OIL LEAK WHILE DRIVING - ENGINE OIL COOLING PIPE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #L-SB-0154-11 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN# ZLC TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # POL14-02
2008 Lexus Rx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Lexus Rx do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 29.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Rx years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
38 reports with mileage · 32 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
70 reportsOIL COOLER LINE MALFUNCTIONED. MAJOR OIL LEAK, TOWED VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. HOPEFULLY NO ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS WAS REPLACED BY LEXUS DEALER IN 09, THEY USED A RUBBER HOSE ASSEMBLY INSTEAD OF THE NEW METAL PIPE REDESIGN.
AIRBAG/SEATBELT PASSENGER LIGHT WARNING IS ON AND NOT FUNCTIONAL. TIRE LIGHT WARNING IS ALSO ON AND COULD NOT BE RESET.
3.5 L ENGINE HAS PROBLEMS WITH OIL COOLING PIPE/HOSE. IT LEAKS OIL EVERY 4 TO 5 YEARS. DANGER IS EMPTYING THE MOTOR OIL WITHOUT NOTICE. ONE CAN EASILY BURN THE ENGINE IF GONE UNNOTICED. AND GET STRANDED ANYWHERE WITHOUT WARNING.
THE DRIVER SEATBELT GETTING TIGHT. IT IS HARD TO PULL OUT AND HARD TO WITHDRAW.
MY OIL LINE BURST ON MY LEXUS RX 350 SUV AND CAUSED SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE AS A RESULT. THIS IS A VERY LARGE LEAK WHICH COVERS THE GROUND, ENGINE, AND UNDERCARRIAGE. IF THE OIL LINE RUPTURES WHILE DRIVING, THE LOW ENGINE OIL MESSAGE AND ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNINGS WILL ILLUMINATE (WHICH IT DID NOT, NO WARNING, NO ILLUMINATION OF …
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MY OIL LINE BURST ON MY LEXUS RX 350 SUV AND CAUSED SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE AS A RESULT. THIS IS A VERY LARGE LEAK WHICH COVERS THE GROUND, ENGINE, AND UNDERCARRIAGE. IF THE OIL LINE RUPTURES WHILE DRIVING, THE LOW ENGINE OIL MESSAGE AND ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WARNINGS WILL ILLUMINATE (WHICH IT DID NOT, NO WARNING, NO ILLUMINATION OF LIGHTS) AND WILL RESULT IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OIL STARVATION.THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEN ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF AT THE SAME TIME WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE TO START THE CAR, AND IT WAS TOWED IMMEDIATELY TO A SERVICE CENTER AND WAS NOT DRIVEN WHEN THE PANEL LITE UP (THE WHOLE PANEL ILLUMINATED WITH WARNINGS IN EVERY CATEGORY WITH NO WARNING TO INCLUDE TIRE PRESSURE, OIL LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT, AIR BAG, SRS, MASTER LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, POWER STEERING LIGHT, ELECTRIC CHARGING SYSTEM LIGHT). THE CAR HAS NO DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE INDICATING THIS COULD NOT BE THE CAUSE. THE MECHANIC REPORTS A DEFECT IN THE OIL LINE/PUMP, IT CRACKED AND SHOULD NOT HAVE. THEY ARE REPORTING A VERY LARGE LEAK THAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED THUS DAMAGING THE ENTIRE ENGINE VERY QUICKLY. WITH A RUPTURE OF THIS MAGNITUDE NO OIL TO THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE WILL BE IRREPARABLY DAMAGED, YOU CANNOT JUST REPLACE . YOU CANNOT REPAIR SUCH A MASSIVE OIL LEAK WITHOUT WARNING BECAUSE THE DAMAGE CAN BE DONE IMMEDIATELY WITH SUCH A SEVERE LOSS SO SUDDENLY. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS A CATASTROPHE ON A CAR THAT IS IN PERFECT CONDITION, WELL MAINTAINED FOR ALL SERVICES WITH ONLY 77,000 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY
I HAVE REGULARLY MAINTAINED MY LEXUS RX AT AN INDEPENDENT LEXUS SHOP. WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED/RUNNING, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY, WITHOUT ANY WARNING NOISE OR DASHBOARD ALERT, STOPPED. AFTER THE CAR FAILED TO RESTART, I SUSPECTED IT NEEDED A BATTERY JUMP. HOWEVER AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY, THE CAR STILL DID NOT START. THE CAR WAS…
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I HAVE REGULARLY MAINTAINED MY LEXUS RX AT AN INDEPENDENT LEXUS SHOP. WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED/RUNNING, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY, WITHOUT ANY WARNING NOISE OR DASHBOARD ALERT, STOPPED. AFTER THE CAR FAILED TO RESTART, I SUSPECTED IT NEEDED A BATTERY JUMP. HOWEVER AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY, THE CAR STILL DID NOT START. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LEXUS SHOP-DAVENPORT, WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT VALVE SPRINGS HAD DROPPED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE/LOCK. THE SHOP NOTIFIED ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO EITHER GET A NEW ENGINE OR HAVE IT REPAIRED, BOTH OPTIONS WOULD COST >$8500USD. THIS IS UPSETTING BECAUSE MY CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED, THERE WERE NO WARNINGS, AND IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR LEFT ME TOTALLY STRANDED.
TAKATA RECALL DASHBOARD IS CRACKING AND I DID NOT GET THE RECALL TO HAVE IT REPLACED.
THE OIL COOLER LINE DEVELOPED A PIN HOLE LEAK IN IT IN WHICH IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL IN WHICH THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING GRINDING NOISES UNTIL I STOPPED THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED ON MY 2008 LEXUS AND LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE, LEXUS CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE PART IN 2011 AFTER CONCERNS OF FAILURE OF TH…
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THE OIL COOLER LINE DEVELOPED A PIN HOLE LEAK IN IT IN WHICH IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL IN WHICH THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING GRINDING NOISES UNTIL I STOPPED THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED ON MY 2008 LEXUS AND LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE, LEXUS CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE PART IN 2011 AFTER CONCERNS OF FAILURE OF THIS PART. THERE WAS A SECTION OF THE PART THAT WAS A RUBBER HOSE IN BETWEEN TWO METAL LINES. LEXUS CHANGED THIS PART TO MAKE IT ONE WHOLE METAL LINE IN 2011. FOR SOME REASON FROM 2007 TO 2011 THIS PART WAS NOT RECALLED AND STILL HAS THE RUBBER HOSE OIL LINE ON IT. IT COSTED ME SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE THIS PART AND COULD OF DESTROYED MY ENGINE AS WELL OR AT LEAST LIMITED THE ENGINE LIFE SINCE IT WAS WITHOUT OIL FOR A COUPLE MILES. I'M CONCERNED THAT IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND LEAKED OIL ON THE ROAD TO THE POINT OF MY VEHICLE BEING EMPTY AND COULD OF SEIZED UP MY ENGINE AS WELL WHICH BOTH ARE SAFETY CONCERNS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. LEXUS OBVIOUSLY KNEW OF THE PART ISSUE TO CHANGE IT'S DESIGN IN 2012 BUT STILL DOESN'T HAVE A RECALL ON IT. NOT SURE IF I'M BUYING ANOTHER LEXUS BECAUSE OF THIS.
AUTOMATIC REAR DOOR DOES NOT OPEN IN HOTTER WEATHER. VEHICLE IS CONSISTENTLY GARAGED. LATCH ON REAR DOOR MELTS AND BLACK GOOEY TAR RUBS OFF ON FINGERS AND HANDS WHEN OPENING DOOR. DEALER SAID TO REPLACE THIS MELTED TAR LIKE DOOR LATCH IS $650. AUTOMATIC DOOR DOES NOT OPEN IN HEAT. LEXUS SAYS THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS.
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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