NHTSA Complaint #11176626 — 2009 LEXUS RX350

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING 65 MPH AND STRAIGHT, AND SOMEONE FLAGGED ME DOWN TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY CAR WAS SMOKING. NONE OF MY SAFETY LIGHTS HAD APPEARED ON MY DASH. I PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE BACK OF MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN OIL AND I HAD A FAST OIL LEAK UNDERNEATH MY CAR TOWARD THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I CERTAINLY SPRAYED OIL ON THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE HIGHWAY, POTENTIALLY CAUSING VISIBILITY ISSUES FOR OTHER DRIVERS. I ALSO LEAKED OIL ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING A POTENTIAL CONCERN FOR OTHER DRIVERS. IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS MALFUNCTION, COUPLED WITH HIGHWAY SPEED, COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTANTLY LOST. FOUND A NEARBY AUTO SHOP AND CHECKED MY OIL DIP STICK - IT WAS COMPLETELY DRY. NEARLY ALL OF MY OIL HAD LEAKED OUT. I WAS TOWED 100 MILES HOME AND TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THEY DID AN ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A GROSS OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE OIL COOLER PIPE (MADE OF RUBBER) WHICH RUNS FROM THE FILTER ADAPTER TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. LEXUS IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION (ATTACHED) FOR THE FAULTY PART, BUT THE PART HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED.