The contact owns a 2008 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound with the VSC message displayed and the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle made the same abnormal sound for 15 minutes after the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ABS accumulator pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the extended warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 138,140. Consumer stated extended warranty program for the defective part but that program expired in 2018. When the ABS actuator pump fails, it stops regulating and maintaining hydraulic pressure in the brake lines which can lead to brake failure. No recall was ever issued despite the fact that a failure of the braking system.
The worst 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes22
- Acceleration19
- Electrical5
- Steering5
- Fuel system4
- Airbags3
- Body3
- Engine3
- Lights3
- Visibility3
- Driver assistance2
- Wheels2
- Transmission1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid
Recalls 1
Hybrid propulsion system: inverter
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel.
- Risk
- The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V‑342 are not affected by this campaign.
Recall number 13V396000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid 148
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Condition in which a musty smell is present
- Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad...
- Lexus vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix...
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used...
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries
- Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign
What 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2008 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the check engine and the Hybrid system maintenance warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and where the vehicle was being serviced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,320.
The contact owns a 2008 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the ABS warning light would illuminate, and a grinding noise was present while depressing the brake pedal. On multiple occasions while driving at very slow speeds the vehicle abruptly stopped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the ABS actuator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that while reversing out a parking space at a low rate of speed, the vehicle stalled as the hybrid system warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to walk to an automotive parts store and purchased a new battery which he replaced in his vehicle. The contact was able to drive to a gas station and soon after leaving the gas station, the vehicle stalled again as the same warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after multiple attempts and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V396000 (Hybrid Propulsion System) and referred him to a local dealer. The contact called a dealer and was informed that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 268,000
Started noticing "burping" noise when I pressed on brakes from engine bay, then later I noticed continuous clicking sound coming from front passenger engine bay after I would turn off engine completely. As later time went by the clicking sound would get longer and consistent. I also experienced that the vehicle would "lunge" forward when I would start the engine and initially shift the vehicle into drive position and have to pump the brake pedal to completely stop. Thats when upon further research online I found a "warranty enhancement" from toyota regarding brake actuator being replaced. But toyota put a 10-year expiration on the warranty so my vehicle didn't qualify by 6 months! Toyota never made aware or reached out to their registered clients of this dangerous recall that is $3,000.00 to replace. I was informed that when the brake actuator completely goes bad that stopping the car will be almost impossible to stop for the average driver as the brake actuator applies needed brake fluid pressure to all four brake calipers to slow the vehicle down.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 lexus rx400h. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the contact felt an abnormal vibration in the brake pedal. The contact stated that the ABS warning indicator illuminated and additional distance was needed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to rick hendrick toyota sandy springs (located at 6475 roswell rd, atlanta, ga 30328, (404) 476-3921) where it was diagnosed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that there was a warranty extension for the ABS, but it expired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 lexus rx400h. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the ABS, brake system, and slip warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to carmax (3100 spur 482, irving, tx 75062, (972) 721-0500) where the contact was informed to ignore the failure and to bring the vehicle back in if the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,068.
My vehicle was in motion and failed to properly break which therefore ended hitting an older model bmw at approx 45mph. The airbags inflated sending some type of metal shards to my right lower abdomen that resulted in massive bleeding. *tt
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 lexus rx400 hybrid. While driving unknown speeds, the brake pedal was applied, but failed to fully depress. Additionally, there was an abnormal popping noise. All the warning indicators illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 239,995.
While driving I got a message to check hybrid system - then the car died
Compare the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid
Other model years
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Questions about the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid
Is the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid reliable?
Owners have filed 57 complaints about the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid, 8.1 times a typical RX Hybrid model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid?
Brakes, with 22 complaints, typically around 49,246 miles. Next is acceleration (19).
How many recalls does the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid have?
1 recall, covering hybrid propulsion system.
What year does the Lexus RX Hybrid have bad brakes?
The Lexus RX Hybrid model years with the most brakes complaints are 2006 (48 complaints), 2008 (22 complaints) and 2007 (19 complaints).
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