2010 RX 350 design flaw

[Joe G]

We recently took our 2010 RX350 on its 1st road trip. While traveling on the New Jersey Tpke, normal road conditions, something came up through the front lower air intake ducts under front bumper, damaging the radiator.
This caused the SUV to overheat. We had to be towed to a Lexus dealer in N.J., and then had to take a cab home to L.I. New York.
We feel this highend SUV should be better equiped with some modification to change the design of intake ducts or a possible guard in front of the radiator to prevent any damage. We feel strongly that the Lexus engineering team should consider looking into this matter.
Lexus is taking no responsibility for this repair.
Along with our towing bill, cab fare, the repair costs are mounting up.
All we did was take our highend SUV on a road trip which it is designed to do. Original mileage is 3000, purchased in February 2009.
If this happend to us, it can happen to another RX owner.

[Cruiter]

Originally Posted by Joe G

We recently took our 2010 RX350 on its 1st road trip. While traveling on the New Jersey Tpke, normal road conditions, something came up through the front lower air intake ducts under front bumper, damaging the radiator.
This caused the SUV to overheat. We had to be towed to a Lexus dealer in N.J., and then had to take a cab home to L.I. New York.
We feel this highend SUV should be better equiped with some modification to change the design of intake ducts or a possible guard in front of the radiator to prevent any damage. We feel strongly that the Lexus engineering team should consider looking into this matter.
Lexus is taking no responsibility for this repair.
Along with our towing bill, cab fare, the repair costs are mounting up.
All we did was take our highend SUV on a road trip which it is designed to do. Original mileage is 3000, purchased in February 2009.
If this happend to us, it can happen to another RX owner.

Welcome to the forum and so sorry it happend

How was your car up to this point? I hope you can focus on your enjoyment of that. I haven't heard of anything like that happening to anyone else. But freak accidents can happen and that sounds like what you encountered. If the front end was so protected that absolutely nothing you ever encountered on the road could damage it, you probably wouldn't like it. It sure would look more like a Hummer than a Lexus don't you think?

Probably something left over from a wreck was spun up by a vehicle in front of you and that was that. Could have been a cut tire or blown windshield rather than your radiator. I've never had anything bigger than a lug nut which did a lot of damage to a headlight in another car. I was glad it didn't make it's way to the windshield.

Better luck in the future, and hope it doesn't happen again. I imagine your insurance will cover it minus the deductible.

[DigMyM35x]

Hey Joe - sorry that happened! The most important point is that you are ok to talk about it!

I'm sure it was frustrating and thanks for posting. Would you mind mentioning some additional details please? I'm curious about why you think the intakes are so much more exposed in this car than others - I'm pretty stupid when it comes to the mechanical points of cars - but if there is something that could create a problem like this for others I would like to see what it might be so I can keep an eye out for it.

Again, hoping it was just a freak accident but I'd like to know what you're being told or what you've seen that leads you to determine this is a 'design flaw'.

Glad you're ok and thanks for posting!

Jay

[tazdevl]

I think this needs to be framed up accurately. I know you're wound up but what you encountered can happen with any car. It is not unique to the RX. You were on the receiving end of a perfect storm... right sized object, angle and velocity.

Thinking Lexus should be responsible for this is absurd and it is not a design flaw. Changing the intake has far reaching implications for the car and how it performs. It doesn't make sense to change the design for the vehicle given the occurrence.

It's an accident and if you have decent insurance, it should take care of this minus the deductible.

[jacksonlui]

i thought there was free towing from Lexus for the first 4 years or something like that.

[The G Man]

Well, if you look at the RX's lower air dam, it does have a 45 deg angle to it slope inward. Which makes a perfect scoop for objects boucing of the road. Most of the other cars have a lower air dam that is straight down. Looks like a piece of mesh can fix that problem easily.

[Stormforge]

Originally Posted by The G Man

Well, if you look at the RX's lower air dam, it does have a 45 deg angle to it slope inward. Which makes a perfect scoop for objects boucing of the road. Most of the other cars have a lower air dam that is straight down. Looks like a piece of mesh can fix that problem easily.

yeah, a mesh can definitely fix this issue. in fact, i recall a member here who did this mod to his 2nd gen RX, and plans (or has already done so) to add mesh to his 3rd gen RX.

[4482]

Originally Posted by The G Man

Well, if you look at the RX's lower air dam, it does have a 45 deg angle to it slope inward. Which makes a perfect scoop for objects boucing of the road. Most of the other cars have a lower air dam that is straight down. Looks like a piece of mesh can fix that problem easily.

It looks like I may need to do the same thing I did to my 05 RX and install a screen. I must say the 10 RX design is a little better to protect the condenser.

[rxets]

Originally Posted by 4482

It looks like I may need to do the same thing I did to my 05 RX and install a screen. I must say the 10 RX design is a little better to protect the condenser.

After seeing this http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-t...ot-better.html ,

Originally Posted by airsail

...The alleged air conditioning failure was a magic rock through the grille which destroyed the compressor, later described as a condenser line. The rock was magic as it bypassed every shield and grille member leaving no evidence of its passing....

I start to believe something like this mesh may be necessary. Quite scary...

[FisforFast]

If you're insured properly it should cover your towing bills, cab fare and any repairs. Something similar to this happened to me on my Mazda 3 (tire scraps from a blowout took out the power steering lines and the pump along with it), and insurance paid for towing and the hotel whilst the car was being fixed at a Ford dealership.

However, if more of these accidents occur I can see Lexus doing a TSB to install a mesh grille or something of that nature.

[Joe G]

I want to thank my fellow members for your quick responses. I need to explain further about the cimcumstances. I attached a picture of the bottom air intake ducts. In the center of the picture you will see the tiny impact to the bottom of the radiator which took this SUV out of service. You will see in the picture the ducts are very large and will easily allow debris to enter. We are not asking Lexus to redesign the 2010 RX. We are asking Lexus to look into a modification to the lower ducts, possibly a tighter grill similar to the one above the front bumper. Or as two fellow members have suggested a piece of mesh would easily remedy this situation. Great idea guys!
I am submitting this post to let every 2010 RX owner know that the potential is there for our situation to repeat itself.
Lexus I hope you are listening.

[DNC]

This would be such a simple fix. Auto insurance companies would try to make this a collision claim and the insured would be subject to a premium increase. Lexus could fix this problem before it's a problem for other RX owners.

[tazdevl]

Originally Posted by DNC

This would be such a simple fix. Auto insurance companies would try to make this a collision claim and the insured would be subject to a premium increase. Lexus could fix this problem before it's a problem for other RX owners.

This would be covered under comprehesive since it was a road hazard, which doesn't impact the annual premium.

[The G Man]

After seeing those 2 pictures back to back, I can see how this can happen to a 2010 RX. The opening is bigger than the last gen and it is lower and at more of a horiz angle.

[The G Man]

Joe G, did your insurance company pay for the damage?