There are 3 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2004 Lexus LXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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
THE FUEL TANK WAS VENTING REPEATEDLY AND AUDIBLY WHEN OPERATING AT SPEEDS BELOW 30 MPH ALTITUDES OF 3500 FEET AND MORE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE GASOLINE IN THE TANK COULD BE HEARD BOILING ALSO. WHEN THE GAS CAP (OEM) WAS REMOVED, GASOLINE VAPORS ESCAPED CONTINUOUSLY UNDER PRESSURE FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES.
I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 LEXUS LX470. AT THE 1000 MILE CHECKUP, I MENTIONED TO THE SERVICE WRITER THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO FILL THE GAS TANK UP ALL THE WAY. HE RESPONDED BY TELLING ME THAT IT USUALLY *WORKS IT'S WAY OUT*. A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER, I WAS ONLY ABLE TO FILL UP THE GAS TANK 3/4 OF THE WAY. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO TO LEXUS OF PEMBROKE PINES, WHERE THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR 2 DAYS AND REPLACED SOME PARTS. UPON FILLING UP THE NEXT TIME, IT STILL ONLY FILLED UP 3/4 OF THE WAY. THEY HAVE NOW LITERALLY REPLACED EVERY PART HAVING TO DO WITH THE GAS TANK WITHOUT ANY LUCK, AND HAVE NOW TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK ENTIRELY. THEY HAVE ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT IS ON *BACK ORDER*. MY CAR HAS NOW BEEN SITTING THERE ALMOST 2 WEEKS, AND I'M NOW AFRAID OF THE CAR...AFRAID THAT THERE IS A DEFECT THAT COULD DO HARM. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026