'04 RX330's brake light problem
 

I just received a letter from the Lexus Canada saying that there is problem with the brake lights, that they sometimes fail to light up when brake is applied. I will have to take it in for a repair. I wonder if this is the same problem as seen in the media of late? They just sugar coating the real reason? Just wondering if anyone receive the same. At any rate, I am getting a fix next week.

This is NOT the same problem. The problem you have is the brake light switch can fail and that causing the rear brake lights to not light up. There is a momentary switch near the brake pedal when you press the brakes it will release themomentary switch and allow the brake circuit to complete lighting up the tail lights. This is the switch that cn fail obviously resulting in no brake lighs when you press the brake.

The media attention is a more serious problem if you have it. In this case the brake booster can fail which results in no brake assist which means you would need to press the brake extremely hard to stop since you have no hydrolic power.

I just had the brake switch changed out under the recall. As I understand the problem, the switch was manufactured with contact points of a substandard alloy. It seems that the concern is with the possibility of corrosion on the contacts that would cause the switch to fail.

This would mean that a cascade of events (moisture, corrosion, high resistance) would lead to the brake lights not illuminating, possibly resullting in the RX being rear-ended by another driver. I wonder if the cruise control is also involved in the same circuit, where switch failure might not disengage the cruise setting when braking . . . ?

Not to worry, it looks like the possible failure could take years to develop. Meanwhile, the fix is free and it only requires a minute or two to change the switch, according to the service writer.

I read somewhere that the switch got coated by gases from the urethane used in the seat padding and it was a chemical coating that made the switch inoperable. The switch and brake booster are two totally different things. If there is a brake booster recall I think it will come several months down the road.