Most likely it's due to the plastic material.. I did some investigating and saw some 2007 + model years and the plastic tube has a slightly different material.

One could argue this is a wear and tear issue, but I haven't owned any cars that ever resulted to this due to factory spec bulbs.

I don't think it's an issue with the position of the bulb inserted, cause
It fits in the housing rear socket and it locks into place.

Any inputs would be great

 

I had bulb housing melting at home and those were caused by some sort of short circuit which causes overheat. NO matter how much you break, the normal electricity flown to the socket for the break light will not enough for melting the socket. The dealer who said 'Too much break' doesn't even have basic knowledge about electricity.

 

I totally agree that normal circuit flow of electricity is not going to burn or melt the housing. I already knew the dealer was BSing when he told me about the "too much breaking" issue, cause the melted part is only the idle red light.

For anyone that is concerned with the issue that might be caused by the wires causing the problem, so far Lexus checked the wires on my car and they are all under normal factory conditions.

Just wondering, would this be a safety issue that Lexus needs to address or just an wear and tear issue for RX owners?

 

TOO MUCH BRAKING???!!!

That is a laugh and a half.

Would have pulled out the cellphone and called Lexus Customer Service right then and there. I love calling people's bluff in such situations. Amazing how fast they back pedal.

 

I smell a safty issue here. Although thr dealer check the wire, I still feel that the problem is in the wire.

 

Wires could always be a factor, but I'm seeing most of these situations occur to M/Y 2004 / 2005, so I'm assuming it's the plastic material they were using at the time of production.

I don't see it being logical to buy new tail lights and having them melt down in X amount of years.

For those that are affected, I think giving Lexus Corp, a phone call would help.

 

I have a 2005 RX330 and am having the exact same issue on both sides. The outside lights are melting on the inside and it's very obviously due to the heat from the bulbs. Anyone else have any luck getting the parts replaced by the dealer and Lexus covering the cost? Seems like a safety issue for the car's occupants and anyone driving behind the car since white light shines when you apply the brakes.

 

Here's a photo of the right side brake light.

 

If it were the wires, the wiring would overheat first, causing the fuses to blow. I'm assuming the wires are of sufficient gauge to handle the load on them, which can't be all that much in the first place since these are lower wattage bulbs.

So I would speculate that it might be the plastic material that is the problem, which looks like it has a lower melting point. If this is the case, then this warrants further investigation because it is a safety issue that should be brought to the attention of Lexus, the DMV, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

I don't have to deal with this because the Hybrid's are all LED...But if I remember correctly the bulb that goes in that socket is a 194 bulb. That same size socket can fit three different bulbs, each with a different wattage. If someone put in one of the higher watt bulbs it could get too hot and melt the socket.

 

I agree. Perhaps more to this than meets the eye. The 168 in this application is only to draw 5W according to the Owner's Manual:

http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/do...6U/pdf/6-4.pdf

Not going to generate enough heat to melt plastic unless there is a physical problem or the wrong bulb was used as you describe.

Have you owned this vehicle since new?

Have you changed any of these bulbs since you have owned it?

 

No, it just became mine about a month ago and just noticed this last week. What are the specs of the bulb that is SUPPOSED to be in there? Thanks for your help.

 

Sorry about that. I just read the post again with the link to the PDF. 168 bulb with 5w. I'll check the bulbs today. Thanks!