2004 Lexus RX330 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RX330 years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 287 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Lexus RX330. That is the most of any RX330 model year in the database (6 years). The most reported problem area is power train (69 complaints, 24%), typically at around 5,700 miles. Complaints mention 37 crashes, 1 fire, 27 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 287owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 37complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Lexus RX330 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 69 | 24% | 5,700 | “between gears” (12%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 58 | 20% | 10,000 | “brake booster” (38%) | — |
| Structure | 34 | 12% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 34 | 12% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 8% | 74,200 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 7% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 20 | 7% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 19 | 7% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 4% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 8 | 3% | 40,257 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 2% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 17,725 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 1% | 158,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 132,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 82,399 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 130,396 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 51,565 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 22,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Lexus RX330 recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: 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.
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.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: 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.
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.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: 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.
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.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the anchor bolt for the rear, left-hand side seat belt buckle directly behind the driver's seat does not have sufficient strength.
Risk: The rear seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace free of charge the rear, left-hand side seat belt buckle anchor bolt with an improved one. The recall began on february 3, 2006. Owners may contact lexus at 800-255-3987.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles may be equipped with an improperly designed brake light switch. A silicon oxide build-up occurs on the contacts inside the brake light switch, which can make it inoperable.
Risk: If the switch is inoperable, the brake lights will not illuminate and can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake light switch. The recall began during december 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration (RQ10003) — opened Feb 16, 2010, closed Mar 1, 2011, led to recall 11V112000.
- Vacuum brake booster failure (PE05009) — opened Feb 10, 2005, closed Jun 15, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG ENCLOSURE AREA WAS CRACKED. POHANKA LEXUS (13909 LEE JACKSON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, CHANTILLY, VA 20151, [redacted])…
Have had to replace radiator 3 times & will need a 4th at this time, since 2015, was bought used in 2014. !st replacement 2015 2nd) 2016, 3rd) 2017, and now needs again. Many websites state many different problems related to my vehicle, as well as others of a new year ie; 2005, 2006. Lexus claims…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: POL14-03 (CRACKED DASHBOARD). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: POL14-03 (CRACKED DASHBOARD). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR…
The red plastic housing that the taillight is in is melted, the lights are still working, but the red plastic around the bulb has melted on both the right and left rear brake lights
Other Lexus RX330 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 RX330 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 RX330 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 RX330 | 5 | 1 |
| 2006 RX330 | 67 | 1 |
| 2005 RX330 | 165 | 3 |
| 2004 | 287 | 5 |
See all Lexus RX330 problems by year, every Lexus model, or the Lexus VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Lexus RX330?
Owners most often report power train, service brakes, hydraulic, structure problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 69 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Lexus RX330?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Lexus RX330 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RX330 model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.