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Engine & cooling

2005 Lexus RX400H Engine problems

Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2005 Lexus RX400H's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 7% of all its complaints, most recently on November 20, 2025. They describe 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Complaints
2
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
0

Engine complaints

Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel systemFire

My vehicle caught fire a few days after being repaired by a licensed repair shop in California.
The repair was performed by: Brodie's Tire & Automotive
Address: 1276 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone: [[redacted]] After the fire, the repair shop admitted in writing that: • The intake manifold melted after the fire
• The engine became "not repairable"
• The fire occurred shortly after their repair
• They offered to "fix it for free," which indicates awareness of responsibility The fire caused severe heat...

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damage to the engine compartment, electrical wiring, and surrounding components. The vehicle became unsafe to drive, and the engine can no longer operate. This incident presents a serious safety hazard because the fire happened shortly after a repair that involved components near the engine and fuel system. Improper or unsafe repair work may cause similar fires for other consumers. This incident is already under active investigation by: • California Department of Insurance (CDI) - Complaint #[redacted]• California Bureau of Automotive Repair (DCA/BAR) - Case No: [redacted] I am reporting this to NHTSA because the fire and melted engine components indicate a dangerous defect tied to improper repair work, which may pose a risk to other drivers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11700694
Engine & coolingElectrical systemAcceleration & cruise control1 injury

While backing out of my parking place in our underground garage I put on the brake to go from reverse to drive. When I put the vehicle in drive the engine raced up and the car surged forward. I was only 15 feet from a brick wall of which I hit at an angle. I bounced off this wall and went 10 feet further head on into another wall. I did not touch the gas petal, the mats are rubber and were not a problem. The vehicle just suddenly accelerated. The air bags did not deploy and I shut the engine off as soon as I could...

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but given the fact that the total travel length was around 30 feet this was not possible. This is a know problem with toyota!! We love our car but we are now afraid of it. My insurance rates will be going up because of a factory defect and all I have seen are excuses in regards to this problem. *Tr

Filed Incident Engine and engine cooling · Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10425322

Lexus RX400H engine complaints by year

RX400H engine problems, every year

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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