pnwlexlov

hi all

im in the process of purchasing a 2006 rx330 with 76kmiles. i noticed on the car fax that the radiator was replaced by the last owner @ 51k miles. i can't find a straight answer online to figure out if the radiator went out on this car - or if lexus replaced it on this car because there was a recall.

any info or background anyone has on this would be helpful!

many thanks

RX330inFL

There was an extension of the radiator warranty by Lexus for a number of early RX330 due to leaking at the base. Do not believe the 2006 was included. It would have been replaced only if it had been leaking and not as part of any preventative measure. Chances are it was replaced under the standard Lexus warranty or perhaps the previous owner paid for the repair.

This topic, like many for your RX, has been discussed at length previous. Please use the search features of the forum to search out these prior discussions and details.

pnwlexlov

Yes, this has been discussed at previous lengths but as I said in my post there is not a STRAIGHT, SPECIFIC answer - even more specifically to the 2006. I'm a research analyst so if the info is out there - I would have found it, thats why I'm asking here to see if any other 2006 original or second owners got theirs replaced because of a TSB or recall.

RX330inFL

There was no TSB nor warranty extension for the 2006 RX330 regarding the radiator. Only for the 2004 and 2005 models. Have a look for yourself:



http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/tsbs/

Have owners of 2006 RX330's had problems with their radiators? Yes. Were complaints filed with NHTSA about this problem? Yes. Did Toyota/Lexus provide any additional coverage or release any service bulletins for the 2006 RX330 on this topic? No. Only for those with 2004 and 2005 RX330.

You can look up all the ones for the 2006 yourself to see all that is there.

All readily available. All freely accessed. No special skills required.

dman00001

Sorry to revive this old thread but I thought I'd add for the record. 2006 RX330 here with 73k miles. Cracked radiator this week and $900 charge for the Lexus dealer to fix it. They definitely have known problems with these and it extends past the TSB for the 2004/2005s!

RX330inFL

Where was the crack located on your radiator?

dman00001

I believe it was on the bottom left of the radiator when viewed from the front of the car.

katzjamr

my 06 400h had a radiator failure at 90,000, this vehicle was built in spring of 05, $600 at a reputable radiator shop in seattle, aftermarket radiator with toyota fluid. the oem radiator is much more expensive however i figured it didnt last that long so i would do an aftermarket. my crack was at the top left seam between the plastic and the core, it started very small at first, i never overheated, however i wish i could have seen more of the radiator instead of it being covered with plastic to perhaps catch the leak sooner.

MetalBandt

I have a 2004 rx330, I have recently discovered that there is another issue that may very well be related to this. I bought mine used in 2014, did first replacement radiator in 2015, again in 2016, and 2017 and now it needs it again as of last week. It seems that there is some type of electric issue that is some how causing this problem. I spoke with a local radiator sales shop in Western, NY who stated to me over the phone that is some of course design defect causing this electric mishap thus causing the antifreeze to become acidic and causing the radiators to break down. This shop rep stated to me that my local Lexus dealership is aware of this problem because the is shop rep stated they used to sell radiators hand over fist is how he stated to the dealership. However the shop rep stated going to a radiator convention 'lol" and discovered this tid bit of news and shared it with the dealership service dept. Stated also that after he did this the sale orders on radiators drastically went down.

MetalBandt

I bought a 2004 rx330, about 5 years ago, and since I have had to replace the radiator in it 3 times. Now it needs it again I think, it once again started overheating, and I've had to put in neutral at every stop to be sure it doesn't overheat, as well as coast to stops to help keep the temp down. I have looked online at several resources about the issue, and I guess for a time there was a offered recall with which a statement from corp to dealerships stating that the recall was for the make and model not just by vin#. Before I found that I had contacted my local dealership about the problem, he claimed he'd never heard of such a problem but yet he also had stated that he'd worked for them for over 15 years. So that's contradiction 1. I also called Corp CS and they said that there was a cooling issue and that it was resolved, but I was basically S.O.L. I then had talked to my radiator specialist in Buffalo, NY who told me where he got the last 2 radiators that he replaced for me. So I talked to that guy and he told me that there was a defect in the cooling design where a stray electrical current somehow gets to the anti-freeze and makes it acidic. This of course causes the corrosion from the inside out. He also told me that he spoke to the local Lexus dealer about it some time ago, so again another lie by Lexus because I confronted that Mechanic sup at Lexus about that and full out denied it. Told me that some of they're customers chose to by a less expensive radiator and not an actual Lexus one, and so he tried blaming it on whatever company actually made the 3rd party ones when in fact that dealership gets all they're radiators from that shop. So if you have not bought that Lexus don't if you have sell it cause your just in for a headache and over $550 a pop getting it replaced all the time. I'm stuck with mine because I'm too poor to buy something else living on social security disability.

MetalBandt

Please read my reply about the stray electrical current that causes the antifreeze to become acidic and ruin radiator from inside out.

mylexbaby

what does this mean?
did each radiator leak?
was each an OEM part?

MetalBandt

Two of the radiators that I bought were not original Lexus parts nor are the ones that the Lexus dealership that I spoke with use. Now I can't say that's a fact for all Lexus Dealership service departments but def. the case for my local one. The shop again that I mentioned told me that he used to get tons of orders from the dealership because of the issue I mentioned with the stray electrical current and causing the acidic anti-freeze. But he said after he told the dealership about that problem they I guess figured out was causing it and resolved the issue going forward. But again when I confronted the dealership service dept., he flat out denied knowing anything about it. So I assume they before this shop guy told them they knew there was some kind of problem yet kept taking money from customers, without any regard for them.

mnewxcv

These are just speculations. What stray electrical current? If the anti freeze becomes acidic you can flush it. There would be many more rx330 radiator failures if this were some cover up, and they would have happened during warranty as well.

MetalBandt

Perhaps but how is some novis or maybe completely doesn't know anything about cars supposed to know if his antifreeze became acidic, besides it's not like that's really even a thing. This is a defect problem, not a one time random problem.