2.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,593 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2009 Lexus RX 350:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #9

Jan 012020

RX 350 6-cyl

  • miles
The dashboard in my car has been sticky and cracked for years. This became a safety issue and liability by posing a real risk in relation to airbags. One area of concern is the cracks will interfere with the deployment of the airbag. Either by triggering the airbag warning light or snagging the airbag on its way out. That puts my safety and safety of others at risk. This problem - cracked and sticky dashboards, has been confirmed by a dealer and warranty replacement program was available for short time back in 2018. The company had to notify it's customers but I did not get any letters, emails or calls. Therefore I did not know about that warranty repair and missed it. The vehicle was inspected by a local mechanic and safety concerns were raised. The airbags warning lights first started to appear on and off about 2 years ago. I have contacted the dealer several times about dashboard warranty replacement program explaining that I wasn't notified but they did not offer any solutions or repair reimbursement.

- South Amboy, NJ, USA

problem #8

Aug 012019

RX 350

  • 172,500 miles
The trunk latch rubber boot melted. Possible electrical issue. The rubber feels like soft tar & leaves marks that are quite difficult to wash off. Car location is not one of the hotter states. Looks like a malfunction of electrical wires...behicle was stationary when discovered, not positive if occurred while in motion or not.

- Keyport, NJ, USA

problem #7

Jul 232016

RX 350

  • 70,000 miles
2009 rx 350 lift gate rubber melted while vehicle parked in driveway in 88 degree heat North Florida. All previous posts by car owners who had same issue were told this was due to a chemical or electrical issue which I am now concerned may be a fire hazard. Rubber is dripping off onto back of my car, I am pregnant and do not want to touch this melted rubbery liquid and therefore cannot manually open my trunk. Have been told dealer will not cover the problem, which is clearly a defective material.

- Jacksonville Beach, FL, USA

problem #6

Apr 062014

RX 350

  • 49,100 miles
Switch assembly back door opener is melted. It is gooey and comes off on your fingers.this switch was already like this when I bought the vehicle.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #5

Mar 052014

RX 350 6-cyl

  • 112,000 miles
On or about March 5th 2014, I attempted to open the tailgate on our 2009 lexua RX350 and encountered hot melted rubber sticking to my fingers. I removed the sticky black rubber from the lock, but it was difficult to remove the tar-like material. As a certified electrical technician, I concluded that the electrical switch on that tailgate lock stuck and heated to a point that melted rubber, making a goo-like material. Please note this above referenced car was not in the sun during the time the rubber melted. We have been using this vehicle without using the tailgate lock with the rubber boot, because we do not live within 80 miles of a Lexus dealer, not can pay the $295 to replace the boot at this time.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #4

Oct 012013

RX 350 6-cyl

  • 28,000 miles
Melted, gooey, rubber strip on rear hatchback opener (caused by electrical door opener switch overheating?)

- Saint Leonard, MD, USA

problem #3

May 012014

RX 350 6-cyl

  • 53,000 miles
Exploding passenger side mirror I own a 2009 Lexus rx-350. It's in excellent condition with limited mileage. Last week, we were stopped at a stoplight when suddenly there was a very loud & frightening explosion emanating from the passenger side mirror. The mirror came flying out of its casing, hanging by its wires, & was cracked. Moreover, the fluid that's in these auto-dimming mirrors sprayed/dripped onto various panels, damaging the paint. I did not hit anything. No biker, person, or crazy bird hit my mirror, nor was I shot at. It was also not temp-related. Several people have reported a similar experience in diverse makes & models: www.planetlexus.com/Lexus-forums/showthread.php"T=2787 community.cartalk.com/discussion/2129791/spontaneous-explosion-of-right-side-mirror www.justanswer.com/Mercedes/1ks72-possible-sidemirror-right-ouside-explode.html https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100730125750aanpd6F www.myfordfreestyle.com/forums/viewtopic.php?F=8&T=4095&view=next www.toyotanation.com/forum/8-general-discussion/102512-rear-view-mirror-exploded-freeway.html www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php"123702932-[xxx]-it!!-(side-mirror-cover-exploded!!) www.jaguarforums.com/forum/XK8-xkr-17/anyone-ever-experience-rear-view-mirror-exploding-internally-27371/ something is defective. If this were to happen while you were driving, it could have very serious safety implications. In the last link above, the defect happened in the rear view mirror. What if the mirror had also exploded & the glass shards went in someone's face" in another link above, the mirror exploded & the driver saw pieces flying through the air behind him. What if a passenger were in the front seat with the window down and the explosion happened" thank you for looking into this significant safety issue. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Richmond, CA, USA

problem #2

Nov 012009

RX 350

  • 500 miles
When the SUV shifts from 1st to 2rd gear the engine revs up about 1000 rpms and hesitates 2-5 seconds before the shift takes place. I can't rely on power when needed because of this. It's not constant, about 30% of the time it occurs. The same thing happens when down shifting. The dealer, kendall Lexus of eugene Oregon (rick strong-service manager) is aware of the problem and says "Toyota won't put out a new chip to fix the problem". rick strong also said" I told the salesman he should inform potential buyers about this problem before they purchase a vehicle". this problem is ongoing since I bought the vehicle.

- Medford, OR, USA

problem #1

Jul 312010

RX 350

  • 15,240 miles
The radio/cd unit when changing stations will turn unit off and eject a cd from the unit. This occurs intermittently. In addition the backlight display flashes on and off intermittently. Dealer states that no problem has been found when troubleshooting.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA