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Lexus RX 350 Driving Experiences and Problems

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Comments

  • longfrancelongfrance Member Posts: 19
    Hi everyone. We just purchased our 2010 RX the other day and we love it!! I have been playing with all the customizations and was wondering if anyone knows if you can turn off the green ECO mode light on the dash?
  • inphomaninphoman Member Posts: 1
    I just picked up my 350 today and had to find out how to turn off that annoying green light. Hold down the menu switch on the right of the steering wheel for about 10 seconds. The menu will then pop up in the information display. You have 3 options you can set b moving the enter switch up/down - one of the options is to turn on/off the ECO display.
  • longfrancelongfrance Member Posts: 19
    Thanks! Worked like a charm! Took the RX to Las Vegas over the holiday weekend - the only complaint is that the tire pressure light came on... I'm assuming that's becasue the temperature change at night and maybe from all those damn speedbumps at the parking garages.

    Very little wind noise; ventilated seats worked - not great, but we did feel it - assuming the low fan of the auto ac might affect vent fan level?
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    Lexus RX consumer rating 8.5, Chevrolet Equinox 9.2. Interesting!!
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    Wonder why lexus did ont put strip on doors to protect from dings? My previous rx had them. Probably needed to save a few bucks.
  • wrahnwrahn Member Posts: 45
    I don't know the answer, but I can tell you what the salesman told me when I asked the question. He said the new design with the strip at the bottom of the doors keeps the doors from other autos from hitting the RX. I'm not convinced, and I'm sure nobody else will be.

    Wes
  • stuart286stuart286 Member Posts: 1
    I have a strange problem with the heater. Occasionally, after leaving the vehicle and returning after a few hours, when starting the car, the Auto button on the heater does not light, the control moved from dual to single, the temperatures goes from whatever it was set at, to 25 celcius on both sides and the A/C button is off.
    Has anyone had a similar problem?
  • bv2000bv2000 Member Posts: 15
    For anyone interested: I have been complaining that is impossible to hear the NAV Commands when playing music at a decent volume. Finally they arranged with Pioneer to install an amplifier which raised the volume significantly.
  • bond8bond8 Member Posts: 33
    Can you tell me the details of this? How did you go about getting the amplifier installed. Does Lexus have a service advisory out for this purpose?
  • wrahnwrahn Member Posts: 45
    The problem is not that the volume of the NAV system is not loud enough, the problem is the what ever audio system is in use doesn't MUTE when the NAV instructions are broadcast. Previous year RX had this feature, but the 2010 does not.

    Wes
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I was reading the customer reviews of the 2010 RX on Edmunds
    and discovered some more cost-cutting measures that seem to have cropped up on the 2010 RX. Now, I find out that there is no full-sized spare, but it's now a donut-type spare tire in back. My current RX has a full-sized spare. I also discovered that the front seats are not captains chairs anymore. While I was not specifically looking for this feature when I purchased my RX, I have come to appreciate them.

    Add this on top of the previous-mentioned questionable interior placement design such as the power outlet buried deep in the console, plus now I would have to spend probably another five grand just to get rain-sensing wipers which I already have on my current RX, I have to say I have become very disappointed in the 2010 RX. Lexus really spoiled me with the '07 RX. I'm trying to look into some other comparable SUV's, but I can't get seem to get the exact things that I've got on my current RX that I enjoy.

    Don't get me wrong. I like the push button start on the new RX and the ability to play my iPod, but I wan't all the other things that I've already got on my current vehicle too!! :cry:
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Just be sure to test the "push button" STOP often enough that you can QUICKLY resort to its use should the DBW system decide to runaway with the engine.

    What's the difference between captains chairs and not..??

    "..cost cutting.."

    "..donut-type spare.."

    FE..WEIGHT.

    Rain-sensing wipers are only really of help if they also trigger tightening of the brake calipers.
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    I have owned 3 rx autos (04,06 and now 2010). All were good but The 2010 is a little better. Mayby a person could use full size tire if the dealer would rotate 5 tires
    rather than 4 without extra cost. The small tire is located in trunk area rather than under the vehicle (much easier to change). The small tire and rim weigh less and take up lessroom (every pound counts as far as gas mileage is concerned) The worst thing on the vehicle is the location of the power outlets, I can't beleive a company like lexus would make a mistake like that.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    Yeah, but the 2010 RX is still, what, 400 pounds heavier than the previous gen RX??
  • debbie731debbie731 Member Posts: 10
    This is our 3rd RX and you can have it if you want it - seriously - we would love to get out of our lease we are so disappointed in this car. The seats are not as comfortable not even close to the padded seats in our older RXes, no sun glass holder, (the 1st 2010 RXes had this the new ones with Nav do not - who knew since we test drove the 'older 2010'), glove compartment is much smaller, no arm rests, door storage is much smaller, hardly any wood at all in the interior - all plastic. Look at the 2007 sun visor vs the new one - it sums it all up the new one is flimsy and smaller the old one is much better and shows quality we had expected. No radio controls when you have the nav except on the wheel so your passenger cannot change a station or do anything w/o going into the nav and the enter key is on driver side not passenger side. This applies to many other functions as well - they are all on the nav not on the dashboard. The brights are now auto brights and do not work if you are going less than 20 miles per hour or if house lights are in the area so you must turn off auto lights totally if you are driving less than 20 mph and need your brights (this is us every day since we live in area with no street lights). What were they thinking? The clock cannot be seen if you drive with your hands in correct position 8 and 4 unless of course you take your hands off of the wheel. The controls for everything are smaller if they are on the dash. This car has rattles - we have only had it about 2 1/2 weeks and we have rattles that need to be found. We also have problem with left passenger door that does not close unless it is 'slammed' which means that it is off kilter - the other doors all close as they should. This shows poor quality control. We asked to return this car after having it one day but Lexus won't take it back unless we take a huge loss. I am thinking leasetrader or swapalease since we are so :mad: unhappy with the car. The thought of driving it for another 3 years is depressing given what this car costs - I should have gotten the Mazda!
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    FYI you can set the nav screen so radio stations constantly appear on the the nav screen.
  • marqevansmarqevans Member Posts: 29
    I just picked up my sixth RX. 1999, 2000,2003,2005, 2008, and now 2010. All of them leased and I have basically the same payment I had back in 1999. All have been without navigation,
    I am enjoying the new car so far. ( 3 days) My question is related to the cord for my radar detector. I would like to some how secure it to the dash and run it along the side of the floor console. Is anyone aware of a two sided tape, velcro, stick on hooks or clips that can be inserted in seams that can be removed without leaving a mark on the surface.
  • debbie731debbie731 Member Posts: 10
    Yes I know you can set nav system to this but that is all you see - not the map. This is true with all of the nav functions - you can set them on the screen and change from the map default - the point is that they took away the buttons on the dash and though I can change all functions from the driver's side wheel a passenger cannot do this easily as the nav system is set up for the driver to press the enter button - and these functions should still be on the dashboard.
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    this is my 3rd rx the only thing that bugs me is the location of the power outlets.
    my wife hated the arm rests of previous rx and is satisfied now. i don't notice any difference in seats, no rattles, i don't have nav but would be unhappy with radio controls as you are. the engine is a little noisy until car is warmed up but then smooths out. gas mileage is as good or better, no wind noise. my car was built in canada. all things considered we are very happy with our 2010 RX350.
  • mdpdretiredmdpdretired Member Posts: 5
    The remote device has an enter button on both sides. The nav system is set up for the driver or the passenger to utilize the remote touch and press the enter button with their respective thumbs. A passenger can change the radio station simply by highlighting the desired station and clicking enter with their thumb on their side of the remote device. Lack of clutter on the dashboard provides a nice clean look.
  • bhuang668bhuang668 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 RX330. Recently the rear hatch is behaving strangely. It closes itself immediately after it is opened to the top. This drives me crazy as I am trying to get stuff into the trunk. The service rep at Lexus told me it's a faulty sensor. Does anyone eles experience similar problem?

    Thanks!!!!
  • petenrudypetenrudy Member Posts: 5
    I had a 2004 RX330 and a 2007 RX350. Both were very quiet even during excelleration. I drove my new 2010 RX350 5 miles out of the show room at Lexus of Cherry Hill NJ and turned right back. The engine was much louder during excelleration, much like my 2007 when the tranny began to fail. The salesman said this louder engine noise was normal on the 2010 due to the better breathing of the engine. I drove another 600 miles and took it back to service for the continued engine noise. Service said it was normal. Does anyone else have a similar experience? What have you done about it? Am I getting the brush of here?
    THANK YOU for your feedback!!
  • centroid_314centroid_314 Member Posts: 2
    Hi Everyone,
    I have tried to input phone numbers into my 2010 RX350 that include extensions. On my cell phone you simply put a comma or a "p" to get a two second pause. The input on the RX350 allows for +, *, and #, but none of them seems to put a pause as it does on my cell phone. Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance!
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    My 2010 RX with 3000 miles is noisy until it is warmed up. Sounds like a tappet noise. Service dept. said this is normal. To me this seems like oil is not getting to all parts of engine until engine is warmed up.
  • poohpooh2poohpooh2 Member Posts: 2
    Yes and Lexus told me to Lemon Law the car. Had it in the shop over 25 days and four trips. They replaced my engine at 8000 miles and I still the the "clicking and clanging". I didnt by a diesel! They said it was normal noise. Shame on Lexus!
  • poohpooh2poohpooh2 Member Posts: 2
    I too have this problem and it got so loud they put a new engine in at 8000 miles. Lexus Headquarters told me to Lemon Law it. And yes only on start-ups until it is warm, but it didnt sound like this until around 5000 miles.
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    My noise started from the very first time and every time. It' is not loud, can only hear it with radio off. I use premium and mid-grade gasoline therefore octaine is not the problem. If I rev the engine while parked no noise lite acceleration noise until the car is warmed up.
  • wrahnwrahn Member Posts: 45
    This morning I dropped off my car at the Lexus dealer and they gave me another RX 2010 as a loaner. They fixed the bumper problem under warranty and I picked it up in the afternoon. It looks like it will be fine. You'll know if it isn't. :)

    Wes
  • go_orangego_orange Member Posts: 28
    We're experiencing the following problems with our 1.5month old RX with 2,000 miles on it. And the "that's normal" responses we got from our local dealer's service dept are not satisfactory. Wondering if anyone else has these problems and if they got any satisfaction.

    1. The leather seats were perfect at delivery. Now the leather in the rear seats has become loose and wrinkly on the back of the rear passenger seats. Dealer says that's normal. Well, it doesn't look normal to me and we never had that with our other cars having leather interiors. Dealer showed me the same thing in other RXs. Well, to me that is more indicative of there being a problem with all RXs rather than our RX being normal. Dealer says there's no easy fix such as pulling and tightening the leather. Instead, they replace the seats which cost thousands of dollars. Dealer can't authorize this. If we want to pursue this possibility, we need to bring the car to the dealer when some service big wig (not from the dealership but from Lexus national) will be there, and that person will decide what, if anything, to do about it. It doesn't sound promising though, as the dealer's opinion is that what we have is normal. We're considering taking the next step.

    2. The low tire pressure warning indicator came on. I visually inspected tires and no flat. The next morning I checked air pressure in all tires and it was a perfect 32 all around. So this was a false warning. Yet the warning indicator didn't go away. I took it to the dealer and they did a re-set. Fine for a week and now it's back again. Another false warning. Brought the car back to the dealer again, asking them to troubleshoot this as a recurring problem. This time dealer says they get this 20 times a day and that this is the worst invention ever put in cars. In the winter tire pressure drops enough to trigger the indicator but not enough to be an actual problem. Customers are annoyed but there's nothing they can do about it. It is working as it should, according to the dealer. I asked if this feature could be de-activated, as I'd rather go back to back to 1950 than constantly stare at a false alarm on my dashboard. Dealer said nope. I asked if the sensitivity of the feature could be adjusted so that a warning would be given only when there is a substantial loss of air. Dealer said no can do, as the system is a safety feature and there are laws restricted what the can do to it. I asked what good this system is as a safety feature now that it has become "the little boy who cried wolf" sort of thing. Dealer had no answer . . .

    I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with or is now dealing with these very problems.

    Thanks.
  • go_orangego_orange Member Posts: 28
    Regarding the tire pressure monitoring system, I meant to add that my sense is that this may be a Lexus issue (engineering their system in an over-sensitive manner), because I do not have this false warning problem with my BMW. In 1.5 years, it only came on once and it was real.
  • bv2000bv2000 Member Posts: 15
    I have had my 2010 rx since mid july and have not had any problems with the tire sensors. I am amazed that no one else has complained about the low volume level of the Nav system In case any one is interested, they did have Alpine design a new amplifier that significantly raises the volume.
  • centroid_314centroid_314 Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know how to insert a pause in bluetooth dialing. It does it from my phone but not from the voice command. It makes it hard to deal with calling a business that has extensions.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I had had some problems with the tire pressure monitor on my '07 RX350 the first six months that I had it, and they ended up lowering the "threshold" for the sensitivity of the monitor, and I've had no problems ever since, except for a tire that actually had a nail in it that was causing the air to leak and one time when it turned pretty cold outside(this is in Florida).

    So you might want to inquire if there is a way to lower the threshold for the sensitivity of the tire pressure monitor.
  • bond8bond8 Member Posts: 33
    go orange,
    I have had my RX since March 09. I havent had any of the problems you mentioned. So it seems like your problem is typical to your car and not a systemic problem. I am just saying this so you can go to the dealer and let him know that this is not a typical problem. Another thing you can do is complain to the lexus customer service. I had some questions and they got back to me within 2 days. May be they can persuade the dealer to change your seats and you wont have to wait for the lexus person to show up at the dealership.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    Has anyone experience problems while on the phone with call waiting not disconnecting?

    Also, has anyone used voice commands with navigation trying to verbal input a POI when the type of POI is not listed on the screen, but another POI. I cannot verbally add a POI when it is not one of the suggested type of POI, but can do it with the mouse when stopped. I hope I made this issue clear.
  • marqevansmarqevans Member Posts: 29
    I am considering an after market navigation device to fit in the center dash cut out. Does anyone recommend one? and is the cord long enough to reach the outlet in the floor console?
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    I just bought (at amazon.com) a garmin 755T with a base that is portable . I payed $206.00 plus about $20.00 for the base. This seems to be a very good GPS with a lot of bells and whistles. If you go to amazon.com you can research exactly what you need.
    The cord is long enough and when I am not using the GPS there is a space on the floor under the gear shift that i use to keep it out of sight. I hope this helps.
  • jelkd2jelkd2 Member Posts: 6
    bought 2010 RX 350 Oct...has less than 5000 miles but have experienced the exact same noise at the 2100--2400rpm level...dealer said 2010 are actually quieter this year than last..I'm not buying it..my Toyoto 4 runner cost half as much and is twice as quiet..plan to take it back in for another check and this time,I will drive another RX to see if they all have this noise...have you found any solution from your post?thanks
  • marqevansmarqevans Member Posts: 29
    Thanks, I will check it out. Are you putting it on top of the dash or in the cutout that slants dowm toward th radio display?
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    In the cutout
  • jtlajtla Member Posts: 388
    Most portable GPS units has either 3.5' or 4.3" screen, and they are all about the same size under each screen size category. Either screen size will fit into the center dash cut out, but obviously those 3.5-inchers will block less information on the radio/clock monitor. You can shop around and pick whichever GPS you like most.
  • marqevansmarqevans Member Posts: 29
    Due to all the electronic features like blue tooth, IPOD hook up etc. already on the car, I guess it would make sense to get one without those features.
  • cwaynecwayne Member Posts: 81
    I bought the garmin 755t because it did not have blue tooth. It does have free traffic reports for life which is nice.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    Has anyone noticed if the words "temp" and" passenger temp" on the dashboard area light up at night or just the up and down arrows light up?
  • jogan1jogan1 Member Posts: 11
    2010 RX350 does not come with electronic card key. However it can be purchased for something over $300 and then has to be programmed by the dealer who charges $75 or more but you should be able to get the dealer to program at no charge. There is also a small thin metal key that you can buy that fits into the electronic card key - for door & glove box - for $25 or so that Lexus has to cut.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    My dealer says the card metal key is not available in the United States. Have you confirmed the metal key is available-if so who confirmed? I did obtain the key card.
  • jogan1jogan1 Member Posts: 11
    I purchased my electronic car a little over a week ago at the dealer. At that time they had the small metal key that goes inside the key card however it was only cut on one side. The dealer cut the key to my car's vin however it did not work. Dealer then said that Lexus would have to do and it would take about a week. Went to dealer yesterday on some other issues and dealer told me that Lexus advised that there is no key for the RX350 electronic key card. There is one for the LS and one other model. Sounds like backward engineering to me as well as Lexus doing a poor job of advising dealers correct product info. I did purchase a key card last week but was not able to use until yesterday as dealer kept my RX and gave me a loaner. It is a fine car with many nice things and a few that have been deleted from earlier RXs that would have made it even nicer.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    What features on earlier RXs that were deleted do you miss?
  • arthura2arthura2 Member Posts: 7
    Just read about what Lexus directed individuals to do regarding their Lexus RX350. I have been having the same problem since my Lexus reached 3000 miles. I start the car and the noise lasts for about 14 - 15 minutes while I drive or stay in parked and rev the engine to 18 - 2200 RPM's. The Lexus regional Rep came and measured the noise with a decimal meter and agreed it was louder than normal and stated once I registered a formal complaint with Lexus, they would most likely give us a refund of the vehicle. RIGHT!! Lexus said they would do nothing and the noise was normal. I have been in the used car business for 30+ years and know a piston slap when I hear it. Has anyone got any results from Lexus??? By the way, how is your milage? My is terrible regardless of the fuel grade I use.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    When using my bluetooth-phone I cannot disconnect if I receive a call while on the phone-call waiting. Has anyone else experienced this as I have to shut the car and phone to disconnect or the bluetooth will not work as the car screen says the phone is in use, and I cannot dial out even if I am not on a call.. In other words, the car-bluetooth thinks I am still on a call.
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