2015 LEXUS NX200T — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 LEXUS NX200T. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

ON OCTOBER 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 PM I WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC CRASH WHERE MY DRIVER AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING A T-BONE COLLISION AT SPEEDS OF 35-40 MPH.I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER CAME THROUGH A SIDE ROAD WITHOUT STOPPING. THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE IMPACTED THE DRIVERS DOOR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED. THE OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED HAD THEIR AIRBAGS DEPLOY PROTECTING THEM FROM THE COLLISION. I WAS PROPERLY RESTRAINED WITH MY SEATBELT, HOWEVER, SUSTAINED INJURY TO MY CHEST FROM IMPACTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. ADDITIONALLY MY VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR SERVICE AND AT NO TIME DID I HAVE ANY TROUBLE LIGHTS OR NOTIFICATION TO INDICATE THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES, SPECIFICALLY THE FRONT OF MY CAR MAKING IT INOPERABLE. PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AND A POLICE REPORT IS CURRENTLY BEING PREPARED BY THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL.

I WAS PARALLEL PARKING IN MY WORK PARKING LOT. AS I WAS TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT TO BACK INTO THE SPACE, I FELT A JOLT IN THE STEERING WHEEL & HEARD A NOISE WHICH I BELIEVED WAS JUST A ROCK SLIPPING FROM UNDER THE TIRE SO I IGNORED IT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I GET BACK TO MY CAR TO PULL OUT OF THE SPACE. AS I'M TURNING THE WHEEL, I FELT THE JOLT AGAIN AND IT WAS MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE. AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO PULL OUT, THE CAR WAS NOT MOVING. SOMETHING MUST HAVE BEEN WRONG. I LOOK UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE; FIRST UNDER THE DRIVERS (LEFT) SIDE, AND THEN TO THE PASSENGER (RIGHT) SIDE. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED THE INNER TIE ROD WAS SNAPPED IN HALF ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS EXPLAINS WHY MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE SINCE THE TWO WHEELS WERE FACING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. WITH THE TIE ROD SNAPPED, THE RIGHT WHEEL WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE STEERING RACK. LET ME SAY THAT MY CAR WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, NOR DID I EVER HIT ANYTHING ON THE ROAD, HIT A CURB, OR RUN ANYTHING OVER WHILE DRIVING. I CALLED LEXUS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED & THE SERVICE ADVISER TOLD ME IT'S COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOW THE CAR TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP, INVESTIGATE TO SEE HOW THE PART FAILED & DETERMINED THE THEY CANNOT COVER IT BECAUSE THE TIE ROD LOOKED BENT. THEY SAID THE ROD MUST HAVE BEEN BENT PRIOR TO SNAPPING IN HALF. MY ARGUMENT WAS IF THAT WERE THE CASE, I WOULD FEEL IT IN THE STEERING/ALIGNMENT WHILE DRIVING. COULD THE SNAPPING/CRACK AND TURNING OF THE WHEEL CAUSE A BEND IN THE TIE ROD? CERTAINLY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE CRACK IN THE TIE ROD OTHER THAN A FAULTY ROD AND THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T GIVE ME A DEFINITE ANSWER. I WOULD THINK OTHER COMPONENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN BENT IF THERE WERE ANY PRIOR IMPACT OR ACCIDENT. THIS SHOULD NOT FAIL IN 3 YEARS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING! IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING, I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT! PLEASE INVESTIGATE!

IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR (2017) THE SUV STARTED BLOWING EXTREMELY HOT AIR OUT OF THE HVAC SYSTEM DESPITE IT SET FOR THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE POSSIBLE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO KEEP IT FROM BLOWING HOT AIR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE SUV HAD TO BE TAKEN IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE "ACCUATORS" HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE SYSTEM. THIS WEEK THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE SUV HAD TO BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SAME EXACT REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THIS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE BUT TO US HERE IN ARIZONA THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS YOUR CAR CAN GET TO 150-200 DEGREES IF IT SITS IN THE SUN FOR AN HOUR AND WE HAVE A 10 MONTH OLD INFANT. IF WE WERE FORCED TO TRANSPORT HER A LONG DISTANCE WITH THE A/C BLOWING THE HOTTEST AIR POSSIBLE INTO AN ALREADY SCORCHING CAR IT COULD BE LIFE-THREATENING.

MY CAR WAS TOTALED AND THE AIRBAGS DIDNT DEPLOY.