What 54 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Lexus RX 350h

The contact owns a 2011 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH the front driver seat heater was activated and moments later smoke and flames were present coming from the center console of the vehicle. After stopping and exiting the vehicle the fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed and later towed away by the insurance company. No injuries were reported and no police or fire reports were taken. The cause of the fire was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted regarding the incident. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11613473

Rear control arms are rusted and can break and cause an accident.i went for an alignment and they couldn’t do the full alignment beater of the corrosion

NHTSA ODI 11586380

Tranmission failure around 100k miles. Spoke to few others with similar engine and transmission from lexus who had similar issues. This could be a widespread issue. Costs between 6 to 9 thousand dollars to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11585271

My 2011 Lexus RX350 was running fine as I ran errands for groceries and other items around town one day. Then, out of the blue, I realized that after returning home and parking in my garage, there was a trail of oil in my driveway, leading to my vehicle. I looked under the engine area and noticed a pool of oil. I had a certified mobile mechanic come to my home and provide a diagnosis. This diagnosis was that a hole had formed in the rubber Engine Oil Cooler Line, and drained nearly all the oil in my engine. He mentioned that one more mile and I could have had total engine failure. He proceeded to replace it with a new Genuine Lexus, all metal Oil Cooler Line. I contacted Lexus about this incident, but they provided no compensation for this occurrence, even though there was a short 4-year technical service bulletin they issued barely a year after production, that called out this was indeed a flaw in their design. After doing some research, I see this is a VERY common issue, with many in the past most recent years having this very issue. Yet, Lexus has not recalled this, nor reimbursed those that have suffered from this manufacture defect. I am really hoping that something can be done by NHTSA and/or Lexus to resolve this issue that I am certain is still plaguing thousands of Lexus owners on the road, and putting our and those around us' safety at risk. Surely, a part that obviously and very consistently degrades over the course of 5+ years so often, needs to be addressed and recalled for the sake of safety and integrity.

NHTSA ODI 11577357

I was driving my 2011 Lexus RX 350 on July 7, 2023, to a swimming pool. I was pulling into a parking spot just rolling to a stop with my foot on the brake. The car suddenly accelerated with grate speed and ran on the curb of the sidewalk forward to a small rock wall, I immediately turned the vehicle to the right and pressed down on the brakes, but the vehicle kept moving about 45 feet and came to a stop after crushing another two vehicles in the parking lot. These two vehicles were destroyed and not repairable according to the insurance company. For my car the right front side was crushed and both airbags on the drive side deployed, and my chest and legs were injured by the airbags. The biggest injury was my mental injury which made me unable to return to normal life.

NHTSA ODI 11533038

On Saturday July 15, 2023, at between about 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. CDST the vehicle was parked overnight in a garage, spontaneously caught fire and burned and was a total loss. There was a smell I would associate with an electrical fire. People reported hearing a car alarm and a "popping sound" before the fire. The fire department extinguished the fire and had the car towed out of the garage of a condominium association. Fire damage to property (except the subject car) was minimal but there was extensive smoke. In my opinion based on this incident, electric/hybrid cars should not be parked indoors.

NHTSA ODI 11532457

Oil poured out under vehicle under right side passenger side from oil cooler line overnight in my garage. Lexus stated that I was lucky that this did not occur while driving as oil would have blown completely out due to the pressurized line and damaged the engine. There was no warning lights on. I backed the car out of the garage leaving a stream of oil and discovered the problem. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership as I never saw anything like this. According to Lexus service representative this is a known defect and has been upgraded by Lexus to a solid metal line at failure only but only for a specific amount of time. (Evidently the vehicle was manufactured with a part metal and part rubber coolant line that split on the rubber portion of the line.) Seems to me that this should have been a recall to prevent major damage to the vehicle and during driving hazard to consumer as the vehicle would stopped completely as oil would be blown out completely. My cost was estimated and paid for at $695.00. I think this should have been a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11495927

Oil cooler line ruptured while driving. Lexus issued an extended warranty to 12/31/2016 on the Oil Cooler Line. Lexus sent an advisory letter to owners of record several months prior to our purchase. Our dealer: Rohrich Lexus, did not inform us of the problem when purchased 09/2014. Nor did they address the problem when they serviced the vehicle in 08/16, an oil change. Now we have $500 plus in repair costs for the Oil Cooler Line replacement which could have been avoided if Rohrich Service Department had advised us of the Extended Warranty that covered our vehicle. THE OIL COOLER LINE WAS RUBBER AND THE FIX WAS A METAL LINE.

NHTSA ODI 11490775

The contact owns a 2011 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the AWD and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and discovered oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the oil cooler line was leaking. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to an authorized Lexus dealer for assistance. The contact expressed concerns that the failure could have resulted in loss of vehicle control due to traction, as well as a potential for the vehicle to catch on fire due to the oil leak. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11472746

I have never had any issues with the oil and this car has had all of its oil changes on time and regular. Last evening I was driving home and the low oil pressure light came on. Within moments I started hearing a knocking Noise. I parked the car cause I was at home at that time and I checked the next morning and there is no oil in the car now. There's oil all underneath the undercarriage. I looked online and found a story of another guy this happened to and it ended up being an oil cooler pipe. I guess these are rubber and there's a recall warranty notice on these. My car has not been driven since I parked it. Please advise. Car is included in this warranty recall.

NHTSA ODI 11442729

Something had broken causing oil draining out of the car while driving on the highway. The car lost power and I pulled over immediately and shut off the engine. I opened the hood and saw nothing wrong, however when I checked the oil, there was no oil. I then proceeded to look under the car and there was oil all over the under carriage. I then did a walk around and found oil all over the back side. Me and my family were stranded while we waited for a tow truck. We had the tow truck take the RX350 to the local Lexus (Kuni in Denver) dealership where this car has been serviced all its life. When I received the initial call from the service department, He had said he is 99% sure this is the oil cooler pipe. He then said this is a known defect in the design of this part. When I googled "RX350 oil cooler pipe" numerous complaints came back. The initial design is rubber and now they installed one that is metal. This could have been fatal if we had traffic near us. Also this could have major damage to the engine. This should have been recalled however Lexus decided not to and just call it a warranty notice. Even with all the information out there about this highly defective part, the dealership would not cover the cost and told us to directly deal with Lexus. If anyone is reading this, and you have not change out this part, I would get this done! It is not an if this will happen, it is when it will happen. The design of this pipe is elementary and will fail. I thought Lexus being a luxury manufacturer would take more care with their customers! But as you can see, they are not.

NHTSA ODI 11425648

While driving Brake & Abs warning lights displayed on the dash with the warning brake malfunction, Took it to the shop they diagnose Bad brake module. My brake pads & rotors and all scedule maintenance uptodate.

NHTSA ODI 11418926

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LEXUS RX 450H. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT SUSTAINED INJURIES (BODY SORENESS) BUT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED DURING THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11415932

AIRBAGS FAILED DURING A MAJOR ACCIDENT

NHTSA ODI 11415950

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LEXUS RX 450H. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT A STANDSTILL, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER LEXUS OF RICHMOND (9703 MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE, RICHMOND, VA 23235, (804) 323-8000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE BRAKE BOOSTER TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 168,000.

NHTSA ODI 11394490

MY 2011 LEXUS RX 350 HAS A FRONT TIMING COVER LEAK. TO FIX THE FRONT TIMING COVER LEAK, THE DEALERSHIP HAS AN ESTIMATED PRICE OF $4,000.00. IN ORDER TO REPLACE A GASKET ON THE TIMING COVER, MANY ACCESSORIES AND PARTS NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. I THINK IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE ENGINE IS LOSING OIL AND IT STOPS RUNNING. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT IS A POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN, OR A MANUFACTURER ERROR. IN ORDER TO REPLACE A SIMPLE GASKET, IT REQUIRES MONUMENTAL EFFORT AND EXPENSE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER GASKETS IN THE CAR ENGINE THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND LASTS MUCH LONGER.

NHTSA ODI 11373612

OUR 2011 LEXUS RX 350 OIL COOLER LINE FAILED CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE. A FAMILY MEMBER WAS DRIVING AND THE LOSS OF MOTOR OIL COULD HAVE LOCKED THE ENGINE AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. LEXUS IS WILLING TO PAY FOR THE PART, BUT NOT REPAIR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FAILED OIL COOLER LINE.

NHTSA ODI 11364387

AS WE WERE DRIVING, MY CAR SUDDENLY STARTED RUNNING ROUGH, ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING, CAR THEN SLOWED DOWN, SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, AND THEN CAR ABRUPTLY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. WE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A SAFE PLACE UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED TO TOW IT AWAY. I RESEARCHED AND LEARNED THRU SEVERAL MEDIA RELEASES THAT A SAFETY RECALL WAS RECENTLY ISSUED AND CURRENTLY IN AFFECT TO COVER THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE IN SEVERAL TOYOTA AND LEXUS MODELS. 1.8 MILLION CARS ARE AFFECTED UNDER THIS SAFETY RECALL. MY CAR EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL ISSUE AND UPON MECHANIC'S INSPECTION WAS CONFIRMED TO HAVE A FAILED/FAULTY FUEL PUMP THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. CAR IS UNUSABLE, REPAIR IS COSTLY AND SHOULD BE COVERED DUE TO NATURE OF DEFECT, UNDER THE RECALL. WE'VE COME TO TRUST THE TOYOTA AND LEXUS BRAND AS WE'VE ONLY OWNED TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES OVER SEVERAL YEARS. THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS DANGEROUS/UNACCEPTABLE AND HOPE WE'LL RECEIVE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WE'VE COME TO EXPECT AND APPRECIATE AS LOYAL CUSTOMERS. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11323323

SPIRAL CABLE: HORN HAS STOPPED WORKING

NHTSA ODI 11282451

HYDRAULIC HOOD SUPPORTS FAILED CAUSING HOOD TO FALL SUDDENLY ALMOST STRIKING CHILD. NO OTHER SUPPORTS AVAILABLE UNDER HOOD TO PREVENT HARM OR INJURY. SIMILAR REPAIR WAS PROVIDED FOR TRUNK ON 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA BY MANUFACTURE DUE TO SAFETY CONCERN. THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN THAT SHOULD NEVER FAIL DUE TO RISK OF SERIOUS HEAD OR NECK INJURY. PLEASE RESPOND BACK.

NHTSA ODI 11265838

HOW CAN I CONFIRM THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS NOT BEEN DISABLED?

NHTSA ODI 11258776

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR AND BEGAN BREAKING BEHIND TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT. I WAS PRESSING DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS I COULD, THE TIRES BEGAN TO GRIND AND I COULD HEAR AND FEEL THE ENGINE REVVING BECAUSE THE CAR WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. WHEN THE CAR WAS FAILING TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, I PUT THE CAR IN THE "PARK" GEAR. THE CAR QUICKLY CORRECTED WHAT WAS GOING WRONG. THIS WAS THE THIRD OCASSION AND MOST SEVERE. IT'S BEEN MORE THAN TWO YEARS OR SO SINCE THE FIRST TWO OCCURRENCES. I REPORTED THE FIRST TWO INSTANCES, WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN TO LEXUS FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE SERVICE. THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY DEFECT. THE FIRST OCCASIONS, I WAS ON A PARKING LOT DRIVING SLOWLY LOOKING A PLACE TO PART AT A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11256477

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, NOTICED SMOKE EMERGING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE POLICE WAS ALSO PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A THIRD PARTY COMPANY EVALUATED IT, THEY DIAGNOSTIC WAS UNKNOWN CAUSE FOR THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11210626

MY 2011 LEXUS RX350 HAS RUBBER OIL COOLER HOSE AND LEXUS USA WILL NOT REPLACE THE PRESSURIZED RUBBER HOSE DESPITE KNOWN INCIDENTS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE PART. ON SOME RX350 MODELS, LEXUS HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND REPLACEMENT IN CASE THE PART IS LEAKING OIL, BUT I WAS TOLD BY LEXUS THAT MY PARTICULAR VIN IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT EVEN IF I HAD THE WARRANTY, LEXUS WILL NOT PREEMPTIVELY REPLACE THE PART, DESPITE 1) SAFETY CONCERN OF FAILURE ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS AND FIRE HAZARD RISK, 2) POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AS THE LINE WOULD RUPTURE AND ALL OIL WOULD BE LOST WITHIN SECONDS AND ENGINE WOULD SEIZE AND 3) POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE OF LOSS 6.4 QUARTS OF OIL OVER ROADWAYS. PLEASE CONSIDER ADVISING LEXUS TO DO A SAFETY RECALL ON ALL RUBBER OIL COOLER HOSE PARTS. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11192540

CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT

NHTSA ODI 11166379