Built around the 2008 RX 400h as Lexus actually configured it, this service and repair manual is matched to the year, the 3.3L V6 hybrid (3MZ-FE) and the driveline your RX left the assembly line with, so the clearances, torque figures and diagnostic trees you work from are the ones written for this car rather than a close approximation carried over from an adjacent model year.
Engines
- 3.3L V6 HYBRID Naturally Aspirated
Trims
- AWD
- FWD
Known issues on the 2008 RX 400h. One recall is on federal record for this model year, and it covers the hybrid propulsion system inverter on certain RX 400h vehicles manufactured through December 2, 2008: the Intelligent Power Module inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support, and those transistors may be heat damaged. The vehicle may then enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits drivability, and it is possible for the hybrid system to shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing it to stall unexpectedly and increasing the risk of a crash. Owners have filed 127 complaints for the year, and no technical service bulletins are on record. The diagnostic and repair procedures behind the hybrid system and its inverter are here.
Whether you are tracing a fault in the hybrid system, testing the inverter, or working through a scheduled service interval, it keeps you on the OEM procedure and the specification Lexus set for this 2008 RX 400h.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel.
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.
IT WAS FRIDAY MORNING ABOUT 10AM. I HAD A PULLED SLOWLY INTO QUEST DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY PARKING SPACE. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I WAS STOPPED I WAS PUTTING THE CAR INTO THE PARK POSITION WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT THE HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CAR WENT OVER THE CEMENT BLOCK AND PAVEMENT AND THRU THE DOUBLE DOORS AND INSIDE THE BUILDING FINALLY STOPPING WHEN I HIT THE RECEPTIONIST COUNTER.
TL*THE CONTACT ONWS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT CRASH INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS SUFFERED A FRACTURED A STERNUM AND THE OTHER PASSENGER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND SUFFERED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MAJOR BRUISES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND CAUSED THE CRASH TO OCCUR. THE FAILU
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 16 MPH. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BACK INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000
The contact owned a 2008 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact was crashed into by another vehicle on the driver's side door. The contact stated that the driver's side air bags did not deploy. The driver's side door and the driver's side front wheel and axle were broken. The front fender was also crushed by the impact. The contact suffered a 7-inch laceration on the left side back of his scalp near his left ear and going across the back of his head. The
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON APRIL 16, 2010, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 2 MPH. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CURB AND THEN A TREE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A HIP INJURY AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 12,000.
MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND FAILED TO PROPERLY BREAK WHICH THEREFORE ENDED HITTING AN OLDER MODEL BMW AT APPROX 45MPH. THE AIRBAGS INFLATED SENDING SOME TYPE OF METAL SHARDS TO MY RIGHT LOWER ABDOMEN THAT RESULTED IN MASSIVE BLEEDING. *TT *JS
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE, ACCELERATOR STUCK IN DOWN POSITION, BRAKES LOCKED UP, ENGINE ACCELERATED TO VERY FAST RATE, STEERING WOULD NOT RESPOND RESULTING IN MY CAR SLAMMING INTO FRONT END OF CAR PARKED BEHIND ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. MY CAR THEN ACCELERATED FORWARD CONTINUING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED ACROSS PARKING LOT AND HITTING ANOTHER CAR BROADSIDE WHICH FINALLY STOPPED MY CAR. MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AS DEEMED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A ROCK WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. UPDATED 01/20/15*LJ THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A FENCE. DAMAGI
VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN BY DENICA GORDON-MANDEL (WIFE). DRIVER WAS ON TOP FLOOR OF A PARKING GARAGE ADJOINING A DEPARTMENT STORE. DRIVER APPLIED GAS TO PULL INTO PARKING SPACE, THEN DRIVER APPLIED BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, THEN DRIVER TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKE. CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND SLAMMED INTO WALL OF PARKING STRUCTURE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THAT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE FAILURE WOULD TAKE THIRTY DAYS TO COMPLETE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS GIVEN BACK TO HER AFTER THE BODY D
CAR WAS BEING PULLED INTO SPACE IN RESTAURANT PARKING LOT -- SPACE WAS ON GRASS UP A SLIGHT INCLINE (APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES) -- AS CAR WAS MOVING UP THE INCLINE A SMALL BUMP WAS FELT UNDER THE CAR AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE -- BRAKES WERE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY BUT WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR -- THE CAR SWERVED AND HIT A TREE APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET FROM THE PARKING SPOT -- BELIEVE THE "BUMP" FELT UNDER THE CAR CAUSED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION -- ABOVE ACCOUNT CAN BE
UNPROVOKED VEHICLE ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO JUMP A CURB, HIT A TREE AND LAND ON THE HOOD OF A VEHICLE PARKED ACROSS FROM THE SUBJECT PARKING SPACE. *TR
POWER STEERING CAN HARDLY MOVE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO TREES AND BUSHES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
Showing the 15 most serious of 127 complaints filed with NHTSA.
