NHTSA Complaint #10282693 — 2007 LEXUS RX350

THE ENGINE IN MY 2007 LEXUS RX-350 BEGAN MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND THERE WAS NO FIRE, BUT THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT HAD THE EVENT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY RATHER THAN ON A SURFACE STREET SINCE STEERING AND STOPPING THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT WHEN THE ENGINE DIED. WHEN I STOPPED, OIL WAS DRIPPING OUT ONTO THE GROUND. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO WESTSIDE LEXUS IN HOUSTON, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A RUBBER HOSE ON THE OIL PIPE SUB ASSEMBLY (PART NO. LE15707-31030, I BELIEVE) HAD FAILED, CAUSING THE CRANKCASE OIL TO SPRAY OUT OVER THE ENGINE AND FIREWALL. THANKFULLY, THERE WAS NO FIRE--THIS TIME! FAILURE OF THE HOSE AND LOSS OF THE CRANKCASE OIL CAUSED A NUMBER OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURES TO OCCUR. FIRST, SINCE THE CAMSHAFT OR SOME OTHER VALVE TRAIN COMPONENT WAS SEIZING UP, THE TIMING CHAIN JUMPED TIME FROM ONE OF THE SPROCKETS, CAUSING AT LEAST TWO OF THE INTAKE VALVES TO BE STRUCK BY THE PISTONS, THIS NECESSITATED REPLACEMENT OF OVER $2750 WORTH OF PARTS UNDER WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE ALTERNATOR WHICH WAS APPARENTLY DIRECTLY HIT WITH A SPRAY OF OIL. I ASKED THAT THE ENGINE BE REPLACED, BUT WESTSIDE LEXUS REFUSED, SAYING THERE WOULD BE NO REDUCTION IN ENGINE LONGEVITY DUE TO LOSS OF THE ENGINE OIL. THERE WAS NO OIL SHOWING ON THE DIPSTICK WHEN IT WAS CHECKED AFTER THE INCIDENT, BUT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN, MR. TAM, REPORTED THAT THERE WAS AN ESTIMATED 2 QUARTS REMAINING IN THE CRANKCASE WHEN HE DRAINED IT AND THAT HE DIDN'T EXPECT "BOTTOM END" DAMAGE TO THE MAIN BEARINGS, CRANKSHAFT, AND CONNECTING RODS. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS IS TRUE OR NOT, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. THE SERVICE MANAGER, MR. MICHAEL LORCH, INDICATED THAT LEXUS HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON OTHER VEHICLES AND THAT THE PART HAS BEEN REDESIGNED, BUT NO FORMAL RECALL HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN. WHY ISN'T THE HOSE METAL BRAID INSTEAD OF RUBBER? *TR