2008 Lexus RX problems
NHTSA has received 89 complaints about the 2008 Lexus RX, and 18% of them involve brakes. After that come engine (18%) and body & structure (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 89 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 112,000 miles 46 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 8 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 7 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 7 |
What the data shows
Among the 46 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 112,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 23 model years of the Lexus RX with enough data (10 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact owned a 2008 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact was crashed into by another vehicle on the driver's side door. The contact stated that the driver's side air bags did not deploy. The driver's side door and the driver's side front wheel and axle were broken. The front fender was also crushed by the impact. The contact suffered a 7-inch laceration on the left side back of his scalp near his left ear and going across the back of his head.
2008 lexus rx350 was parked in garage with engine hot. One minute after the engine stopped, it caught on fire and required the fire department to finally put it out. Engine compartment so completely destroyed that the immediate cause of the fire not detectable. Car is total loss, garage damaged but not destroyed.most recent servicing was by the lexus dealer three months previous.
The contact owns a 2008 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, she saw smoke coming from the front passenger seat. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled into a parking lot and parked the vehicle until the smoke vanished. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist.
3.5 l engine has problems with oil cooling pipe/hose. It leaks oil every 4 to 5 years. Danger is emptying the motor oil without notice. One can easily burn the engine if gone unnoticed. And get stranded anywhere without warning.
This car is experiencing symptoms exactly as described in the inverter module recall, whereby after highway driving, the electric motor will fail randomly, tripping all dashboard failure lights, and putting the vehicle in "limp" mode, where it either slows significantly or stops, and then thus poses great safety risk with surrounding traffic.