEY SURE...

LEXUS OF BELLEVUE SERVICE DEPARTMENT (IN BELLEVUE, WA) COMPLETED A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON MY 2008 LEXUS RX 350 AND THEN TOLD ME THEY DISCOVERED A GASKET POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE ON PASSENGER SIDE POWER STEERING RACK AND THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING RACK AND GASKETS. THIS WAS COMPLETED AND COST ME $1,874.93 (AFTER APPLYING A LEXUS SERVICE CREDIT FOR $237.99) - SO IT ACTUALLY COST ME $2,112.92. AS THIS LUXURY CAR ONLY HAD 71,604 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I WANTED TO SEE IF THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE/DEFECT WITH THIS CAR TYPE. I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAFETY DEFECT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE CATASTROPHIC STEERING FAILURES. SEE: [HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/LEXUS/RX350/STEERING-RACK-AND-PINION-PROBLEMS.PHP] [HTTPS://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/RX-2ND-GEN-2004-2009/768754-POWER-STEERING-LEAK.HTML] I ASK THE NHTSA TO CONDUCT A FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF THIS DEFECT IN LEXUS RX 350'S SO THAT A RECALL COULD BE MADE ON THIS VEHICLE, AND SO...

AS OF THIS DATE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT OR FAILURE TO THE STEERING RACK ON THIS CAR. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CAR WAS IN THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THERE IS A LEAKAGE OF FLUID FROM THE STEERING RACK BOOT AND IF LEFT UN-REPAIRED IT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION MORE WAS THEIR STATEMENT THAT THIS SHOULD BE/HAVE BEEN A RECALL AS IT IS A PROBLEM ON THE LEXUS RX350 SPANNING SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. I DON'T KNOW IF BY "RECALL" THEY MEANT A VOLUNTARY RECALL OR A NHTSA RECALL. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO LET ONE'S IMAGINATION WANDER TOO FAR TO CONTEMPLATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF A FAILURE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

THE WATER PUMP WENT AND WHILE REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION IS LEEKING.....SEEMS EARLY FOR PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS AND MAYBE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! *TR

ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN A BRAND NEW VEHICLE AFTER ONLY 1000 MILES BECAUSE THE CAR IS TITLED TO THE LEFT AND MISALIGNED. AFTER SIX ATTEMPTS, TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS CAN'T GET THE DEFECTS FIXED. *TR