2007 Lexus RX350 engine problems

“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.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT'S WIFE STATED THAT UPON ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE AFTER EXITING A ROUNDABOUT, DUST BEGAN TO EMIT FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE CONTACT'S WIFE DROVE TO A GAS STATION AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE OIL WAS EMPTY. THE CONTACT THEN REFILLED THE OIL BUT BY THE NEXT DAY, THE OIL HAD COMPLETELY LEAKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO LEXUS OF MAPLEWOOD (3000 US-61, MAPLEWOOD, MN 55109) WHERE THEY INITIALLY DISCOVERED METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OIL LINE. THE OIL LINE WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THEY ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE CAM GEARS IN UPPER ENGINE WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE A CALLBACK. THE CONTACT HAD NOT RECEIVED A CALLBACK. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000.”

“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.”

“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…”

“I WAS DRIVING ON A COUNTRY ROAD AND NOTICED A/C WAS ACTING ODD, THEN TEMP GAUGE WENT TO BOTTOM OF DIAL. I COULDN'T STOP ON THIS ROAD. I WAS TRYING TO GET TO GRANDDAUGHTER'S HOUSE. I STOPPED AT LIGHT AND COULDN'T START IT. I CALLED AAA AND CAR WAS TRANSPORTED TO LEXUS DEALER WHO TESTED CAR AND SAID ENGINE FAILED. THERE WERE 122000 MILES WHEN TESTED AT DEALER. THE CAR HAS BEEN DEALER SERVICED THE ENTIRE TIME. IT WAS SERVICED AT 120,000 AND ALL SYSTEMS OK. I'VE HAD AN 80 DATSUN THAT LASTED 250,000 MILES. THE DEALER SAID THAT USED ENGINE $8500. I EXPECTED MUCH BETTER FROM LEXUS. READING SOME NHTSA REPORTS THERE SEEM TO BE A RASH OF OIL LINES FAILING. THERE WAS NO WATER HOSE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO DEALER CHECKING IT”

“OIL STARTED SPEWING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY . THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP AND THE OIL COOLANT LINES (BLACK RUBBER HOSES) WERE REPLACED WITH METAL HOSES.”