2005 Lexus RX 330 Review
Price Range: $4,495 - $7,500
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Average price: $6,957
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Well-appointed interior, rides more like a sedan than an SUV, loaded with high-tech features, solid reputation for reliability, excellent dealer service.
Cons
- Less powerful than some of its competitors, soft ride makes for merely adequate handling in corners, no third-row seat option.
What’s new
The power rear hatch is now standard on all models, as is wood and leather trim for the shift knob and steering wheel. The power passenger seat is upgraded from four-way to eight-way while the optional navigation system gets Bluetooth capability and voice actuated control. Last year's standard six-disc CD changer moves to the options list, making way for a standard single-CD setup.
Edmunds says
A luxurious SUV that effectively combines sport, utility, comfort and technology in a stylish package with a strong reputation for reliability.
For sale near Edison, NJ
98 listings
- $7,500fair price$654 below market
- 129,261 miles
- 5 Seats, 16 City / 22 Hwy MPG
- 8 mi away
- AWD/4WD
- Power Driver Seat
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
- Power Liftgate/Trunk
- Multi-Zone Climate C...
Close
Located in East Brunswick, NJ
LEXUS RX350 CLEAN CARFAX ALL WHEEL DRIVE AUTOMATIC LOW MILES SUV glk350 ml350 x5 srx q7 mdx PLEASE CONTACT US AT 732-333-5845 FOR FASTEST RESPONSE AND...
- Features and Specs:
- 18 Combined MPG (16 City/22 Highway)
- Listing Information:
- VIN:
- 2T2HA31U05C072716
- Stock:
- 072716
- Certified Pre-Owned:
- No
- Listed since:
- 05-09-2025
- $4,495great price$2,620 below market
- 176,708 miles
- 5 Seats, 16 City / 22 Hwy MPG
- 14 mi away
- AWD/4WD
- Power Driver Seat
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
- Power Liftgate/Trunk
- Multi-Zone Climate C...
Close
Located in Union, NJ
VERY GOOD CONDITION!!! RUNS GREAT!!! AWD!!! MUST SEE!!! Very clean in and out. Reliable. Well maintained. Great car for a great price. PLEASE CALL FOR...
- Features and Specs:
- 18 Combined MPG (16 City/22 Highway)
- Listing Information:
- VIN:
- 2T2HA31U85C063522
- Stock:
- 063522
- Certified Pre-Owned:
- No
- Listed since:
- 12-04-2025
Owners' Opinions
What Owners Like
The 2005 Lexus RX-330 is highly regarded for its exceptional reliability and comfort. Owners commend its ability to endure thousands of miles with minimal maintenance, often attributing longevity to its dependable engine and sturdy build. This SUV's ride comfort is frequently highlighted, with many drivers noting that it handles long trips with remarkable ease, providing a smooth and quiet driving experience. The RX-330’s seating position and ease of entry and exit are appreciated by taller drivers, while the high-driving position is particularly favored for providing a commanding view of the road. Inside, the vehicle offers a range of thoughtful features—from power memory seats to practical cargo space—enhancing its reputation as a versatile vehicle for both daily commutes and family outings. Fuel economy is another positive aspect, with several owners reporting efficient mileage for a vehicle of its size. Additionally, the overall build quality imparts a sense of luxury, making it a satisfying choice for those seeking refinement without excessive complexity.
Common Issues
The 2005 Lexus RX-330 is frequently critiqued for its transmission issues, which manifest as hesitation and jerking during acceleration. Drivers have reported a delayed response, especially noticeable at low speeds or when accelerating from a stop. Another common complaint involves the navigation system, which many find difficult to update and less intuitive to use compared to modern alternatives, leading some owners to rely instead on smartphone navigation. The aging infotainment system, including the CD player and DVD functionality, has also let some users down, often failing to perform as expected. Interior noise levels can be an issue, with complaints of rattles, especially from the dashboard, which detracts from an otherwise quiet ride. Leaking headlights and cracked dashboards are additional concerns, prompting repairs or replacements that the manufacturer has addressed for a limited time according to some recall notices. Lastly, the adaptability of the power rear door and the complex controls present frustrations for those not completely familiar with the car’s features.
Final Takeaways from Everyday Drivers
The 2005 Lexus RX-330 is a vehicle that tends to win over its owners with its reliability and well-rounded performance in daily use. Even after many years and miles, drivers consistently appreciate its ability to smoothly handle commutes and long trips with ease. Its high seating position and comfortable interior make it a pleasant companion for both city driving and highway cruising. Despite facing some aging technology issues, like a finicky power rear door or an outdated navigation system, these don't overshadow the vehicle's comfort and drivable nature. The RX-330's fuel economy remains commendable for an SUV of its class, and its build quality continues to impart a sense of luxury that endures. Owners have also noted that while its features aren't cutting-edge, they offer a balance of practicality and sophistication. It's clear that even with a few well-noted quirks, everyday drivers find a lasting appeal in the RX-330’s commitment to delivering a dependable and enjoyable driving experience…
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in New Jersey
$261/mo for RX 330 Base
RX 330 Base
vs
$232/mo
Avg. Midsize SUV
Reliability
The 2005 Lexus RX 330 has a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic warranty and 4 recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.
Recalls
4 recalls foundChecking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
- Recall Number:
- 11V539000
- Manufactured from:
- 2004-09-28 to 2005-03-31
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 420326
- Defect Description:
- 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 WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
- Defect Consequence:
- 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.
- Corrective Action:
- TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
- Recall Number:
- 11V112000
- Manufactured from:
- 2003-08-22 to 2006-07-26
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 769379
- Defect Description:
- 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- 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.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE FREE OR CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
- Recall Number:
- 10V499000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 728544
- Defect Description:
- TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES. BRAKE FLUID CONTAINING POLYMERS IS USED THAT ACTS AS LUBRICANTS FOR CERTAIN BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS. IF REPLACEMENT BRAKE FLUID IS USED THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN SUCH POLYMERS, OR THAT CONTAINS ONLY SMALL AMOUNTS, A PART OF THE RUBBER SEAL LOCATED AT THE REAR OF THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER MAY BECOME DRY, AND THE SEAL MAY CURL DURING MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON. IF THIS OCCURS, A SMALL AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID COULD SLOWLY LEAK FROM THE SEAL INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
- Defect Consequence:
- A LEAK OF BRAKE FLUID COULD LEAD TO A CHANGE IN BRAKE PEDAL FEEL AND OVERTIME A DEGRADATION IN BRAKING PERFORMANCE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 AND LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
- Recall Number:
- 06V253000
- Manufacturer Recall Number:
- 6LD 60F
- Manufactured from:
- 2005-03-14 to 2005-05-24
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 367594
- Defect Description:
- 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION MAY INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TWO FLOOR CARPET COVER RETAINING CLIPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 24, 2006, AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY EARLY SEPTEMBER 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Warranty
4 years / 50,000 miles Basic Warranty- Basic Warranty
- 4 years / 50,000 miles
- Drivetrain Warranty
- 6 years / 70,000 miles
- Rust Warranty
- 6 years / unlimited miles
- Roadside assistance Warranty
- 4 years / unlimited miles
- Free maintenance Warranty
- unlimited years / 7,500 miles
Lexus RX 330 Reviews
Owner Reviews
5(82%)
4(12%)
3(3%)
2(2%)
1(1%)
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Great Road Cruiser
5 out of 5 starsm murphy, 04/28/2016
2005 Lexus RX 330 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl 5A)
A great car for road trips. One major unresolved issue: advised two years ago of a recall for dashboard cracks. Have received mail notices of the recall. Countless calls to dealer (Lexus of Tampa Bay) to get the new dash installed have gone nowhere. The story is they are waiting for supply from the manufacturer, give us a new date every time we call for availability of new dash. Now … they don't return calls when we leave messages with the service department. As on 10/29/2016 we are STILL waiting for the replacement dash. We have been waiting over two years since the original recall notice.
We would consider buying a newer version of this car but the service issue is leaving a VERY bad taste.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my RX330
5 out of 5 stars1summerred, 10/24/2013
2005 Lexus RX 330 AWD 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl 5A)
I really do love this vehicle.
I wasn't even in the market for a Lexus. I have owned 3 Toyota 4-Runners in the past and was looking for another 4-Runner when I found my Lexus gem. I was looking in the $15K price range and wanted leather interior and 4 wheel drive.
I was not able to find a 4-Runner that met these needs in my price range.
I haphazardly saw the Lexus RX330 at a dealer … lot,
test drove it and fell in love.
It didn't hurt that it only had 65k miles and was $15K with more bells and whistles than what I was originally looking for. I wont buy anything else.
I also had a great dealership to work with which helped immensely.
growing old together
5 out of 5 starselliot L., 07/15/2021
2005 Lexus RX 330 AWD 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl 5A)
I've had my RX 330 2005 since November 2004 and have loved the car. I have never kept a car this long in all of my 90 years. Have the cracked leather dashboard unfortunately but in a car this old the cosmetics are much less important. I have a few cosmetic flaws myself. It's always been a pleasurable, comfortable car that's required only minimal repairs over the years. My children … want me to turn it in for one with all the new safety features since I am an old man. I can see fine and am a good driver. My children have had more accidents than I have.
Must mention mpg good
Waaay More Than We Expected
5 out of 5 starsBob and Rae Robertson, 08/14/2018
2005 Lexus RX 330 AWD 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl 5A)
We bought our 2005 Lexus RX330 in 2007 as a replacement for an Acura TSX we purchased new in 2005. We are both taller and didn't like the entry exit height of the Acura and had owned several Toyotas with good luck. The Lexus is a good ride height, comfortable, with fairly decent power and economy (20 in town, 22-25 on the highway) and has been our full time driver for everything. We … purchased the car at 37k miles and have over 157k on it now with our only complaints being replacing brake pads and rotors (2X), the navigation is not as easy to use as the Acura was (that's what phones are for), and our CD player refuses to give us back the 6 CD's it has in the player. We absolutely love this car and hope it goes another 100k
2005 RX 330 Features & Specs
| MSRP (New) Excludes Destination Fee | $36,025 |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Gas |
| Combined MPG | 19 MPG |
| Cost to Drive | $261/month |
| Seating | 5 seats |
| Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 38.3 cu.ft. |
front wheel drive | |
| Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the RX 330 include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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