Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lexus rx330. While the vehicle was in park, the steering wheel felt loose and a noise was coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. In addition, while in park, there was a noise when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician stated that the steering shaft and the rack and pinion nut needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,594.
2005 Lexus RX330 steering complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 29 of 29, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Vehicle failed inspection due to power steering rack leaking.. Was referred to dealership who said they could do nothing about it.. Called lexus customer assistance center, twice, and have still not gotten any satisfaction or resolve. So much for lexus quality..
Vehicle starting making noise, took it into an auto repair shop, and was told the power steering fluid was very low. They also stated I needed to replace the rack and pinion. I looked online, and it seems to be an issue with 2005 rx330's. Obviously, reading the complaints, there should be a recall for this known problem.
Power steering rack unit leaking common problem with many lexus owners as shown below. Toyota refuses to acknowledge this problem leaving many owners to pay for expensive repairs. I have purchased the replacement part myself and will have my local certified mechanic do the labor. Total cost to me will be over $600 which is far cheaper then the local lexus dealership charges. Link below shows how many lexus owners have had this exact problem. Http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2005/lexus/rx+330/steering.
Power steering rack and pinion assembly o-ring seals fail allowing power steering fluid to leak out into rubber boot. Replacement is recommended average cost to owner $1000, lexus refuses to cover any of it. My lexus was inspected by car center located in greenville mi licensed mechanic who confirmed and documented the problem. Called my local lexus dealer and was told it was my problem.
Leaking power steering rack assembly. Seems to be a very common problem with these rx330's. Advised I need a new rack & pinion assembly. Lexus needs a recall for this issue, too many complaints! Also told need to replace headlight ballist!
Replaced the front brake pads and rotors yesterday on my 2005 lexus rx330, on the passenger side I noticed the inner tie rod boot deteriorated and surrounded by oil and/or grease leaking. I was baffled by the poor condition this boot was in, trying to figure out what and how this was caused. During my research online, I soon discovered several complaints of the same defect. The fix is to replace the rack & pinion due to a faulty seal that has caused power steering fluid to leak into the inner tie rod boot and break down and disintegrate the rubber boot. A very costly repair, that I feel the consumer shouldn't have to absorb, being lexus is aware of this defect. I have 135,000 miles on my rx330. I bought a lexus for the sole purpose of reliablity and longevity. I'm wondering if I made the wrong choice..... Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Vehicle's svc system malfunctions which causes the vehicle's steering to operate erratically-particularly at speeds above 50mph. Please investigate this matter.
My dashboard began to show signs of cracking about a year ago. It started to crack around the radio/audio components and spread quickly like a spider web. Lexus agreed to replace the dashboard at no charge, but not the labor costs. While replacing it, they advised me that the power steering rack and pinion had severe fluid leakage on right side, boot deteriorated. The cost of this repair was $1,856.00. There was also an issue with the left front cv axle inboard joint boot, an additional $412.00. In reading all the complaints on this website and on the internet, it appears that the dashboard and the rack and pinion are a common problems that lexus is aware of. A service representative also told me that the rx 350 has a significant problem with the rack and pinion, but lexus is not willing to do anything about it. I am hoping that this brings light to these issues and something is done about this.
Vehicle's stabilization control (vsc) malfunctions causing the vehicle to have difficulty in steering.
Took vehicle to lexus dealer for 90,000 mile service and tech found power steering fluid low and dirty. When looking further, tech found that steering rack was torn and leaking. Tech requested to replace the power steering rack and perform a flush. I declined because of the exorbitant cost ($1,000?). This is a definite safety issue and very similar to a complaint filed 11-5-13, the federal safety agency I.d. No. 10550956. I believe there is a pattern here, the product recalled, and lexus/toyota accept the financial responsibility to have the vehicle repaired asap. I believe they may have service bulletin no. Lsb-0107-12, the federal safety agency I.d. No. 10050660, steering, issued to address the problem. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lexus rx330. The contact stated that there was a power steering fluid leak. The vehicle was to the dealer where it was found that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the manufacturer's recall. The failure mileage was 81,901.
Leaking power steering rack assembly. Seems to be a very common problem with these rx330's...
I am having serious quality problems with my 2005 rx330. The vehicle is kept in the garage and being taken care of like a family member. I took the SUV to a lexus dealer for routine maintenance and was told that the steering column was leaking and need to be replaced - approximate cost $1800. I was also told the front differential was leaking and need to be replaced - cost another $1000. This is not the end! Approximately six months ago my water pump failed at the middle of a busy intersection, and I had to replace my water pump, timing belt, drive belts, etc only at 65k miles - cost $1200. Why every major key components are failing so early? I drove a car made by a competitor upto 110k miles without any of these issues. Lexus/toyota is using defective/cheap parts at the expense and safety of consumers. I would recommend starting an investigation against lexus/toyota for faulty steering and power train components in rx, and based on the investigation, start a recall if needed. I reached out to lexus in the past, but they don't acknowledge any quality problems with rx330; however, when I searched the internet, I see hundreds of owners have the same issues and they are helpless. Lexus will not do anything, and therefore, we need the federal safety agency's help to push lexus to recall rx330 steering and power train components.
Steering rack on vehicle has developed leak, it seems a common occurrence on this vehicle.
There is a problem with the power steering of the vehicle. Took it to the lexus dealer who stated that there was a leak in the power steering system. I am not a tecnical person but was explicitly told that if I do not get it fixed the steerin wheel could get stuck leading to an accident.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 lexus rx330. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and authorized dealer for routine maintenance. The technicians detected that the power steering internal seal was defective. The vehicle had not been repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was 61,000.
During routine state inspection, dealer informed me the power steering rack was leaking and must be replaced. The cost to replace the rack is estimated at $1600. From reading similar stories for lexus vehicles, I understand the leak could lead to catastrophic failure of the steering system and possible fires from fluids on the alternator.
Steering keeps getting locked up. This time that it happened, it would not reverse itself and had to have it towed into the lexus dealership.
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