Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Lexus RX350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
2012 power steering rack failed. Leaking at the rubber seal boot on right side under vehicle. Used a rebuilt part to replace it. 2015 December, power steering fluid leaked out of fluid casing all over the ground. I pulled off of the toll rd because of the noise. Took it to Lexus and diagnosed power steering rack needs to be replaced again because rubber seal boot is leaking again. They have stopped using rebuilt and now use new kit to repair. They want me to pay for half the repair. There are thousands of complaints about this issue with Lexus and other Toyota vehicles which use the same part. If my car loses all the fluid before I get it repaired, especially if on the freeway there could be a fatal accident. Lexus has taken months to return my calls in order to get this repaired. I finally go a return call from customer service on May 4th. …
I was driving on interstate 95 south when I lost the steering capability in my RX350 Lexus vehicle. Vehicle had to be towed for repair. Was told it was my A/C compressor that failed that caused my water pump to blowup which caused the serpentine belt to break= $2,308. Not sure I believe all this. When I relayed all this information to my Lexus dealer they had no comment. 6,000 miles later I had another major problem, oil leaking that my Lexus dealer said had to do with the engine. Lexus removed and resealed engine front cover assy and replaced gaskets $2665.56 also at this time Lexus replaced engine front oil cooler supply hose assy and gaskets at no charge saying it was under warranty.
During routine car maintenance, I was notified by the Toyota technician that the rack and pinion assembly was leaking power steering fluid and needed to be replaced in order to maintain safety operation. The mileage at the time of failure was 86,817. The technician stated that the only fix for this issue was to remove and replace the entire rack and pinion assembly at a cost of $1,700. I believe that this is a design defect and should have been recalled by Toyota, given the number of failures I have found reported on the NHTSA website. It appears to be a common problem with other Lexus RX350 owners from various years.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Lexus RX350. While driving at approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver when making a right or left turn. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack leaked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Lexus RX350. While the vehicle was undergoing a routine oil change at an unknown local dealer where the contact was informed by the technician that the rack and pinion was leaking power steering fluid and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
My RX350 2007 has only 35,000 miles and the power rack and pinion assembly has been changed once and now the dealer told me it is bad and need to change it only after 3 years after they changed it. No sound or leaks.
During my annual state vehicle inspection conducted by a Lexus dealership, service technicians indicated that one of the boots on the power steering rack had a hole/tear and was leaking power steering fluid, and there was an additional leak from a seal in the power-steering gear assembly. The estimate and final cost to replace the entire rack and pinion system was $1600+, and I found myself at the mercy of the dealership, who said I would "fail" my state inspection if I chose not to have them make this repair. I have since read online where numerous other RX350 and related Lexus vehicle owners have experienced the same or similar steering rack failures and seal leaks, and there appears to have been at least 1 Lexus recall campaign on a non-RX350 vehicle for this issue. …
Leaking fluid and unusual noise in steering components .I took the vehicle to the dealer and had to have steering rack and shaft replaced for a cost of $2,207.00. I asked service representative if this was covered by any type of extended warranty and he said no. I indicated I was a Toyota driver since 1970 and said that not only had this never happened to me on a vehicle before, I had never heard of this issue. He told me it was quite common!! As I had bought the vehicle used in naples, florida, I looked up the repair history in the Lexus data base and imagine my surprise when I discovered these parts had also been replaced at 52,847 miles. I wrote to Lexus USA and got a call stating the standard line that the repair was beyond the 1 year warranty period etc. To Toyota motors and its Lexus division, I say that you have let a 40 year customer down big time. …
Noticed issue with power steering while turning on my 2007 Lexus rx-350. Vehicle inspected by technician and was informed of the power steering failure , oil leak. No dropping of oil was noticed on the parking floor at my home. Technician informed that the oil reservoir was almost empty and the oil was collected in a boot under the steering rack. If the oil dripped on the floor, I could have noticed it and fix the issue much earlier. Luckily I was not driving on the freeway at highway speeds? Running without oil in the power steering? Based on my discussion with Lexus technician one in every three rx-350 2006 - 2008 seem to have this issue within 5 years of in service date and Toyota/ Lexus seem to pay no concern for the safety of the owners. Please review and advise all owners of this failure and ensure Lexus recalls and fix this issue for all owners. …
The car completely halted while driving on a city road. The steering locked and the car completely stopped in the middle of the road. The manufacturer inspected the car. During inspection they found A/C compressor locked up causing vehicle to stall under load. Once the A/C system is activated, vehicle will stall out. They also confirmed that this could happen while the vehicle is in motion on a highway going 60 MPH and if it did, it would stall the car and lock up the vehicle just like it did in the first incident. It seems completely unreadable to stall a vehicle in motion for some confirm/convenience feature like A/C. I feel this is a fundamental engineering problem with the way the car is designed. I would like to ensure this is declared as an issue with the design of Lexus vehicles and there is a trigger to disconnect ac under such circumstances where ac can stall a car in motion.
Steering complaints in other RX350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2007 Lexus RX350?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 2007 Lexus RX350, 15% of the model year's 167 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Lexus RX350 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2007 Lexus RX350, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Lexus RX350 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.