carfan1111

Hi guys

Just wanted to ask, my RX, in the fog lights I see some condensation build up, not sure if thats condesntation or just dirty....but the main light cover, there is no buildup or anything and no issues with lights

is there a *preventative* diy measure I can take to reduce the risk of having this happen? I live in PA where we get all 4 seasons of weather

thanks!

mandyfig

I think Lexus licked the problem after 2007. Might be wrong but unless you see condensation, it is best to keep away. Just check you HL on rainy and or high humidity days.

5dogs

Drivers headlamp had condensation in 2008 which was replaced by the dealer under warranty.

Car is now 9 years old, 100,000 miles, and all headlights on drivers side are out caused by condensation again. Dealer wants $1480 to replace it with a 1-year warranty.

Seems odd that this has occurred twice and is a cause for concern. This car has been housed primarily in a garage in Southern California when not in use. This sounds like a quality control or manufacturing issue with my vehicle. Any other similar experiences or suggestions?

mandyfig

Time to seal it up and call it a day. Good luck.

And welcome to CL.

GadgetmanN

This is a known issue and happens to almost all of them at some time or other. Search this forum for a solution. If you are handy (or know someone who is), you can save tons of money to get it fixed and unlikely to happen again. But I stay away from automatic car washes, even if sealed. Not looking for a weekend project again

RX330inFL

Even the replacement parts seem to have this problem. To Toyota/Lexus these parts are working as designed. They are not fully sealed on purpose. So, unless you seal them (search the forums here for the instructions on how to do this) any new parts installed may leak as well. What you are sealing is the top part of the headlight assembly with silicone which will not cause any problems otherwise. Problem is not unique to the RX and has been noted to happen on a number of Toyota/Lexus products over the years.

Check the DIY thread here for 2nd Generation RX on the details on how to seal the new headlamps once installed.

GadgetmanN

I would disagree that they are working as designed. To me, it appears to be a design flaw. The seal should be sealed as there are vents on the back. Plus, the seam faces the front, where driving in the rain at highway speeds or high pressure car washes can force water past the glued seam and into the light. Toyota should have changed the design and replaced all to make this right. But if this is the worst design flaw with an RX, I am pretty much OK with it (since replacement parts are affordable on eBay and sealing with silicone seems to help stop/reduce re-occurrence).

RX330inFL

No, No, No... that is not what I said.

I said "To Toyota/Lexus these parts are working as designed." To them there is no real problem. This is why the replacement part the OP had installed the first time failed and why they are in the situation they are in at the moment. It is why the OP will need to seal the assemblies as describe and for which I went on to say where to obtain such information here at CL in my reply. For if they go ahead and pay the Lexus dealer some $1500 to replace the driver side headlight assembly a second time and hold on to their RX for any real length of time going forward there is a good chance it will do the same thing again. And why is that? Because the replacement parts being provided are the same as the original parts. And why is that? Because Toyota/Lexus does not see these parts as having a problem and are working as designed... according to them.

GadgetmanN

My bad. But hard to believe anyone at Toyota would feel they are working as they should. Failure rate too high to justify.

maxwebr

So the long saga of the condensation, I hope is fixed for me now. Over the winter the ballast died and took months to dry out. The dealer quoted $1900 to replace. I was appalled that something that should have been fixed under warranty years ago, would basically ask so much. I refused to fix it at the dealer and looked at options.
I bought a used ballast on Ebay for $100 and had a local body shop that I use to replace it. One hour later it was fixed and sealed for $178 labor.

billy44bo

Good news the new design for the LED headlights have not leaked yet.

Rainbird

Good move, you saved a lot of money. I don't understand why Lexus will not change out a ballast. Instead the dealerships insist on changing the entire headlight assembly.

5dogs

While waiting 2 weeks for Lexus to work out a "deal" with my local dealer about taking some of the responsibility to replace my drivers headlamp assembly for a second time, I came across a class action lawsuit filed in 2012 on this exact issue. In the lawsuit are numerous instances of this problem on Lexus RX330 vehicles from 2004 - 2009. Lexus and Toyota are aware of the problem as is NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Act). Besides being a costly repair (appx $2000 each unit) it is a safety issue because you don't know when your headlights will go out. In my recent case, Lexus Customer Support paid half of the Dealer cost to replace the Headlamp Assembly and the Dealer gave me a little discount on the part itself. The $1480 estimate to replace the part cost me about $650.


You can read more on the lawsuit at this link. You can click on the link in the article to read the entire lawsuit itself.
http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsu...ction-lawsuit#

jamieZ

On the new SUV's I have noticed the large "Greenhouse" domes covering the front head lights are gone. The new head lights are much narrower and smaller. I am told that most manufacturers had problems with condensation on the old school head light covers. Even replacing them the problem resurfaces in a year or two. There is really nothing that can be done about it. Jamie.

maniax

iTrader: (3)

After putting soapy water near the headlight seal area, where do you blow air to check for bubbles?