2007 Lexus RX Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2007 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle began to smoke. The contact pulled over and became aware that oil was leaking from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a service center and the contact was informed that the engine cooler hose had ruptured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA ID

11585738

Incident

Apr 25, 2024

Mileage

99,000 mi

I PURCHASED A USED 2007 LEXUS RX350 FOR MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. IT HAD A LITTLE OVER 100K MILES. EVERYTHING WORKED PERFECTLY, NO COMPLAINTS WHATSOEVER. UNTIL, MY SON BORROWED IT, AND WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT, HE SAID IT QUIT. HE LOST ALL POWER STEERING, SO HE PULLED OVER. WE CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT TO A MECHANIC. WHEN THE MECHANIC CALLED ME, HE SAID THE OIL COOLING LINE BUSTED, WHICH MADE THE OIL PUMP EMPTY THE ENGINE'S OIL. HE SAID IT WOULD NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. HE SAID THE CAR IS WORTH NOTHING. I PAID $9K FOR THIS CAR A YEAR AGO, AND NOW IT IS NOT WORTH $100. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA/LEXUS, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. TO ME - THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IN MY OPINION, SINCE TOYOTA KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT DIDN'T RECALL IT, THEY EITHER NEED TO COVER THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE, OR BUY THE CAR BACK FROM ME. I AM VERY UPSET OVER THIS.

NHTSA ID

11360610

Incident

Sep 22, 2020

Mileage

125,000 mi

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ON HIGHWAY. WITHIN A FEW MILES, THE HOOD BEGAN TO SMOKE, SO IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. TOWED TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD WATER PUMP FAILURE CAUSED ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. ENGINE IS DESTROYED.

NHTSA ID

11308978

Incident

Feb 12, 2020

Mileage

140,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I HEARD A NOISE. 1-3 MINUTES LATER, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER (A MILE AWAY), DESPITE THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATING NO URGENCY. THEY SAID MY OIL COOLER LINE BLEW, LEAKED OUT ALL MY OIL AND DESTROYED MY ENGINE WITHIN MINUTES. I CAME TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THIS CATASTROPHIC, ENGINE-DESTROYING OIL LINE RUPTURE IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO LEXUS (LIKE THE VVT LINE) BUT FOR SOME REASON WAS NEVER RECALLED DESPITE IT BEING JUST AS CATASTROPHIC/DANGEROUS. LEXUS CHOSE TO USE A CHEAPER RUBBER HOSE INSTEAD OF A METAL PIPE WHEN THE RUBBER HOSE CAN'T TAKE THOSE HIGH TEMPS AND WILL BLOW. 100% LIKELIHOOD THIS WILL HAPPEN'JUST A MATTER OF WHEN. I RESEARCHED IT AND THERE ARE MILLIONS OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS CARS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM'EVERY SINGLE '07-'11 RX 350 PLUS MANY TOYOTAS. LEXUS WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT CHOSE NOT TO FIX IT. EXCEPT IN CANADA, THERE WAS A MANDATORY RECALL AND THIS PART WAS REPLACED. FOR SOME HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS REASON, THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE. WHY? IT'S DANGEROUS ENOUGH TO RECALL IN CANADA, BUT NOT THE US? INSTEAD OF RECALLING, US LEXUS ISSUED AN INSUFFICIENT 36 MONTH WARRANTY TO REPLACE IT, BUT ONLY IF IT BLEW DURING THIS TIME. IF IT DIDN'T LEAK WITHIN THAT TIME, YOU'RE SCREWED. LEXUS MESSED UP ITS VIN TRACKING SYSTEM, SO PEOPLE WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS WARRANTY. FOR THOSE WHO WERE, THE ISSUE WAS DOWNPLAYED AS SIMPLY AN 'OIL SEEP' INSTEAD OF AN OIL LINE EXPLOSION WHICH DESTROYS THE ENGINE. CUSTOMERS WERE NOT TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THE DEFECT SO WE COULD FIX IT PROACTIVELY AND SPARE US THE DEATH OF A CAR WITH ONLY 90K MILES. GOOGLE THIS PROBLEM TO SEE THE THOUSANDS OF POSTS/COMPLAINTS ON TOYOTA/LEXUS WEBSITES. THERE NEEDS TO BE A MANDATORY RECALL AND/OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE WHOSE ENGINES WERE DESTROYED BY LEXUS' KNOWN DEFECT. PLEASE TAKE ACTION! PLEASE.

NHTSA ID

11268034

Incident

Sep 6, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

SEVER OIL LEAK AND ENGINE STOP AND SMOKE STARTED COMING

NHTSA ID

11255393

Incident

Aug 26, 2019

Mileage

187,000 mi

THE OIL COOLING LINE IN MY 2007 RX 350 FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING ALL OIL TO BE LOST FROM THE ENGINE AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. I WAS ON A HIGHWAY DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE CEASED AND WAS COMPLETELY RUINED WITH ONLY 110,000 IN MILEAGE. I DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF ANY RECALL RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11114248

Incident

Jun 29, 2018

Mileage

110,000 mi

THE OIL PRESSURE HOSE BUSTED. I TOOK MY CAR TO LEXUS AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE RUBBER HOSE WITH A METAL ONE. I PURCHASED THE METAL HOSE AND HAD IT REPLACED. OIL HAD ALREADY LEAKED OUT TO THE POINT THAT CAUSE MY ENGINE TO LOCK UP

NHTSA ID

11031392

Incident

Oct 1, 2017

Mileage

167,000 mi

OIL COOLER LINE LEAK ENGINE OIL EMPTY

NHTSA ID

10735651

Incident

Jul 21, 2015

Mileage

125,000 mi

TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING POWER AND EVENTUALLY STALLED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DID NOTHING MORE THAN REMOVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. INDEPENDENT SHOP MADE ME AWARE OF LEXUS BULLETIN REGARDING 2GR-FSE ENGINE AND SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. I REVIEWED BULLETIN AND VERIFIED SYMPTOMS WERE EFFECTIVELY IDENTICAL TO THOSE I EXPERIENCED. VEHICLE TOWED TO JACK SAFRO LEXUS OF BROOKFIELD, WI AND LEXUS CORPORATE WAS CONTACTED BY ME AT THAT TIME. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND TWO OF THE THREE BOLTS HOLDING BANK ONE VVT IN PLACE HAD COME LOOSE AND WERE RESTING INSIDE THE CRANKCASE. THE THIRD BOLT WAS ~50% OUT WHEN IT SHEARED OFF AND VVT FAILURE CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. LEXUS CORPORATE WAS ASKED BY ME REPEATEDLY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION WITH AN ENGINEER FAMILIAR TO THE SYSTEM AND TO EVALUATE THIS (2GR-FE) FOR POTENTIALLY THE SAME ROOT CAUSE AS THE ISSUE NOTED IN THE BULLETIN. LEXUS WAS MADE AWARE, UP TO THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL, THAT THE FAILURE MODE WAS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT DESCRIBED AND EVIDENCE OF FAILURE WAS REPEATEDLY OFFERED. LEXUS CORPORATE CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10553901

Incident

Aug 23, 2013

Mileage

104,000 mi