2009 Lexus RX350

WHILE HAVE MY CAR SERVICED, THE SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING FLUID AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AT A COST (PARTS & LABOR) OF $1562. THIS SEEMS OUTRAGEOUS TO ME GIVEN THAT THE CAR HAS ABOUT 33K MILES ON IT. WHEN I CHECK THE BLOG ON ARFC.ORG, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. WHY HAS LEXUS NOT BEEN REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM?

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT LEXUS DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING AND THE ENTIRE RACK NEEDED REPLACING SOON AS IT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON REOCCURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AND VALIDATED AS SUCH ON-LINE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR THAT I WAS QUOTED: $1,678.85. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE AND THAT THE COST SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE OF AN OIL CHANGE ON MARCH 21, 2015. I WAS INFORMED BY MY ADVISOR THAT THE POWER RACK & PINION ASSY. IS LEAKING FLUID. THE ENTIRE ASSY. HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1, 900.00 (REALLY). IF THE FLUID IS LEAKING THAT WOULD AFFECT MY STEERING THE VEHICLE AND TURNING (GOD FORBID). THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD HOW CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH MY FAMILY. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THE MATTER WAS INFORMED THAT ISN'T A RECALL ON THE PART. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD AND DEFECT OF PART. I AM ASKING FOR ASSIST IN THIS PRESSING (DANGEROUS) MATTER. I WILL CONTACT ANY ONE I KNOW THAT IS LOOKING TO PURCHASE THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I WILL LET THEM KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS MODEL VEHICLE. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT LEXUS DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BOOT WAS LEAKING AND THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING SOON AS IT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON RECURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AND VALIDATED AS SUCH ON-LINE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR THAT I WAS QUOTED: $1,536.88. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE AND THAT THE COST SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

WHILE BEING SERVICED FOR BRAKES FOR 3RD TIME , DEALER NOTICED TORN/LEAKING RT FRONT BOOT. APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. $15 PART, $475 LABOR. FORTUNATELY THIS WAS COVERED DUE TO 3RD PARTY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE, THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE COVERED. THIS NEGLIGENCE SHOULDN'T HAPPEN ON A PREMIUM BRAND, THIS WILL BE OUR LAST LEXUS. *TR

I TOOK OUR 2009 LEXUS RX 350 IN FOR ROUTINE 60K MILE SERVICE AND WAS NOTIFIED BY THE SERVICE ADVISER OF A POWER STEERING LEAK WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RACK AND PINION MECHANISM. WAS QUOTED A COST OF $1700 - $1800 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I DENIED THE SERVICE RECOMMENDATION. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH TOYOTA/LEXUS SHOULD ADDRESS. *TR

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN OIL LEAK AFTER HAVING MY OIL CHANGED, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS LEAKING FROM A CRACK IN THE BOOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS CHARGED OVER $1400.00 TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING PART. A DISCUSSION WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND A REVIEW OF A NUMBER OF WEBSITES MAKES IT OBVIOUS THAT THIS HAS BECOME A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. *TR

ON 22 JULY 2014, I PROCEEDED TO THE LEXUS OF HUNTSVILLE DEALERSHIP FOR A 75,000 OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION, AND SERVICE MAINTENANCE FOR MY 2009 RX 350. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING HAD A LEAK NEAR THE LEFT SIDE BOOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO WAS TOLD THAT MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE SERVICED AS WELL. I WAS GIVEN AN APPROXIMATE QUOTE OF $1600.00 TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING PART, AND A NEEDED FRONT END ALIGNMENT ALONG WITH HAVING MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKES REPLACED AND THE ORIGINAL OIL CHANGE, AND TIRE ROTATION. I ENDED UP PAYING $2,265.00 THAT DAY. I WENT AHEAD AND HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED WITH THE INTENT OF FILING THIS COMPLAINT AS I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT LEXUS HAD A HISTORY OF THESE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND BOOTS LEAK AS I SHOWED HIM THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE. IN ADDITION TO PAY AT LEAST $38,00 DOLLARS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND STILL GET CHARGED FOR A MAJOR PART TO HAVE IT FIX IS WORTHY FOR A COMPLAINT. TO HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PARTS OVER THE AMOUNT OF YEARS TELLS ME WHY HAVEN'T THIS BEEN ON THE RECALL LISTS AND WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR? WILL IT TAKE A FATALITY TO GET THE ATTENTION OF A RECALL. I LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, AND THIS HAS PUT ME IN A MAJOR BIND FINANCIALLY. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR