If you drive an older Lexus IS or GS, your car could be leaking fuel in the engine bay, which could easily cause a fire. Luckily, Lexus is aware of the problem and has issued a recall for 121,000 vehicles, 115,000 of which are in the US. Cars affected in the recall campaign include IS 350 sedans manufactured between 2006 and 2013; IS 350C convertibles from 2010-2014; and 2007-11 GS 350 and GS 450h sedans. Specifically, the cars that are prone to the fuel leak are equipped with Lexus' 3.5-liter V6 engine.

According to the automaker's official recall statement, "the diaphragm material in the fuel pulsation dampers in this engine may harden over time and crack, causing fuel to leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a vehicle fire." To fix affected vehicles, Lexus says it will replace the fuel delivery pipe with a new one that contains improved pulsation dampers free of charge. The automaker has not said if any fires, crashes, or injuries have been reported due to the potential fuel leak. Affected owners will be notified about the recall via mail in early August to arrange a visit to their local dealer to replace the faulty fuel delivery pipe.

The number of affected vehicles in the US is roughly the same amount of passenger cars Lexus sells per year in America excluding SUVs and crossovers. Last year, over 26,000 IS sedans were sold in America, down by about half from over 50,000 a few years ago when the two-door hardtop convertible was still part of the line-up. The larger GS, on the other hand, sold less than 8,000, down from the 30,000+ that were sold at its peak in 2005. No wonder it's being scrapped in favor of the new ES.