Lexus RX 330 Maintenance and Repair

my3rdrx · January 2006

To be quite frank: if you based your decision on what you read in this forum, you'd never buy an RX, but I can assure you that it is still the best vehicle that I've ever owned and I've owned quite a few in my lifetime!

The 2004 is my third RX and I'm still loving every moment of driving it and I already know my next one is going to be the 400h. I'm sure every vehicle has its flaws but it all depends on what you can live with. The bottom line is: you will never find a perfect vehicle!

tidester · January 2006

Are some of you enjoying problem free ownership experiences?

That's a little like going to the intensive care unit and asking if any of the patients are free of medical issues.

I suggest asking in Lexus RX 330. It will improve your chances of finding problem free owners quite significantly.

tidester, host

my3rdrx · January 2006

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the RX330 is problem free -- but, since there are no perfect vehicles, the issue becomes whether the good outweighs the bad and the question you should ask yourself is: "What problems, if any, can you live with?"

tidester · January 2006

Oh, I wasn't questioning your position. In fact, I agree completely. I just found it interesting that someone is looking in the "Problems" section for a person who hasn't had problems!

No biggie - we can move on.

tidester, host

mtnbiker5 · February 2006

Just hit 5000k and the check engine light is on for my first oil change. How do I turn this light off if I decide going forward to use Jiffy Lube for my oil changes? I'm not spending $100 at the Lexus dealership for a $29 oil change and I'm not driving around in a Lexus with a check engine light on because of this either. Please advise. Thanks. :mad:

ryca · February 2006

It is in the owners manual.

mtnbiker5 · February 2006

Oh yeah, that manual that is 300 pages long. Thanks.

md52 · February 2006

...hold in the ODO/TRIP reset button and turn the ignition to the ON position but dont start the car. The mileage will appear as a series of dashes. When the dashes are gone, the light is reset.

Hope that helps.........

md52 · February 2006

I have a 2004RX and as I have said in previous posts, it's simply not worth the price in my opinion. I recently recieved my 2nd radiator-leak bulletin, even after I already had the radiator replaced once before.

If you're expecting a silky-smooth, quiet "Lexus" ride, you wont get it here. Mabey I expected too much from an SUV, but Lexus did make the "perfection" claim regarding this vehicle. The Lexus cars ride much better and quieter, so it can be done! The 330 rides rough and has alot of wind and road noise.

10scoachrick · February 2006

Our '06 330 only has 1100 miles on it but I must say it rides very smoothly and quietly(and this is coming from a silky V70). We had a Tribute for 3+ years and got accustomed to the wind noise around the windows...no such noise in the 330. The road noise is reasonable, as well. I put 500 miles on in one day and felt quite fresh at the end of the trip...nice to be back in the taller, more upright seating position. Can't say I'm crazy about the rain-sensor wipers--would rather dial in my own chosen interval--also would rather the rear 12v outlet stayed hot when the ignition is off but none of this falls into the 'problem' category.

One warning: don't squeeze into your wife's higher/closer seating position and put the key in the ignition--good way to break a femur--adjust that seat FIRST! Volvo takes care of this by adjusting the seat when the door is opened, automatically.

mrhupmobile · February 2006

We've had 3 new Lexus' and the first oil change on every one was free. We just added an'04 RX330 to our stable and the freebie is included on it also. We also attended the new/used car clinic, at the dealership, and received a coupon good for a second free oil change. I thought ALL dealers did this. Check with yours. Went to Jiffy Lube just once years ago, before Lexus, and would NEVER go there again. So far the RX runs excellent. No complaints. Slight tire noise but is caused by their 18" size.

rpac · February 2006

I am retired and wanted one last luxury car. I purchased an 05 RX330 made in Canada. Most trouble free car I have ever owned in my life.I kept it for 6 months and wastefully I traded it in for an 06 Lexus made in Japan of a different color.What a mistake. After driving it for a couple 100 miles I noticed a clicking type sound under the hood. I am a person that listens for any noises. I took it back to dealer and they immediately said it was the Variable Valve Timing Gear, apparently defective. The sales manager told me to wait until I had 5000 miles on the car and if the problem was still evident he would give me a new car. Very nice, I was happy. Just as I was about to leave, a gentleman from the dealership stopped me from leaving, asking me what the problem was. I told him and after a few minutes he said you will be driving home tonight in a new car. No charge. OK so far. Next RX330 groaned and moaned every time the A/C went on or turned the steering wheel at slow speeds. It was as if the engine could not pull the car with all the normal accessories. In my garage it heaved and groaned and moaned and RPMs fluctuated like the engine was trying desparately to do its job. That's it! I took car to another dealer and explained my situation, would they take my car in trade. YES. I checked out 7 different RX's in their storage lot. Listening to engines for hours, and finally finding one that seemed to run as smooth as a swiss watch. Made a deal (more money out of pocket). Took car home. Everything normal. Next day a repeat performance. The car just didnt want to do its thing. After a couple weeks gave up in desparation and traded it for a Honda Accord. Smooth, quiet, excellent car. BUT now Lexus is coming out with RX350 with 270HP. I have been told they have solved all the problems of lack of power etc and tweaked the transmisison and a host of other corrections. I love the Lexus and I am about to spend my last, and I mean my last $$ on a Lexus RX350. SHOULD I??? By the way of all the Lexus RX330's I owned, I had trouble only with the cars made in Japan. While I wait for the RX350 to come in the dealer offered to loan me a GX300 that has the same 270HP engine so I could get a feel for the car/engine. This dealer (my original) is so so helpful and kind, I am in a quandry as to what to do. I know the dealership has tried very hard to please me. Maybe I am just too fussy, I don't know.I live in Los Angeles and I see a myriad of RX330's on the road every day.

rpac · February 2006

mrhupmobile:
I just read your post. Would you mind reading mine #1356. I posted it about 2 hours after you posted yours. Could you please help me in the decision making process I am faced with. Any help would be appreciated.Many thanks!

rpac · February 2006

Hello my3rdrx. Might I please ask you to read my rather lengthy post #1356 - 2/23/06 regarding 4 RX330's I have owned. Any opinions you could offer would be most gratefully appreciated. Thank you!

my3rdrx · February 2006

I didn't really know how to react when I read your post because it seemed you had genuinely tried your best to like the RX330. Mine was made in Japan (04 with the Performance Package) but I have not had any performance problems (other than the annoying TSBs). In fact, this is the first vehicle ever that I actually seriously consider keeping until the end of the lease!

Even though I did say my next car was going to be the 400h, now that the 350 is coming out, I'm teetering a bit!

All I can say to you is "best of luck!"

rpac · February 2006

Hello 'my3rdrx'
I thank you very much for your post and I have just a couple questions if I may. You mention 'Performance Package' Could you please explain more fully as I cannot find anything about 'Performance Package' options here in Los Angeles. Also, by using the term TSB's I assume you are speaking of Technical Service Bulletins. I went into the NHTSA web site and could find only a couple of Bulletins, and they were not that important in my mind. Thanks once again for answering my post. At this poiint every little bit helps me and my dealer called today to advise me the RX350 is due in his store on Tuesday March 1st and he is holding the particlular car I was looking for. I think I need to buy more lottery tickets is really the answer. Thanks again - Please feel free at anytime to email me directly if you so wish. My email is posted in my profile for easy viewing.

wwest · February 2006

Methinks there is a very BASIC misunderstanding going on about the engine/transaxle delay hesitation.

There is the STANDARD delay EVERYONE experiences at one time or another.

Toyota is very definitely, by their own admission, using the DBW, E-throttle system, to delay the onset of engine torque developement to "protect the drive train", give the transaxle downshift clutches time to fully and firmly seat. Not any different than any of us would do when downshifting a manual transmission, at least most of the time.

This "standard", normal delay, hesitation, is being noticed, noticeable, because prior to DBW our engines's torque began to rise the instant we depressed the accelerator. That's very likely also why the pre-04 RX series is enduring a serious number of premature transaxle failures. ASL= more frequent upshifts and downshifts, no DBW, NO delay = an inordinate level of clutch frictional surface wear.

Insofar as I can tell the new automatic transaxle shift logic recommended by Sierra Research in April of 1999 was adopted for the RX before my 2001 RX300 was built.

So, let's say that the "standard" delay is on the order of 200 to 500 milliseconds (2/10's to 1/2 a second). That's enough for everyone to take notice, especially those having previously, or still, driving older versions.

Now, lets assume that a very small number of accelerator pedal assemblies leave the factory with the "at rest", fully released, sensor output voltage on the high side of the acceptable tolerance, above 0.8 volts, as high as 1.1 volts.

First there is the fact that the factory manuals indicate that the low end of the accelerator pedal's "usable" range is with the sensor's output explicitly at 0.8 volts. It makes perfect sense that the designers would want some slack, tolerance, a "widow" (0.0xx to 0.8 volts) of voltage ranges that represent the idle, fully released, position.

But now we have some pedals in use by customers wherein the sensor never falls below 0.8005 volts.

Why would that matter?

Because the transaxle shift control design would not likely upshift if the pedal were fully released. Fully released would be assumed to mean "I wish to coastdown to a lower speed" and upshifting would not be conducsive to that.

On the other hand what if you just ease off the accelerator pedal slightly? The logic would be such that the system would assume "I want to just begin cruising along at about this speed", and an upshift would then be very appropriate.

And now.....

What if a part of the engine/transaxle ECU firmware, due to those flawed tolerances, just simply couldn't detect the difference between a partial accelerator pedal release and a full release.

Definitely would have a much greater propensity for upshifting, right?

And what other aspects might result from the firmware being "confused" (why is the driver on the gas and brakes at the same time?) in this manner?

Maybe a "watch-dog" timer master firmware reset?

In effect a engine/transaxle ECU firmware "reboot".

How many seconds might that take?

my3rdrx · February 2006

You can find out more about the Performance Package from the lexus.com website: http://www.lexus.com/models/rx/price_options.html

Also, there are several sites that you can check about TSBs. One of them, in particular, has been very helpful:
http://www.mycarstats.com/

Hope it helps!

mrhupmobile · March 2006

I'm sorry I couldn't reply sooner. Before you traded for the Honda, you should have contacted a Lexus FACTORY REP. The dealer would have given you the info. I'm quite sure the rep. would have made the car right or replaced it(probably with the new 350 had you asked/insisted). We had a chronic problem with our '98 GS and they replaced it with a new '99,after we mentioned 'Lemon Law' to them. The "LL" would not initally apply in your case but could have helped. Our car has that clicking noise and the asst. to the serv. mgr. said it was the fuel injectors. I will have them address the issue at our first service. If nothing can be done we will live with it for 3 years(warranty period) and then trade it, poss. for a 350, if it has a god track record. We also have an '01 GS430 and have never had a problem with it. Both cars made in Japan and have no complaints. Good luck!

wwest · March 2006

Has anyone with an RX330, or with any one of the engines with the modification intended to cure the engine sludging problem, encountered engine sludge?

The reason I ask is I notice the new RX350 has an external engine oil cooler as standard, much like the ATF cooler that comes with the towing option.

lexluthor · March 2006

Hi,

I have a 2004 RX330 AWD with 23000 miles.

I'm taking my car in for the headlamp data dots "recall" this weekend and want to make sure I'm covering everything else I might need to get done too.

When I'm driving >40Mph or so and hit the brakes, the whole front of the car shakes.

I've read a lot about this warped rotor problem, is that what's possibly going on? Should I push for them to replace the rotors and pads at no cost to me?

I've already had the booster go bad on me (very scary if you don't know what's going on) and they replaced that at no cost.

Anything else?

Thanks.

jpas · March 2006

My 2004 RX 330 has been at the dealership 5 times this year regarding the transmission problem I am experiencing. The car currently has 23,000 miles however this issue started at around 12,000. The care jerks, almost like it does not know what gear to go in around 30- 40mph. I notice the problem more when slowing down in that mph range. Lexus keeps updating the ECU; this clearly is not the issues because every time I get my car back after a week for them having it, the problem still occurs. I am not sure what to do at this point, Lexus denies there is any problem yet every person that drives my car says it drives awful. I am not sure about anyone else but the transmission is not my only headache, the engine makes a clicking noise when in park, the dashboard rattles, the car shakes when braking this vehicle is a true embarrassment I cant believe I invested such a large amount of money on it. :mad:

wwest · March 2006

Try this.

Disconnect the battery for about ten or 15 minutes. Make sure the accelerator pedal is fully released, no floor mats, etc, laying on it, during and for at least 30 seconds after reconencting the battery.

Now and forever after, DO NOT put your foot on the accelerator pedal until you have shifted from "park".

Undoubtedly when you get it back from service the accelerator pedal has just been initiallized, the engine/transaxle ECU has "learned" the sensor output voltage that equates, truly, to the pedal's fully released, idle, position.

I suspect something is happening, over time and multiple drive cycles, that is causing the ECU to "adjust" the previously learned pedal idle position sensor voltage.

One of the things that might cause it to do that is someone depressing, even ever so slightly, the accelerator pedal during a period of time that the original firmware designers would have not expected.

Working backwards from there it is certain that they would have expected accelerator depression, useage, once the transaxle is in gear.

starforce · March 2006

It has been over 2 years since I posted on this message board about all the RX330 problems I experienced. I sold my RX33 and bought a M35 and haven't had one single problem. I finally just got tired of driving back and forth to the Lexus dealership and decided to sell it. The problems that finally convinced me to buy another car were;

The hestiation in the transmission that couldn't be fixed by a software update.

My Dashoard was never the same after they took it off for the COWL defect

They had FELT lining everywhere to cut down on the rattling. I just believe I spent too much money for a rattling glove box, dash board, rear cup holders,etc..

Seems some of these problems still haven't been corrected.

lsb188 · March 2006

We've had our '06 RX for just over two weeks. Two days ago, my wife came home complaining the engine stalled, the check engine/oil/battery/VSC lights all came on, and stayed on after restart. I went out to check it out, she started it, and I heard that sickening engine know. Turns out, at 485 miles, we have a hole in piston #5. The dealer is ordering a new short block and a replacement head just to be safe. Unbelievable, huh?

lsb188 · March 2006

Sorry, guys - I meant "engine knock". Additionally, this vehicle has had a foul odor ever since we took delivery. Any ideas? It smells like a cross between a blown clutch and roofing tar.

shell0827 · March 2006

I own a 2004 Rx330. Just today I noticed a horizontal 3" crack running behind the rearview mirror. Upon further inspection, i realized that running vertically behind the mirror (starting from the roof of the car) there was also a crack about 3" in length, and the two meet dead behind the mirror. I have a friend who works at a dealership who told me this has been something he has heard before with the rx 330's having problems with stress cracks in the windshield. Has any one else run into this problem? And was the manufacturer cooperative in repair? Thanks!

lsb188 · March 2006

They won't answer you -- mine have been there for days, with no response. This is apparently a dead site.

tidester · March 2006

If you're not getting answers here you may want to try the main Lexus RX 330 discussion. Apparently very few are having problems with their 330s!

tidester, host

dmorelli1 · March 2006

Yes I have the same exact noise but it only happens when I drive over about 50 MPH. It is driving me crazy. Did you find out what it is? It sounds like something is loose in the door pockets or in the rear cargo area but there isn't. I am also having a problem with my drivers's seat belt which doesn't retract properly. I always seem to have this problem on almost every Toyota and Lexis I have owned.

avery1 · March 2006

Good luck on the seat belt. I have an RX 300. I had the retractors relplaced early on but the problem returned. I shouldn't have but I just gave up on getting them fixed. Now, half the time I end up throwing the extended belt in on the seat when I get out. Happily this is my biggest complaint with the car so I feel pretty lucky. I am now at 127,000 miles and I was just thinking I should try giving them hell about this and see what I can get done.

JBaumgart · March 2006

127,000 miles and your biggest complaint is over the seat belt retractors? I guess I'm pretty old because I remember the days when you felt fortunate if your car made it to 100,000 miles without serious problems, like the need for engine overhauls, transmission rebuilds, and even rust holes in the fenders and floor. By the standards of yesteryear, you've gotta conclude that modern Toyotas are pretty amazing.

We're at 32,000 miles in my wife's RX330, and on our last routine service appointment they told me that the front brake pads will need replacement soon. That'll be the first real "problem" ours will have developed, but you can't complain too much about a wear item like brake pads (although the rear pads on my FX45 lasted until just under 50,000 miles, and the front pads are still OK).

Having grown up in the "old days" I have to say both of our vehicles have been pretty amazing, especially when you consider all of the gadgets that they have compared to what my first several cars came with (yes, they had seat belts, but I don't recall them having retractors!).

la4mead · March 2006

I am familiar like you mentioned, to let up on the throttle to allow an upshift, etc. I find many vehicles even more prone to this type of throttle use, I don't find it all that unusual for situations that warrant it.

The enthusiastic shifting seems like a function of the "throttle by wire", I wonder if perhaps shifting too enthusiastically for maximum durability. My early model ('99) 2WD has always seemed a bit almost too quick on the draw, based on it's design. I've always wished it had the e-shift so I could "hold" gears. I think they were going for intuitive response at the expense of frictional wear.

The earliest models had a TSB to replace the valve body, but my dealer did not perform the service three times when I asked them to. Watch your dealer service folks. I suspected so, and it became a problem later when a different dealer took care of it and replaced the whole transmission. They replaced it three times before I got the car back (they said the other two rebuilt units had problems), finally with a brand new transmission from Kyushu. They did a fine job on making sure the problems with the first dealer weren't duplicated, and before the warrantee expired.

I believe one of your main points was that the earlier units like the one in my car that shift "enthusiastically" wear "the hell" out of themselves, as opposed to later units which "hesitate", one benefit of which is increased durability of friction surfaces.

I've noticed the RX300 beats transmission fluid even with multiple coolers, compared to other cars. It's easy enough to service it, and it will probably last a good long time, but I'm interested in your thoughts on extending the durability of your RX, with all that extra shifting going on.

tjrodes · April 2006

I have the same cracked windshield problem on my 2004 RX330. Started at roof line, just left of mirror, goes about 3 inches down and then horizontal up to the mirror area. Any luck with dealer covering repairs?

Let me know. Thanks.

gqfrommars · April 2006

I have a 2005 Rx330 with Nav, Rear Entertainment and have a question regarding how to hook up my MP3 player utilizing the Aux inputs in the back and have it play through all of speakers.

After putting a dvd in the rear ent. system I have been able to make the ipod work on the rear ent. headphones, but not through the speakers, the dvd plays through the speakers not my MP3 player. Does anyone have any suggestions or directions?

Is there a hack for this, so the MP3 player can be heard throught the speaks with line in quality?

Thanks.

hyiu · April 2006

I have 06 RX330 with Nav and voice command. I was trying voice and found that voice command can display restaurants... (Italian, Chinese, fasst food, pizza.... etc). After playing around for a while, I don't know how to take them out of the screen...

Now my screen is full of restaurants... :confuse:
since I'm in NYC, its all over the screen...

Can someone tells me how to turn that off ?? I have tried the manual.... so far, not much help... Thanks.

dadcat · April 2006

Try saying "POI off". That works in my 2006 RX400h.

silvernt · April 2006

I had the same shaking problem and the dealer replaced the rotors and pads at no cost. I think this was around 15K - 20K miles.

gottls · April 2006

Surfing the net I found this web site, after reading an earlier post, (Vais Technology) that has a solution to hard wire an iPod into our Lexus. I called the installer in the earlier post (Culver City) and they wanted $700+ for the unit and installation. I decided to wait because Vais claims they will have a unit, around May/June, the AVIC-100i A/V Auxiliary Input Adapter with Apple® iPod interface that will allow us to hook-up a video iPod to our front Nav screen. Not sure what safety features will be in place so it may be illegal in some states. Check it out

http://www.vaistech.com/

nwt · April 2006

I have a VW Passat-- still under warranty. It has had engine problems etc. The VW dealer never wants to give me a free loaner or a free rental car. They send me to the rental car office next door and tell me to put the rental on my credit card and if the issue is in fact under warranty, they will reimburse me! If the car is still under warranty -- less than 3 years old -- shouldn't they presume the fact that it is not running is a warranty issue? I want to know if Toyota and/or Lexus treat their customers better? Thank you. :mad:

la4mead · April 2006

The Lexus dealers usually loan you one of their Lexus loaners for warrantee repairs; they try to schedule your appointment so they have a car ready for you. If your repair is unscheduled and they don't have a Lexus loaner at the time, I've had them call Enterprise and get me a crappy cheap car (Neon) but just the same they did everything for me, and I didn't have to pay. They are are all about the service, in my experience.

All were attentive and especially polite, #1. However, just like with any other make, I've had varying degrees of luck with how well the requested warrantee service was performed, depending on which dealer I went to.

wwest · April 2006

Lexus repair....???

Never heard of such a thing...!

Just simply doesn't happen.

stever · April 2006

Just the occasional unscheduled maintenance, right?

Good weekend everyone!

Steve, Host

rx330 · April 2006

Apologies if this has been asked before. Tires - what are the possibilities? From cheaper to expensive?

Will MICHELIN PILOT 99V HXMXM4 (235/55/18) fit on my 2005 RX330 AWD?

JBaumgart · April 2006

Yes assuming you have 18 inch wheels they will fit. I use the same size tire on my '04 RX330. 18 inch wheels came as part of the Performance Pkg., but as I recall the standard size wheel was 17".

rx330 · April 2006

great. mine to 04 rx300 with performance pkg.

JBaumgart · April 2006

"mine to 04 rx300 with performance pkg."

Assume you meant 04 RX330 - the last year for the RX300 was 2003.

auroralexus · April 2006

I took my 2000 Lexus 300 RX to a local car stereo shop due to FM sound volume issue. When I first purchased the Rex I only had to move the volume control 1/3 for extremely loud volume. Now I have to move it to max for regular volume. The CD changer sounds fine. The guy told me that I have a bad tuner and only Lexus can repair it. Has anyone else had this problem. If so, what solution can you suggest?

wwest · April 2006

Ebay....

Mr_Shiftright · April 2006

Lexus isn't going to fix it. they have no facilities or skills to do that, except maybe to test your speakers.

Have you gone through all your settings, to make sure you don't have some weird "balance" or "fader" setting that is decreasing your volume?

Lexus RX 330 Maintenance and Repair

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