NHTSA Complaint #10817732 — 2008 LEXUS RX

FOLLOWING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT MY LEXUS DEALER, THE CAR EXHIBITED AN OIL LEAKAGE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR'S ENGINE BEGAN SMOKING, A BURNING SMELL WAS NOTICEABLE, AND THE REAR WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED IN OIL. THE VIEW THROUGH THE REARVIEW WINDSHIELD WAS NOT VISIBLE. THE CAR ENGINE MADE SOME STRANGE NOISES AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. RESIDUAL ENGINE DAMAGE IS POSSIBLE, AND AN ACCIDENT WAS LUCKILY AVOIDED. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT THEY WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE OIL COOLER. SOME RESEARCH ONLINE YIELDED SOME CONFLICTING INFORMATION. MANY DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO RECALL WAS EVER ISSUED. T.S.B. POL-14-02 (NHTSA NUMBER 10056509) WAS ISSUED IN JULY 2014 TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT PUTS DRIVERS AT RISK, WHEN A RECALL MAY HAVE BEEN WARRANTED. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED BY LEXUS OR THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS A POTENTIAL ISSUE. THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS OWNERS MAY HAVE FACED OR WILL FACE A SIMILAR RISK IN THE NEAR FUTURE.