NHTSA Complaint #11514608 — 2009 LEXUS RX

There is a known issue with the Toyota/Lexus 2GR-FE (w/ towing package). The engine is present in many V6 model year SUVs 2007-2011. The defect is with the oil cooler return lines for this engine equipped with the towing package. The issue is that a manufacturing defect with these hoses can occur slowly over the life of the vehicle or suddenly without warning. The rubber hoses used are susceptible to extreme and numerous hot-cold cycles due to a hot nearby catalyst. Over time or suddenly, the hoses will begin to deteriorate due to the hot-cold cycles causing accelerated wear on the defective rubber lines. This may manifest as a small amount of oil seepage at first, or may have no warning signs. When total failure of the hoses does occur, it is typically catastrophic and nearly immediate. Once these hoses do fail, oil will pour out of a low point in the oil cooler, emptying the engine of oil within 2 minutes. If the vehicle is driving while the failure occurs, within minutes oil pressure is completely lost from the crankcase, and catastrophic engine wear/failure will occur, sometimes within just seconds. Often, the engine oil light will not illuminate until several minutes after the hose has failed, typically too late to stop the engine in time. If a moving vehicle experiences catastrophic engine failure due to No Oil, the likelihood of a major safety issue is increased, due to the likelihood of a fire, hot oil pouring onto the roadway, and a loss of power steering control due to loss of engine power. Toyota released a TSB to address this issue, dated 2011, in which they acknowledged the poor design can lead to leaking and failing hoses. In most cases, the service is performed at the full cost of the customer (over $600). It seems millions of these vehicles have not been addressed, and are still on the road, Toyota should be compelled to resolve this defect and hazard at no customer cost under an extended recall.