2004 Lexus LX Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 Lexus LX, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags233.3%
- Steering233.3%
- Fuel system116.7%
- Suspension116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON
I HAVE CONTACTED TWO LEXUS DEALERS ABOUT A RECALL FOR THE CURTAIN-SHIELD AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE. AFTER MONTHS NEITHER HAVE RECEIVED THE NECESSARY PARTS AND THEREFORE HAVE NOT REMEDIED THE RECALL.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
This is an amended report filing: --I brought the following issues to the attention of Lexus corporate customer care and after they reviewed the situation, they refused to offer any financial responsibility for correcting this serious safety issue even after I informed them that the same VGRS systems in the Lexus LS460, LS 460L, LS 600h, and LS 600hL were all recalled in 2010 and also the VGRS system in the 2013 Lexus GS 350F was also recalled. These recalls similarly involved off-center steering wheel problems related to the VGRS systems. The Lexus dealership technician said, and I quote, "that if this does not become resolved you will eventually lose your electric power steering which could be very dangerous." --The failure involved the vehicle steering system, specifically the Variable Gear Ratio Sterring (VGRS) Electronic Control Unite (ECU) has failed resulting in a severe alignment mismatch between the steering wheel and the front tires. In order for the front wheels to drive in a straight line, the steering wheel would be off center by anywhere from 20 degrees to 120 degrees. This made keeping the vehicle driving in a straight line very difficult. The malfunctioning VGRS ECU is available for inspection upon request. --The above description is self explanatory. If the steering wheel and the front wheels of the vehicle are completely mismatched, control and steering of the vehicle is significantly compromised. The increases the risk of loss of control of the vehicle, collision, and injury. --The above problem was diagnosed at an official Lexus dealership. --The vehicle and component was inspected, tested, and diagnosed at an official Lexus dealership. --The VGRS indicator light was active and the steering wheel alignment was progressively worsening over time.
--The failure involved the vehicle steering system. Specifically the Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) had failed resulting in a severe alignment mismatch between the steering wheel and the front tires. In order for the front wheels to drive in a straight line, the steering wheel would be off center by anywhere from 20 degrees to 120 degrees. This made keeping the vehicle driving in a straight line very difficult. The malfunctioning VGRS ECU is available for inspection upon request. --The above description is self explanatory. If the steering wheel and the front wheels of the vehicle are completely mismatched, control and steering of the vehicle is significantly compromised. This significantly increases the risk of loss of control of the vehicle, collision, and injury. --The above problem was diagnosed at an official Lexus dealership. --The vehicle and component was inspected, tested, and diagnosed at an official Lexus dealership. --The VGRS indicator light was active and the steering wheel alignment was progressively worsening over time.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving up I70 in colorado I experienced a fuel smell in the cab of the vehicle. When I stopped to see what the issue was I found fuel vapors coming out of the fuel door/gas cap. I replaced the gas cap and again experienced this issue. This leads me to believe the fuel evap system does not work correctly causing excessive fuel pressure in the gas tank, leading to pressurized fuel coming up out of the Gas cap. I google this issue and found this seems to be a comen problem that Toyota / Lexus has not addressed. This is a giant safety concern as well as an environmental concern that should be addressed. Fuel vapor under pressure is a fire risk and can be very dangerous. I took the vehicle to the dealer to fix and they said they have no history of this being an issue and that I would need to bring the vehicle in during the issue. Based on the below google results this is a very known issue for Toyota / Lexus that they simply do not want to recognize. I am hoping filling out this form will bring this dangerous condition to light so the dealer can correct the issue. Below are links to documented cases of the issue I experienced and some home remedies people have tried. https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/gas-tank-building-excessive-pressure-fuel-smell-dangerous-for-sure-why-does-this-happen.1214321/ https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/gas-tank-building-excessive-pressure-fuel-smell-dangerous-for-sure-why-does-this-happen.1214321/page-30 https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/100-caught-fire-gas-tank-venting-concerns.1018603/page-17
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
SUSPENSION WILL NOT ADJUST AND THE OFF LIGHT KEEPS BLINKING
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .