2003 Lexus LX470

I STARTED THE CAR UP AFTER DINNER. ABOUT 2 MINUTES LATER FOUR WARNINGS LIGHTS RELATED TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM WENT OFF (ABS VTRAC BRAKE VSC) FOLLOWED BY A LONG WARNING BUZZ AND THEN A COMPLETE LOST OF BRAKING POWER FROM THE PEDAL AND THE HANDBRAKE. I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND SO FOR SAFETY REASON I CALLED FOR A TOW TO THE CLOSEST LEXUS DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER AT FIRST TOLD ME I HAVE TO REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WHICH COSTS ABOUT $3000 PLUS TAX. HOWEVER 30 MINUTES LATER THEY CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME NOW THE CAR IS WORKING FINE AFTER THEY'VE DRIVEN IT FOR ABOUT 5 MILES AND COULDN'T REPLICATE THE SYMPTOMS. SO I WENT TO THE DEALER AND PICKED UP THE VEHICLE. ABOUT THREE DAYS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AWAY WHILE I WAS GOING ABOUT 15MPH. AT FIRST THE FOUR LIGHTS WENT ON, AND THEN THE LONG BUZZ. THE CAR STILL HAD SOME BRAKE POWER WHICH I MANAGED TO DRIVE IT BACK INTO MY GARAGE WHEN THE BRAKE POWER THEN LOST COMPLETELY. I THINK WITH VEHICLE LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY WEIGHING ABOUT 3 TONS, THERE SHOULD BE A BACKUP SYSTEM WHICH WILL ALLOW THE CAR TO HAVE SOME BRAKING POWER EVEN IF THE ELECTRONIC ONES WENT OUT. AND THE COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT AND "A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE" FOR SUCH A HEAVY FAMILY VEHICLE MAKES ME WONDER ABOUT THE RELIABILITY AND SAFETY OF LEXUS CARS. I AM TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER I SHOULD HAVE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED OR NOT, OR SHOULD I TRADE IN FOR A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A SIMILAR RECALL FOR IS, RX, AND ES. WOULD THIS BE RELATED ALSO? *TR

2003 LEXUS LX 470. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STEERING SAFETY RECALL *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, HE/SHE NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SLIGHTLY OFF CENTERED AND THE VGRS INDICATOR LIGHT RANDOMLY ILLUMINATED AND WOULD THEN DISAPPEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHOUT ANY RECTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER THEN RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL REGARDING A STEERING PROBLEM. WORK WAS PERFORMED ON THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE FLUID WAS FLUSHED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED NO INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON AND THERE WAS NO SAFETY ISSUES THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY OFF CENTERED WITH THE VGRS LIGHT ALSO ON. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS ASKED TO PAY OVER $1500 IN REPAIRS. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS LX470. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR RECALL 10V346000 (STEERING: GEAR: SHAFT PITMAN). AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH THE STEERING. THE STEERING FAILED AT TIMES AND THE VGRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT ONLY RECALL REPAIRS HAD BEEN PERFORMED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO SENT TWO REPRESENTATIVES TO INSPECT THE VEHICLES. THE REPRESENTATIVES STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY AFTER THEY REPAIRED IT AGAIN (DID NOT SAY WHAT WAS REPAIRED). THE VEHICLE SOMEHOW SLIPPED OFF THE LIFT WHILE AT THE DEALER, HIT THE GROUND AND BOUNCED FOUR TIMES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,299 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

WE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM ON OUR LEXUS LX 470 SUV WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIAL REPAIR (GROUNDING WIRE?) THE SYSTEM AGAIN FAILED. THE SYSTEM WAS AGAIN REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WITH SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM FOR A THIRD TIME ALMOST RESULTING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT (CHILDREN ON BOARD). THE DEALERSHIP CALLED IN THE FACTORY TECHNICIAN WHO DIAGNOSED A PROBLEM WITH THE ACTUATOR?AS OF THIS TIME THE BRAKES ARE STILL NOT WORKING EVEN AFTER REPAIR OF THE ACTUATOR. THIS VEHICLE IS A DEATH TRAP WAITING TO HAPPEN. I WAS READING SOME TECHNICAL BULLETINS AND UNDERSTAND THAT SOME LEXUS SUVS HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH ISSUE. VEHICLES LIKE THIS NEED TO BE RECALLED. *TR

THE CONSUMER COULDN'T SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY SNOW. *PH A NIGHT VISION SYSTEM, WHICH IS A FACTORY ADD ON, WAS INSTALLED IN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. THE PLACEMENT OF THE HOUSING FOR THIS SYSTEM BLOCKED THE AIR FLOW. AS A RESULT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO ALLOW THE AIR TO FLOW IN THE VOLUME NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING WITHIN THE ENGINEERING GUIDELINES AND THAT NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. *NM

INCOMPATIBILITY WITH HIGHER-WEIGHT-LIMIT HARNESSED CHILD RESTRAINTS AND VEHICLE ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS. SPECIFICALLY TETHER ANCHOR WEIGHT LIMITS. MOST VEHICLES HAVE A 40 LB. WEIGHT LIMIT FOR TETHER ANCHORAGE (AS MANDATED IN FMVSS 213), WHILE THERE ARE SEVERAL CR ON THE MARKET WHOSE HARNESSED WEIGHT LIMIT EXCEEDS 40 LBS, UP TO 80 LBS (SPECIFICALLY THE HUSKY, MARATHON & WIZARD MODELS BY BRITAX). THE CR MFR STATES THAT THE CR MUST BE TETHERED ABOVE 50 LBS. WHILE THE VEHICLE MFRS STATE A 40 LB WEIGHT LIMIT ON TETHER ANCHORAGES.