DaveJ

I had our RX330 in at Toyota for its 95K oil change and the dealer told me the steering rack and pinion unit was leaking oil and will eventually be a dangerous situation. They showed me the leak, which was a wet boot.

This dealership told me that the entire unit had to be replaced either with a new or refurbished unit. They could not repair it. For the refurb unit, it would cost about $1400 including labor.

Has anyone had this happen to your RX? If so, what did you do about it? I'm very disappointed that this non-routine maintenance item failed with such a high repair cost. I know at nearly 100K miles anything can happen, but it still hurts. I wonder if there was ever a recall or TSB on the rack and pinion unit.

Because it's also time for a timing belt, water pump, and by the end of this year, new tires, I'm starting to think maybe trade-in is the best option.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Iqraam

Wow man I am at 94k miles and luckily have not had this issue, but then again I think I should make an appointment to have my car checked out before the 100k warranty runs out.

Personally I think if you cant afford to get it repaired, it might be time to trade, I too am thinking of trading my vehicle RX330 too but after talking to a couple of dealerships both Lexus and Non-Lexus, the new cars are just not as affordable as I hoped.

Good luck with your decision.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Go to a good mechanic and ask them for advice, the dealer might be just trying to get more money out of you. Always get a second opinion.

salimshah

I have not come across posts regarding the leak ... this does not mean that it is not a prevalent problem.

The seals can pop, but typically the shaft gets bent and the right fix is to replace the unit.

Salim

mandyfig

Is that the power steering fluid leaking? How about conditioners-sealers? Have not heard of this complaint.

But I will check mine and if it shows issues, I can turn it in for repair before my extended warranty expires (this January).

DaveJ

Yes, it's the power steering fluid that's leaking. I don't know anything about sealers for this problem.

myLexRX

I had my rack and pinion replaced recently, @ 60K miles. My mechanic showed me a small leak, but he said just to keep an eye on it since it's expensive to replace it. I started looking on eBay for a used one and found a full assembly off of a 2007 Highlander with 30K miles. It costed me $150 shipped. It took my mechanic 4 hours to put it on.


I'd suggest first finding a mechanic who can replace it and then use either ebay or car-parts.com to locate a used unit in good condition.

Good Luck!

DaveJ

According to my Toyota dealer, there isn't an equivilant Toyota rack and pinion unit for the RX330. The price he quoted me was for the Lexus refurb unit.

salimshah

The additive sealants kind of congeal when exposed to air (point of leak). They do have a tendency to thicken and clog other parts. It usually is a band-aid and can cause more harm than just fix the problem [I am sure there are people who would swear up and down about how good a certain additive is]. Used car sales are notorious [not all] for hiding the problems this way.

Salim

myLexRX

your dealer is either lying or does not know it. I am 100% sure that an AWD Highlander V6 has the same part.

here is one for you

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-05...Q5fAccessories

DaveJ

Thanks MyLexRX, that's great info. I'll talk again with my Toyota dealer, and try another one too.

DaveJ

I checked with another Toyota dealer and they also said they could only install the Lexus part. The good news was that their price was lower than my original Toyota dealer.

veleno

iTrader: (3)

Since myLexRx has already proven that there is a valid Toyota replacement I'm guessing the dealer/mechanic just don't know about it.

How much cheaper was the part at the other dealership DaveJ?

phlfly

I had a small leak, i guess, at least it wet around where steering shaft connected to the rack and pinion. My mech said it 's not lot, just need to check fluid level once in the while. I have almost 100,000 on car. It's a bizarre situation, with Lexus/Toyota reliability. I have always knew it's blew out off the proportion, Japaneses cars reliability. Too many problems with RX330 at 100K point: Steering rack, pump, transmission, rear view mirrors, front headlight and rear light leaks, CD players, trims, and you can continue this list.
And I have a question:
Is Lexus/Toyota only 100K car, then it's a just garbage?

salimshah

I always say, the vehicle is deemed reliable by the warranty the manufacturer provides. I will not argue if you say there is sales gimmick involved and the vehicle could spend lot of time in the shop under warranty. You can get 100k warranty for Lexus at a 2k premium. The price of repair is also making us feel the pinch a lot more.

Salim