NHTSA Complaint #11338518 — 2008 LEXUS IS

2008 LEXUS IS 250 EXHIBITS A BRIEF RATTLE NOISE (APPROXIMATELY 1-3 SECONDS) AT START-UP. THE ISSUE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHICH RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CAM GEAR ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING (VVT) SYSTEM. THE VVT GEAR HOUSING AND SPROCKET COULD SEPARATE AND RESULT IN THE ENGINE STOPPING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE SAME SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WERE SUBJECT OF THE TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395. THE RECALL EXCLUDED THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250, HOWEVER INCLUDED THE 2006-2011 LEXUS IS 350, 2010-2011 LEXUS IS 350C, AND THE 2006-2011 GS 350 MODELS. THE SAME DIAGNOSIS AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WAS DETERMINED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE MODELS ABOVE, BUT IS NOT IN THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250?