Clutchless

Here is an explanation of the timing cover oil leak problem from an independent Toyota/Lexus shop in Minnesota. They claim the leak issue has been around since 2007 and was largely resolved by 2010. Surprised to see it in a 2015, but there are always a few with issues when they are making hundreds of thousands of these engines.

http://carspecmn.com/toyota-and-lexu...nd-highlander/

DOCW3

Thanks for the information. Seems like many opportunities for missing steps in the reassembly process. Any suggestions on questions that should be asked or inspections when RX is returned to me? Also, any thoughts on problems that I might be alert for?

DOCW3

The repair invoice identified cause as, "Timing cover gasket porous and leaking at right cylinder head to block mating area." Appears that Basic and not Powertrain Warranty is being cited for coverage.

DOCW3

The invoice parts list for repairing the timing cover gasket leak has19 entries with 15 identified with the word "Gasket" (total quantity of 24 gaskets). I was surprised to find gaskets for the oil pan and cylinder heads. A reference showing clear detail for the cover would be appreciated. I have yet to hear from the dealer rationale for filing this repair as Basic Warranty coverage.

hovbuild

Found a leak on my 2012. They said it was a 16 hour job under warranty and a 22 hour not under it! Something about dropping the power train out of it to do the job. I thought they fixed this before 2012. I have a 8 months left under the warranty. I have a question I forgot to ask was do they replace the coolant and oil or do they recover it and reuse it?

hovbuild

Dropped the cars off Friday picked it up Tuesday. Talked to the tech and I am more than pleased with his work after putting it on my shops lift and removing the shrouds. The job showed the techs attention to detail and his pride in his work. All the fluids were replaced and the engine compartment looks like it almost just came off the line. I was going past the dealership yesterday and made a point to tell the managers, Service and dealership, how pleased I was with this guys work. I even handed him a 20 and said I was buying lunch. He wouldn't take it though.

ejm3

Brought my car into the dealer today for an oil change and some odd behavior that they couldn't explain.

But they did notice that I also have the infamous timing cover gasket leak, which I never heard of before.

They will fix it for the bargain-basement price of $3,600.

This is the last Lexus I will buy.

rfcbuf

After two service repairs for the timing chain cover leak on my 2015 RX 350 the problem has stopped (I Hope!!). I have a pic of an RX 350 in the dealership with a similar problem and indeed, the engine and whole front drive system was on the floor under the car to access the leaking cover. I was told the robots which squirt the liquid gasket material on the engines were not functioning properly on the Lexus production line at time of manufacture. You should contest the $3600 charge for fixing your problem as it certainly has a direct relationship with faulty manufacturing judging from all the complaints Lexus is receiving. Good Luck

vlad_a

Unfortunately, it is not guaranteed that the next manufacturer will not have some kind of a timing chain issue, be it leak, slack, tensioner, or otherwise.
Timing belts were very reliable in that regard and produced predictable service life. However, they had to be replaced at set intervals.
Non-serviceable timing chains have been the answer and a plague across the board. Many believe this to be intentional under-engineering for certain car brands in order to promote new sales.

At any rate, a call to Lexus corporate is in order: 800-25LEXUS

mandyfig

Under warranty of course and you have a loaner car?

ejm3

I know the car has almost 100k miles on it so things can go wrong but this is frustrating.
The entire reason I buy Toyota / Honda products is because of the reliability.
Honestly if I wanted $3,600 repair bills I would have bough a German equivalent.
Yes the Lexus is a nice car but not as rewarding to drive as the German SUV's.

But I don't like dealing with big repair bills so I thought the Lexus was a decent compromise.

Honestly my wife and I have owned Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura cars since we were old enough to drive.
In all that time I don't think I've put $3,600 TOTAL in any of those cars for repairs (excluding routine maint. and wear parts).
And we keep them at least 100k miles and a couple nearly twice that.

I would be extremely upset if I had a newer car like many of you and this was happening! Even if it was under warranty.

I will contact Lexus customer service but I visited the Acura dealer this weekend and I think I'm going to go the 2017 RDX or MDX route.

Clutchless

The usual pattern for this timing cover leak is that it is a small volume leak, it is hard to detect, it only makes a small mess, which can be wiped up periodically if you keep an eye on it. I have not heard of it getting worse and anyone having catastrophic engine oil loss and destruction from it. It is just a nuisance leak, like a valve cover gasket, that is barely visible, but it costs an insane amount of money to repair due to the design. I know that if it ever happens to mine, I will likely never tell anyone, never waste the money to fix it and just wipe up the oil and clean the engine, until I get rid of the vehicle. It may not be the most ethical thing, but my next vehicle will have received a $3600 discount.

ejm3

Agreed.
Even my service manager said if I was going to trade it in soon not to bother with it.
So now I will just trade it in sooner rather than later before it gets worse.

Also she said you won't really see any oil on the floor of your garage because there's a pan that catches it.

lexusrus

I agree that sometimes it is just better to "roll" with it.

I will venture to guess in a "German EQUIVALENT SUV", YOU WILL HAVE FAR MORE PROBLEMS (A LOT MORE DISABLING AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED) than the Lexus RX.

glerobi

[QUOTE=TeeDog;9485095]Hi everyone:
I just purchased a used 2015 RX350 7,500 miles from a BMW dealer a week ago.

Within a few days I noticed transmission fluid on my garage floor, took it to the Lexus Dealer and they found the upper transmission case seal leaking and also discovered oil leaking from the engine timing cover.
They got approval from the factory, and had to pull the motor replace the timing cover seal.

This caused quite a concern that the motor had to be removed to perform the work.

Here I had the car for just a few days and now the dealer is having to pull the motor out of vehicle with only 7,500 miles on it.
While all the work was done under warranty, I just was shocked that my first interaction was the motor was going to have to be pulled.

This appears to be a common problem requiring an expensive fix.
The issue occurred on my 2015 RX350 at 31,000 miles.

Its been going on for so long, must be planed cost recovery.