Torque Steer Problem With Rx400h

daverx400 · June 20, 2005

awaiting my rx400 at present, read a review in the sunday telegraph yesterday where the journalist stated "despite possessing a galaxy of advanced electronic stability aids for its complex transmission system, the RX400h has got the nastiest case of torque-steer - where hard acceleration pushes the wheels out of line - of any new car in recent years."

I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of those who've been driving it for the last week or so.

Great Dane · June 20, 2005

Having had the car now for 6 days, I have not felt anything remotely similar to what you describe.

On the motorway I have accelerated quickly from say 55 mph to slightly over the speed limit (not saying how much), and I could easily have taken my hands off the steering wheel in the process.

Having clocked up nearly 1,000 miles I am now taking the car for a trip to Berlin tomorrow. The Germany autobahns do mostly not have any speed restrictions, and I will tell you upon my return (next Sunday) if there will be any changes to my initial impression.

It is the most beautiful car I have ever driven. My advise without a doubt is:

Go get one as soon as you can.

Experience happy driving - join the RX400 club

Monster-Mat · June 20, 2005

Torque steer..........Hmmmm is the RX400h front wheel drive? :duh:

ColinBarber · June 20, 2005

Torque steer..........Hmmmm is the RX400h front wheel drive? :duh:

←

Basically yes. Even more so than the RX300s which are about 70% front biased.

fergy · June 20, 2005

I thought the RX300's were 50/50 split ??

JohnRX400h · June 20, 2005

Ahh, it had to happen........ the first thing I have to say about the RX400h which it not absolutely glowing!

I finally managed to prise my wife’s fingers off the wheel long enough at the weekend to have a shot of our new car and said whilst pulling out to overtake another car I said 'oh torque steer'.

There was then a five minute conversation about what torque steer was and how it happened. Every day my wife has to suffer a little bit more of being married to a petrol head!!!!

So yes I have felt the torque steer. I used to have a Golf GT TDi many years ago and it was the same. Just too much power going through the front wheels. (Yeh - like you can ever have too much power!)

I would say however that in my experience torque steer when you are used to it is better then the alternative - wheel spin, which usually leads to understeer. Basically as I see it the front wheels are at an angle and the power wants to pull them straight again.

@ Great Dane - what you experienced is exactly right - when accelerating in a straight line the wheel will stay that way as the power tries to pull them straight. Torque stear occurs when you have a certain amount of lock on and are accelerating and the wheel wants to pull the wheels straight.

IMHO if you have a predominately front wheel drive car with shed loads of torque you will get torque steer.

Solution? I guess when on a certain degree of lock the car could put more power to the rear wheels but for me the speed of the overtaking manoeuvre I was performing outweighed any dissatisfaction.

Another 2 cents (am I at a 400h Dollar yet?)

daverx400 · June 20, 2005

Thanks for your replies, doesn't sound as if you've found it too much of a problem. BTW the rest of the review was extremely positive.

Farnham Dave · December 11, 2018

Had my RX400h for a very short while now, and getting more confident with it. Confident enough to be experiencing what seems like torque steer when I accelerate hard... I'm not even pressing the pedal all the way to the floor, so there is more acceleration to be had... I'd just be terrified to use it, knowing what it's like with moderately hard acceleration.

Seems a bit of a nuisance to buy a car that should do 0-60 in less than 8 seconds, only to hold it back even when conditions are perfect.

From what I've read, torque steer is not a surprise... The car is high up, has lots of torque, and is front wheel drive (mostly).

I've recently had two new tyres on the rear, with the old ones on the front. The new tyres are "General Grabber", made by Continental. Does anyone have an opinion as to whether these are going to be a good choice when it comes to replacing the fronts?

I also expect, at some time in the future, that the suspension will probably need working on. I've read that lowering the front of the car (shorter springs?) Can help reduce the problem. From my limited understanding, this seems to make some sense, and since the car is not a real "off roader", shouldn't, IMHO, be a problem.... I'm not about to get stuck in a ditch or grounded on a big bump. Again, people's opinions on this would be appreciated.

Other options seem to be tyre pressure changes and suspension stiffness changes. The latter seems a little bit of a dark science... One article suggested stiffer suspension, and then contradicted itself later.

I've got the tyres at the manufacturers recommendation. Tried the tyre fitters suggestion (several psi higher) and the car turned into a death trap!

olliesgrandad · December 11, 2018

Continental are a good brand and I would definitely get them on the car ASAP so you have 4 matching tyres. That will give you a better idea of how the car performs. I wouldn't mess with the suspension. This is a big heavy car sticking a lot of power down through the front end and not a sports car. I used to have a BMW Z3 2.8 and the traction control was antiquated. You could put it sideways pulling away from a standstill on a dry road 😁. Are the tyre pressures at Lexus recommended level or tyre manufacturers? I would get 4 matching tyres fitted as a priority.

Farnham Dave · December 11, 2018

Thanks for that. I should consider the tyres. The reason I only had the two done was because those two were the ones that were knackered when I bought the car. Fortunately, the Generals are not particularly expensive, so another pair won't break the bank.

rayaans · December 12, 2018

21 hours ago, Farnham Dave said:

Had my RX400h for a very short while now, and getting more confident with it. Confident enough to be experiencing what seems like torque steer when I accelerate hard... I'm not even pressing the pedal all the way to the floor, so there is more acceleration to be had... I'd just be terrified to use it, knowing what it's like with moderately hard acceleration.

Seems a bit of a nuisance to buy a car that should do 0-60 in less than 8 seconds, only to hold it back even when conditions are perfect.

From what I've read, torque steer is not a surprise... The car is high up, has lots of torque, and is front wheel drive (mostly).

I've recently had two new tyres on the rear, with the old ones on the front. The new tyres are "General Grabber", made by Continental. Does anyone have an opinion as to whether these are going to be a good choice when it comes to replacing the fronts?

I also expect, at some time in the future, that the suspension will probably need working on. I've read that lowering the front of the car (shorter springs?) Can help reduce the problem. From my limited understanding, this seems to make some sense, and since the car is not a real "off roader", shouldn't, IMHO, be a problem.... I'm not about to get stuck in a ditch or grounded on a big bump. Again, people's opinions on this would be appreciated.

Other options seem to be tyre pressure changes and suspension stiffness changes. The latter seems a little bit of a dark science... One article suggested stiffer suspension, and then contradicted itself later.

I've got the tyres at the manufacturers recommendation. Tried the tyre fitters suggestion (several psi higher) and the car turned into a death trap!

Never had an issue with the Torque steer when I had it.

Yes it was horrendous but I found it bloody hilarious when flooring it. It used to snake about with the front wheels

Farnham Dave · December 12, 2018

I'm rather odd in that I far prefer rear wheel drive, but I keep buying FWD!

Yes, I guess the front snaking around provides some entertainment, but it's what happens when the snake becomes a serpent that worries me!

As advised, I will be getting my front tyres replaced so they exactly match the rears, and I might experiment a little with the pressures... No more than a couple of psi either way (I doubt that will notice much)

Brian26 · December 13, 2018

Although I havent had a 400h for a few years now I found that if I planted the loud pedal then I got torque steer ( on occasion quite badly) however if I progressively applied the throttle then it was barely noticeable. Its much the same with the 450h that I now have. Hope this helps. Bri

Farnham Dave · December 13, 2018

Yeah, thanks for that... I've found that, too. Makes sense.

I've also found that behaviour depends a lot on what speed I'm doing prior to the acceleration

rich1068 · December 14, 2018

Had my 400h a while now and I can safely say I've never experienced torque steer. Like the thread a few weeks ago complaining that pressing the accelerator just makes noise and no progress, I never experience that either.

I've driven all types of autos over the years and one thing I do know is that mashing the pedal is not the best way to make rapid progress.

Farnham Dave · December 14, 2018

I was never suggesting mashing the pedal.

I, too, have not had any issue with a lack of response from the CVT transmission.

My main issue, really, is a safety concern... Probably a minor concern, TBH, since it's easy to ease off and resolve the problem when it happens.

Rutlandlex · December 14, 2018

I remember once that I was on a wet motorway and I stamped on the loud pedal and the car lurched to the left and nearly took another car out but that's the only time that I have felt torque steer to be dangerous in my RX. I think that the motorway may have had quite a camber on it that you don't really notice in normal driving. Usually it just writhes around a bit from side to side.

My front tyres are knackered so I can have a bit of fun sliding it around on these cold mornings with greasy roads. A more powerful rear motor wouldn't have gone amiss on these cars to balance the front to rear power distribution better.

rich1068 · December 14, 2018

2 hours ago, Farnham Dave said:

I was never suggesting mashing the pedal.

Wasn't having a pop. Maybe a poor choice of words.

Are you running the correct pressures too? It's low and possibly over inflation may not be helping?

Farnham Dave · December 14, 2018

I think the tyre pressures are about right... They're in line with Lexus recommendation.

I must say, as I am getting used to the car, the torque steer seems to be becoming less of an issue.

IMHO, I think the suggestion that the rear motor could have more power does have some traction (sorry about that :-). After all, we have a chunky V6 in the front paired with a decent motor, and then just a Prius motor on the rear to help out. Something closer to a 50/50 split might be better... But then it would be a different car in many other respects too, and other strengths would be lost.

Overall, I am extremely happy with my experience of the RX400h, with the torque steer being my only gripe. I'm still in the honeymoon period of ownership, I know, but it does seem to be a very very capable vehicle.

welland · December 19, 2018

My rx400h is the first car I've driven that has this torque steer. I had thought that torque steer was something experienced when accelerating on a bend, but I now know that it causes the car to steer when accelerating hard in a straight line.

Farnham Dave · February 1, 2019

It seems to be worse when grip is reduced, even only slightly. Obviously, you drive more gingerly when it's wet or icy, but I'm talking about a bit of smoother than usual tarmac, or a little bit of damp.

It does seem something the car "trains" you in... I'm still accelerating perfectly happily a couple of months in, but getting less torque steering. When I do, it's much more manageable.

Rutlandlex · February 1, 2019

The tyres make a difference too. I think the OEM's were Bridgestone Potenzas which I recently had removed from my car and they are very torque steery. My new BF Goodrich Urban Terrains don't have this issue at all. They are much grippier in the wet than the Bridgestones too so maybe that explains why they don't slither around.

Farnham Dave · February 1, 2019

That's interesting, because I'm yet to change the front tyres. The specialist put General Grabbers on the rear, and that was the plan for the front, too.

Grey RX · February 2, 2019

I have a similar experience with my 450H. Having come from a remapped Volvo T5 with front wheel drive only I can’t say it’s that big a problem in relative terms.

Rutlandlex · February 4, 2019

On 2/2/2019 at 10:22 PM, Grey RX said:

I have a similar experience with my 450H. Having come from a remapped Volvo T5 with front wheel drive only I can’t say it’s that big a problem in relative terms.

I used to have a Saab 9-5 Aero which was a fully fledged member of torque steer city! I agree that when you have owned a car like that then the Lexus torque steer is really not that bad.