SlashGear Flags 5 Lexus Engines for Reliability Risks, Including 126,691 Recalled Twin-Turbo V6s
Updated
Updated · SlashGear · May 17
SlashGear Flags 5 Lexus Engines for Reliability Risks, Including 126,691 Recalled Twin-Turbo V6s
1 articles · Updated · SlashGear · May 17
Five Lexus engines made SlashGear’s caution list, spanning the 1MZ-FE, 4GR-FSE, 1UR V8s, 2AZ-FXE and V35A-FTS used in models such as the ES 300, IS 250, HS 250h, GX 460 and LX 600.
126,691 U.S. vehicles with the V35A-FTS 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 were recalled because machining debris could damage crankshaft main bearings, causing knocking, stalling or complete engine failure.
3.5 million 1997-2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles were covered by a later settlement tied to 1MZ-FE oil-sludge issues, while the 4GR-FSE direct-injection V6 was handled through service bulletins and an expired nine-year support program.
The 1UR 4.6-liter V8 family drew recalls for valve-spring failures and fuel-leak fire risk, and the 2AZ-FXE hybrid four-cylinder received a warranty enhancement for excessive oil consumption in certain 2010-2012 HS 250h cars.
SlashGear said it excluded one-off complaints and focused on engines with official paper trails such as recalls, warranty extensions or service programs, while noting many repaired examples still run reliably.
Lexus is ranked #1 for reliability. How did five of its engines develop such catastrophic and widely-documented flaws?
Is buying a used Lexus now a bigger gamble than its reputation suggests, given these five problem engines?
Is 'machining debris' the real cause of new Lexus V6 failures, or is it a convenient excuse for a major design flaw?