2004 Lexus RX330

No clear pattern

20% of complaints about the 2004 Lexus RX330 arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2004 vehicle, but with only 310 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is service brakes, hydraulic (65 complaints), typically at 1.3 yr or about 7,400 miles.

Complaints: 310
Median age at failure: 3.6 yr
Median mileage: 45,000 n=210
Crash / fire / tow: 13.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 5

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Service brakes, hydraulic

65 reports · 7,400 mi

1.3 yr

18.5%

Power train

60 reports · 7,200 mi

11 mo

3.3%

Structure

30 reports · 98,320 mi

9.9 yr

6.7%

Air bags

20 reports · 89,000 mi

8.7 yr

50%

Exterior lighting

19 reports · 78,400 mi

7.0 yr

Speed control

19 reports · 111,000 mi

6.9 yr

42.1%

Other

19 reports · 90,000 mi

11.3 yr

5.3%

Visibility

18 reports · 60,000 mi

3.8 yr

5.6%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

11V539000 2011-11-09

Engine cooling

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE W

IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

11V112000 2011-02-24

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES. IF THE FORWARD RETENTION CLIP USED TO SECURE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, WHICH IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE CENTER CONSOLE, IS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM.

IF THIS OCCURS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY TEMPORARILY BECOME STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION RATHER THAN RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION. A STUCK ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN UNINTENDED AND SUSTAINED VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

06V253000 2006-07-13

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND HYBRID VEHICLES, THE TWO RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FORWARD CENTER CONSOLE CAN BECOME LOOSE. IF BOTH CLIPS SEPARATE FROM THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING INTERFERENCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ROD.

THIS CONDITION MAY INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

06V023000 2006-01-27

Seat belts:rear/other

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." THE ANCHOR BOLT FOR THE REAR, LEFT-HAND SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT STRENGTH.

THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

04V558000 2004-11-22

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH AN IMPROPERLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. A SILICON OXIDE BUILD-UP OCCURS ON THE CONTACTS INSIDE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, WHICH CAN MAKE IT INOPERABLE.

IF THE SWITCH IS INOPERABLE, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ILLUMINATE AND CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Power train mileage not reported 2 mo in service

THIS CAR HAS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. THE ENGINE REVS UP IN BETWEEN GEARS AND FINALLY SHIFTS INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY SLUGGISH BETWEEN ALL GEARS. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THAT THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT IS GOING TO BE. WHEN THE CAR IS BETWEEN 2 & 3 I SOMETIMES FEEL THAT IT WILL LET GO ENTIRELY AND MIGHT CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *LA

Power train mileage not reported 5 mo in service

WHEN I DRIVE MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 MANUAL ON 4TH, SPEED IS AROUND 40 MPH, AND LEFT OFF THE THROTTLE, I CAN HEAR A WHINING NOISE FROM REAR. ONCE I PUSH THE GAS PADDLE, THE NOISE IS GONE. IT CAN BE DUPLICATED ON D WHEN I SLOW DOWN FROM 50 MPH. THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO THE OTHER THREE RX330S (TWO LOANER CARS AND ONE BRAND NEW CAR).*AK

Power train 7,900 mi 6 mo in service

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM: SERIOUS LAG BETWEEN GEAR SHIFTS. IF I PUSH THE ACCELERATOR DOWN TO ACCELERATE TO GET OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION: NOTHING HAPPENS. THE CAR SEEMS TO STALL, SLOWS DOWN AND THEN ONCE THE ECU HAS DETERMINED WHICH GEAR TO SELECTIT ACCELERATES VIOLENTLY TAKING THE DRIVER BY SURPRISE. ALTOGETHER THE RESPONSE IS FAR TOO SLOW. TRANSMISSION IS NOT SMOOTH. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. DEALER CHECKED TRANSMISSION:"WORKING ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS" ?! ALSO "THUMP" "CLUNK" NOISE WHEN DECELERATING FROM 50 MPH TO LOWER SPEEDS, OCCASIONALLY. AA. *AK

Exterior lighting mileage not reported 1 mo in service

HIGH-INTENSITY HEADLIGHTS ON 2004 LEXUS RX 330 DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE NIGHT VISION YET ARE SET ACCORDING TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER. ILLUMINATED DISTANCE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AT "NORMAL" BEAM DOES NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE OBSTACLE RECOGNITION AND BRAKING TIME EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS OF 25-30 MPH ON DARK ROADS. *NLM

Other RX330 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.