10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,760 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 2004 Lexus GX 470:

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

problem #13

Jan 012014

GX 470

  • miles
2004 Lexus GX470 factory-installed Blizzard White paint is peeling off in sheets. Was told by certified body shop that there is a clear defect with the primer. The areas affected are the hood, roof, and near back windows - no impact or other damage is present. This is unsafe as it will lead to the corrosion of the body of the car. There was a recall for the 2008-2009 models with this paint color, but this needs to be extended to the 2004 model year as well. There were no warning messages and the car is available for inspection.

- South Haven, MI, USA

problem #12

Oct 272021

GX 470

  • miles
Vehicle maintained per manual. Frame rusted thru in numerous places, viable holes obvious. Vehicle deemed unsafe from Pep Body service personnel. Attached a frame picture from passenger side.

- Whippany, NJ, USA

problem #11

May 202020

GX 470

  • 115,800 miles
Vehicle maintained per manual. Frame rusted thru in numerous places, viable holes obvious. Vehicle deemed unsafe upon inspection. Lexus hdqtrs in plano, tx and parsippany NJ refused any responsibility for loss of vehicle. I mailed a package of correspondence and photographs to your address via certified mail Oct 7,2020, return receipt not rec'd. frustrated with lack of response.. Toyota replaced or repurchased truck w/same frame, Lexus refused received case # 11362013, youragency.

- Wyckoff, NJ, USA

problem #10

May 202020

GX 470 8-cyl

  • 115,800 miles
Dicscovered during minor repair, frame of vehicle is completely deteriorated due to rust T.frame perforated in numerous places. Rated unfit to drive, Lexus denies any responsibility. Vehicle is in need of complete frame replacement. Vehicle available for inspection. Rust appears at box frame and welds the consumer stated the manufacturer was contacted and did not offer any assistance due to the vehicle being out of warranty.

- Wyckoff, NJ, USA

problem #9

Sep 232019

GX 470

  • miles
2004 Lexus Gx 470. Has frame rot due to the condinsation hose released on top of the passanger side frame. It runs down the passanger side frame and put holes in it due to inproper placement. Now the passanger side door is slighly out of alignment when closed. I have had to wrapp steel around the frame. From front door to front of back wheel. Contacted Lexus at 1800-255-3987 in plano Texas for case number [xxx]. then said only a minor warranty for corresion and it is not covered. Also the person on the phone refused to give me Toyota headquarters mailing address. This rust is on top of the frame and I believe would take 10-15 years to show up. There is now many holes in only the passanger side frame. Here are pictures picture 6100 shows the hose over the frame. Is it possiable the car could brake when driving. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Spokane, WA, USA

problem #8

Jul 012005

GX 470

  • miles
The paint on the plastic fenders, bumpers, and the metal roof has been fading for the past several years. The fading started when the vehicle was about 1-2 years old, even when the vehicle was parked in a garage overnight. The vehicle was purchased in va and has been used in ca since 2006. We have about 110,000 miles on the vehicle. We have seen similar make/model Lexus Gx 470S that appear to have the same faded paint in the same ares on the vehicle as ours. In addition, the paint appears to be deteriorating and disappearing from the roof and on the edges of the doors. This could lead to rust problems. Our efforts to address this with the Lexus dealers have not met with success; the dealers more or less dismissed our complaint. Our body shop mechanic told us he believes the paint is defective.

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #7

Mar 062019

GX 470

  • 102,877 miles
Vehicle failed inspection due to rust hole in frame and transmission support. The mechanic said that the rest of the frame is in good condition which leads me to believe that it must be a defect with materials used for the frame, I would expect same type of damage to the rest of the frame. The car was well maintained, and it is in great condition otherwise, after close to 103,000 miles. This may be related to the Toyota frame rust issues that were reported since, to my knowledge the gx shares the same frame as other Toyota SUVS/trucks. Lexus refused to help w/ the repair etc. And they deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive, I have to tow it out of their dealership. Attached, my shop review, Lexus review and pictures from my mechanic. I am asking Lexus for the pictures they took while the car was in shop.

- Lansdale, PA, USA

problem #6

Jan 292019

GX 470

  • miles
Pearl white paint is peeling off like paper on my 2004 Gx 470 what is going on with Lexus paint I have owned 3 Lexus cars never had this to happen to the other cars needs help in sanford

- Sanford, NC, USA

problem #5

Jun 302017

GX 470

  • 120,000 miles
Entire frame of the car is rusted to the point that almost nothing is holding the car together and we've been told it's not safe to drive. Has been maintained on regular basis and has always been parked in garage at night and on most weekdays. Car shouldn't be rusted out when cared for meticulously (documentation available).

- Glenview, IL, USA

problem #4

Dec 262011

GX 470 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 196,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Lexus GX470. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked, which could expose the air bags. The contact also stated that the manufacturer had an internal safety recall for the same failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 196,000...updated 03/08/17

- Solana Beach, CA, USA

problem #3

Jan 152016

GX 470

  • miles
I have a 2004 GX470 SUV. Today I was in a parking lot, trying to back out and leave. With one foot on the accelerator, I found it stuck, which was odd, as I had not experienced it before. So I pressed on it again, I thought, lightly. I was taken completely by surprise, as I seemed to have flown backwards, as I have a V8 engine, my acceleration was quick and my car immediately rammed into 2 parked cars behind me. I was in a state of shock and very scared, since it was so fast and sudden. Has anyone else experienced anything like this before? thank you.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #2

Sep 012012

GX 470 8-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
1. my dash board has cracked, I took it to woodfield Lexus in Chicago, they did some patch work, but now more cracks have appeared and I feel it may interfere with airbags. www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-first-generation/603916-my-dashboard-is-cracking.html by going though the forums, it seems cost of replacing 1200 to 3000 dollars is a lot of money for the part which should not crack in the first place. Obviously it is defective material, Lexus has been using to make dashboards 2. chrome plating on my wheels is coming off badly.

- Urbana, IL, USA

problem #1

Jan 012012

GX 470

  • 88,403 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Lexus GX470. The contact stated that the dashboard material was defective and became fractured. The dealer advised the contact that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The dashboard was not replaced. The failure mileage was 88,403 and the current mileage was 98,000. Updated 11/30/13

- Hernando , FL, USA