2004 Lexus RX Brakes Problems

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING, CONDITIONS WERE DRY, SUNNY FALL WEATHER. AVG SPEED 45 MPH, LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, VEHICLE IN FRONT STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, DAUGHTER APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, NO SLOWING DOWN, REPEATEDLY PUSHED BRAKE AND APPLIED FULL FORCE, CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN, HIT OTHER VEHICLE, TOTALING THE LEXUS. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UNTIL AFTER MY DAUGHTER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. WITNESS REPORTED SEEING MY DAUGHTER TRYING TO BRAKE BUT THE CAR NOT RESPONDING. NO EVIDENCE OF TIRE MARKS ON THE ROAD

THE SERVICE (FOOT) BRAKE IS NOT HOLDING PRESSURE AT A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE. EVEN THOUGH FOOT BRAKE IS APPLIED FULLY, VEHICLE TENDS TO MOVE FORWARD AND MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CAR/OBJECT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE.

THE LEXUS RX 330 IS ON RECALL BY LEXUS BECAUSE THE DASH HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS,I HAVE BEEN WAITING 2 YEARS FOR A REPLACEMENT AND WAS TOLD BY LEXUS OF ORLANDO I AM NUMBER 1024 ON THEIR LIST FRO REPLACEMENT. BY THE TIME THEY GET TO ME ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS THE YEAR WILL BE 2095 AT THE PACE THAT THEY ARE REPLACING THE DASHES. ALSO LEXUS HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHES,ALL OF THEM SEEM TO DEVELOP A PROBLEM WHERE THE VSC,BRAKES AND ABS LIGHTS ALL COME ON AT THE SAME TIME. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO ALL THREE LEXUS' THAT I HAVE OWNED. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE RIGHT NEXT TO THE SHIFTER IS A SMALL COVER TO BYPASS THE HARD SHIFTER.

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.

ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 LEXUS RX300 APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION WITH CARS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO CHANGE TO GREEN. ALTHOUGH I KEPT PRESSING ON THE BRAKES NOTHING HAPPENED AND I ENDED UP CRASHING INTO THE CAR AHEAD OF ME AND CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION INVOLVING FOUR (4) OTHER CARS, THEN SWERVING ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND FINALLY COMING TO A STOP BY HITTING THE TRAFFIC LIGHT POLE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. STILL VISIBLY IN SHOCK, I WAS HELPED OUT OF MY VEHICLE BY OTHERS WHO HAD STOPPED TO HELP INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE POLICE ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER ON THE SCENE AND BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION BY ASKING OTHER DRIVERS WHO HAD WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORTS, THE DRIVERS BEHIND ME CLEARLY SAW THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THOUGH THE VEHICLE OBVIOUSLY CONTINUED MOVING. SINCE THE ACCIDENT WE HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH OUR INSURANCE PROVIDER (METLIFE) TO DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT IT HAS BEEN ALL WITH NO AVAIL. WE HAVE BEEN KEPT IN THE DARK AS TO WHAT HAS EXACTLY BEEN DONE IF ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE IN THE MEAN TIME WAS DEEMED 'TOTALED' BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY WHO HAS SENT A CHECK. WE'D LIKE TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT SINCE IT WAS NOT AN OPERATOR ERROR. PLEASE ADVISE ON HOW TO PROCEED. *TR

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. *TR

2 TO 3 YEARS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT I WAS COMING TO A STOP LIGHT AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK, BUT ONLY FOR A FEW SECONDS. I REPORTED THIS TO MY HUSBAND AND HE TOOK IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, MY HUSBAND HAS OWNED A AUTO PARTS STORE FOR 40 YEARS AND KNOWS A FEW QUALIFIED MECHANICS. 3 PEOPLE WERE 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 I 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 STRUCK 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 UPDATED IVOQ 09/28/10 UPDATE 9/19/2011*CW

LOST THE POWER BRAKE ASSIST IN VAIL COLORADO COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. *TR

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

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

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

BRAKE FAILURE ON LEXUS RX330. *JB

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

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

LEXUS HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE VIBRATION, THEY HAVE ISSUED A TSB BUT ALL THEY ARE DOING IS THROWING NEW ROTORS AND PADS. THIS IS NOT ADDRESSING THE REAL ISSUE AT HAND. BRAKE VIBRATION CAN CAUSE A CAR TO GO OFF THE ROAD WHEN THERE IS ICE OR SNOW ON THE GROUND AND ONCE THE CAR STARTS SLIPPING IN ICE OR SNOW YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MY COMPLAINT IS REGARDING A 2004 RX 330 THAT ONLY HAS 34K ON AND I'M GOING ON MY THIRD SET OF BRAKE PADS. THE CALIPER IS HANGING UP CAUSING UNEVEN PAD WEAR, CAUSING BRAKE VIBRATION. THIS IS NOT ONLY COMPROMISING THE SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS, BUT MY ENTIRE SUSPENSION WEAR AND TEAR, CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED MY TIRES TO FEATHER AT THE EDGE. I THINK IF LEXUS ISSUED A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE THEY NEED TO GO TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM RATHER THAN JUST THROWING NEW PARTS AND CALLING IT GOOD FOR ANOTHER 15 TO 20K. ALL MY SUSPENSION IS TIGHT AND I HAVE NO RUNOUT AT THE HUB, JUST ON BRAKE PADS. THE DEALER KEEPS SAYING THAT EVERYTHING IS OKAY AND THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. MY CAR IS PROPERLY ALIGNED, BUT WE KEEP HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THIS ONGOING BRAKE VIBRATION PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT CAUSE I DON'T FEEL MY WIFE IS SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR ON BAD WEATHER. THIS VIBRATION CAN CAUSE CAR TO LOOSE CONTROL ON BAD WEATHER OR DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. PLZ LOOK AT ALL COMPLAINTS REGARDING BRAKE VIBRATION. I HAVE GOTTEN ON LEXUS WEB FORUMS AND THERE IS A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THIS COMPLAINT. I FEEL THAT BY LEXUS PUTTING OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE JUST COVERING UP THE PROBLEM AND NOT GOING AFTER THE ROOT CAUSE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME ANGEL. *TR

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

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.

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

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

THE BRAKES DID NOT OPERATE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *JB