2005 Lexus RX330 Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED AND THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A LOUD NOISE WHILE BEING TURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEXUS OF ANNAPOLIS (121 FERGUSON ROAD, ANNAPOLIS, MD 21409, (410)-266-3333) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED AND CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,100.

NHTSA ID

11102514

Incident

Jun 15, 2018

Mileage

130,100 mi

TAKATA RECALL, I CALLED ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE ENGINE COOLING AND THE BRAKES HYDRULIC AND THEY SAY MY CAR IS NOT IN THE RECALL BUT I AM HAVING PROBLEM WITH MY COOLING

NHTSA ID

11073887

Incident

Feb 20, 2018

I STARTED THE CAR AS USUAL, LET IT IDLE FOR 10-15 SECONDS, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND LEFT THE DRIVEWAY. SECONDS LATER OR 150-200 FEET LATER, I APPLIED THE BRAKES, FELT THE BRAKES GETTING MUSHY FOLLOWED BY A HUGE BILLOW OF WHITE SMOKE BLOWING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR (WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT 5-8 MPH) AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. WHEN I INSPECTED THE MASTER CYLINDER, I NOTICED IT WAS EMPTY - ABSOLUTELY NO FLUID IN IT. SURMISED THE WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY EXHAUST WAS THE BRAKE FLUID BEING DRAWN INTO IT BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW OR WHY. I LEFT THE CAR SIT IN MY DRIVE WAY UNTIL I HAD THE ENERGY AND TIME TO DEAL WITH IT. LATER ON, I LOOKED UP HOW TO REMOVE THE MASTER CYLINDER OFF THE INTERNET WHEN I NOTICE RECALLS FOR 2004-2005 RX330'S, IN PARTICULAR MASTER CYLINDER SEALS AND VACUUM BOOSTERS. BOTH ISSUES REFLECTED EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO LEXUS OF WESTMINSTER WHO PROMPTLY SAID A RECALL SEAL WAS REPLACED (ALTHOUGH I DON'T RECALL THIS HAPPENING) AND IT WILL COST ME $200 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE AUTO TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LEXUS MECHANIC WHERE I FOUND OUT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH FOUND RECALL NOTICES ON BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIBING WHAT OCCURRED ON OTHER RX330'S WAS EXACTLY WHAT OCCURRED WITH THIS LEXUS, YET LEXUS OF WESTMINSTER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM OR LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THESE TWO ISSUES. ALL THEY SAID WAS THE SEAL (MASTER CYLINDER) WAS REPLACED SOME TIME AGO AND ANY FURTHER REPAIRS ARE ON ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10713595

Incident

Mar 5, 2015

Mileage

132,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX330. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LOOSE AND A NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. IN ADDITION, WHILE IN PARK, THERE WAS A NOISE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT AND THE RACK AND PINION NUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,594.

NHTSA ID

10695362

Incident

Jan 1, 2014

Mileage

109,594 mi

PERIODICALLY THE BRAKE,ABS,VSC, AND LOW PRESSURE LIGHT BLINKS WHILE DRIVING , AS SOON AS THE KEY IS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON THE WARNING LIGHTS DISAPPEAR. *JS

NHTSA ID

10579445

Incident

Mar 20, 2014

Mileage

45,500 mi

PERIODICALLY THE BRAKE,ABS,VSC, AND LOW PRESSURE LIGHT BLINKS WHILE DRIVING , AS SOON AS THE KEY IS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON THE WARNING LIGHTS DISAPPEAR. TROUBLE CODE SCANNED C 1249, AND C 1223 OPEN CIRCUIT IN STOP LIGHT SWITCH OR ABS CONTROL FAULT ERROR. OXIDE GREASE RESIDUE ON ELECTRICAL CONTACT POINTS MAKE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE. TOYOTA LEXUS HAD A RECALL THAT ONLY COVERED CERTAIN DATES WHILE THE PROBLEM BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURES CONTINUED IN NEWER MODELS. LEXUS REFUSES TO FIX OLDER MODELS SAYING THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AFTER LATE 2004, WHICH AS WE ALL KNOW NOW IS NOT CORRECT. I WOULD LIKE LEXUS /TOYOTA TO REPLACE MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AT NO EXPENSE TO ME SINCE IT WAS A ASSEMBLY ERROR ON THEIR PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10554268

Incident

Oct 2, 2013

Mileage

80,000 mi

ON SEPTEMBER THE 1ST WE HAD JUST HAD EXTREME THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. I HAD JUST DROPPED MY GIRLFRIEND OFF AT WORK AND AT THIS TIME IT WAS ONLY RAINING MODERATELY, AND THE TIME WAS 1:20 PM, AND THEN I STARTED THE 15 MINUTE TRIP BACK HOME. I WAS 1/3 OF THE WAY BACK HOME AND NOTICED AS I WAS DRIVING, A PEDESTRIAN WANTING TO CROSS THE STREET SO AT THIS TIME I STOPPED AND THE VEHICLES BRAKING SYSTEM SEEMED TO WORK JUST FINE AT THAT TIME. I THEN STARTED DRIVING THE FINAL 2/3 OF THE WAY HOME, I WAS ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TO 1-3/4 OF A MILE TO HOME AND THANK GOODNESS NO PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICLE WAS IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1400 TO 1600 FEET THE LEXUS SUV WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN AND THANKFULLY I WAS ONLY GOING 30 TO 35 MPH AND THE VEHICLE FORTUNATELY HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE TO SLOW ITSELF DOWN BEFORE THE HAIRPIN LEFT CURVE IN THE NEXT PART OF THE ROAD. AND THEN STRANGELY ENOUGH THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE OPERATING PROPERLY AGAIN. PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM MECHANICALLY INCLINED, AND CAN NAME ALL OF THE PARTS IN THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID

10541750

Incident

Sep 1, 2013

Mileage

107,304 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS RX-330. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND CRASHED. DURING THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT COULD SMELL A BURNING ODOR AND NOTICED SMOKE WAS ESCAPING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000. UPDATED 03/16/11 *BF UPDATED 03/21/11

NHTSA ID

10380945

Incident

Nov 5, 2010

Mileage

51,000 mi

ON OCTOBER 17, 2010 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 LEXUS RX330 INTO MY GARAGE AT LESS THAN 10 MPH. ON MY WAY UP THE DRIVEWAY, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR MADE A NOISE AND ACCELERATED FORWARD. I PUMPED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES AND EVENTUALLY FORCED THE CAR TO STOP RIGHT BEFORE HITTING THE GARAGE CABINETS. LATER MY HUSBAND STARTED THE VEHICLE IN THE PARK POSITION. WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, THE RPM'S ZOOMED FROM 1,000 RPM TO 3000 RPM (RACING THE ENGINE). MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS DANGEROUS PHENOMENON FOUR CONSECUTIVE TIMES. SIMPLY STATED, THE BRAKE WAS ACTING AS AN ACCELERATOR. WE ATTEMPTED TO VIDEOTAPE THE PROBLEM, BUT COULDN'T RECREATE THE SITUATION. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND DOZENS OF OTHER INCIDENTS FILED THROUGH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION OF THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL AS MY VEHICLE. MANY OF THESE VEHICLES WERE ALSO ENGAGED IN THE PARKING PROCESS. AFTER CONSIDERABLE COERCION WITH LEXUS, WE CONVINCED THEM TO TOW VEHICLE INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE LEXUS DESCRIBED 'NATIONAL INSPECTOR' EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND 'FOUND NOTHING WRONG.' THERE IS UNEQUIVOCALLY A DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND YET, THE TOYOTA CORPORATION REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE OCCURRENCES OR ATTEMPT ANY SORT OF REPAIR. THE FACT THAT LEXUS COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM DOESN'T ABSOLVE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR FAMILY AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. WE CONSIDER OURSELVES CREDIBLE WITNESSES TO THE PROBLEM, CONSIDERING BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I EXPERIENCED THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MECHANICAL ANOMALY AND ARE NOT ATTEMPTING TO SUE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY.

NHTSA ID

10364788

Incident

Oct 17, 2010

Mileage

93,000 mi

CONDENSATION IN THE HEADLIGHTS STARTED EARLY ON AND IS ONLY GETTING WORSE ON MY 2005 RX 330. ALSO, I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO SWITCH THE FRONT BRAKE PADS OUT AND NOW HAVE TO SWITCH THE REAR BRAKE PADS OUT AS WELL AS THEY STARTED TO SQUEAL AND THE ROTORS WERE ALREADY RESURFACED BEFORE. THE CAR DOESN'T FULLY BRAKE UNTIL I PRESS DOWN EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BRAKES AND EVEN THEN IT SLIGHTLY ROLLS FORWARD AND THEN STOPS. ALSO, WHEN I ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE, THERE IS A DELAYED ACCELERATION. IT TAKES AT LEAST 2 SECONDS BEFORE IT ACTUALLY BEGINS TO ACCELERATE AND EVEN THEN IT IS NOT A INSTANT ACCELERATION BUT A SLOW ONE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10358074

Incident

Sep 26, 2010

WHILE BRAKING FROM 50 TO 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO APPLIEDTHE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARTE OCCASIONS. THE DEALER REPLACE THE BRAKE BOOSTER THE FIRST AND THE SECOND TIME THEY WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10111690

Incident

Dec 24, 2004

Mileage

100 mi