RoadVitals

2009 Lexus RX350 Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure 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.
15
Latest Jul 13, 2019
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.
15%
of 97 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.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Lexus RX350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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 body or structure

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

Body & structure
Filed Jul 13, 2019

MY DASH BOARD IS MELTING AND FALLING APART!!! MY FINGERS & HAND STICK TO THE DASHBOARD AND EVERYTHING THAT IS UP THERE GETS STUCK TO IT!!!! I CAN TOUCH IT AND LEAVE A MARK OR PUSH IN IT & IT WILL LEAVE AN IMPRINT!!! SOMETHING IS SO WRONG WITH THIS DASHBOARD, IT'S TOTALLY DEFECTIVE AND HAS CAUSED MY IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS TO STICK TO IT AND EVEN GET RIPPED WHEN I TRY TO TAKE THEM OFF THE MELTING DASHBOARD! IT GETS SHINEY AND GLARE IS HARD TO SEE BECAUSE IF THIS ISSUE. ALSO MY EYE GLASSES ACTUALLY GOT STUCK TO IT TOO AND I COULDN'T SEE VERY WELL TO DRIVE. LASTLY, IT'S CRACKING AND SPLITTING IN MANY PLACES TOO, SIMPLY FALLING APART FOR NO REASON!! IT'S JUST MELTING AND TOTALLY DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS RECTIFIED PLEASE!!

NHTSA ID
11231526
Incident
Jul 2, 2019
Body & structureBrakesDriver assistance
Filed Oct 25, 2017
Crash reported

TAKATA RECALL - MY AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED ON IMPACT. AS I WAS BRAKING TO PARK OUTSIDE MY GARAGE DOOR, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED EXTREMELY FAST. MY LEXUS WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR AND I WAS BRAKING BUT MY SUV DIDN'T STOP UNTIL IT HIT THINGS IN THE GARAGE THAT STOPPED ME. I EVEN PLOWED INTO A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WENT OUT THE BACK WALL OF THE GARAGE

NHTSA ID
11039557
Incident
Oct 21, 2017
Mileage
102,736 mi
Body & structure
Filed Dec 6, 2016

MY LEXUS RX350 DASHBOARD AND WINDOORS ARE MELTING AND GET REALLY STICKY WHEN I PULL THE WINDOORS DOWN ALL THE STICKY MELTING BLACK RESIDUE GOT ON THE WINDOORS SO IT'S BEING A WHILE SINCE I WENT TO THE LEXUS DEALER THEY WERE NOT HELPING THEY SAID THAT I HAVE TO PUT MY NAME IN A WAITING LIST WHICH I DID NOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE EVERYTIME I CALL THEM THEY KEEP TELLING ME TO WAIT

NHTSA ID
10930159
Incident
Oct 1, 2014
Body & structure
Filed Jul 14, 2016

LETTER FROM SENATOR NELSON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT HIS 2009 LEXUS RX350. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS BREATHING CONCERNS RELATED TO BREATHING THE FUMES RELEASED FROM HIS MELTING DASHBOARD. THE CONSUMER WANTED THE DEALER TO TELL HIM, WHAT CHEMICALS WERE USED IN THE DASHBOARD. HOWEVER, THE DEALER HAS BEEN GIVING HIM THE RUN-AROUND FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10885302
Incident
Jul 1, 2016
Body & structure
Filed Jul 13, 2016

DASHBOARD MELTING ,EMITTING FUMES FROM EVAPORATING DASH. CRACKING AND PEELING. RESULTING FROM HEAT AND HUMIDITY OF FLORIDA SUN. ARE THE FUMES EMITTED TOXIC? WHAT ARE THE LONG & SHORT TERM EFFECTS ON THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM ? ARE THE AIR BAGS AT RISK FOR PREMATURE DEPLOYMENT?

NHTSA ID
10884696
Incident
May 1, 2014
Body & structure
Filed Mar 12, 2016

GLUE RUBBER DUE TO MELTING OF REAR DOOR LOCK .

NHTSA ID
10846277
Incident
Mar 1, 2014
Mileage
55,000 mi
Body & structureElectrical
Filed Dec 27, 2014

ON OR ABOUT MARCH 5TH 2014, I ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE TAILGATE ON OUR 2009 LEXUA RX350 AND ENCOUNTERED HOT MELTED RUBBER STICKING TO MY FINGERS. I REMOVED THE STICKY BLACK RUBBER FROM THE LOCK, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE TAR-LIKE MATERIAL. AS A CERTIFIED ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN, I CONCLUDED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SWITCH ON THAT TAILGATE LOCK STUCK AND HEATED TO A POINT THAT MELTED RUBBER, MAKING A GOO-LIKE MATERIAL. PLEASE NOTE THIS ABOVE REFERENCED CAR WAS NOT IN THE SUN DURING THE TIME THE RUBBER MELTED. WE HAVE BEEN USING THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT USING THE TAILGATE LOCK WITH THE RUBBER BOOT, BECAUSE WE DO NOT LIVE WITHIN 80 MILES OF A LEXUS DEALER, NOT CAN PAY THE $295 TO REPLACE THE BOOT AT THIS TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10668482
Incident
Mar 5, 2014
Mileage
112,000 mi
Body & structureElectrical
Filed Dec 23, 2014

MELTED, GOOEY, RUBBER STRIP ON REAR HATCHBACK OPENER (CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL DOOR OPENER SWITCH OVERHEATING?) *TR

NHTSA ID
10668025
Incident
Oct 1, 2013
Mileage
28,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Dec 15, 2014

THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND FALLING APART. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS SUPPOSE TO PROTECT YOU DURING AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10664251
Incident
Dec 15, 2014
Mileage
40,000 mi
AirbagsBody & structure
Filed Aug 22, 2014

I OWN A LEXUS SUV, MY THIRD LEXUS/TOYOTA BRAND VEHICLE. SO I TRUSTED THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY. ONE DAY EVERYTHING IS FINE. THE NEXT DAY, I SEE A SMALL CRACK IN THE LOWER PART OF THE DASHBOARD OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. LITERALLY, ONE DAY FINE AND THE NEXT CRACKED AND WITHOUT A SINGLE INCIDENT THAT CAUSED IT. IN JUST A MATTER OF WEEKS, MY ENTIRE LEFT DASHBOARD IS CRACKING AND CHIPPING AND IT CONTINUES TO SPREAD AND DETERIORATE DAY BY DAY. I AM SHOCKED AND ALARMED! I DO NOT TRUST THAT THIS DASHBOARD IS SAFE AS I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG (S) WILL BE COMPROMISED. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT IT COULD COMPONENTS INTEGRAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA AND LEXUS (AFFECTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES) YET LITTLE TO NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A RECALL. IT HAS BEEN COVERED EXTENSIVELY IN NEWS STORIES, ON THE WEB AND BY DEALERSHIPS CONCERNED ABOUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SAFETY. THERE ARE ALSO KNOWN TO BE INTERNAL DOCUMENTS BY TOYOTA THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED LEXUS CORPORATE AND IT SENT ME TO A LOCAL LEXUS DEALER TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUE AND THIS WENT BACK TO LEXUS CORPORATE. THIS LANGUISHED FOR MANY WEEKS WITHOUT FOLLOW UP AND THEN MY CLAIM WAS UNCEREMONIOUSLY DENIED AND WITHOUT EXPLANATION. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10627602
Incident
Jun 6, 2014
Mileage
59,000 mi
AirbagsBody & structure
Filed Jul 25, 2014

RECALL THERE HAS BEEN A SERIES OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DASHBOARD OF LEXUS GETTING STICKY AND CRACKING FURTHER AND FURTHER AS TIME GOES BY. I AM NOW ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS LIST OF UNSATISFIED AND CONCERNED OWNER. MY 2009 LEXUS RX350 HAS NOTICEABLE STICKINESS IN THE DASHBOARD AND CRACKING IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE DASHBOARD. WHAT IS ALARMING IS THAT THE CRACKS ARE BEGINNING TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE AROUND OR ON THE AIRBAG LOCATION ON THE DASHBOARD. I AM ALARMED AND CONCERNED BECAUSE OF HOW THE CRACKS IS SPREADING IT MAY CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY ACCIDENTALLY. THE DEALER OFFERED TO SUPPLY THE NECESSARY PARTS BUT WANTS ME TO PAY UP TO $1000 IN LABOR. THE TO ME IS VERY INSULTING BECAUSE THIS IS KNOWN AS AN ISSUE AND IT IS A MANUFACTURER FAULT NOT OWNER. PLEASE ADVICE. THANK YOU ON ADVANCE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10616253
Incident
Mar 1, 2014
Body & structure
Filed Feb 1, 2012

BY DESIGN THE ELECTRIC TAILGATE DOES NOT REVERSE WHEN IN THE PROCESS OF CLOSING THEREBY TRAPPING A PERSON IF THEY ARE NOT CLEAR OF THE TAILGATE RESULTING IN INJURY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10446199
Incident
Jan 18, 2012
Body & structure
Filed Feb 25, 2010

LEXUS RX 350-2009. WHEN THERE IS SNOW ON THE REAR HATCH, IF YOU OPEN THE HATCH WITH THE KEY WHEN IT REACHES THE TOP IT COMES DOWN, HITTING ANYONE TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE HATCH OR TAKE SOMETHING OUT. THIS HAPPENED TO ME TONIGHT. THE SECOND DEFECT IS THAT WHEN THE DOOR HITS SOMETHING, LIKE MY HEAD, IT AUTOMATICALLY DOESN'T STOP AND GO UP, THEREBY REDUCING THE BLOW, IT KEEPS COMING DOWN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10314441
Incident
Feb 25, 2010
Body & structure
Filed Feb 10, 2010
1 injury reported

LEXUS RX 350 BACK DOOR DOES NOT REMAIN UP WHEN THERE IS SNOW ON THE ROOF OR SNOW ON THE DOOR. IT GOES UP AUTOMATICALLY VIA KEY OR DASHBOARD ENTRY OR USE OF REAR DOOR OPENER, BUT WHEN IT GETS UP AND YOU ARE UNPACKING FROM THE REAR CARGO AREA, IT COMES DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND TWICE HIT MY WIFE IN THE HEAD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10308629
Incident
Feb 10, 2010
Mileage
25,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Feb 4, 2010

FOOT SLIPS BETWEEN GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE CAUSING CAR TO ACCELERATE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10305853
Incident
Jun 5, 2009
Mileage
3,500 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 .