2004 Lexus RX330 problems
Owners have filed 353 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Lexus RX330. Brakes is the most reported problem area, at 21% of complaints. Next are transmission (18%) and cruise control (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 353 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 49 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 32 and 5
- Typical mileage
- 42,000 miles 234 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 | 89 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 24 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 22 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 28 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 25 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 21 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 6 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 8 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 234 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 42,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 8,000 miles (54 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 49 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 32 injuries reported; 5 deaths reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 80% of model years in our database.
It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
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.
2 to 3 years prior to this accident I was coming to a stop light and the brakes did not work, but only for a few seconds. I reported this to my husband and he took it to several mechanics but did not find anything wrong with the vehicle, my husband has owned a auto parts store for 40 years and knows a few qualified mechanics.
My friend (26 year old male) was driving my 2004 lexus rx330 at around 9am on christmas eve morning. Witnesses state that he was traveling south on a residential street and crossed a busy 6-lane divided roadway at 80 MPH. He continued on the residential street at which time he left the roadway and vaulted across an embankment hitting a block wall. He was killed instantly. Pima county sheriff and medical examiner investigated and could find no reason for the excessive speed or the collision.
Rear window shattered without probable cause. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and the police were notified. It was determined that the window broke due to extreme heat. The consumer purchased another 2004 lexus (model/rx330) and the same window shattered. The service manager suggested that this happened due to heat.
No failure, just apparent stickiness in accelerator. Occasionally, while pulling out from signals, pedal feels as if it is sticking, then will pop loose and car lurches forward.