2008 Lexus RX Steering Problems

I RECENTLY TOOK MY NEWLY BAUGHT 2008 LEXUS RX 350 IN AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I DIDN'T NOTICE AND STEERING ISSUES OR LEAKS BUT WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW RACK AND PINION. SINCE ITS LEXUS DEALERSHIP I RESPECT THEIR INSPECTION AND RECOMMENDATION...BUT LIKE MANY OTHERS...IT TURNS OUT THE RACK AND PINION ON THE RX 350 IS COMMON ( TOO COMMON ) AND I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE WRITING A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA. I DON'T SEE ANY RESOLUTION OR EXPLANATION TO THE " SAME " COMPLAINTS. I ALSO HAVE TO PAY $1,800 + AND AM SUPPOSED TO PICK UP MY RX350 JULY 7 OR 8TH, 2020. THE RACK AND PINION IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE... SO I ECHO EVERYONE ELSE. WHY IS THE MANUFACTURER/ DEALERSHIP NOT GIVING US ANSWERS AS TO WHY THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. I FOUND THIS OUT BY RESEARCHING ONLINE. THEY SURE ARE QUICK TO TAKE THE $1800+. GOOD MONEY MAKER DON'T YOU THINK. ALL I'M SAYING IS, IF IT NEEDS REPLACED THEN YES OF COURSE I'LL REPLACE IT AND I'LL TRY TO SOMEHOW FIND THE MONEY TO DO SO... BUT IF THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS ON THE RX350... WHY AM I AND MANY OTHERS COUGHING UP MONEY THAT I HONESTLY DONT HAVE !! TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION ? I JUST CAME IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND 100,000 MILE OVERALL ROUTINE INSPECTION. STEERING FELT GOOD. NO LEAKS NOTED IN MY GARAGE FLOOR...OTHER THEN AC RESIDUAL FLUID WHICH OF COURSE IS NORMAL.

LEXUS OF BELLEVUE SERVICE DEPARTMENT (IN BELLEVUE, WA) COMPLETED A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON MY 2008 LEXUS RX 350 AND THEN TOLD ME THEY DISCOVERED A GASKET POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE ON PASSENGER SIDE POWER STEERING RACK AND THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING RACK AND GASKETS. THIS WAS COMPLETED AND COST ME $1,874.93 (AFTER APPLYING A LEXUS SERVICE CREDIT FOR $237.99) - SO IT ACTUALLY COST ME $2,112.92. AS THIS LUXURY CAR ONLY HAD 71,604 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I WANTED TO SEE IF THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE/DEFECT WITH THIS CAR TYPE. I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAFETY DEFECT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE CATASTROPHIC STEERING FAILURES. SEE: [HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/LEXUS/RX350/STEERING-RACK-AND-PINION-PROBLEMS.PHP] [HTTPS://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/RX-2ND-GEN-2004-2009/768754-POWER-STEERING-LEAK.HTML] I ASK THE NHTSA TO CONDUCT A FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF THIS DEFECT IN LEXUS RX 350'S SO THAT A RECALL COULD BE MADE ON THIS VEHICLE, AND SO THAT THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY PERFORMED THE REPLACEMENTS WOULD BE REIMBURSED BY LEXUS CORPORATE. THANK YOU.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX350. WHILE REVERSING, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THREE TREES. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE/INOPERABLE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, BUT TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE IGNITION TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, BUT A REPORT WAS FILED 3 DAYS LATER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED COMPONENTS WERE WORKING PROPERLY AND CONSUMER MADE NO ATTEMPT TO STOP OR STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. VEHICLE ALSO CRASHED INTO 1 CAR.*PM CONSUMER'S INSURANCE COMPANY STATED CAR WAS TOTALED. ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW RACK & PINON DUE TO LEAKAGE WITH LESS THAN 92,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED JUST 2 YEARS AGO AND HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM PREVIOUS OWNER & DEALER SERVICE. HAVE HAD REGULAR SERVICE SINCE PURCHASING IT - WHICH IS HOW ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED. WILL COST OVER $1500 TO REPAIR. UPON DOING SOME INVESTIGATION ON-LINE, I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER EXPERIENCING THIS IN UNDER 100,000 MILEAGES.

I PURCHASED MY 2008 LEXUS RX 350 FROM A ONE OWNER. ONLY 122,000 MILES, GARAGED KEPT AND EXTREMELY CLEAN. UPON TAKING THE CAR OVER AND BRINGING IT HOME. I REMOVED THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE UNDERNEATH. REMOVED THE SPLASH GUARD AND WOUND THAT THE RACK/PINION WHICH IS COVERED BY THE SPLASH GUARD HAD ONE BOOT TOTALLY BUSTED AND THE OTHER (DRIVER SIDE) LEAKING. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS. I FIND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. WE'VE DRIVEN TOYOTA FOR OVER 25 YEARS. THIS IS OUR FIRST UPGRADE TO THE TOYOTA BRAND. THIS LEXUS WAS "BABIED" AND THAT WAS MY MAIN REASON TO BUY IT. I TOO "BABY' ALL OUR CARS AS WE KEEP THEM FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS. I'VE TAKEN THE LEXUS TO MY ASE MECHANIC THAT I'VE USED FOR 30 YEARS. HE IS GOING TO REPLACE THE RACK. MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER THAT I SOLD HAD 360.000 MILES. NEVER A STEERING OR "BOOT" ISSUE..... MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH LEXUS AND SO FAR....NOT GOOD. I WILL KEEP THIS CAR AND HAVE MY MECHANIC DO A FULL SERVICE ON IT (BELTS, WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, TRANS OIL, ETC) SOMETHING I DO WITH ALL MY VEHICLES. BUT I'M NOT USED TO HAVING LARGE SAFETY ITEMS LIKE THIS FROM TOYOTA. DOMESTIC CAR MAKERS, YES, BUT NOT TOYOTA.....NOT RIGHT BY LEXUS! THE PREVIOUS OWNER COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THIS. IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR SOMETIME.

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE AROUND AND NOTICED MY STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME "LOOSE". THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. I FILLED IT BACK UP WITH ANTI-LEAK POWER STEERING FLUID, BUT A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I HAD IT CHECKED OUT BECAUSE THE STEERING BECAME NOTICEABLY LOOSER. RACK AND PINION IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FROM BRAND NEW SINCE 2007 AND ONLY HAS 75,000 MILES ON IT. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE (BASED UPON OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS). NORMAL CITY AND HIGHWAY DRIVING.

I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN I FELT A QUICK ACCELERATION SURGING MY CAR FORWARD, LOCKING MY STEERING WHEEL CAUSING ME TO PLOW ONTO A PARKED TRUCK. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT.

RACK AND PINION LEAKS THAT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE LEXUS RX 350. THIS FAILURE IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE STEERING SYSTEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE STEERING OIL COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST AND CATCH FIRE AND SHOULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! LEXUS IS WELL AWARE THEY HAVE AN ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AND THEY NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO COVER THESE INSANE COSTS.

INFORMED BY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF LEAK IN RACK AND PINION SYSTEM. NEEDS REPLACED. QUOTE APPROX 1800.00.

I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH LEXUS FOR NOT ADDRESSING THE RACK AND PINION LEAKS THAT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE RX 350 MODELS. I AM NOT ALONE IN REPORTING THIS FAILURE OF A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE STEERING SYSTEM TO NHTSA. THE LEXUS DEALER THAT I TAKE MY CAR FOR SERVICE FOUND THESE LEAKS AT AROUND 91,000 MILES. THE DEALER COULD NOT PROCEED WITH THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT AFTER DISCOVERING THE RACK AND PINION LEAKS. THE REPAIR COSTS THE DEALER ESTIMATED WAS $1320. I DO HOPE THAT NHTSA WILL INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE, WAS INFORMED ONE OF THE POWER STEERING BOOTS WAS "RIPPED AND LEAKING PRETTY GOOD." I WAS QUOTED $1600 FOR A COMPLETE RACK & PINION STEERING REPLACEMENT INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR, WHICH I DECLINED BECAUSE THOSE ARE MSRP PRICES.. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR AND I AM NOW CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHER PASSENGERS. BASED ON OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH 2007-2009 RX350'S ON THIS SITE, LEXUS IS WELL AWARE THEY HAVE AN ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AND THEY NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL TO COVER THESE INSANE COSTS. WE MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A POWER STEERING FAILURE AT BELOW 75K MILES ON ANY VEHICHLE BUILT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS...NOT HAPPY AND THIS WILL BE ONE AND ONLY LEXUS!

THERE WAS A TORN POWER STEERING BOOT ON THE RACK. THE TORN SHOULD BE THERE FOR A WHILE. I PURCHASED A 100K MILES WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT THE LEXUS DEALERS NEVER MENTIONED OR POINTED OUT ABOUT THE DAMAGE UNTIL THE 100K MILES WARRANTY RAN OUT. AS SOON AS THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, I GOT INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING BOOT ON THE RACK GOT TORN AND IT WILL COST ME $1600. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE SERVICE; WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING, THERE WAS A TEAR IN THE BOOT AND IT WAS LEAKING FLUID, AFTER BEING QUOTED $1800 FOR PARTS AND LABOR I DECLINED THE REPAIR. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A 7 YEAR OLD CAR WITH MAJORITY OF HIGHWAY MILES WOULD HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE RACK AND PINION GOING BAD. WHEN I CAME HOME I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND GENERATION RX. IN MY FAMILY, MAJORITY OF OUR CARS ARE TOYOTAS & LEXUS; WE HAVE A COROLLA, 2 CAMRY'S, SIENNA, HIGHLANDER, IS350, RX350. ONE CAMRY HAS ALMOST 200KMILES, THE COROLLA HAS OVER 150K MILES. WE'VE OWNED 2 OTHER COROLLAS, ES250, CELICA, I'VE OWNED OTHER BRAND CARS TOO AND HAVE DRIVEN OVER 150K MILES AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION BOOT TEARING. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE RX, THE LAST TIME THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH A (MOTOR) OIL LINE BURSTING, THE OIL LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE OIL COOLER - THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPENED, THE CAR MADE IT HOME SAFELY HOME (BUT NO LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON) AND WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE OIL LINE BURSTING WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THAT THE NEWER RX MODELS THE PIPE WAS REPLACE WITH METAL PIPE. IN MY OPINION ABOUT THE RACK AND PINION, IT'S DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE - THE STEERING OIL COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST AND CATCH FIRE, AND IF ALL THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKS OUT ONE MAY NOT REALIZE IT AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STEER THE CAR OUT OF HARMS WAY. WE'VE OWNED SO MANY TOYOTA/LEXUS CARS AND WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN BELIEVER OF TOYOTA/LEXUS, BUT THIS RX HAS GOT ME WORRIED. I HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. WILL BE THINKING REALLY HARD ABOUT TOYOTA/LEXUS WHEN IT COMES TIME TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. *TR

THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BLEW UP SPEWING POWER STEERING FLUID ALL OVER THE UNDERCARRIAGE. LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING RESULTED DO TO LACK OF FLUID. NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY LEAKS OR POOR PERFORMANCE FROM THE STEERING. NO NOISE INDICATING THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LEAK. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENTS WAS CAUSED. THE OIL GOT ALL OVER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

I TOOK MY RX 350 FOR THE 80,000 SERVICE. MY SERVICE ADVISER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THE I HAD AN OIL LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND IT MUST BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2600.00 TO $3000.00. I BELIEVE THIS IS A LEXUS PROBLEM THEY SHOULD TAKE CARE IT. *TR

WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR AT THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1602.44. MY CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND FOUND SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THIS TYPE OF LUXURY CAR AT 81,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED THIS REPLACED. DESPITE WITH ALL COMPLAINTS AND SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS LEXUS 2008 RX350 REGARDING THE POWER STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY, LEXUS SHOULD RECALL THIS PART FOR REPLACEMENT WITH NO COST TO OWNER. *TR

WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD THE POWERING STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1790. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE 2 FRIENDS WITH THE EXACT SAME CAR AND SAME YEAR AND THEY BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAD TO HAVE THEIRS REPLACED AS WELL. ONE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, ONE WAS NOT. I CALLED TO COMPLAIN TO LEXUS CORPORATE AND WAS OFFERED $700 TO HELP PAY HALF OF THE REPAIR. THIS TYPE OF LUXURY CAR AT 65,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED THIS REPLACED. *TR

AUTO UNDERWENT ROUTINE 35,000 MILE MAINTENANCE - DEALER NOTED POWER STEERING LEAK, REQUIRING RACK AND PINION REPLACEMENT. IS THE PART DEFECTIVE? WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? NOTED LARGE NUMBER OF THE SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. *TR

AS OF THIS DATE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT OR FAILURE TO THE STEERING RACK ON THIS CAR. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CAR WAS IN THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THERE IS A LEAKAGE OF FLUID FROM THE STEERING RACK BOOT AND IF LEFT UN-REPAIRED IT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION MORE WAS THEIR STATEMENT THAT THIS SHOULD BE/HAVE BEEN A RECALL AS IT IS A PROBLEM ON THE LEXUS RX350 SPANNING SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. I DON'T KNOW IF BY "RECALL" THEY MEANT A VOLUNTARY RECALL OR A NHTSA RECALL. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO LET ONE'S IMAGINATION WANDER TOO FAR TO CONTEMPLATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF A FAILURE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I WAS TOLD THE POWERING STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THEREFORE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1600. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT LOW MILEAGE AND SO FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF REPLACEMENT THIS SOON WAS RIDICULOUS. THIS TYPE OF LUXURY CAR AT 55,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED THIS REPLACED. IT SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND LEXUS SHOULD DO A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR ALL 2008 LEXUS RX350. *TR