Engine Clicking And Tapping Noises Problems of Lexus RX350

Parked in driveway in back of house, beside deck after short trip to store. Smelled a melting smell outside. Maybe five minutes later the smell started coming inside the house. We looked outside and saw smoke and thought the house was on fire. We went outside and there was smoke and flames coming from under the hood. Sprayed car with fire extinguisher, which did nothing, then used water hose to spray front of car to keep from the house catching on fire. Car was making popping noises, large amounts of smoke and strong smell. All neighbors came over it was strong. Fire department spent over an hour putting out fire and used their whole tank of water. Front end melted, tires popped, dashboard and windshield destroyed. Cause is unknown.

See all problems of the 2011 Lexus RX350 🔎.

Ticking noises when cold start for first 15 minutes.

See all problems of the 2008 Lexus RX350 🔎.

Our vehicle has always been serviced at the local Lexus dealership and maintained in excellent condition. Without warning, on 3/5/14, as we were exiting the freeway, we smelled a slight burning odor. The oil light then flashed intermittently. We immediately took the vehicle to the Lexus dealership. We were informed there was only 1 quart out of 6 quarts of oil remaining. The rubber oil cooler lines had exploded, but we were assured there was no damage to the engine. The cost of repair was $400+. 1 week later, we heard a clicking sound from the engine. The dealership asked if we could make an appointment 5 days later. We insisted it be inspected that day. 3 days later we heard back that the engine had significant damage as a result of the rubber oil cooler lines exploding, and that it would cost $2,800 to diagnose, and between $3,800 to $5,800 to repair. We filed a claim with Lexus customer service due to the low miles on the vehicle, even though we were technically out of warranty. The dealership apparently told Lexus corporate that the vehicle would actually cost $12,000 to $14,000 to repair. The best Lexus corporate offered was reimbursement for the replacement of the rubber oil cooler lines. This is concerning for a number of reasons. Upon doing some research online, these particular oil lines made of steel and rubber have failed for dozens upon dozens of Lexus/Toyota customers. A very similarly designed rubber oil line for the vvt-I has already been quietly recalled by Lexus. Lexus no longer uses these materials for oil lines. We expected our vehicle to last well into 200,000 miles, but this was simply unacceptable. In the end, since we could not pay for the ridiculous repairs, we essentially were forced to trade it in for cash from the Lexus dealership. Please make Lexus/Toyota do a recall on these parts before someone is hurt or killed.

See all problems of the 2007 Lexus RX350 🔎.

I was driving down the street and my car started making a ticking noise. It got louder and would barely accelerate. It smelled like it was burning and it was smoking. Once I got it to the mechanic, he said my oil line burst and I all the oil gushed out. He said he has seen this problem many times before. Lexus said they have not heard of this issue, even though when my mechanic called they had over 200 of these parts in stock!.