Service Brakes. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Structure. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

8 reports

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125,000 miles · Sep 23, 2020

Engine

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I PURCHASED A USED 2007 LEXUS RX350 FOR MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. IT HAD A LITTLE OVER 100K MILES. EVERYTHING WORKED PERFECTLY, NO COMPLAINTS WHATSOEVER. UNTIL, MY SON BORROWED IT, AND WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT, HE SAID IT QUIT. HE LOST ALL POWER STEERING, SO HE PULLED OVER. WE CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW IT TO A MECHANIC. WHEN THE MECHANIC CALLED ME, HE SAID THE OIL COOLING LINE BUSTED, WHICH MADE THE OIL PUMP EMPTY THE ENGINE'S OIL. HE SAID IT WOULD NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. HE SAID THE CAR IS WORTH NOTHING. I PAID $9K FOR THIS CAR A YEAR AGO, AND NOW IT IS NOT WORTH $100. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA/LEXUS, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. TO ME - THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IN MY OPINION, SINCE TOYOTA KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT DIDN'T RECALL IT, THEY EITHER NEED TO COVER THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE, OR BUY THE CAR BACK FROM ME. I AM VERY UPSET OVER THIS.

NHTSA ODI #11360610

140,000 miles · Feb 13, 2020

EnginePower Train

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ON HIGHWAY. WITHIN A FEW MILES, THE HOOD BEGAN TO SMOKE, SO IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER. TOWED TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD WATER PUMP FAILURE CAUSED ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. ENGINE IS DESTROYED.

NHTSA ODI #11308978

90,000 miles · Oct 12, 2019

EnginePower Train

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WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I HEARD A NOISE. 1-3 MINUTES LATER, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER (A MILE AWAY), DESPITE THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATING NO URGENCY. THEY SAID MY OIL COOLER LINE BLEW, LEAKED OUT ALL MY OIL AND DESTROYED MY ENGINE WITHIN MINUTES. I CAME TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THIS CATASTROPHIC, ENGINE-DESTROYING OIL LINE RUPTURE IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO LEXUS (LIKE THE VVT LINE) BUT FOR SOME REASON WAS NEVER RECALLED DESPITE IT BEING JUST AS CATASTROPHIC/DANGEROUS. LEXUS CHOSE TO USE A CHEAPER RUBBER HOSE INSTEAD OF A METAL PIPE WHEN THE RUBBER HOSE CAN'T TAKE THOSE HIGH TEMPS AND WILL BLOW. 100% LIKELIHOOD THIS WILL HAPPEN'JUST A MATTER OF WHEN. I RESEARCHED IT AND THERE ARE MILLIONS OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS CARS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM'EVERY SINGLE '07-'11 RX 350 PLUS MANY TOYOTAS. LEXUS WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT CHOSE NOT TO FIX IT. EXCEPT IN CANADA, THERE WAS A MANDATORY RECALL AND THIS PART WAS REPLACED. FOR SOME HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS REASON, THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE. WHY? IT'S DANGEROUS ENOUGH TO RECALL IN CANADA, BUT NOT THE US? INSTEAD OF RECALLING, US LEXUS ISSUED AN INSUFFICIENT 36 MONTH WARRANTY TO REPLACE IT, BUT ONLY IF IT BLEW DURING THIS TIME. IF IT DIDN'T LEAK WITHIN THAT TIME, YOU'RE SCREWED. LEXUS MESSED UP ITS VIN TRACKING SYSTEM, SO PEOPLE WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS WARRANTY. FOR THOSE WHO WERE, THE ISSUE WAS DOWNPLAYED AS SIMPLY AN 'OIL SEEP' INSTEAD OF AN OIL LINE EXPLOSION WHICH DESTROYS THE ENGINE. CUSTOMERS WERE NOT TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THE DEFECT SO WE COULD FIX IT PROACTIVELY AND SPARE US THE DEATH OF A CAR WITH ONLY 90K MILES. GOOGLE THIS PROBLEM TO SEE THE THOUSANDS OF POSTS/COMPLAINTS ON TOYOTA/LEXUS WEBSITES. THERE NEEDS TO BE A MANDATORY RECALL AND/OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE WHOSE ENGINES WERE DESTROYED BY LEXUS' KNOWN DEFECT. PLEASE TAKE ACTION! PLEASE.

NHTSA ODI #11268034

187,000 miles · Sep 13, 2019

EngineFire

SEVER OIL LEAK AND ENGINE STOP AND SMOKE STARTED COMING

NHTSA ODI #11255393

110,000 miles · Jul 28, 2018

Engine

THE OIL COOLING LINE IN MY 2007 RX 350 FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING ALL OIL TO BE LOST FROM THE ENGINE AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. I WAS ON A HIGHWAY DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE CEASED AND WAS COMPLETELY RUINED WITH ONLY 110,000 IN MILEAGE. I DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF ANY RE…

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NHTSA ODI #11114248

167,000 miles · Oct 2, 2017

Engine

THE OIL PRESSURE HOSE BUSTED. I TOOK MY CAR TO LEXUS AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE RUBBER HOSE WITH A METAL ONE. I PURCHASED THE METAL HOSE AND HAD IT REPLACED. OIL HAD ALREADY LEAKED OUT TO THE POINT THAT CAUSE MY ENGINE TO LOCK UP

NHTSA ODI #11031392

125,000 miles · Jul 22, 2015

EngineFuel/propulsion System

OIL COOLER LINE LEAK ENGINE OIL EMPTY

NHTSA ODI #10735651

104,000 miles · Nov 26, 2013

Engine

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TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING POWER AND EVENTUALLY STALLED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DID NOTHING MORE THAN REMOVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. INDEPENDENT SHOP MADE ME AWARE OF LEXUS BULLETIN REGARDING 2GR-FSE ENGINE AND SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. I REVIEWED BULLETIN AND VERIFIED SYMPTOMS WERE EFFECTIVELY IDENTICAL TO THOSE I EXPERIENCED. VEHICLE TOWED TO JACK SAFRO LEXUS OF BROOKFIELD, WI AND LEXUS CORPORATE WAS CONTACTED BY ME AT THAT TIME. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND TWO OF THE THREE BOLTS HOLDING BANK ONE VVT IN PLACE HAD COME LOOSE AND WERE RESTING INSIDE THE CRANKCASE. THE THIRD BOLT WAS ~50% OUT WHEN IT SHEARED OFF AND VVT FAILURE CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. LEXUS CORPORATE WAS ASKED BY ME REPEATEDLY TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION WITH AN ENGINEER FAMILIAR TO THE SYSTEM AND TO EVALUATE THIS (2GR-FE) FOR POTENTIALLY THE SAME ROOT CAUSE AS THE ISSUE NOTED IN THE BULLETIN. LEXUS WAS MADE AWARE, UP TO THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL, THAT THE FAILURE MODE WAS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT DESCRIBED AND EVIDENCE OF FAILURE WAS REPEATEDLY OFFERED. LEXUS CORPORATE CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #10553901

Official recalls

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

RQ10003 · Unintended And Uncontrolled Acceleration

Opened Feb 16, 2010 · Closed Mar 1, 2011

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:software; Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

On February 16, 2010, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened RQ10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior Toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, Toyota recalls 07E-082, 09V-388, 10V-017, and 10V-023.NHTSA also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.I. Pedal Interference from Floor mats, Carpet Covers and Plastic Pads in Carpets.During the RQ10-003 investigation, ODI reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.Following the agency's analysis, NHTSA requested that Toyota recall additional vehicles.Toyota complied with the agency's request.The details of these recalls are set forth more fully in Toyota's reports to NHTSA pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573.These recalls are as follows:Recall 11V-112: (1) model year (MY) 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid; and, (2) MY 2004-2007 Lexus RX330,RX350, and RX400h (hybrid model). The total estimated population under this recall is 769,379 vehicles.This recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by a loose floor carpet cover (trim panel). Recall 11V-113: (1) MY 2003-2009 through 2009 Toyota 4Runner; (2) MY 2006-2010 Toyota RAV4; and, (3) MY 2008-2011 Lexus LX570.The total estimated population under this recall is 1,381,000 vehicles.This recall supplements recall 09V-388 and remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured floor mat.Recall 11V-115: (1) MY 2006-2007 Lexus GS300 (all wheel drive vehicles); and, (2) MY 2006-2007 Lexus GS350 (all wheel drive vehicles). The total estimated population under this recall is 19,647 vehicles.This recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by inadequate clearance between the pedal linkage and a plastic pad embedded in the vehicle's carpet.II. Potential Electronic Causes of Unintended Acceleration.After NHTSA opened RQ10-003, NHTSA launched a ten-month study of potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.NHTSA launched the study in the spring of 2010 in light of concerns aired in Congressional hearings.NHTSA enlisted engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with expertise in areas such as computer controlled electronic systems, electromagnetic interference and software integrity to assess whether electronic systems or electromagnetic interference played a role in incidents of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.That study has concluded.Two reports are associated with the study and are available on NHTSA's website.NASA's report is entitled Technical Support to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the Reported Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Unintended Acceleration (UA) Investigation, NESC Assessment No. TI-10-00618 (Jan. 18, 2011).NHTSA's report is entitled Technical Assessment of Toyota Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Systems (Feb. 2011).Both reports should be read in conjunction with each other. As stated in its report, NASA did not find an electronic cause of large throttle openings that can result in unintended acceleration incidents. NHTSA did not find a vehicle-based cause of unintended acceleration incidents other than the physical pedal interference causes that are being addressed by Toyota's recalls. This RQ is closed.

Additional source detail variants (6)

Electrical System:software

Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal