What 35 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Lexus Nx200t

The vehicle has 119285 miles on it. I have started to see oil leak from the transfer-case/transmission. I called lexus back in August 2023, they were aware of certain vehicle developing oil leak problems. They issued recall on certain vehicles and issued a TSB for oil leak repair. I called lexus today and took the vehicle to the dealership. There is an understanding that my vehicle won't be covered under recall even though the problem is known to lexus. This issue may lead to unexpected breakdown of the vehicle and lead to loose of control of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11620638

Left work for work in the morning and as I turned off my street to get onto a main street, I drive a block and the Check Engine Light appears and message appears on my console State "AWD System Malfuction." See Dealership Service. Drove to the dealership to drop off my care, and after 3 days of inspecting my car, the service specialist messaged me with a service summary of a list of items that need to be repaired to have my car run safely again. The total service totaling over 10k, which included repair head cylinder, valve guides, gasket, valve exhaust, cylinder head gasket cover. After speaking to the Service Specialist, he told me the issue is what they refer to "engine wrap" where the cover to the engine distorts (due to heat and time) and messes with the engine itself. He informed me this is a known issue that can occur with the 2015 NX200t.

NHTSA ODI 11611724

I purchased this vehicle in 2015 - it has been dealer serviced and has never been in an accident. At just under 90,000 miles on the odometer, a major fluid leak started. It turns out that the rear main (crankshaft) seal had failed, causing a leak of transmission oil. No warning lamps or messages appeared. This failure resulted in an extraordinarily expensive repair, over $2,500.00 at the dealer, Lexus of Greenwood Village (Colorado). It was not covered on warranty. This is a major safety issue - had I not noticed the leak, which occurred without warning, the engine could have seized on a highway, leading to a crash. This failed seal should be designed to last far longer than 90,000 miles. Premature failure of this kind is highly likely secondary to a defect in design or materials. I have complained to Lexus, which is unwilling to take any responsibility for this. Please investigate as to whether a recall is warranted, and whether the manufacturer should be responsible for the repair of this obvious defect. Thanks.

NHTSA ODI 11548062