2004 Lexus RX Air Bags & Restraints Problems

Dashboard crack in 2024, that started on passenger side near air vent, expanded recently causing the "passenger air bag off" alert to light up and stay on continually. If I were to have a passenger at the time of an accident, the air bag might not deploy, which would be a safety issue. This could possibly lead to a liability issue, so I have not had any passengers but that isn't sustainable, so I contacted the dealer. I was told that the previous recall for cracked dashboards ended in 2017 and that it was cosmetic only, not safety related, but that the part was available for $964.50, not including labor, tax, etc. I feel that a safety related recall should be issued, the previously known dash cracking problem didn't end when their recall did, the fact that my vehicle is primarily garaged preserved the interior integrity, I don't believe I should be penalized for my dash not cracking 8 years earlier. Thank you for your consideration.

MELTING/CRACKED DASHBOARD PASSENGER SIDE - SMELLS OF CHEMICALS - DOES THIS AFFECT PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT? I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 4 YEARS AND WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY PROGRAMS - DASH FIRST STARTED MELTING/CRACKING ABOUT 6-8 MONTHS AGO LONG AFTER THEIR CONSUMER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM WENT AWAY.

RECENTLY THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND WAS STATIONARY. IT RESULTED IN CRACKS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. IS THERE A LEXUS RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM?

I WAS DRIVING INTO A PARKING STRUCTURE AND WAS STARTLED BY SOMETHING INSIDE THE CAR FALLING. I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND RAN HEAD-ON INTO A CONCRETE POLE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS AND, IN AN ACCIDENT OF THAT TYPE, IT WAS SCARY THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS DEFECTIVE AND EXHIBITED FRACTURES NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG AREA. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE THE REPLACEMENT DASHBOARD; THEREFORE, THEY WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM THE REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. *JS

I OWN A 2004 LEXUS RX 330. AS HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE INTERNET, THE DASHBOARD IN THESE CARS HAS A TENDENCY TO CRACK AND PEAL, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE AREA ABOVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. AT THE OUTSET THIS APPEARS TO BE A COSMETIC ISSUE. HOWEVER, WHEN I RECENTLY WENT TO AN AUTO UPHOLSTERY SHOP TO INQUIRE ABOUT REPAIR, THE TECHNICIAN BECAME ALARMED BECAUSE I -- LIKE PRESUMABLY MANY OTHERS -- HAD SOUGHT TO INITIATE A TEMPORARY REPAIR BY PLACING HEAVY-DUTY DUCT TAPE OVER THE CRACKED AREA. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED ME TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE DUCT TAPE BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN THAT IT WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG. THUS, IN THIS INSTANCE, WHILE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM MAY ONLY BE COSMETIC, THE TENDENCY OF CONSUMERS TO SEEK TO TEMPORARILY REPAIR THE ISSUE PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE PROHIBITIVE COST OF DASHBOARD REPLACEMENT AS A PROPER REPAIR?? CREATES A SITUATION OF GRAVE CONCERN FOR PASSENGER SAFETY. I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR THOUSANDS OF MILES WITH THE DUCT TAPE COVERING THE AIRBAG WITHOUT A THOUGHT TO THE RISK I WAS TAKING. *TR

THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT COMPLAINT. MY CAR HAS A DEFECT IN THE DASH VINYL (CRACKS AND 2 HOLES) THAT I FEAR COULD EFFECT THE AIRBAG OPERATION IF IT WERE TO ACTIVATE. I UNDERSTAND LEXUS HAS RECOGNIZED THIS IS A COMMON MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF THESE MODELS BUT CLASSIFY IT ONLY AS A COSMETIC PROBLEM AND ONLY OFFER A REPLACEMENT AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPORTS OF AIRBAG PROBLEMS IN THESE VEHICLES? ANY LAWSUITS? *TR

CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH MY LEXUS WAS TOTALED AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. *TR

MY DASHBOARD HAS BEEN RECALLED AND MINE IS SPLIT AND KEEPS GETTING LARGER ESPECIALLY WHERE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS LOCATED. LEXUS TOLD ME IN JULY 2015 THAT THE "DASHBOARDS WILL BE RELEASED AT THE END OF THIS MONTH." THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. THE RESPONSE THAT I RECEIVED AS TO WHETHER MY AIRBAGS WERE TAKATA, LEXUS RESPONDED, "UNFORTUNATELY WE DO NOT HAVE DATA ON THE MANUFACTURER....BUT CAN ASSURE YOU THAT ...THE AIRBAGS...ARE NOT UNDER ANY RECALL AT THIS TIME." I AM SUPPOSE TO FEEL GOOD DRIVING MY CAR WITH THAT STATEMENT? THEY HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN EVERY PART IN MY CAR BY VIN #. I AM ALSO DRIVING AROUND WITH THE HEADLIGHTS' EXCESSIVE MOISTURE AFTER THEY FINALLY COULD REPLACE THOSE. ALLUDING ME THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THE DASHBOARD FIXED AT THE END OF JULY, I HELD OFF GET THAT REPAIRED UNTIL I COULD DO ALL THREE. NOW, I BELIEVE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS' REPAIR WILL BE AT MY EXPENSE. WHEN IS NHTSA.DOT.GOV GOING TO ENFORCE THE RECALLS? I & MANY OTHERS ARE DRIVING DEATH VEHICLES!!! ARE MY CHILDREN GOING TO HAVE TO SUE BOTH YOU & LEXUS FOR NEGLECT? I, & NUMEROUS OTHERS, THOUGHT THAT WE WERE PAYING YOU TO PROTECT US. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO PROTECT US INSTEAD OF JUST RECORDING OUR ISSUES?

UNKNOWN DATE AND TIME. VEHICLE MADE ALARM NOISE, TURNED VEHICLE OFF. SAFETY BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND DASHBOARD CRACKED; RADIO STOPPED WORKING. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL LONG VERTICAL CRACKS. THE DASH SIMPLY CRACKED ON ITS OWN. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT THE CRACKS ARE LARGE ENOUGH THAT WE ARE AFRAID THAT THE AIRBAGS MAY NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY IN AN EMERGENCY. THE DASHBOARD CRACKS ARE IDENTICAL TO MANY SIMILAR POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET. LEXUS CLAIMS THEY ARE "DEDICATED TO PROVIDING VEHICLES OF OUTSTANDING QUALITY AND VALUE." , IN THIS CASE THEY HAVE, ONCE AGAIN, STUCK THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND!! *TR

FRONT END COLLISION IN 2004 LEXUS RX 330 WITH 206,000 MILES GOING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. CAR IS TOTALED PER INSURANCE ADJUSTER. DRIVER AND THREE CHILDREN IN CAR. NO SERIOUS INJURIES. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS AND AM AWAITING ANSWER. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES SINCE PURCHASED AND NOTHING MENTIONED ABOUT AIRBAG ISSUE. *TR

THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKING AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. THE AIRBAG WAS DESIGNED WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE FROM THE DASHBOARD. MAJOR CONCERN WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SPEED WITH LESS RESISTANCE FROM DASHBOARD. ALSO CONCERN ABOUT FRAGMENTATION OF DASHBOARD DURING DEPLOYMENT. *TR

THE DASHBOARD LEATHER MATERIAL HAS CRACKED INCOME APART ON TOP OF WHERE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SITS. *TR

PARENT CO, TOYOTA ISSUED A VOLUNTARY REPLACEMENT OF DASHBOARD DUE TO CRACKED, STICKY, SHINY CONDITION IN WHAT WAS AN OBVIOUS ATTEMPT TO STAVE OFF AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT RECALL AND/OR A CLASS ACTION. PARENT CO, TOYOTA IS NOW STALLING BY NOT SUPPLYING THE DEALERS WITH SAID DASHBOARDS THEY PROMISED TO REPLACE. I FIRST BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF MY DEALER IN MAY OF 2012. EVEN IF THE DEALER WAS RECEIVING THE DASHBOARDS AT THE RATE OF 2 OR 3 A WEEK AS ORIGINALLY PROMISED, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER FULL YEAR OR MORE BEFORE THEY WOULD REPLACE MINE. AT THIS TIME, THE DEALERS ARE RECEIVING NONE AND NO DASHBOARDS ARE BEING REPLACED. THIS IS NOT JUST A COSMETIC ISSUE, IT'S A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. IN THE CASE OF MY DASH, WHICH IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH CRACKS, IF THE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED AT 200 MPH THOSE SMALL LITTLE PIECES OF PLASTIC WILL SHRED MY FACE AND THE FACES OF ANYONE RIDING WITH ME INTO HAMBURGER. CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE TAKATA AIR BAGS CAN BE DEPLOYED EVEN WHEN THERE ISN'T A ACCIDENT, MAKES IT EVEN A BIGGER HAZARD. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND ISSUE AN OFFICIAL RECALL AND FORCE TOYOTA TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARDS IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT ANY MORE LEGAL STALL TACTICS. THE VEHICLE IS ESSENTIALLY UNDRIVEABLE IN IT'S PRESENT CONDITION. I HAVE HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT PREVENT ME FROM WORKING AT THIS TIME AND NEED THE VEHICLE TO GET TO MY DOCTORS. I COULDN'T AFFORD TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE EVEN IF THIS ONE WAS IN EXCELLENT TRADE-IN VALUE. IT'S BEEN OVER 4 YEARS FOR ME, LONGER FOR OTHERS AND WILL BE MULTIPLE MORE YEARS AT THIS RATE. I NEED A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE, LIKE THE ONE I WAS PROMISED WHEN I PURCHASED THIS ONE.

WE OWN A 2004 LEXUS 330. ON A TRIP JULY 1, 2010, OUR 6-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FELL ASLEEP IN HER BOOSTER SEAT AND THE SEATBELT SHOULDER HARNESS WENT BEHIND HER WHEN SHE FELL TO THE SIDE. WE PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO HELP HER GET READJUSTED. WE UNLATCHED THE BUCKLE; THE SEAT BELT WAS WRAPPED AROUND HER TORSO AND THE SEATBELT LOCKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH WORKED TO TRY TO RELEASE HER. WE TRIED TO EXTRACT HER THROUGH THE SEATBELT, BUT IT WAS WOUND TOO TIGHTLY AROUND HER TORSO. WE TRIED TO RETRACT THE SEATBELT A BIT SO THE LOCKING SYSTEM WOULD RELEASE; HOWEVER, THE SEATBELT KEPT TIGHTENING AND LOCKING WITH EACH MOVEMENT UNTIL SHE COULD BARELY BREATHE AND THE SEATBELT WAS DIGGING INTO HER MIDSECTION NEARLY 3 INCHES ALL AROUND. SHE WAS LITERALLY BEING CRUSHED TO DEATH. PANICKED, WE SEARCHED THE CAR FOR MY HUSBAND'S SWISS ARMY KNIFE, WHICH LUCKILY HE HAD IN HIS LUGGAGE. WE WERE PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD NOT NEAR ANY FACILITY OR TOWN - HAD WE NOT HAD A KNIFE IN THE CAR, THE MALFUNCTION OF THE SEATBELT LOCKING SYSTEM WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A TRAGEDY. WE CAN BARELY BRING OURSELVES TO IMAGINE HOW A SEEMINGLY NORMAL INCIDENT OF A CHILD GETTING ENTANGLED IN THEIR SEATBELT COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A FATALITY. YET, THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED HAD WE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CUT THE SEATBELT. THERE IS NO OTHER MANUAL RELEASE AVAILABLE. OUR DAUGHTER SUSTAINED CONSIDERABLE BRUISING AROUND HER SIDES AND BACK AND PAIN IN HER ABDOMEN. 6-8 INCH LONG BRUISES. WE HAVE PHOTOS OF THIS. THIS INCIDENT WAS ALSO SEVERELY EMOTIONALLY DISTRESSFUL FOR HER AND US. WE FOUND A RECALL FOR 2006 LEXUS VEHICLES FOR THIS FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT LOCKING SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS. WE HAVE CONTACTED OUR LEXUS DEALER AND WERE TOLD THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS MODEL. WE ARE AWAITING RESPONSE FROM LEXUS HEADQUARTERS ON HOW TO OBTAIN THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS COMPROMISED DUE TO THE DASH CRACKING APART. THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT, SO HEAT IS NOT THE ISSUE WITH THE DASH. THE DASH PROBLEM IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD HAS EXPERIENCED ABNORMAL CRACKING AND DECOMPOSITION THROUGHOUT. IT STARTED WITH HAIRLINE CRACKS WHICH SPREAD ALL THROUGH THE DASH. SINCE THE DASH STARTED TO TURN STICKY/GUMMY, PIECES OF THE DASH STARTED FALLING OFF NEAR THE ENDS (E.G. WHERE THE DASH MEETS THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT). OF CONCERN IS AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE, SINCE THE DASH HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND HAS CRACKS, WOULD THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSE THE DASH TO SPLINTER AND SHOOT PIECES AT THE CAR'S OCCUPANTS? WOULD THE STICKINESS OF THE DASH CAUSE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT TO FAIL SINCE IT CAN STICK TO THE DASH DUE TO IT'S NEWLY ACQUIRED ADHESIVE PROPERTIES? VISIBILITY CONCERNS ARISE DUE TO THE REFLECTIONS OF THE DASH ON THE WINDSHIELD. SINCE THE DASH CAN NO LONGER BE KEPT CLEAN BECAUSE EVERYTHING STICKS TO IT, BOTHERSOME REFLECTIONS ARE CAST ON THE WINDSHIELD DURING CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND LEXUS CORPORATE WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND SINCE MY VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WOULD NOT PAY TO REPLACE THE DASH; THEY DID OFFER A 25% DISCOUNT FOR THE COST OF THE PARTS. FROM MY RESEARCH, IT APPEARS FAULTY MATERIALS MAY HAVE BEEN USED BY TOYOTA/LEXUS FOR A PERIOD OF SOME YEARS AS THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS SAME CONDITION HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS. SINCE THERE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS INVOLVED, I BELIEVE LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE AND REPLACE THE FAULTY DASHBOARDS. *TR

I HAVE A LEXUS RX 330 (2004) AND IT WAS RECENTLY INVOLVE IN A HIGH SPEED (55MPH) COLLISION TO THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND "NONE" OF MY FRONT OR SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THIS SAME VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION IN 2007 TO REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND AGAIN IT WAS HIGH SPEED IN ACCESS OF 40MPH NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED! I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE AND I HAVE COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY SERVICE ADVISOR OF MANY CONCERNS AND NOTHING IS OR HAS BEEN RESOLVED AND APPEARS TO GO TO THE WASTE SIDE. *TR

MOM AND DAD WERE STRUCK ON PASSENGER SIDE BY PERSON WHO RAN STOP SIGN AT HIGH SPEED 55+. THE WERE TRAVELING @ 35 MPH IN A 35 MPH ZONE. VEHICLE WAS FLIPPED MULTIPLE TIMES FROM THE IMPACT OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO RAN STOP SIGN. DRIVERS SIDE "CURTAIN" AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED DESPITE THE MULTIPLE ROLLOVERS. BOTH PARENTS WERE CARRIED OFF UNCONSCIOUS BY AMBULANCE. DAD HAD TO HAVE SURGERY FROM HIS INJURIES. MOM SUFFERED HEAD INJURY. I WANTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INVESTIGATED AS TO WHY THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. IT FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES. MOM WAS ON DRIVER SIDE AND WAS THE ONE WHO SUSTAINED THE HEAD INJURY. PASSENGERS CURTAIN AND SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. ALL OF THE WITNESS WHO OBSERVED VEHICLE COLLISION, COULD NOT BELIEVE WITH SUCH A BAD ACCIDENT AND ROLLOVER HER BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. *TR