KnownCarProblems2005 Lexus RX330 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Lexus RX330, most often about the lights (19% of complaints, typically around 65,500 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about RX330 model year since 2000 and has 3 recalls.
Most common 2005 Lexus RX330 problems
Lights
32 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 65,500 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus RX330. Massive amounts of condensation in the headlamps caused the computer to fail. The computer operates the headlights. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed about the tsb. They also volunteered to pay $1,000 towards the cost of the repair. The current and failure…
I am describing an event that occurs repeatedly among older drivers. They put their turn signal on, and it does not switch off and they don't know it because their hearing ability has diminished. They then make a turn to the opposite direction of what their turn signal indicates and either cause an accident or have a…
Body and structure
32 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, interior panels.
The contact owns a 2005 Lexus RX330. The contact stated the dashboard was cracking. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
My 2005 Lexus RX330 dashboard has ripped open in several places. One is directly over my passenger side airbag! I bought this vehicle brand new and it has only 60,000 miles. It has been kept in a garage most of the time. This is a defect that has happen to other owners. Lexus should recall these dash boards and…
Steering
29 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 108,000 miles.
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…
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…
Transmission
18 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Transmission delay/slip during acceleration. Requires an ecu update. Lexus will charge for the update, up to $100. The update should be mandatory and free of charge.
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…
Other or unspecified
15 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 91,000 miles.
I was in the process of parking my car (going slow) in front of a dry cleaners and suddenly the car just took off and accelerated right through the store front. I have never been so shocked and scared in my life. Due to the force of the car moving so fast, I was not able to reach the brakes to stop the car.…
I was parked in a garage on a ramp and left the car in gear (drive) and after exiting the vehicle, it rolled back into another car. The Lexus 330 is supposed to prohibit one from removing the keys from the ignition when in gear. My car continues to allow me to remove the key (engine off) while in drive.
Engine
14 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 85,500 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system.
My wife (who is not the primary driver of this vehicle) was entering a perpendicular parking space in front of a business located just off the street. The business was once a house and has now put 3 parking spaces in front of the building just over the sidewalk.the entrance is up a driveway and just beyond the…
The contact owns a 2005 Lexus RX330. While driving various speeds with the air conditioner activated, water leaked from the air vents into the front driver and passenger side carpet. As a result, there was moisture build up that caused mold and mildew. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was…
Speed control
14 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 51,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus rx-330. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the contact applied the brakes but the vehicle would not stop and crashed. During the failure, the contact could smell a burning odor and noticed smoke was escaping from under the vehicle. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an…
Unexpected acceleration when entering my driveway at a very low rate of speed (2 MPH maybe) when the car suddenly accelerated out of control for about 6 feet. I was standing on the brake pedal & it finally stopped. There was no sign of a problem with the rug bunching up. Had vehicle towed to japanese car care…
Air bags
14 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 77,000 miles.
Various hairline cracks have randomly appeared on the dashboard. They range in size from 1" to 6". One crack has appeared along the area that covers the passenger airbag. This could potentially cause the airbag to malfunction or not work as intended, which could be fatal in an accident. The dashboard issue has been…
I took my car into park place Lexus in plano to have them fix my air bag. It is not functioning. The light shows that the air bag will not come on. After having the dealer try to fix the air bag first at a cost of $99.00 then a coat of $230.00 it is still not fixed. What can I do to have this faulty part fixed?I do…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2005 Lexus RX330 recalls
Engine: engine and engine cooling
Risk: In some cases, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley which could result in a loss of power steering and a sudden increase in steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the u.s. Supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during early january 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Full defect summary
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 camry, camry solara, highlander, and sienna vehicles, 2006 highlander hybrid; 2004 and 2005 lexus es330 and rx330; and 2006 lexus rx400h vehicles manufactured from june 1, 2004 through march 31, 2005, equipped with the 1mz-fe or 3mz-fe engine. The amount of adhesive agent applied between the outer ring and the torsional rubber damper (inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate. If the adhesive is insufficient, there is a possibility that the outer ring may become misaligned and it may not properly rotate with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the battery discharge indicator light.
Speed control: accelerator pedal
Risk: If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may temporarily become stuck in a partially depressed position rather than return to the idle position. A stuck accelerator pedal may result in unintended and sustained vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the floor carpet cover with a newly designed one free or charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during march 2011. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Full defect summary
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 highlander, highlander hybrid, and model year 2004-2007 lexus rx330, rx350, and rx400h vehicles. If the forward retention clip used to secure the floor carpet cover, which is located in front of the center console, is not installed properly the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal and interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.
Speed control: accelerator pedal
Risk: This condition may interfere with the accelerator pedal returning to the idle position increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the two floor carpet cover retaining clips free of charge. The recall began on july 24, 2006, and should be completed by early september 2006. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility and hybrid vehicles, the two retaining clips for the driver's side forward center console can become loose. If both clips separate from the floor carpet cover, the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal, causing interference with the accelerator pedal rod.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Unintended and uncontrolled acceleration
Summary
On february 16, 2010, NHTSA's office of defects investigation (odi) opened rq10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, toyota recalls 07e-082, 09v-388, 10v-017, and 10v-023.NHTSA also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota and lexus vehicles.I. Pedal interference from floor mats, carpet covers and plastic pads in carpets.during the rq10-003 investigation, odi reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.following the agency's analysis, NHTSA requested that toyota recall ad
Questions about the 2005 Lexus RX330
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 Lexus RX330?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: lights (32 complaints, typically around 65,500 miles); body and structure (32 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles); steering (29 complaints, typically around 108,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2005 Lexus RX330 have?
- 3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 9, 2011 (engine). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2005 a bad year for the Lexus RX330?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about RX330 model year since 2000, with 165 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.