bparkski

My apologies if this information is already available. I am getting ready to purchase an RX450h and want to know if the inverter problems on older models have been solved. I have not seen inverter problems listed for the rx450h, but did not know if that is because the problem has been solved, or if the vehicles do not have the mileage on them yet to cause the problem to occur. thank you.

Cruiter

Brent, welcome to our forum. I have one of the 1st RX450h models produced as a 2010 model in May (1st production month) of 09. It's been rock solid and I'm about to turn 45,000 miles with 'Watson'. In short, he's been perfect in every way. If you've not had a hybrid before you're going to learn a new style of driving that will give you pleasure as well as really great mileage for a car of that size and weight and power. It's not heard to learn, the car will actually teach you. But take the time to go through the manual, I feel pretty safe in saying you've never owned a car with as much advanced technology (that works well) as the 450h has.

Hopefully you'll take the opportunity to share some photos and your initial experience here on C/L.


I can't say I've seen any areas of the car I'd call problematic. Some things will be different than you're used to (new sounds and such) but different doesn't mean a problem, just that you'll need to adapt. Trust me, it's all better and works well.

Enjoy your new ride

bparkski

Hi Jim,

Thank you for the information. It is great to hear that you have had no problems with your rx450h. Have you seen any posts from other members that may have had problems? In reading posts regarding the rx400 ist seems most problems occurred on vehicles with over 70k miles. I am looking forward to the hybrid and will post photos after the purchase. Again, thank you.

Cruiter

It has a very good warranty and you can look at it as the big brother to a Toyota Prius which is one of the highest recommended cars for reliability in Consumer Reports. No, haven't heard of anything consistent that could be a problem.

akazakov

I purchased my Lexus RX 450h less than 1 year ago. On Wednesday November 27th 2013 I did a 10000 miles service at Lexus of Austin dealership and the service consultant said that everything was great with the car. On Friday November 29th I drove from Austin to Houston. About 1.5 mile from the hotel in Houston the Check Engine light went on. It was saying "Check Hybrid System". The car was still drivable, but it felt like I had a hand brake pulled. I was able to get to the hotel parking lot and called Lexus Road Assistance. The car was towed away to the closest Lexus dealership which happened to be Sterling McCall Lexus.
The next day they checked the car and the service consultant told me that the inverter failed and it needed to be replaced. It was Saturday morning and he also told me that they had to order the inverter and it could get there only on Wednesday. So, he said that I would have to drive from Austin back to Houston to pick up my car when it's ready.

After what happened I have two questions to the forum.
First of all, please tell me how the brand new Lexus could have an inverter failure? Everything that I read about Lexus before was prompting that Lexus was one of the most reliable cars and this was the reason why I bought it.
The second question is whether or not it is a normal practice by Lexus dealerships to make their clients drive 170 miles from Austin to Houston and back to pick up their cars.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

RXSF

There isn't much to say about the reliability aspect. These things happen and even though Lexus has a proven track record, there will always be a smaller minority who are affected by flukes.

As for the roadside assistance, if you were more than 100 miles from home, they would have been obligated to follow the "trip interruption" benefits.

"Trip Interruption
In the event your vehicle is inoperable, causing a delay en route and you are more than 100 miles from your home, this coverage provides reimbursement for restaurant meals, rental car and lodging."

Also, im assuming they gave you a loaner?

falconer

Yes, our Lexus dealership always provides a loaner and they go out of their way to ensure that I am completely satisfied with the experience. I think breaking down at some distance from home makes the situation challenging to prevent any inconvenience. What could the dealership do to make it less painful?

akazakov

Thank you very much for your reply.
I would expect from Lexus dealership to transfer my car from Houston to Austin instead of making me drive from Austin to Houston to pick it up and drive back home.
Probably it was not clear from my post that they told me it would take at least 4 days (from Saturday to Wednesday) to get the part. I can't stay in Houston for that long because I need to go to work on Monday.
Dealerships transfer cars all the time. Why can't they transfer mine?

falconer

I wonder if this would be covered under the trip interruption policy? Shipping the car to you would certainly be excellent customer service. Did you ask them? I hope it works out to your satisfaction.
Bill

vlad_a

You could always call the corporate and ask if they could get it done for you. They usually bend backwards for customer satisfaction. 800-25LEXUS

leland1952

My 2011 RX450 has been a dream car in many ways. However, at 42,000 miles it died on the interstate---leaving my daughter and toddler stranded. Roadside assistance came to the rescue but the nearest dealer was 100 miles away so all kinds of inconvenience. It remained at the Lexus dealer in Richmond, VA for about 2 weeks where they replaced the transaxle and finally the inverter to get it going again. It works great now. From what I am reading I am thinking Lexus does have an inverter problem in these models. I would do a lot of research before jumping into one again. I would stick with the RX350

oohpapi44

iTrader: (1)

1 bad inverter in the 3rd Gen doesn't necessarliy indicate a problem though, just one bad vehicle (or two). Sorry to hear about your daughter/granddaughter.

Droid13

It's telling to note that in this thread the two people that had inverter issues are brand new to this forum. Not suggesting that they are not being truthful, but merely that they were seeking out a place to tell their story. As such, these kind of reports tend to skew the implication of the percentage of times these fail overall. It's like buying a dishwasher online and finding 5 customer reviews, 4 say ok, and 1 say problems. That doesn't mean that 20% of the dishwashers break down. I toiled on the Camry Hybrid forums for 6 yrs while I had mine, same thing there, a couple of reports of inverter failure over the time, but never anything systemic. What did become systemic was when some long time forum members began posting of water pump leakages. If we get 2 or 3 frequent members in this forum start reporting inverter problems (meaning that they already represent a certain percentage of the community, not someone joining specifically to report a problem), then that is the start of a true systemic issue. But as it is now, it just shows that while Lexus may be in pursuit of perfection, they haven't reached it yet.

Cruiter

Andy
Adding credence to your comments, the two negative ones you noted are the 1st one's I've noticed as well in the Gen III (h) regarding inverters. I've had mine over 4 years now, next service will be 60K and no mechanical issues whatsoever. I like to note from time to time articles such as Prius cab drivers in NY going on 300,000 miles w/no (h) issues. With my 2nd car now (just for play) and me the only driver it's conceivable I could keep him 10 more years . But if I do trade again (I probably will) it will be for a smaller (h) to make more room in the garage. Don't need this size car anymore. But if I do, it will be a Toyota or Lexus, they've been nothing short of 'always dependable'. They've got it figured out .

yeehawbob

At 139,000 miles my RX has the "Check Hybrid System" issue and getting multiple codes listed below.
Where can I purchase the Inverter and how much does it cost as most everyone I talk with is telling me to replace it.

Does anyone have a list of CODES with their description?

P0A1A
A0A1B
P000
P0A78

TIA