NHTSA Complaint #11488109 — 2009 LEXUS RX

Oil leaked substantially while driving on the Highway. As we were slowing down on WB I-94 due to construction, our red oil light was on, and then flashing. The car was driven for about 1.5 miles from the initial lit to a safe location (local Honda dealership) where it was determined that the vehicle was no longer drivable. Engine light and all other warning lights were also on as we arrived in the Honda service garage. Upon inspection, 4 quarts of oil were lost and Lexus service center later confirmed that the rubber oil cooler tubes were broken and had to be replaced by the metal ones. Both Lexus Service & Lexus Corp had confirmed that the defective parts for Lexus RX350 year models 2007 - 2011 were installed. They later issued a campaign to have them replaced with the metal tubes. The incident was quite a safety hazard to us (my wife and I) because had we maintained our normal highway speed, there could have been a catastrophic engine failure due to low or no oil. If this happened at night, we would have been stranded on the highway and in the worst case scenario, the engine would have blown up and could have caused fire. After filing a complaint with Lexus Corp and seeking reimbursement for the repairs, Lexus refused to accept the claim, saying that my car was out of warranty. They claimed that notices were sent out, but we never received such notices. The initial representative said the notice was sent out September 2014, but the case manager later said it was October 2015 (very inconsistent here). Meanwhile, I had another recall service done on April 4, 2016, which overlapped with their extended warranty campaign period (01.31.16 to 03.02.19) for these defective tubes, but we were never notified about this. The fact that Lexus did not issue a recall campaign for this is erroneous. Sudden catastrophic engine failures or potential failures is definitely a safety concern. This issue has been documented widely online and is prevalent within the Lexus community.