The contact owned a 2006 Lexus IS350. The contact stated when she started the vehicle, following an oil change vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she had restarted the vehicle and heard an abnormal popping sound from the engine compartment and flames had burst from under the hood. The contact stated that she had smelled the odor of gasoline from her vehicle as she had entered the vehicle. The contact stated that the service station employees extinguished the flames. The contact stated that the fire department was called and a report was filed. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V432000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

- Clovis, CA, USA

My vehicle, and doing research there are numerous other Lexus models and years all experiencing oil loss from the timing chain cover gasket causing oil loss that could pose a potential risk to the engine from oil loss and affect drivability and safety. Lexus has not provided a recall on this known issue. They request $3500 to fix the leak with a new gasket. This has the potential to eventually lock up the engine if enough oil leaks out and could cause an accident.

- San Diego, CA, USA

I experienced a problem that may be the same problem as the Lexus valve spring problem, or related to it. The mechanic said it was caused by a design flaw. Here is part of a letter I sent to Lexus in March 2010: I own a 2006 Lexus IS350, which I had been very happy with until February 1, 2010. As I was driving to work, there was a loud noise from the engine and the dashboard lit up with warning lights. I pulled over, read the owner"S manual, and drove to a Lexus dealership. The four year old car only had about 27,000 miles on it. Unfortunately, my warranty ended in December 2009. Since it was a Lexus, I wasn't expecting a major repair, but that"S what I got. The mechanic explained to me, that because of the engine design, it does not burn off carbon from the gasoline. The carbon collects in the engine, interferes with the valves and causes a misfire. I was told my 6 cylinder car only had 5 operational cylinders. The total cost to fix it was $995.20. I never received a response from Lexus. An apology would have been nice. The mechanic informed the consumer she will need to get the carbon cleaned out of the engine/fuel system on a regular basis, otherwise she would continue to experienced cylinder misfires. Updated IVOQ 12/01/10

- Lorton, VA, USA