NHTSA Complaint #10576023 — 2007 LEXUS RX350

OUR VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND MAINTAINED IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. WITHOUT WARNING, ON 3/5/14, AS WE WERE EXITING THE FREEWAY, WE SMELLED A SLIGHT BURNING ODOR. THE OIL LIGHT THEN FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. WE WERE INFORMED THERE WAS ONLY 1 QUART OUT OF 6 QUARTS OF OIL REMAINING. THE RUBBER OIL COOLER LINES HAD EXPLODED, BUT WE WERE ASSURED THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $400+. 1 WEEK LATER, WE HEARD A CLICKING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT 5 DAYS LATER. WE INSISTED IT BE INSPECTED THAT DAY. 3 DAYS LATER WE HEARD BACK THAT THE ENGINE HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE RUBBER OIL COOLER LINES EXPLODING, AND THAT IT WOULD COST $2,800 TO DIAGNOSE, AND BETWEEN $3,800 TO $5,800 TO REPAIR. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE DUE TO THE LOW MILES ON THE VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE TECHNICALLY OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP APPARENTLY TOLD LEXUS CORPORATE THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACTUALLY COST $12,000 TO $14,000 TO REPAIR. THE BEST LEXUS CORPORATE OFFERED WAS REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RUBBER OIL COOLER LINES. THIS IS CONCERNING FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, THESE PARTICULAR OIL LINES MADE OF STEEL AND RUBBER HAVE FAILED FOR DOZENS UPON DOZENS OF LEXUS/TOYOTA CUSTOMERS. A VERY SIMILARLY DESIGNED RUBBER OIL LINE FOR THE VVT-I HAS ALREADY BEEN QUIETLY RECALLED BY LEXUS. LEXUS NO LONGER USES THESE MATERIALS FOR OIL LINES. WE EXPECTED OUR VEHICLE TO LAST WELL INTO 200,000 MILES, BUT THIS WAS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE. IN THE END, SINCE WE COULD NOT PAY FOR THE RIDICULOUS REPAIRS, WE ESSENTIALLY WERE FORCED TO TRADE IT IN FOR CASH FROM THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. PLEASE MAKE LEXUS/TOYOTA DO A RECALL ON THESE PARTS BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED. *TR