2004 LEXUS RX330 Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILED. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE MOTOR THAT REGULATED THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 IS JUMPING ALL OVER THE ROAD, REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSTICS SHOW THE RIDE HEIGHT CONTROL AND AIR RIDE STRUTS HAVE FAILED CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION, APPARENTLY LEXUS WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE ISSUE ONLY MAKING THIS MODEL YEAR WITH THE AIR RIDE CONTROL AND KNOWING THE SYSTEM WILL ONLY LAST TEN YEARS BEFORE FAILURE. I GUESS THEY FIGURED AFTER TEN YEARS MOST VEHICLES WOULD HAVE EITHER INSTALLED THE CONVERSION KIT OR HAVE BEEN SOLD FORWARD SO MANY TIMES THAT NEW OWNERS WOULD NOT PURSUE A SAFETY RECALL. AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN CREATED TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE RETAILING CONVERSION KITS SO MUCH SO THAT MY TOYOTA REPAIR SHOP HAS SUGGESTED INSTALLING THE CONVERSION KIT WHICH THEY OFFER. MY VEHICLE BOUNCES WHEN NAVIGATING TURNS AND BUMPS, WHILE SITTING STILL THE VEHICLE RAISES AND LOWERS INDEPENDENT OF ANYTHING MANUALLY INITIATED AND SIDE TO SIDE LIFTS AND LOWERS.

THE AIR SUSPENSION HAS AN EXHAUST VALVE SOLENOID ON THE AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR THAT STOPPED WORKING THAT CAUSES THE SUSPENSION TO FULLY EXTEND UPWARDS. WITH THE SUSPENSION FULLY EXTEND UPWARDS THE RIDE IS HARSH AND STABILITY.OF VEHICLE IS DECREASED. LEXUS WILL ONLY REPLACE THE WHOLE COMPRESSOR, THE QUOTED PRICE FOR PARTS AND LABOR IS $3500. *TR

FAILURE OF MY 2004 LEXUS RX 330 HEIGHT AIR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS CAUSING THE AIR SUSPENSION TO POSITION MY CAR IN THE HIGHEST SETTING. I HAVE THE SAME TROUBLE AS ODI ID NUMBER 10314023 EXCEPT MINE BEGAN TO FAIL (CLICK) AT AROUND 39,300 MILES. I STARTED HEARING A CLICKING SOUND BACK IN JUNE 2008 WHEN I STARTED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 60 SECONDS. AFTER THE CLICKING STOPPED A LED ON THE DASH BOARD INDICATED THE HYDRAULIC HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT LIFT WAS OFF. THE CODE THE LEXUS TECHNICIAN READ FROM THE CAR INDICATED AN AIR SUSPENSION CODE C1735 FOR SUSPENSION EXHAUST SOLENOID. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED SIX MONTHS EARLIER (MY MILEAGE WAS 39,514). THE COST TO REPLACE THE SOLENOID WAS $1100 IN 2008. I WAS SURE A RECALL WOULD BE ISSUED SO I DID NOT PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED. OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS...

FAILURE OF 2004 LEXUS RX 330 AIR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS CAUSING THE AIR SUSPENSION TO POSITION CAR IN AN ELEVATED POSITION, HIGHER THAN THE HIGHEST NORMAL SETTING. OWNER'S MANUAL CLAIMS THAT THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN WITH THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM IN FAILURE MODE. CAR RODE EXTREMELY ROUGH AND NOT AS SECURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE REQUIRED ALMOST $5000 IN REPAIR COSTS. PARTS FAILED AT 41,000 MILES AND 5 MONTHS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRATION. THIS PARTICULAR MODEL WITH AIR SUSPENSION WAS RARE AND ONLY A FEW SOLD PER DEALER IN 2004. THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS ON THE INTERNET OF SIMILAR FAILURES. MY ORIGINAL SYSTEM WAS NOISY FROM DAY ONE, THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE QUIET. MOST LIKELY THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE ORIGINAL PARTS. *TR

LOW SPEED, SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT. RIGHT FRONT TIRE HIT CURB, 20-25 MILES AN HOUR. VISIBLE DAMAGE- TIRE RUINED, RIM SCRATCHED. DEALER INSPIRED- TIRE, RIM, BALL JOINTS, LOWER CONTROL ARM, CVT, AXLE, ETC. DRIVE TRAIN HAD PRE EXISTING CONDITION OF NOISE COMING FROM RIGHT HAND DRIVE AREA. DEALER STATED NO PROBLEM. SINCE ACCIDENT, DEALER STATES NEED TO REPLACE ALL OF THIS. OBVIOUS DEALER OVER REPAIR OR LACK OF TRAINED STAFF, RESULTING IN OVERCHARGES. *NM