navilexus

Hi Folks,

My wife told me about the steering wheel couple of months ago about sometime when she's turn the steering kind of stuck and doesn't want to turn back straight she have to quickly hit the break and it start kind of power itself and start working again. She stated one time she turn onto highway and almost go straight into the bushes because the steering didn't turn back once she on the highway.

Today I experience myself in first hand and it scare the hell out of me. I turn onto the highway and it kind of stuck feel like no power to the steering and it heading straight for the rail guard, I immediately hit the brake and automatically turn itself back with full power.

Any one having same problem? My wife RX350 now at the dealer, very dangerouse I decided to drop off at dealer let the dealer deal with it.

Thanks,

tommewin

Maybe something to do with the power steering pump?

kiwi

sounds like the rack is going to the way side, you cannot repair a rack, only replace

jfelbab

Sounds like you maybe should not be driving this car until it is repaired.

Scottydog

Sure sounds like a bad ps pump.

hesham1

disagree with the ps pump diagnosis... at high speeds, you should be able to turn the steering wheel relatively easy even without PS... the PS pump is needed the most at very slow speeds and high turning angles, i.e. parking the car... sounds like a much bigger problem

-- although im not sure since you say pumping the brakes helps, that really should be entirely unrelated to the PS system, who knows?

biff44

Try the obvious things first. Check to see if the power steering pump belt has good tensions. Check to see if the power steering pump has full fluid.

kiwi

its not the pump. you could remove the belt and the steering wheel will come back after turning. i know this because i had a car without power steering.

possibly look under the car for a leak from the rack, but its more than likely the rack binding, and it will need replacement

mandyfig

Looks like you have warranty, hope the dealer debugs the issue and gives it back in GOOD and SAFE working condition! Let us know.

mandyfig

So...what's the verdict?

navilexus

Hi folks,

Got the car back from the Dealer yesterday. Unfortunately, the Dealer couldn't duplicate the same problem that my wife and I experience; therefore, they didn't fix anything. Dealer stated in the report that they flush out old brake oil and replace new brake oil. They also stated no leaking and Steering Rack look normal and no leaking or cracking.

Well, it is a ticking time bomb for us waiting to happen again. I told the Dealer that the last time it happen was in May that when my wife told me and I ignore her, until last Friday I experience my self and scare the $%^t out of me.

Dealer had our car for exactly one week used over 300+ to test the car and still come back no result. I wish the Dealer take customer complain seriously because this is a safety issue. How could dealer duplicate the problem with just 300+ miles used to test when we drove our car more than 4000 before it show sign of problem.

I don't know I think this is a ticking time bomb for us and last night we decided to trade the car for RX350 '10

salimshah

^
I understand your frustration/anxiety and certainly not speaking for the dealership. Although my response will not bring you satisfaction, but I encourage you to look at the problem from a different standpoint.

For any one to find/debug a problem, the problem must be first reproduced. If it can not be reproduced, the mechanic falls back on the statistical (history of all customers with the same problem) data and can try the same fix. While it can be the machine, one should not rule out the road condition too. Your problem is so unique, it has every one perplexed. Although I am no expert, but the whole thread leaves me bewildered.

The other question that comes to mind is, if 300miles of driving is not enough, what milage would you feel is enough? I think there is no limit, right?

Since your confidence in the vehicle is lost, it is best that you switch vehicles. Since you are still looking at Lexus, it seems your trust in the brand is not lost.

Once again, I am sharing a mechanics frustration and by no means want to brush away your frustration.

Salim

hesham1

yes i agree 300 miles of a dealer driving your car around is more than a fair attempt to reproduce the problem

Adamjeeps

Thats crazy that you had that problem. I have experienced it a couple of times not in my Lexus but an old 1986 S-10 Blazer. When I would engage the clutch in fifth gear, a couple of times the steering would lock up on me. It was not the power steering, I could not turn the wheel. It felt more like an ignition problem with the wheel totally locking. I let off the clutch and got my steering back.

Obviously the RX doesn't have a stick shift, but it sounds eerily similiar to what I experienced.

navilexus

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/national/BO135738/

Is the related to my RX350 couple of month ago before everything blow out of populsion?