Art61

At 4800 miles I noticed condensation, moisture, or water in my tail lights assembly , I took it in for my first check up, provided pictures, the engineers at lexus said this was normal. I said mosture causes corrosion, may cause a short becauce water is a conductive element, and when it dries it will leave contaminates on the inside of the lights, they said all cars have this issue. I explained the my last 8 cars did not have this issue and I have put aftermarket headlights and tail lights on 2 my cars and they did not have this issue. Well the coversation didn't go well, I said if its so common how come its not in the manual, or a disclaimer on the car, what if I told buyers on your lot this was a common issue. I closed with letting them know it was time to let this be known. I also said just like the headlight issue's they will have to do something. The next day they called me and said they would change out the lights this one time. I am sure this not the last time this issue will be seen, the engineering at lexus is just too proud and hate to admit when they have a bad designed until law suits or deaths happen.

TorontoRX

Mine only has 1,600kms on it but I will be watching out for this issue. I am hoping it is a one off. Thanks for bringing it up tho.

SW17LS

It does happen, but I've had multiple lamps replaced on cars of all different makes because of condensation. Try another dealer, they should replace the lamps.

The whole thing about "lawsuits or deaths" is way too dramatic. Its a little condensation in the lamp housing, not aknife strapped to the middle of the steering wheel. Best not to get overly dramatic in situations like this...you loose credibility with the dealer/manufacturer when that happens.

Art61

Just so it is clear it was lexus USA on the east coast that said its normal. There is only one Lexus Dealer in San Antonio and they open a special ticket to Lexus Corp on this issue. My last 2 Lexus did not have this issue, or my 3 Ford trucks, or my sons scion or any car I ve had before, I am an electronic repairman and have seen my fair share of shorts and corrosion due to mosture. Maybe death is a little extreme but if tail lights short out and the driver behind you does not see you, an accident can happen. If you look at the class action lawsuit on the headlights issue you see these items also mention. When a car is price at $50,000 you expect it to not have defects under 5000 miles.

SW17LS

When's the last time you heard about an accident that occurred because the brake lights shorted out? Don't over dramatize it, they're replacing the lamps.

It's always frustrating when you have issues with a new vehicle, but it happens. You should see the crap I've been through with our Jeep. This is a very minor issue, and they're correcting it.

Art61

They are changing the tail lights, I think more as a customer accommodation, but whatever reason its being done. I am not a fan of lexus but my wife is, happy wife happy life. I have a shop I take it too for other than warranty work that was started by ex lexus employees and they are great plus priced right, lexus tried to close them down, but they changed their name and have been doing well for years. Thanks for your reply

SW17LS

I never would have guessed lol

kitlz

Art61, I'm sorry to hear about the problem you're having with your tail lights. The dealer's reluctance to address the issue until pressed is not typical. I'm glad they agreed to replace the assembly. Kudos to you for being persistent. Let's hope they examine them to figure out the cause of the problem. Have you tried to look inside to check for water leaks? There are panels on the inside that pop off with a screwdriver behind the lights. A flashlight is definitely required.

I haven't had this issue on any of my RXs. The worst thing that happened was an occasional spider or bug that somehow got into the housing. And I wash my vehicles regularly, spraying a steady stream of water directly into that area. In fact I just did it today to get something caught in the tiny space between the tail gate panel and lens. A warning light should appear on the dash when a brake light goes out. That should mitigate the possibility of a rear end collision.

Please keep us updated. And welcome to CL.

TechNut

The dealer can really make or break the ownership experience of any brand.

Our 04 RX developed a leak in the headlight and fogged up after every wash. The car was about 7 years old at the time so it was well past warranty. However, it only had 24,000 miles on it and it showed the immaculate car my vehicles receive - and the fact it is always garaged. The service advisor offered that there was no way a vehicle that clean with that kind of mileage should have a problem of that nature (of course we understand any machine can break and age is a factor with seals but appreciated the thought). He worked with Lexus Corporate and they came back with an offer to sell me the assembly at dealer cost and they would cover the labor.

I took the deal with gratitude and it just increased my faith in both the dealership that they would work on my behalf, and in Lexus. The assembly was over $700 if I had to pay full price. I can't recall exactly what it ended up costing, but I paid it with a smile and thanks.

Of course, you might say they got the headlight back two years later when I traded it in on our 13 RX. It had 27,000 miles on it by then... It never even made the used car lot - probably one of the cleanest 9 year old trade-ins they had ever received. As I mentioned in another post, my wife and I carpool in our daily driver, which is a Prius since we like the gas mileage. This may also explain why our expectations regarding the ride quality may be different from some (we think the RX350 ride is terrific).

Doug

wase4711

I've owned over 40 new cars in my life,(yeah, I have a sickness), and I have seen this turn up in a few of them, both front and rear lights, and never thought much of it, assuming its a by-product of living in the ultra weather extremes of the midwest.
Thanks for pointing out the issues that this might bring up, and I will def be keeping an eye on my 2014 rx to see if this shows up at all..

Browninggo

I've seen this in my tail lights on my 14' RX350 F Sport. Didn't give it much thought. Figured with the cold Michigan weather it will happen. Have had this vehicle a month. I'll keep an eye on this also.

CapeDave

Not a sickness, just that most people do not know how to have fun

raylor4

Hi Art,
You may want to try removing the light bulbs, if possible, on a very low humidity day, allow the assembly to air out, then replace the bulbs. This will trap dry air in the assembly and be less susceptible to condensation. A lot to go thru for a luxury car, I know.
Also, see if there's a pinhole or weephole that's plugged somewhere in the assembly to allow moisture out. Just a suggestion.
Ray A.

elba123

I saw it happen in the tail light assembly in my 2013 RX after DIY car wash. I assumed it was to be expected because of the tiny hole in the light assembly. The hole is not a defect since it is there in identical spots on both sides. The car is four months old with 5200 miles of city driving. But I saw the issue at around 1200 miles itself. Maybe it has to do with the amount of water and angle used

Art61

Lexus did change out all my tail lights, even though there were only 3 that had mosture in them. We will see. My guess is I will see it again, but it is what it is. They did step up.