2004 LEXUS RX330 Structure Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD EXPERIENCED MELTING AND CRACKING. ALSO, SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE DASHBOARD SEPARATED AND FELL OFF. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING, A GLARE FROM THE SUNLIGHT WAS PRESENT ON THE MELTED DASHBOARD, WHICH CAUSED A VISIBILITY HAZARD. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER( LEXUS OF COOL SPRINGS, 1636 WESTGATE CIR, BRENTWOOD, TN) WERE BOTH NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

I OWN A 2004 LEXUS RX 330. AS HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE INTERNET, THE DASHBOARD IN THESE CARS HAS A TENDENCY TO CRACK AND PEAL, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE AREA ABOVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. AT THE OUTSET THIS APPEARS TO BE A COSMETIC ISSUE. HOWEVER, WHEN I RECENTLY WENT TO AN AUTO UPHOLSTERY SHOP TO INQUIRE ABOUT REPAIR, THE TECHNICIAN BECAME ALARMED BECAUSE I -- LIKE PRESUMABLY MANY OTHERS -- HAD SOUGHT TO INITIATE A TEMPORARY REPAIR BY PLACING HEAVY-DUTY DUCT TAPE OVER THE CRACKED AREA. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED ME TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE DUCT TAPE BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN THAT IT WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG. THUS, IN THIS INSTANCE, WHILE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM MAY ONLY BE COSMETIC, THE TENDENCY OF CONSUMERS TO SEEK TO TEMPORARILY REPAIR THE ISSUE PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE PROHIBITIVE COST OF DASHBOARD REPLACEMENT AS A PROPER REPAIR?? CREATES A SITUATION OF...

APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 FROM A DEALERSHIP THE DASH BOARD STARTED TO CRACK. EVENTUALLY, IT TRAVELED ACROSS THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD. I CONTACT LEXUS CORPORATE OFFICE TO COMPLAIN. AFTER REFERRING ME TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE IT AND TAKE PHOTOS AND WRITE UP THE DAMAGE, THEY LATER TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY WHICH I ALREADY KNEW. HOWEVER, THEY ADMITTED IT WAS DUE TO INFERIOR AND FAULTY MATERIAL LEXUS USED IN 2004 THRU 2006 IN THEIR MODELS AND ALSO TOYOTA DASHBOARDS. THE COST TO REPLACE THE DASH IS $2,500 THIS IS MY 3RD LEXUS SUV BUT IT WILL BE MY LAST! I FEEL LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO REPLACE THE DASH BOARDS. *TR

OVER THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED A DETERIORATION OF THE DASHBOARD AS CRACKS AND PEELING HAVE OCCURRED . THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS IN FINE CONDITION. I ASSUME THAT THE FLORIDA CLIMATE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. HOWEVER, I MUST POINT OUT THAT MY VEHICLE IS NORMALLY PARKED IN THE BASEMENT OF A CONDOMINIUM WHERE I HAVE BEEN RESIDING DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD THAT I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. I DID CALL THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPT. OF LEXUS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AFTER 4 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES. I HAPPENED TO EXAMINE A 1990 MERCEDES BENZ SEDAN AND NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY INTACT. I UNDERSTAND FROM MEDIA COVERAGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DASHBOARD'S CONDITION. *TR

I FIRST NOTICED CRACKS IN THE PLASTIC IN SEVERAL PLACES RUNNING VERTICALLY ON BOTH SIDES OF MY DASHBOARD AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS WET. IT WAS VERY STICKY TO THE TOUCH AND LEFT A RESIDUE ON MY FINGERS LIKE PINE TAR. MY CAR IS NOT SITTING IN THE HOT SUN AND IS GARAGED FOR THE MOST PART UNLESS GOING TO THE STORE. *TR

MY 2004 LEXUS RX330'S DASHBOARD HAS BEEN CRACKING SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. THE VEHICLE ORIGINATED IN FLORIDA AND NOW IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY HAVE DESTROYED THIS CAR! WHEN I PURCHASED IT USED, THE DASHBOARD HAD A COUPLE OF CRACKS IN IT SO I ASSIDUOUSLY USED A WINDOW SHIELD EVERY SINGLE TIME I GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE TASK IS SUCH A HABIT THAT I EVEN DO THIS UNNECESSARILY AT NIGHT! THE HEAT INSIDE THE CAR STILL COMPLETELY MELTS THE DASH TO NO AVAIL. SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN THE KEY, MY FINGERNAIL WILL ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH THE DASH MATERIAL (IT WRAPS SO IT SURROUNDS THE IGNITION) AND THE MATERIAL WILL COME OFF UNDER MY FINGERNAIL. CRANKING YOUR VEHICLE IS NOT A FORCEFUL ENDEAVOR EITHER, IT IS GENTLE AND I AM VERY CONSCIOUS NOT TO TOUCH THE DASHBOARD MATERIAL BECAUSE OF THIS MELTING ISSUE. ONE WOULD THINK...

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 04 LEXUS RX 330 HAS BE DISINTEGRATING BEFORE MY EYES. IT IS MELTING AND CRACKING GETTING WORST EVERYDAY. *TR

MY 2004 LEXUS RX 330 DASHBOARD COVER IS ALL CRACKED UP IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND IS VERY STICKY DUE TO THE HOT AND HUMID FLORIDA WEATHER. THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE LEXUS DEVELOPED A SERIES OF CRACKS RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE PLASTIC DASHBOARD. THE CRACKS WORSENED OVER TIME. *JS

THE DASHBOARD LEATHER MATERIAL HAS CRACKED INCOME APART ON TOP OF WHERE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SITS. *TR

THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD HAS EXPERIENCED ABNORMAL CRACKING AND DECOMPOSITION THROUGHOUT. IT STARTED WITH HAIRLINE CRACKS WHICH SPREAD ALL THROUGH THE DASH. SINCE THE DASH STARTED TO TURN STICKY/GUMMY, PIECES OF THE DASH STARTED FALLING OFF NEAR THE ENDS (E.G. WHERE THE DASH MEETS THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT). OF CONCERN IS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE, SINCE THE DASH HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND HAS CRACKS, WOULD THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSE THE DASH TO SPLINTER AND SHOOT PIECES AT THE CAR'S OCCUPANTS? WOULD THE STICKINESS OF THE DASH CAUSE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT TO FAIL SINCE IT CAN STICK TO THE DASH DUE TO IT'S NEWLY ACQUIRED ADHESIVE PROPERTIES? VISIBILITY CONCERNS ARISE DUE TO THE REFLECTIONS OF THE DASH ON THE WINDSHIELD. SINCE THE DASH CAN NO LONGER BE KEPT CLEAN BECAUSE EVERYTHING STICKS TO IT, BOTHERSOME REFLECTIONS ARE CAST ON THE WINDSHIELD DURING CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. THE LOCAL LEXUS...

I WAS RECENTLY GIFTED MY MOTHER'S 2004 LEXUS RX330 AND HAVE BEEN NOTICING FOR SOME TIME NOW AN EXTENSIVELY CRACKED DASHBOARD THAT HAD BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE SEVERAL STICKY SPOTS ON THE DASH WHICH APPEARS TO BE MELTING MATERIAL. I HAVE SEEN THIS COMPLAINT ONLINE REPEATEDLY FROM OTHER RX330 OWNERS AND WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT. THERE IS STILL AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CAR. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP IN MIAMI THEY HAVE REFUSED TO COVER THE ENTIRE COST OF REPAIR. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

THIS VERY METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED GARAGED VEHICLE BEGAN TO CRACK OVER THE TOP OF THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. IT CONTINUES TO GROW. IT IS NOW VERTICALLY CRACKED ABOUT 4 INCHES. IT IS ALWAYS GARAGED PARKED AT WORK AND AT HOME. THE SUN HAS HAD ZERO EFFECT ON THIS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. NOT SURE PRIOR TO THE 2 YEARS. I SEE FROM THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. *TR

AFTER A RAIN STORM, MY DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS FILLED WITH WATER AND THE LIGHT DOES NOT TURN ON. THE LEXUS DEALER QUOTED ME PRICE OF $1566.23 TO REPLACE. I LEARNED OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST TOYOTA FOR FAILURE TO ADDRESS THIS WIDE SCALE PROBLEM. PLEASE INCLUDE MY COMPLAINT IN THIS MATTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS SEVERELY CRACKED AND WAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOMING WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE FAILURE WHERE HE WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000. UPDATED 06/03/11 *BF UPDATED 06/13/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH HE NOTICED THAT BOTH SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WERE LOOSE AND WHENEVER HE DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD THE MIRRORS TRAJECTORY CHANGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT BOTH SIDE MIRRORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST WAS OVER $1,000. THE FAILURE HAD BEEN ON GOING SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2005. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO ANSWER HIM REGARDING THE FAILURE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE ROOF RACK WAS CORRODING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

CONSUMER HAS 3 MAJOR COMPLAINTS ON THE 2004 LEXUS RX 330: SUN GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD OBSTRUCTING VISIBILITY. THE HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE ENOUGH DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE SAFELY. THERE IS SEVERE HESITATION AFTER SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN SURGE OF POWER. *MR THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT INDICATED THERE WAS NO WAY TO FIX THEM. *NM

WHEN THE SUN HIT THE DASHBOARD THE REFLECTION CAUSED A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD WHICH RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY. *NLM