RoadVitals

2006 Lexus RX330 Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Jul 11, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
19%
of 67 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Lexus RX330 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Jul 11, 2014

COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. NO LEAKS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SERVICE STATION AND MECHANIC DIAGNOSED SEIZED ENGINE DUE TO CLOGGED OIL INTAKE DUE TO EXCESSIVE SLUDGE BUILD UP. VEHICLE OIL WAS ROUTINELY CHANGED IAW MANUFACTURE GUIDELINES WITH SYNTHETIC OIL. REPLACED ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE AND AFTER ONE DAY OF DRIVING THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE. CURRENTLY UNABLE TO LOCATE A THIRD ENGINE THAT DOESN'T SUFFER FROM EXCESSIVE SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10609837
Incident
Jun 13, 2014
Mileage
104,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Feb 23, 2014
Crash reported

BACKING CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND ACCELERATOR AUTOMATICALLY INCREASED HIGH SPEED. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP. CAR HIT GARAGE DOOR AND DAMAGED THE GARAGE DOOR, WALL, FRONT DRIVER SIDE QUARTER PANEL, FRONT BUMPER. APPROX $3600 CAR DAMAGE AND $1500 GARAGE DAMAGE. FORTUNATE THAT NO OTHER DAMAGE OR INJURIES OCCURRED. THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND WAS VERY UNEXPECTED. I AM NOW AFRAID THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN UNDER UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES WITH MORE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10565522
Incident
Feb 20, 2014
Mileage
120,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 17, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEAM BEGAN RISING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO ADVISED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT WERE RECOMMENDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED ALL THREE COMPONENTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID
10560421
Incident
Jan 16, 2014
Mileage
60,000 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 31, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR EXPLODED, CAUSING A LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT FLUID. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AS THE CONTACT TRAVELED 35 PH. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE BEGAN INCREASING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID
10490535
Incident
Dec 28, 2012
Mileage
98,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 17, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED COOLANT LEAKED FROM THE RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THE RADIATOR WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,340.

NHTSA ID
10475716
Incident
Sep 14, 2012
Mileage
55,340 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 30, 2012

I HAVE 41K MILES ON MY CAR. ANTI FREEZE HAS BEEN DRIPPING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RADIATOR SAME AS OTHER PEOPLE. IN CONTACTING LEXUS, BEING THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, THEY WILL CHARGE TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS 1K. HOW DOES LEXUS KNOW THAT THE RESIDUAL PARTS FROM 2004-05, WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED, WAS NOT USED DURING THE 2006 ASSEMBLY? *JS

NHTSA ID
10456965
Incident
Apr 29, 2012
Mileage
41,720 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 9, 2012

CRACK IN THE RADIATOR AT 73800 MILES. CAR STARTED SMOKING AND WHEN STOPPED AND OPENED UP HOOD PINK FLUID SPILLED OUT OF PASSENGER SIDE OF RADIATOR (ANTI-FREEZE) AND WAS STEAMING. NOTICED THAT COMMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT 2004 -05 MODELS HAVE HAD RADIATOR RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM AND READ CLAIMS THAT THIS RADIATOR MIGHT BE THE SAME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10454621
Incident
Apr 9, 2012
Mileage
73,800 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 12, 2012

UNUSUAL/ ABNORMAL NOISE IN THE ENGINE AREA WAS DIAGNOSED DUE TO THE FOLLOWING: RADIATOR FAILURE -HAD A CRACK AND LEAKING COOLANT AT 55K MILES; WATER PUMP FAILURE AT 55K MILES; TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT AT 55K MILES; HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE FAILURE AT 55K MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10451336
Incident
Feb 10, 2012
Mileage
55,366 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 16, 2012

RADIATOR SEAM SPLIT. THIS WAS A DEFECT ON 2004 AND 2005 MODELS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10448256
Incident
Feb 8, 2012
Mileage
64,697 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 21, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED TO ASSIST WITH FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REPAIR COSTS BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000. UPDATED 05/04/11 *BF UPDATED 05/09/11 *JB

NHTSA ID
10392407
Incident
Mar 1, 2011
Mileage
51,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 29, 2010

2006 LEXUS RX330. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE COST TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS $4,000.00. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A REFUND, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND PROTECTOR WERE COVERED FOR 8 YEARS/80,000 MILES. *JB UPDATED 04/12/11*JB

NHTSA ID
10358671
Incident
May 22, 2010
Engine
Filed Dec 5, 2009

RADIATOR FAILURE AT 44,000 MILES 2006 LEXUS RX330. *TR

NHTSA ID
10294604
Incident
Dec 3, 2009
Mileage
44,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 26, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX330. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT SLUDGE DESTROYED HER ENGINE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

NHTSA ID
10263151
Incident
Mar 17, 2009
Mileage
94,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .