Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||||
| 00205 | 12/22/2005 | 10018856 | Tire pressure warning system light on. *tt | 01/18/2006 | |
| 00404 | 06/18/2004 | 10008391 | Front brake vibration. *mj | 07/29/2004 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST | |||||
| 00504 | 09/17/2004 | 10010149 | Brake booster. *jb | 11/04/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | ||||||
| PE05009 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/10/2005 | 06/15/2005 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE | ||
| On february 10, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged loss of brake power-assist in certain 2004 model year (my) lexus rx330 vehicles built through approximately june 30, 2004.the subject vehicles were manufactured at toyota motor manufacturing canada, inc. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | ||||||
| PE05009 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/10/2005 | 06/15/2005 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE | ||
| On february 10, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged loss of brake power-assist in certain 2004 model year (my) lexus rx330 vehicles built through approximately june 30, 2004.the subject vehicles were manufactured at toyota motor manufacturing canada, inc. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | ||||||
| PE05009 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/10/2005 | 06/15/2005 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE | ||
| On february 10, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged loss of brake power-assist in certain 2004 model year (my) lexus rx330 vehicles built through approximately june 30, 2004.the subject vehicles were manufactured at toyota motor manufacturing canada, inc. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST | ||||||
| PE05009 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/10/2005 | 06/15/2005 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE | ||
| On february 10, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged loss of brake power-assist in certain 2004 model year (my) lexus rx330 vehicles built through approximately june 30, 2004.the subject vehicles were manufactured at toyota motor manufacturing canada, inc. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM | ||||||
| PE05009 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/10/2005 | 06/15/2005 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE | ||
| On february 10, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged loss of brake power-assist in certain 2004 model year (my) lexus rx330 vehicles built through approximately june 30, 2004.the subject vehicles were manufactured at toyota motor manufacturing canada, inc. | ||||||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||
| PE05009 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 02/10/2005 | 06/15/2005 | VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE | ||
| On february 10, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged loss of brake power-assist in certain 2004 model year (my) lexus rx330 vehicles built through approximately june 30, 2004.the subject vehicles were manufactured at toyota motor manufacturing canada, inc. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK | |||
| 01/25/2005 | 22000 | 1 | 10/25/2003 |
| I got into a car accident on the way to work. i was going 30 mph off a freeway exit and had to slam on my brake because the cars in front of me all stopped all of a sudden. i stepped on my brake pad all the way down but my car did not stop at all and ran into the truck in front of me. my 2004 rx330 went under the back of the truck in front of me, and my hood was all crumpled up. my insurance paid for all the repairs, which was over $9000.00 and now my inruance will go up. the repair was 2 weeks long, and the car in front of me filed a claim with my insurance company.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 12/01/2010 | |||
| I have hard time depressing brake pedal. i went to lexus dealer to get it checked. i think i paid 170 dollars and they said it is ok. but, i still do not like the brake pedal never been smooth. | |||
| 03/04/2007 | 2 | ||
| 2004 lexus rx330. consumer states problems with the brake fluid after the vehicle went in for a 30,000 mile clean up. *kb the consumer stated the brake light illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the consumer was informed that an air bubble had formed in the brake line, possibly caused when the line was drained during a 30,000 mile check-up and resulted in the brake fluid being slightly low. the following week, the brake light illuminated again and the consumer immediately returned to the dealer. it was discovered there was absolutely no brake fluid in the reservoir. the brake cylinder and brake booster were replaced. *jb | |||
| 04/26/2010 | 68500 | ||
| I have 2004 lexus rx330. yesterday, april 26th, 2010 while driving to local bank, i needed to apply the brakes. i pushed on the brake pedal and it made some weird sound and pedal went all the way to the floor and vehicle had hard time stopping. somehow i managed to come back home safely. the pedal goes to floor and vehicle barely stops. i do not see any leaks in my garage where vehicle is always parked. i took it to the toyota dealer and he says master cylinder has internal leak and need to be replaced along with brake pads both front and back. | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 200 | 1 | |
| Someone needs to listen! i have a 2004 lexus rx330. it's had trouble from day one, and i got nowhere! they have done 5 updates on the computer. now it only seems to have trouble at 20 mph, instead of 40-50 and 65-80, of lurching, hesitating, then taking off like a bat out of hell. it's had a bulletin on the front brakes, and shimmied all over the road. i have paper work on all of this and more. you, the ntsb, can take the car and go thru it, i'll give you the repair records. i've called the toyota headquarters in 04 or 05 begging them to help me. a woman said, the car was, performing in the manner it was designed: i saved a long time to buy my dream car when i retired, now i have a defective car, with only 48k miles because of fear of driving it. please please, listen to what people wrote back in 04 about this car. one man said a friend worked for lexus and told him that his boss said there will never be a recall on this car because of the amount of cars sold in the us and canada. we need help. my car is a lemon. i've mentioned numerous times of painting it yellow and putting lemon all over it. please try to pull up records back then, all these people were writing in with the same problems. no one listened then or now! please, i'm begging you. i've had 4 toyota's in the past, and all 4 totally, never had the trouble this 1 lexus has. they were actually toyotas. their complete stature has gone from years of loyalty by me and others, after all the built up trust, gone in an instant! one runaway car is enough! it's now killing people. i bought it for it's comfort, looks, but mostly for safety, and trustworthiness! gone. all gone! i have a 91 ford van i drive instead of the lexus. i call it a piece of junk, nothing but trouble, and lexus had it more than i did the first 4 yrs. please look into this all you can. all these people can't be wrong. i can't even sell it now. shame on you, toyota. shame on you! greed! that's what it is, greed. *tr | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Lost the power brake assist in vail colorado coming down the mountain. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 81649 | 1 | |
| 2 to 3 years prior to this accident i was coming to stoplight and the car brake did not work but only for a few second i reported this to my husband and he took it to several mechanics but did not find anything wrong with the vehicle, my husband owns a auto parts store for 40 years and knows a few qualified mechanic 3 people was on a freeway about 1/4 mile from off ramp doing about 65 mph, we started to move over to the slower lane as we got to the slower lane i stepped on the brakes to slow down for the off ramp when the vehicle felt the brakes were not working, i pumped the brakes several times to make sure i was stepping on the brakes but instead of slowing down the vehicle kept accelerating i depressed the brake pedal as hard as i could and hung on for dear life upon entering the off ramp i stuck another vehicle and flipped the car several times. i ended up with a cracked sternum, the passenger broke 3 or 4 of her vertebra, and passenger in the rear seat was fatal. updated 03/10/10 *bf *tr | |||
| 05/12/2007 | 71000 | 1 | |
| In may 2007, i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 10 miles from my home, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 5 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $9500. the brakes shake violently when applied and this has happened several times before and after the accident. at the time of the accident, my airbag did not even deploy i was going so slow. i reported this problem to lexus of seattle in october 2006 and they said i needed a front brake job, which i did, the accident occurred less than 6 months later. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2006 | 4 | 06/08/2003 | |
| Brake failure on lexus rx330. *jb | |||
| 01/02/2006 | 20000 | 1 | 06/15/2004 |
| I was driving my 2004 rx330. it was 1/2/2006 and the roads were dry. the outside temperature awas 34 degrees. i had driven my car to the local deli with no problems. when i returned to the car and pulled away, i applied the brakes to a bucking sound. the brake light was on. the brakes were squealing and i couldn't stop without applying major pressure to the brakes. i immediately pulled the car over to check if i had accidently put the parking brake on - which i hadn't. i waited for my husband to come check it out. he pumped on the brake pedal for a while and the brakes finally started to work again and the brake light went off. my husband took the car to the dealer and they said that they probably needed to change the brake booster. *nm | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 04/10/2004 |
| On january 17, 2005 i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 1 mile from my home, on my own street, 1-2 minutes after leaving my home. it had snowed the night before and the roadway was still snow/ice covered, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $8000. days after the damage to the vehicle was fixed my husband took the vehicle to the lexus of towson dealership to have the braking mechanism looked at. during the drive to the dealership (in similar, snow covered/frigid conditions) my husband was able to reproduce this problem, again just after leaving our home. the dealership (a 40 minute drive from our home) was unable to reproduce this problem and told us to call back if the problem occurred again. today, may 24, 2005, we were informed during a routine oil change that there may be a problem wth the brakes and that a campaign was underway to investigate. i wanted to formally add my vehicle to this list of compaints. | |||
| 12/26/2004 | 1 | 07/01/2004 | |
| 2004 lexus rx330 has problems with the vacuum system for the brake equipment.*mr the brake booster failed causing the brakes to fail while backing out of a driveway. the brakes would lso lock up and the pedal would travel to the floor. *nm | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 12000 | 1 | |
| Lexus rx330 2004 brake failure. *bf the consumer stated when he placed the vehicle in reverse, it moved quite fast, when he attempted to apply the brake to slow it down nothing happened until the consumer slammed on the brake very hard and it slowly came to a stop. the dealer was unable to find anything abnormal. *jb | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 1 | 03/01/2004 | |
| When backing vehicle up the brake pedal locked and brakes failed. *bf the consumer was told the brake booster failed. the consumer was given a loaner vehicle of the same make and model and had the same failure. *tc | |||
| 03/05/2005 | 1 | ||
| The brakes did not operate at various speeds when they were applied. consumer has contacted the manufacturer. *jb | |||
| 02/04/2005 | 5400 | ||
| I took my rx330 in for its 5000 mi checkup and the recall regarding the brake light recall. after 2 hours i was told that in an effort to gas up my vehicle, my brake booster failed at the gas station and was being transported to the dealership but i was told that the vehicle was too dangerours to drive and that i would be provided a loaner. i was told that it would be up to three weeks before my vehicle would be ready. fortunately, it took only four days to be repaired. now i am driving my vehicle with real apprehension. i purchased this vehicle based upon consumer reports safety and i hope i do not live to regret it. | |||
| 12/06/2004 | 11261 | 2 | 04/30/2004 |
| Vehicle has experienced 2 total brake failures. when applying the brakes , the vehicle failed to stop. the pedal went down to the floor. owner towed the vehicle back to the dealer and had the vehicle serviced after being there for 10 days. approximately 30 days later this problem re-occurred. owner had the brake actuator assembly and pads replaced. problem still occurs. *nm *nm | |||
| 02/17/2005 | 1 | ||
| Simultaneously without warning the pedal went to the floor while the driver applied the brakes. the driver noticed that the brakes would go to the floor in cold weather. the driver was able to drive to the dealer. the mechanic informed the driver that the problem can not be duplicate. please provide additional information. *nm | |||
| 07/05/2004 | 10 | 25 | |
| The consumer has to put extreme pressure on the brakes in order to stop. the vehicle has never been serviced for this problem with the brakes. *nm | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 12000 | 1 | |
| The vehicle was pulling out of reverse in a parking lot when all of a sudden the driver applied the brakes and they did not work. taken to dealer for checkup and repair. *nm | |||
| 02/16/2005 | 18600 | 1 | |
| While backing out of a parking space, the brakes failed the consumer was able to stop the vehicle without a crash. the vehicle was towed, and the brake booster was found to be defective. *nm | |||
| 01/16/2005 | 13800 | 1 | 04/01/2004 |
| While driving 25 mph approaching red light driver applied the brake pedal and the brakes failed. the brake pedal went to the floor. this caused consumer's vehicle to collide with the vehicle in front. no damage to vehicle struck in rear and minimal damage to front bumper of lexus. driver's right foot bruised. 1 month later vehicle taken to dealership where the brake booster was replaced.*ak the consumer sustain an injured foot as a result of the accident. *nm | |||
| 01/25/2005 | 1 | 11/30/2004 | |
| My brakes went completely out while traveling down a highway at 70 mph. there was no warning prior to the occurrence. the vehicle when the brake pedal was push all the way to the floor grabbed violently and pulled the vehicle straight right. when i called the lexus dealer that sold me the vehicle, i said that my brakes had failed, and without me ever telling them what model it was the serviceman said you must have an rx-330. i replied how did you know that? he stated that they had many [problems with the brakes on the rx-330. i then asked him to have it picked up because i was not driving it any further. i next ask how long it would be before it would be fixed, he responded between 1 and 3 weeks. i asked why, he said because the parts were back ordered because of the problems. the part on my work order is for a brake booster assembly. when the car was picked up i asked the truck driver if he picked up many lexus's for brake problems the answer was yes. the vehicle was fixed in a couple of days because i raised so much heck. the car was returned by a different towing service. i asked the same question and this driver said he had 4 in the passed couple of months. obviously this is a major problem, so i asked lexus why i had not gotten a letter or recall on it like i had for a faulty radiator and brake light switch. all people talked with played it down. i feel that they should put a letter or recall out because this is a very dangerous situation compared to a radiator or brake light. some one will get killed over this and it easily could have been me! *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 01/06/2006 | 4 | ||
| I noticed the brake pedal had to be pressed all the way in order to brake and was not responsive. i had the brakes checked, and they were fine. i received a letter from lexus regarding a recall for the brake booster. i was scheduled for this service twice. both times i was told they had no brake boosters remaining, and i am still awaiting their call back. i was recently in a car accident in which i was in full control traveling about 25 mph and the brakes were not responsive again. my foot was pressed all the way to the bottom and the car did not respond appropriately.*ak | |||
| 10/28/2004 | 2 | 02/25/2004 | |
| Dt: the power brakes completely failed. this happened on september 28, 2005. this was the second time this happened; the first time was on october 27, 2004, and the dealer replaced the brake booster or something to the brake booster. there was no forewarning, but one could hear a little noise when pressing the brakes, and that was at the moment it happened. it happened in dry pavement and warm weather. *ak | |||
| 07/29/2005 | 20600 | 1 | 07/01/2003 |
| Dt: caller was trying to park and the brakes did not hold. caller hit a garage and two other vehicles. caller was going about 5 mph. dealer has not been contacted yet. manufacturer will get back to caller. *ak | |||
| 02/04/2005 | 5400 | ||
| I took my rx330 in for its 5000 mi checkup and the recall regarding the brake light recall. after 2 hours i was told that in an effort to gas up my vehicle, my brake booster failed at the gas station and was being transported to the dealership but i was told that the vehicle was too dangerours to drive and that i would be provided a loaner. i was told that it would be up to three weeks before my vehicle would be ready. fortunately, it took only four days to be repaired. now i am driving my vehicle with real apprehension. i purchased this vehicle based upon consumer reports safety and i hope i do not live to regret it. | |||
| 01/28/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 06/20/2004 |
| Locked brake pedal;1. on turning on the ignition, the brake peddal locked. when this problem appeared the first time, i wasn't sure what happended as the brake pedal unlocked after turining on and off the ignition again.*ak 2. during the 5000 mi service i told the dealership that the brake indicator light had not turned off (light on the dash board) once and asked them to check. they assumed this to be related to the recall my vehicle had for the brake lights (tail lights) and fixed the vehicle for the recall issue. 3. once again the brake pedal locked on jan 28th when i turned on the ignition when the vehicle was parked on a slope in snow. while i used the parking brake to control the vehicle the pedal did not unlock. after repeatedly turning on and off the ignition i was able to unlock the pedal (about 5 mins) and i then called up the dealership. 4. the dealership fixed the car for locking by installing a brake booster 5. what bothers me most is the lack of proactive response from lexus on this dangerous failure. i was lucky that the brakes locked when i was turning on the ignition, had the same happened while driving this could have cost me and my wife our lives. as the dealership was aware of this issue (from other customer complaints) they should have proactively checked the car when i took it in for the 5000 mi service. my pedal locked after two days of the service! | |||
| 11/23/2004 | 10000 | 1 | |
| Brakes failed, and consumer unable to stop the vehicle consumer's vehicle rear ended the vehicle in the front.*ak | |||
| 12/23/2004 | 7491 | 2 | 01/01/2004 |
| The brake booster is sticking and causing the brakes to operate immediately like the consumer is stomping on the brake pedal. also, brake check light is on. took vehicle dealer for check up, but the cause was undetermined.*ak | |||
| 12/24/2004 | 2 | 09/13/2003 | |
| 2004 lexus rx330 anti-lock brakes are too sensitive and does not stop in snow or ice. this allows the vehicle to roll forward and does not allow the vehicle to stop under its own weight. lexus rx300 does not have this problem. am owner of both. *nm | |||
| 12/24/2004 | 13383 | 1 | 07/16/2004 |
| Brakes failed! after starting my car and putting it into reverse to back out of the driveway, i found i had no brakes ...the car started moving despite my foot being on the brake pedal. i had to use the emergency brake to stop. after stopping the car, i observed the break pedal is all the way to the floor. the car has been towed to the dealership!*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - ABS WARNING LIGHT | |||
| 02/04/2005 | 5400 | ||
| I took my rx330 in for its 5000 mi checkup and the recall regarding the brake light recall. after 2 hours i was told that in an effort to gas up my vehicle, my brake booster failed at the gas station and was being transported to the dealership but i was told that the vehicle was too dangerours to drive and that i would be provided a loaner. i was told that it would be up to three weeks before my vehicle would be ready. fortunately, it took only four days to be repaired. now i am driving my vehicle with real apprehension. i purchased this vehicle based upon consumer reports safety and i hope i do not live to regret it. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 04/10/2004 |
| On january 17, 2005 i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 1 mile from my home, on my own street, 1-2 minutes after leaving my home. it had snowed the night before and the roadway was still snow/ice covered, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $8000. days after the damage to the vehicle was fixed my husband took the vehicle to the lexus of towson dealership to have the braking mechanism looked at. during the drive to the dealership (in similar, snow covered/frigid conditions) my husband was able to reproduce this problem, again just after leaving our home. the dealership (a 40 minute drive from our home) was unable to reproduce this problem and told us to call back if the problem occurred again. today, may 24, 2005, we were informed during a routine oil change that there may be a problem wth the brakes and that a campaign was underway to investigate. i wanted to formally add my vehicle to this list of compaints. | |||
| 11/03/2004 | 5000 | 1 | |
| Article in nytimes re rx330; problem with brake booster known months ago. we had a # of scary, almost serious episodes with this issue. no one told us, even though they knew! it was very hard to stop the car and pedal required significant effort. problem always happened just after starting the car at the beginning of the drive. our car was at dealer for one month, while we awaited parts to repair. dealer replaced vacuum brake booster and have not had any problems since.*ak | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 1 | 1 | 07/05/2004 |
| When initially depressing the brake pedal, the pedal does not depress smoothly, instead in frequently shudders as it goes down through the initial part of the stroke, going down in a stair-step manner. this happens even when standing still, and is most noticeable when pressing the brake gently. it makes it very difficult to stop smoothly and precisely, occasionally causing jerky, erratic braking. the dealer replaced the master cylinder and booster assembly, only to have the problem become even worse! *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 05/02/2006 | 65000 | 3 | 09/12/2004 |
| I purchased my rx330 sept. 2004 with 8 miles on it, however i travel over 150 highway miles a day. i have been experiencing the evaporation of brake fluid from my fluid reservoir which caused my brake light to come on. after replacing the brake fluid every 3-days i called the dealer and expressed the problem. once taking it in they replaced the front brakes and added fluid. three days later the brake fluid had evaporated and the brake light came on again. i immediately contacted the mechanicsberg, pa dealer after keeping it overnight they stated that nothing was wrong with my vehicle, however i refused to take it until they reproduced and repaired the problem. after reading the other 51 complaints, i have several issues to discuss with them. i am very blessed that my brakes haven't failed yet! i hope that all have made formal complaints to lexus. *nm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 04/10/2004 |
| On january 17, 2005 i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 1 mile from my home, on my own street, 1-2 minutes after leaving my home. it had snowed the night before and the roadway was still snow/ice covered, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $8000. days after the damage to the vehicle was fixed my husband took the vehicle to the lexus of towson dealership to have the braking mechanism looked at. during the drive to the dealership (in similar, snow covered/frigid conditions) my husband was able to reproduce this problem, again just after leaving our home. the dealership (a 40 minute drive from our home) was unable to reproduce this problem and told us to call back if the problem occurred again. today, may 24, 2005, we were informed during a routine oil change that there may be a problem wth the brakes and that a campaign was underway to investigate. i wanted to formally add my vehicle to this list of compaints. | |||
| 11/29/2004 | 5100 | 1 | 06/25/2004 |
| I had driven my car to the bank and when i came out to start my car the brake pedal was very stiff. i saw a red brake light on the dash and first thought i had somehow put on the emergency brake. i realized that this was not the case and that i had no brakes. i was still in the parking lot so no injuries occurred. after trying numerous times to move my car, the light went off and i was able to drive home. this was only about a mile. once i was home, the vehicle again froze up and i had no brakes and could not even push down the brake pedal. there was no prior warning of a problem, no visible signs of a leak. the vehicle was unable to be driven and had to get towed to the dealership on a flatbed truck. this was a new 2004 lexus rx330 with only 5,000 miles on it. the dealership put a sign on my car...do not drive - no brakes. the next day i was told that the master cylinder had an internal leak. because it was under warranty the dealership replaced the master cylinder (i was told that there were no parts available in the country and it would take 3 weeks to ship a part) i was not given my old part and the only explanation was that the master cylinder had an internal leak. i have no way of knowing if this new part has a defect too, and if in another 5,000 miles this master cylinder will fail. the fact that no parts were available in the entire country leads me to question whether there were a number of other 2004 lexus rx330's that had similar master cylinder malfunctions. if you have had other complaints with the brake systems on lexus rx330's i would like to hear from you. *jb | |||
| 11/26/2004 | 6500 | 2 | |
| Consumer entered the vehicle, and upon exiting the parking lot, vehicle would not stop. consumer had to place the vehicle into park in order to stop. vehicle was towed, and the master cylinder and brake booster were replaced. *ak...part was on back order. mechanic at dealership reported that he has seen a couple of cars with the same problem. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - PEDALS AND LINKAGES | |||
| 06/10/2005 | 8000 | 2 | 09/13/2004 |
| Highway driving @ 70 mph driving after 360 miles and 250 miles, conditions were dry and pavement smooth and clear in both cases, no construction in the area. vehicle started with a slight vibration and eventually it led up to a significant vibrations that shook the chassis including the steering wheel. vibration worsened as the brake was applied to pull over. the first time we checked vehicle outside and noticed nothing unusual and restarted testing the brakes the first few hundred feet and the vibration was still there during braking but no longer there while driving. the second occurance i could feel the vibration build up so i started to slow down and again braking made it worse. i thought this is a brake problem so to correct the problem i tried putting my foot under the brake pedal and pulling back towards me. after doing this i immediately felt the vibration go away. however, for the next several brake situations, the vehicle still vibrated while the brakes were applied. i thought this might be the mat, however, the pedal goes straight up into the ip and the mat can not interfer with pedal travel. during the next several hundred we would pull back on the pedal. most cases the pedal would have no traval back but on occassion we would feel that it would have travel back. i will be taking this to a dealer to have this checked out. it was almost as if the booster was creating a negative vacumn pulling the pedal to the floor applying the brake. first incident was on 6/10/05 on i-80 360 miles east of chicago (in ohio) and the second was on 6/20/05, 250 miles west of niagara falls. | |||
| 01/24/2005 | 10000 | 1 | |
| While parked in the garage overnight consumer attempted to start the vehicle in the morning and noticed that the brake pedal was stuck. *ak the manufacturer acknowledged that the problem existed and repaired it at no cost to the consumer. *nm | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST | |||
| 01/03/2005 | 1 | ||
| 2004 lexus rx330 developed a brake booster problem.***no answer required***. *mr the consumer stated the problem with the brake booster, is that the brakes freeze. *jb | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 04/10/2004 |
| On january 17, 2005 i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 1 mile from my home, on my own street, 1-2 minutes after leaving my home. it had snowed the night before and the roadway was still snow/ice covered, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $8000. days after the damage to the vehicle was fixed my husband took the vehicle to the lexus of towson dealership to have the braking mechanism looked at. during the drive to the dealership (in similar, snow covered/frigid conditions) my husband was able to reproduce this problem, again just after leaving our home. the dealership (a 40 minute drive from our home) was unable to reproduce this problem and told us to call back if the problem occurred again. today, may 24, 2005, we were informed during a routine oil change that there may be a problem wth the brakes and that a campaign was underway to investigate. i wanted to formally add my vehicle to this list of compaints. | |||
| 04/01/2004 | 100 | 4 | 03/30/2004 |
| I have a lexus rx 330, 2004. starting in april 2004 right after i purchased it on march 31, 2004 i have had brake problems with this car. it would jolt when you were applying the brakes, and pull to the side. this was reported by phone, and during its first check up at 1000 miles. told they could not find anything. continued problem. told same at 5000 mile check up, but they replaced brake booster anyway. while backing out of drive brakes failed, and vehicle ran into a yard. then brake light came on. lexus dealer sent car carrier to pick up. driver saw there were no brakes and light was on. told by dealership the brakes working and light on, but replaced brake boosters again. this time supposedly with another type. i was assured each time nothing wrong with car. kept driving it, and car would continue to jolt, and pulled to side while steadily applying brakes. even to the point it would break traction in rain. had car picked up again,, and they told me this time it was a chip which controlled the baffle system that controlled the brakes. i refused to let them work on it, and asked lexus at this time to buy the car back under the ga lemon law which was very clear about major system failure such as brakes. his buy back process has been going on since february. the car has been at the dealership unable to be driven. signed a contract with lexus to buy it back over 45 days ago and they still have not given me my money.*ak | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 1 | 05/13/2004 | |
| Power brakes on 2004 lexus rx330 failed in cold weather. almost caused accident while backing out of garage. warming up the vehicle for 15 min temporarily solved the problem. it failed again the next day. dealer towed the vehicle for repair. works fine since. i have heard complaints about this model and would like to register my own | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| Recently in the summer of 2004, i purchased a new 2004 lexus rx330 suv. this past january, my brakes failed and i reported this to the dealership (lexus of englewood). the brakes would not work in stopping the car. the dealership informed me that the brake booster was broken, and they proceeded to change my entire brake system (?). now, the brakes do work, however, the feel is just different. i read in the ny times that this has happened to 10 other drivers of the same vehicle and i wanted to report this similar problem. the dealership didn't let me know it was a known problem. thank you for your attention in this matter. | |||
| 12/22/2004 | 20 | 1 | 07/31/2004 |
| Started car in parking lot in clarence, ny on or about dec 22 in the pm. weather cold and icy. drove off and applied brakes to stop at stop sign and car would not stop. brake pedal would not push down. made a turn back into parking lot and finally got car to stop with hand brake. called the lexus dealership immediately and spoke to service person who said he could not think of any reason for this to happen. he asked me to turn off engine and start again. i did this and car and brakes reacted normally. i was very shaken and told him so but he assured me that this was just a fluke and there was nothing wrong with the car. after reading article in new york times with regard to some complaints about failure with the power brakes in the lexus rx330 which is the model of my car (year 2004) i feel this was no fluke and that there is a problem which should be addressed with lexus. i was fortunate to have this happen in a parking lot at a low rate of speed and had the space to maneuver. jb | |||
| 08/18/2004 | 1 | 04/02/2004 | |
| I purchase a lexus rx330 in april 2004 in larchmont, ny. this past summer, as i was pulling out of a parking space, the power brakes failed. i had to push my foot down very forcefully all the way to the floor to get the car to stop. after a few minutes, the power was restored. i had the brakes fixed that afternoon at the lexus dealership. i was not aware that this was a potentially widespread problem until i read the 2/16 ny times article. i doubt that lexus is telling you the full story about all the brake failures and repairs that they are encountering.*ak | |||
| 11/13/2004 | 6143 | 1 | 02/16/2004 |
| Complete loss of brakes while driving, pedal went completely to floor. car had to be towed to dealer, in shop for 10 days awaiting parts. brake booster replaced. note: 5 others in shop at same time with same exact problem. *jb | |||
| 12/16/2004 | 7000 | 1 | |
| While in motion brakes power assist function failed. *ak | |||
| 12/25/2004 | 18000 | 1 | 12/01/2003 |
| My brakes failed while traveling down a mountain road in vermont. fortunately my husband was driving and was able to stop the car with much force. we called the lexus road emergency phone and were told to not drive the car anymore, they were aware of the brake problem and would have the car towed to a dealer. we then arranged to have the car towed to our home dealer 170 miles away - but the car took a month to repair because of a backorder on the part and we were left in vermont without a car. when we arrived home, a rental car was provided by lexus.*ak | |||
| 03/15/2004 | 2 | ||
| Add my name to the list of people with brake problems in the 2004 lexus rx300. we have already had 2 major problems with damaged rotors and pads as well as severe vibration and shimmying when braking, especially at high speeds. lexus has quietly been fixing the brake problems at their own expense in an effort to keep customer complaints to the nhtsa down and to hide the problem. i am sure after you do your research you will find many other people like me with major brake problems who didn't contact the nhtsa because lexus fixed the problems for free. as a result you will probably issue a safety mandated recall to fix this problem. (the braking problems are frequent and not just on one date as offered below)*ak | |||
| 12/29/2004 | 10000 | 1 | 11/19/2003 |
| Brake and abs warning lights came on. dealer towed car in for repairs. it is a failure of the brake booster system which could have led to total loss of braking. *jb | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 3200 | 3 | 09/10/2004 |
| I have had two problems. one being yesterday i came out to my car in the parking lot started up my car and there were no brakes. had to put car in park to stop car. the brakes were rock hard. they said it was the booster that had to be repaired. the second problem is i had almost 2 accidents when trying to accelerate from a stop sign. i hit the gas and the car doesn't go it lags and then goes. this hesitation is very very serious and has me very worried about driving with kids. i bought this car for the safety features and now i'm scared to drive it. what if my brakes failed on the highway i was on? what if my car lags in front of a truck?*ak | |||
| 11/26/2004 | 6500 | 2 | |
| Consumer entered the vehicle, and upon exiting the parking lot, vehicle would not stop. consumer had to place the vehicle into park in order to stop. vehicle was towed, and the master cylinder and brake booster were replaced. *ak...part was on back order. mechanic at dealership reported that he has seen a couple of cars with the same problem. *ak | |||
| 12/04/2004 | 20100 | 1 | 02/23/2004 |
| No warning, had braking failure nearly got into an accident. dealer told me this is a big problem parts on backorder no loaner car had to rent a vehicle. *ak | |||
| 11/20/2004 | 2000 | 3 | 04/01/2004 |
| Brake booster failure while backing out of driveway at less than 5mph. dlr advises replacement boosters are on back order.*ak | |||
| 11/09/2004 | 1 | 02/02/2004 | |
| Whike driving at 10 mph power brakes failed. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - HYDRAULIC | |||
| 03/25/2005 | 12901 | 1 | 10/10/2003 |
| At freeway speeds, applied brakes, and car shook severly, steering wheel shook and moved about 4 inches, left and right. i pulled off freeway. thinking i had a flat. no flat. rotors were red hot. i let it cool, checked the emergency brake, it was off. no warning lights were on in the dash. lexus replaced rotors, brake pads per some bulletin: tsib br004-04 43512-48081 t-1 9b t-2 13. *ak | |||
| 03/11/2005 | 1 | ||
| While driving approximately 40 mph driver applied the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to stop completely. driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the brake booster needed to be replaced. this information was provided by phillip's wife lorie holverson.*ak | |||
| 01/04/2005 | 5760 | 1 | 03/20/2004 |
| Car is a 2004 lexus rx330. brakes failed - pedal became hard as a rock and brake light came on without warning. almost drove through my driveway fence. took to dealer and they replaced the brake booster under warranty. it took a week to get the booster. so far the brakes seem to be ok. *jb | |||
| 12/04/2004 | 20100 | 1 | 02/23/2004 |
| No warning, had braking failure nearly got into an accident. dealer told me this is a big problem parts on backorder no loaner car had to rent a vehicle. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 04/10/2004 |
| On january 17, 2005 i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 1 mile from my home, on my own street, 1-2 minutes after leaving my home. it had snowed the night before and the roadway was still snow/ice covered, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $8000. days after the damage to the vehicle was fixed my husband took the vehicle to the lexus of towson dealership to have the braking mechanism looked at. during the drive to the dealership (in similar, snow covered/frigid conditions) my husband was able to reproduce this problem, again just after leaving our home. the dealership (a 40 minute drive from our home) was unable to reproduce this problem and told us to call back if the problem occurred again. today, may 24, 2005, we were informed during a routine oil change that there may be a problem wth the brakes and that a campaign was underway to investigate. i wanted to formally add my vehicle to this list of compaints. | |||
| 10/02/2004 | 5200 | 1 | |
| While braking at low speed, the brake pedal would go to the floor causing extended stopping distance. the consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. the dealership repaired the brake booster. *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - VACUUM - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 7400 | 2 | 04/10/2004 |
| On january 17, 2005 i was involved in an automobile accident in my 2004 lexus rx330. this accident occurred less than 1 mile from my home, on my own street, 1-2 minutes after leaving my home. it had snowed the night before and the roadway was still snow/ice covered, it was a frigid morning. i was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour and the vehicle brakes failed to engage. i attempted to push the brake petal to the floor without result. the anti-lock brakes did not function. the damage to this vehicle exceeded $8000. days after the damage to the vehicle was fixed my husband took the vehicle to the lexus of towson dealership to have the braking mechanism looked at. during the drive to the dealership (in similar, snow covered/frigid conditions) my husband was able to reproduce this problem, again just after leaving our home. the dealership (a 40 minute drive from our home) was unable to reproduce this problem and told us to call back if the problem occurred again. today, may 24, 2005, we were informed during a routine oil change that there may be a problem wth the brakes and that a campaign was underway to investigate. i wanted to formally add my vehicle to this list of compaints. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - SWITCHES - BRAKE WARNING | |||
| 04/01/2004 | 100 | 4 | 03/30/2004 |
| I have a lexus rx 330, 2004. starting in april 2004 right after i purchased it on march 31, 2004 i have had brake problems with this car. it would jolt when you were applying the brakes, and pull to the side. this was reported by phone, and during its first check up at 1000 miles. told they could not find anything. continued problem. told same at 5000 mile check up, but they replaced brake booster anyway. while backing out of drive brakes failed, and vehicle ran into a yard. then brake light came on. lexus dealer sent car carrier to pick up. driver saw there were no brakes and light was on. told by dealership the brakes working and light on, but replaced brake boosters again. this time supposedly with another type. i was assured each time nothing wrong with car. kept driving it, and car would continue to jolt, and pulled to side while steadily applying brakes. even to the point it would break traction in rain. had car picked up again,, and they told me this time it was a chip which controlled the baffle system that controlled the brakes. i refused to let them work on it, and asked lexus at this time to buy the car back under the ga lemon law which was very clear about major system failure such as brakes. his buy back process has been going on since february. the car has been at the dealership unable to be driven. signed a contract with lexus to buy it back over 45 days ago and they still have not given me my money.*ak | |||
| 01/22/2005 | 10169 | 1 | 04/15/2004 |
| Without any prior indication of a problem, on jan.22.05 the brakes on my 2004 lexus rx 330 stopped working properly. would only work with extreme foot pressure and then very difficult to control. this happened in cold weather after the car was just washed at a commercial car wash. mileage on car about 10,500. after driving the vehicle for less than a mile, i called lexus roadside assistance who arranged for the vehicle to be towed for service in westport ct. i was told the brake booster had failed. the dealer replaced it within a few days and under warranty. the dealer also indicated there were other vehicles who had experienced similar problems. his was the exact problem described in the feb.16.05 edition of the new york times for vehicles of this model produced in canada.*ak | |||