gadgetman1

This is my first hybrid & I’m glad I chose one of the best & didn’t get soured by some of the problem hybrids. We were interested in good economy, but more so in efficiency & better driving. We drove two 350s & they both had odd noises & were way more unrefined. The 450h is very smooth & linear, almost to a fault (especially when compared to the rawness of a 6.2 Camaro SS), but I’m certain that we chose the best of the two powertrains. The hybrid gets a little better mpg around town, but about the same mpg as the 350 on the Highway. Wind really affects this vehicle adversely. My Tundra would drop a mpg or two on the highway when there was more than 15 mph wind, but the 450h can easily drop 5 mpg!

Do I still think the RX is a good SUV? Yes, but there has been huge room for improvement that Toyota/Lexus has failed in updating. I’m still puzzled at how different the transmission is in the GX vs. the RX. The GX is a wallowing, cumbersome SUV, but it’s smooth & quiet & the transmission doesn’t hunt. It gets terrible mpg, but it’s rock solid. I just can’t figure out Toyota’s thinking on their #1 selling Lexus vehicle. If Lexus fixed the hesitation problem, increased the towing/hauling capacity a little & added a small turbo to the 3.5 V-6, the RX would be #1 on my list again. It’s just hugely outdated now.

websurfer

Is the new Highlander any better with the transmission?

TechNut

This RX model meets my current needs very nicely actually - and it better since I just purchased it! The thing is, like others have stated, no car is going to be the perfect vehicle for every single person. I haven't experienced any hesitation, have no towing requirements and don't need the extra power or maintenance of a turbo. This demonstrates my point that we are all going to be looking for something different and the obvious fact is that Lexus will try to appeal to the broadest cross section of potential buyers.

xxx350L

Websurfer: Same transmission, and likely the same complaints. The ECU software, and drive by wire throttle, is not engineering at its best when trying to meet CAFE standards. Visit the Highlander forum and see if their having transmission/hesitation issues.

websurfer

Looking at another forum for Highlander. Hesitation seems to be problem for a while. I see some posts from 2004 also. It's probably Toyota engineering thing.

gadgetman1

2004 models are not relevant to this issue - That’s too far back. I don’t know what generation the Highlander is presently in, but the RX 350 is in the 4th generation.

websurfer

2014-2019 Highlander has the same issue as some owners have mentioned also. I asked about the 2020+ models but didn't get an answer back yet.

GSFRX350

The thing is not everyone feels the same, many people on here have said it works fine for them. A loaner is driven by a different driver each day so the ECU is constantly adjusting for different driving styles, yes ideally anyone should be able to get into a car, drive it and have the car perform the same for everyone. As has been said numerous times the ECU was designed with fuel economy in mind and most people will drive the RX gently, pottering along, getting to the speed limit with the traffic but not trying to beat the traffic. It's no performance machine that's for sure.

I'm very happy with mine now, I'm the only driver, I know it well and can drive it extremely smoothly in all conditions, I know to use sports mode when in twisty, hilly terrain and occasionally use the paddles to go down a gear when you suddenly hit a very steep hill. Yes I know it should just all work without driver input like that but Lexus has this incessant need to get that fuel consumption figure down as it helps sales.

The actual transmission is extremely smooth, that is the mechanical side of it, when letting the car make the changes some are rough as it downchanges but every time you you use the paddles or kickdown it changes down gear syrupy smooth, it CAN do it it's just that bloody software that gets it wrong sometimes. Like I said many people are happy with it, they keep selling over 100,000 units in the US year after year so cannot be all bad.

gadgetman1

Well if so many folks are so happy with their RX 350s, maybe you should put out a pole & see just how the owners feel. I bet more than 25% of the current RX 350 owners wouldn’t buy the same car again. At first I was tracking with the loaners having so many different drivers, but then I remembered how many 350s I drove while shopping. Most of those cars had 10 miles or less on them & the transmission was funky & the exhaust made noises, so the ECU adjustment doesn’t hold true in that instance. One can also extrapolate a little bit of data from Consumer Reports surveys. Lexus is no longer the #1 most reliable brand. When you have a vehicle that sells in large numbers, such as the RX, it takes a lot of people reporting problems to move the average up or down. Yes, there are lots of folks that are happy with their RX 350, but there are lots of folks reporting that they are having issues now & didn’t when the vehicle was new & in previous models they owned. I’m not saying you are wrong, I’m saying there is more to this than saying most people are happy with their RX. In the last two out of four years, Consumer Reports reported the RX fell from Much Better Than Average to Better Than Average. That’s still a great rating, but it’s not the stellar rating that Lexus used to have prior to the 4th generation RX.

Also, the RX missed being an IIHS Top Safety Pick +, because of the crappy headlights! Why?? How freak’n hard was it to improve the headlights in order to achieve that rating? That’s a lot of vehicles that are being overlooked in just a few years, just because they don’t have excellent headlights. That’s important to most people at this price point.

gnguyen

Now add on top of that the prominent drone issue; the car is loud like a tractor and hesitates with the shifting. From a 30 year Toyota owner, I can say this is the biggest POS I've purchased.

GSFRX350

Sounds like you guys over there have poorly built Canadian RX's, we only get Japanese. Mine's very quiet, you can hear the engine under hard acceleration but that's part of Lexus's move to having more feel, more involvement with the car.

lgb0250

Every vehicle is different for every driver. My wife thinks her RX drives perfectly. Has no complaints at all. When I drive it I notice the occasional hesitation, but not all the time. We had 2014, 2016 and 2018 Highlanders. XLE, Limited and Platinum. Had no hesitation problems in any of those. My major complaint was the interior noise level in them.the RX solved that problem.

GSFRX350

The wife drives gently? You drive a bit harder sometimes?

Badhobz

yup, i think this is the core of the problem. Canadian built RX's come with 70% parts from north america and only 30% from japan, while the japanese built RX's are the reverse at 70% parts from japan and 30% from north america.

all us north americans pretty much got screwed and im pretty sure ill never buy a non japanese made lexus ever again

I even wrote Lexus Canada a letter because i was so appalled by the lack of quality in this 4th gen RX

Dear Mr. X:

Thank you for your recent correspondence.

As the Canadian Lexus distributor, we always appreciate receiving guest feedback, even when it cannot be positive. This is the only way we can monitor our guests' satisfaction with the service provided by Lexus dealerships or the experience with one of our products.

We are very sorry to learn that your 2017 Lexus RX 350 has not met your expectations. We would like to mention that extensive planning and research are required in order to ensure the highest quality of components is used on our vehicles. However, it is difficult to establish the life expectancy of a component or predict when a failure will occur. There are many variables that will contribute to their durability. Our commitment to you is to repair your vehicle according to the terms of the Lexus new vehicle warranty.

Please be assured that Kaizen is the heart of the Lexus Production System. Like all mass-production systems, the Lexus process requires that all tasks, both human and mechanical, be very precisely defined and standardized to ensure maximum quality, eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

We would like to mention that at Lexus, our goal is to provide vehicles that will not only meet, but exceed our guests expectations in every reasonable way. Although we realize this is not always possible, we constantly monitor the comments we receive from our guests as it is through this medium that we can make changes, when necessary.

That being said, please be assured feedback such as yours, is highly valuable and we thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. A copy of your correspondence has been sent to the appropriate departments within Lexus Canada for their information and future consideration.

Again thank you for taking the time to write to us.

Sincerely,

Hiyem Zabian
Customer Assistance Centre
Lexus Canada
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
on 2021-04-21-13.00.53.000000, wrote:


Dear Lexus,

After owning 5 of your products through 20+ years, I want to inform you
that the newer 4th gen RX fit and finish is slipping. It is noticeable by
us owners. This is the 2nd time I'm bringing my 2017 RX into service for
remedies of squeaks and rattles. My older Lexus(s) never had these issues
even after 10+ years of ownership.

The 17' RX has numerous rattles and squeaks from the center console and
it's highly discussed on owners forums like Clublexus. Specifically, the
armrest is a known concern along with all the cheap plastics used in the
dash and doors.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...mon-issue.html

My dealership has always treated me well and I'm sure they will try and
remedy the vehicle the best they can, but this isn't a dealership problem.
This is a quality issue with your products.

I don't know how many owners respond to you guys directly about your
products but I want you to know that we notice this sort of cost-cutting
and lack of attention to detail. Despite all the advertisements of Takumi
craftsmanship and kaizen processes, it's not readily evident in this newer
RX. In fact, I can clearly say this newer RX has significantly worse fit
and finish than my 2008 RX 400h. This "cheapening" of the Lexus brand is
something I'm worried about. As a loyal Toyota customer and having both my
immediate and extended family all owning Toyota products,
it's disheartening to see.

I don't expect anything from this email, I just want you guys to know what
us loyal owners are thinking.

Below are my current fleet of your cars. I neglected to include all the
Toyota products I've purchased throughout the years as well, but you get
the idea.

Nagendra70

I have same problem. I was taking exit ramp and trying to merge into traffic. My speed at this time is 40MPH. I am putting pressure on my gas pedal but it hesitates to,pick up speed and then suddenly picks up speed. the other drivers are coming at 70,MPH including trucks and i get scared as I am not able to change lane with increase speed. The service guy says they have not found any issue but there is an issue and Lexus must address this problem before some one gets killed. How many of you have same experience.