- The problem
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
- The risk
- If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.
- The fix
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.
Vehicle safety record
2003 Lexus LX470 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 21 complaints about the 2003 Lexus LX470 with NHTSA, most often about the steering (6) and the brakes (4). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 2 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in February 2016 for the side / window. For comparison, the 2002 has 10 and the 2004 has 18.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical LX470 year, for its age
#198 most complained-about 2003 vehicle
- Complaints
- 21
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2003 Lexus LX470 problems
Share of all 21 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2003 Lexus LX470 recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003-2007 lexus lx470 vehicles. The construction of the steering shaft is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels. If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the locked position, over time the steering shaft may become disconnected.
- The risk
- This could result in loss of steering control increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the snap ring with a newly designed one and install an additional component which will prevent separation of the steering shaft. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on august 23, 2010. Owners may contact lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
- The problem
- Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." The daytime running lights do not meet luminous intensity standard.
- The risk
- This condition could blind the driver of a vehicle driving in the opposite direction, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a resistor, which will decrease the luminous intensity of the drl. Owner notification began june june 10, 2005. Owners should contact lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
What owners say
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21 complaints about the 2003 Lexus LX470
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
My 2003 lexus lx470 has faulty vgrs ecu. Steering wheel spins to 180 degrees. On october 11, 2018, when I backed it out from the driveway, the steering wheel turned 180 degrees. I drove it to 35mph w/ steering wheel at crooked 25-minute angle and on a sharp right turn, the steering wheel spun 180 degrees again. After about 2 miles, it settled at 10-o'clock angle. On 10/18/2018, matthew of the one auto service and performance (536 lisbon st. Daly city, calif. (650)993-4689) Performed wheel alignments &...
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corrected the steering angle three(3) times. After 5 hours, matthew called me while he sat inside the car idling and his snap-on computer attached to the car. He showed me how he zerod out the 'steering angle'. He said the steering sensor (vgrs) is malfunctioning or the ecu computer is bad. And while he was talking, we both witnessed in his snap-on computer that the steering angle changed from o degrees to 115 degrees'while the car was idling and stationary. Matthew also told that he experienced that steering wheel spinning to 180 degrees when he test drove the car. On october 19, 2018, I pulled the service record of the car and I discovered the same pattern of complaints: at 27,215 miles, 'guest states steering wheel is not centered when driving straight.' At 42,028 miles, 'steering is off'. At 76,847 miles, 'alignment steeering wheel is off centered.' At 71,657 miles, 'service: center steering wheel alignment and vgrs.' At 113,775 miles, '' steering off center'. On october 25, 2018 , according to dean decastro (service asst mgr lexus of serramonte), all the complaints about the 'steering wheel not centered' in the service records are vgrs issues. On november 2, 2018, lexus of serramonte determined that the vgrs ecu of the car needs replacement.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lexus lx470. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v065000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The contact called several dealers who were unable to provide a specific date for when the part would become available. The contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. The manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repair. The contact was not experiencing a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I took the car to lexus of glendale for routine service, which was completed, and three days later, as I was driving on 5 freeway from coalinga to los angeles, all of a sudden, I heard a grinding noise from the engine, and the car stalled, I was able to pull over to a nearby service station (chevron) in valencia. I noted a check engine light, and the vehicle became undriveable. The vehicle was towed to lexus of glendale, where they discovered that one of the spark plugs had come loose and lodged in the engine...
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shaft, thus breaking one of the piston rods, with a resultant engine knock. I was informed by the dealer that I have to replace the engine, and that cost me over $8,500. Lexus of glendale was not able to tell me why the spark plug came loose in the first place, since I have owned this vehicle for over 10 years, with good maintenance record and no accidents. I was highly terrified, since that is the second time within the last three months, that I have experienced a near fatal event after a routine service with lexus of glendale. The previous one occurred in may 2016, after a routine services, as I was driving in the street in coalinga, I noted a misty fumes coming from the engine, I had pulled over since the check engine light came on. I was not able to drive the vehicle, and it was towed to fresno lexus, where they discovered that one of the host to the engine cooling system had come loose, and the fumes were the coolant and not due to engine fire. I paid over $1500 to repair the vehicle
I took the car to lexus of glendale for routine service, which was completed, and three days later, as I was driving on 5 freeway from coalinga to los angeles, all of a sudden, I heard a grinding noise from the engine, and the car stalled, I was able to pull over ta ds a nearby service station (chevron) in valencia. I noted a check engine light, and the vehicle became undriveable. The vehicle was towed to lexus of glendale, who discovered that one of the spark plugs had come loose and lodged in the engine shalt,...
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thus breaking one of the piston rods, with a resultant engine knock. I was informed by the dealer that I have to replace the engine, and that cost me over $8,000. Lexus of glendale was not able to tell me why the spark plug came loose in the first place, since I have owned this care for over 10 years, will good maintenance record, and no accidents
I took the car to lexus of glendale for routine service, which was completed, and three days later, as I was driving on 5 freeway from coalinga to los angeles, all of a sudden, I heard a grinding noise from the engine, and the car stalled, I was able to pull over ta ds a nearby service station (chevron) in valencia. I noted a check engine light, and the vehicle became undriveable. The vehicle was towed to lexus of glendale, who discovered that one of the spark plugs had come loose and lodged in the engine shalt,...
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thus breaking one of the piston rods, with a resultant engine knock. I was informed by the dealer that I have to replace the engine, and that cost me over $8,000. Lexus of glendale was not able to tell me why the spark plug came loose in the first place, since I have owned this care for over 10 years, will good maintenance record, and no accidents.
It is a known problem that alot of these made are missing the relays for the foglights and rear heat, and parking brakes freeze up.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 lexus lx470. The contact stated that the horn and gps did not function. In addition, some of the warning indicators did not illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gps computer system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column was damaged due to a remedy of nhtsa campaign number: 10v346000 (steering). The spiral cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The speedometer is unreadable between 10-60 mph. There is no illumination, therefore you have no idea of the speed of the vehicle. I notified the dealer, and was told this is not common. Then I notified lexus company, and they said "contact the dealer". This is a safety concern--my wife is afraid to drive, for fear of speeding or other speed problems, as with other lexus vehicles. We have had this vehicle lexus certified dealer maintained since we bought the vehicle, and think this a dangerous situation. Thank you, [[redacted]] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
I was driving my lexus lx 470 to church on sunday october 26, 2014. While driving around 45 miles per hour, my vehicle's steering wheel suddenly turn 90 degrees to the right and the vehicle pulled over the cub. I was scared to death and nervous but luckily slammed on the breaks on time. The truck stopped and there was no accident because I was on the right lane and no other vehicle was beside me. After recovering from the shock, I looked at the dashboard and saw a red light with "vgrs" illuminated. I called...
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home and told my husband the situation. He asked me to stay put and brought me our second car. He took the lexus home and started to research the problem. He found several complaint online about the same problem and realized that lexus company new about the problem but chose not to do anything about it. To be sure, he took the truck to our family mechanic who later confirmed the problem and the fact that lexus new about it for years 2003 to 2007. Our mechanic said that the lexus company had the same problem on their ls model and generated a recall for it. But for some reason we cannot explain, lexus company decided not to recall the lx model. Now the problem on the lx model almost get me into a fatal accident. I need your organization to start an investigation on this problem before somebody get killed. *Tr
Entire under carriage and frame found to have extensive rust effecting structural integrity / safety, critical safety systems (brake lines, suspension structure), frame, fuel lines, fuel tank, and steering linkage. This is general attack corrosion with structural failure, corrosion fatigue, etc. There were / are no extenuating circumstances under any definition of normal use to explain this degree & extent of corrosion other than a manufacturing issue. *Tr
Our 2003 lexus lx 470 is experiencing significant frame rust similar to the same model year as the toyota tundra and sequoia which were recalled. It is possible that the lx frames came from the same factory inferior quality of steel and/or received improper undercoating. *Js
The frame and underbody components have an excessive about rust on them. There appears to be a defect in the corrosion prevention coating that should have been applied. The rust is significant enough to be a major safety issue and is unacceptable for a vehicle that is 10 years old. *Tr
I started the car up after dinner. About 2 minutes later four warnings lights related to the braking system went off (abs vtrac brake vsc) followed by a long warning buzz and then a complete lost of braking power from the pedal and the handbrake. I was able to come to a complete stop and then tried to restart the vehicle to remedy the problem. It did not solve the problem and so for safety reason I called for a tow to the closest lexus dealership. The dealer at first told me I have to replace the brake master...
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cylinder which costs about $3000 plus tax. However 30 minutes later they called me back and told me now the car is working fine after they've driven it for about 5 miles and couldn't replicate the symptoms. So I went to the dealer and picked up the vehicle. About three days later, the same thing happened away while I was going about 15mph. At first the four lights went on, and then the long buzz. The car still had some brake power which I managed to drive it back into my garage when the brake power then lost completely. I think with vehicle like this, especially weighing about 3 tons, there should be a backup system which will allow the car to have some braking power even if the electronic ones went out. And the costs for replacement and "a single point of failure" for such a heavy family vehicle makes me wonder about the reliability and safety of lexus cars. I am trying to decide whether I should have the brake master cylinder replaced or not, or should I trade in for a different vehicle. I understand there was a similar recall for is, rx, and es. Would this be related also? *Tr
2003 Lexus lx 470. Consumer writes in regards to steering safety recall *tgw the consumer stated over a period of time, he/she noticed the steering wheel was slightly off centered and the vgrs indicator light randomly illuminated and would then disappear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions without any rectification of the problem. The consumer then received a recall letter in the mail regarding a steering problem. Work was performed on the steering column and the fluid was flushed. The...
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consumer was informed no indicator light was on and there was no safety issues that needed to be addressed. The very next day, the consumer noticed the steering wheel was completely off centered with the vgrs light also on. The consumer took the vehicle back to the dealer and was asked to pay over $1500 in repairs. *Jb
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 lexus lx470. The contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealer for recall 10v346000 (steering: gear: shaft pitman). After the repairs, the contact began to experience issues with the steering. The steering failed at times and the vgrs light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to an authorized dealer who stated that only recall repairs had been performed. The contact called the manufacturer who sent two representatives to inspect the vehicles. The...
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representatives stated that the vehicle was performing normally after they repaired it again (did not say what was repaired). The vehicle somehow slipped off the lift while at the dealer, hit the ground and bounced four times. The failure mileage was 129,299 and the current mileage was 130,000.
Lexus lx 470 2003 driver foot rest breaks away and gets lodges under the brake pedal preventing safe stop. *Tr
We experienced a complete loss of the hydraulic braking system on our lexus lx 470 suv while driving the vehicle. Shortly after the initial repair (grounding wire?) The system again failed. The system was again repaired by the dealership, with subsequent loss of the braking system for a third time almost resulting in a serious accident (children on board). The dealership called in the factory technician who diagnosed a problem with the actuator?As of this time the brakes are still not working even after repair...
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of the actuator. This vehicle is a death trap waiting to happen. I was reading some technical bulletins and understand that some lexus suvs have had a problem with the brake booster. This is a life or death issue. Vehicles like this need to be recalled. *Tr
The consumer couldn't see out the front windshield on the driver's side while driving in heavy snow. *Ph a night vision system, which is a factory add on, was installed in the consumer's vehicle. The placement of the housing for this system blocked the air flow. As a result there was not enough space to allow the air to flow in the volume needed. The manufacturer indicated that the vehicle was functioning within the engineering guidelines and that no corrective action will be taken. *Nm
Head-on collision where no air bags were released. *La
Incompatibility with higher-weight-limit harnessed child restraints and vehicle anchorage systems. Specifically tether anchor weight limits. Most vehicles have a 40 lb. Weight limit for tether anchorage (as mandated in fmvss 213), while there are several cr on the market whose harnessed weight limit exceeds 40 lbs, up to 80 lbs (specifically the husky, marathon & wizard models by britax). The cr mfr states that the cr must be tethered above 50 lbs. While the vehicle mfrs state a 40 lb weight limit on tether anchorages.
While driving 45mph car cut off, causing loss of power steering.*Ak
Lexus LX470: every year compared
All LX470 years2003 Lexus LX470 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Lexus LX470 | 21 | 3 | D | |
| 2003 Lexus ES300 | 140 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus GX470 | 52 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus IS300 | 34 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus RX300 | 30 | 3 | A | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus SC430 | 25 | 1 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus LS430 | 25 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus GS300 | 17 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Lexus GS430 | 5 | 0 | D | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2003 Lexus LX470
Does the 2003 Lexus LX470 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2003 Lexus LX470: side / window (February 2016); shaft pitman (July 2010); headlights (September 2004). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Lexus LX470?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the steering (6), brakes (4), electrical system (4).
How many complaints has the 2003 Lexus LX470 had?
21 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on August 15, 2002 and the latest on November 6, 2018. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2003 Lexus LX470 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 30 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Lexus LX470 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Lexus LX470 years have the most complaints?
2003 (21), 2004 (18), 2000 (17). See every Lexus LX470 year compared.
What should I do if my 2003 Lexus LX470 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data