2004 Lexus RX330 problems & reliability
287 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Lexus RX330, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
20 complaints report injuries (27 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 69 | 24% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 58 | 20% |
| Structure | 34 | 12% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 34 | 12% |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 21 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 20 | 7% |
| Visibility | 19 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 4% |
| Steering | 9 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 48,872 miles (middle 50% between 12,901 and 90,000 miles), based on 169 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 lexus rx330. The contact stated that while inspecting the interior of the vehicle, he noticed that the dashboard on the driver's and passenger's side air bag enclosure area was cracked. Pohanka lexus (13909 lee jackson memorial highway, chantilly, va 20151, (703) 968-9100) was informed of…”
Structure · filed Mar 31, 2021
“Have had to replace radiator 3 times & will need a 4th at this time, since 2015, was bought used in 2014. !st replacement 2015 2nd) 2016, 3rd) 2017, and now needs again. Many websites state many different problems related to my vehicle, as well as others of a new year ie; 2005, 2006. Lexus claims vin is the only…”
Engine · filed Jul 25, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 lexus rx330. The contact received a recall notification for an unknown recall. The contact referenced technical service bulletin number: pol14-03 (cracked dashboard). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. West side lexus (12000…”
Structure · filed Jun 12, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration
Recall Query RQ10003 · opened Feb 16, 2010 · closed Mar 1, 2011 · led to recall 11V115000
- VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05009 · opened Feb 10, 2005 · closed Jun 15, 2005
Technical service bulletins
151 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Lexus RX330. The 10 most recent:
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
Safety Recall 22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2022
TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to replace the loose or…
L-SB-0006-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be…
Lexus PRO19-02 - · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2022
TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2020
TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2020
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE June 23, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0023-20.
L-SB-0174-08 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2020
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. ST004-01, SU001-08, and L-SB-0174-08. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be…
L-SB-0023-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2020
Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
Lexus Safety Re · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2020
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
L-SB-0179-17 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01…
L-SB-0008-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 Lexus RX330 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Lexus RX330?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 48,872 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.