2023 Lexus RX Recalls & Complaints

Incident: August 5, 2026 · Filed: September 29, 2026

The transmission is jerking at times and it failed to accelerate at one point after coming to a complete stop. Notified Lexus and still working to fully resolve the issue but they just denied my request to reevaluate the issue.

Incident: August 5, 2026 · Filed: August 26, 2026

Battery drains which locks car unexpectedly. No warning, even with car FOB inside car which creates a safety issue if child or someone is in the car. All doors lock and with no access to FOB cannot open the door with manual key. Also, safety issue if this happens at night or in a parking lot etc. Cannot open doors at all - There is obviously an issue with the battery draining after only a few days. Dealer solution - plug in a battery maintainer - problem if you are parking the car at an airport for multiple days. No place to plug the car in... Lexus needs to figure out what is draining the battery or some fix to stop this from happening - I drive my car several times a week 30 miles at least - still happens. Have had to replace battery twice so far.

Incident: January 2, 2026 · Filed: August 21, 2026

The vehicle exhibits a severe, load-based mechanical transmission whine strictly during active acceleration. The pitch of the whining sound rises and falls in direct proportion to the engine's RPMs. This vehicle utilizes the Toyota/Lexus 8-speed automatic transmission architecture, which has a well-documented manufacturing flaw involving internal bearing wear, gear misalignment, and fluid starvation.This mechanical defect poses an immediate and severe safety hazard. The continuous internal wear and gear friction create an unpredictable risk of sudden transmission lock-up, unexpected dropping out of gear, or complete engine stalling while operating at high highway speeds. A sudden loss of motive power on a fast-moving highway leaves the driver completely unable to accelerate out of harm's way, creating an imminent risk of a severe rear-end collision or a catastrophic traffic accident. The manufacturer has failed to issue a safety recall for this known powertrain failure."

Incident: May 14, 2024 · Filed: August 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RX 500h. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking erratically, and the vehicle stopped independently. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated and the message to “See the Dealer” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The failure reoccurred. The failure was a persistent failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The failure reoccurred. In addition, the contact stated that the self-parking feature was deactivated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The technician test drove the vehicle, and the failure reoccurred twice. The contact was informed that a report was sent to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and several cases were filed. The engineer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The inspection was completed; however, the vehicle information was incorrect on the documents. The contact was informed that another inspection would be scheduled. The failure mileage was approximately 10,637.

Incident: May 17, 2024 · Filed: August 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RX 500h. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking abnormally and stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated during the failure. The failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and an engineer was sent to inspect the vehicle; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the inspection; however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,637.

Incident: August 8, 2026 · Filed: August 18, 2026

While driving on [XXX] in [XXX] with my young child in the vehicle, my 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport suddenly lost acceleration. The vehicle initially would not accelerate beyond 50 mph and then progressively lost power, eventually being unable to accelerate beyond 40 mph. This occurred during rush-hour traffic, with vehicles traveling faster than me and passing closely. I attempted to move farther onto the shoulder because I felt unsafe being so close to traffic, but the vehicle became completely unable to drive. I had to stop and attempt to determine what was wrong with the vehicle. There were no warning lights, dashboard warnings, or notifications through the Lexus app before or during the incident. I had driven approximately 200 miles that day and had not noticed any unusual noises, odors, and nothing sounded abnormal prior to the failure. The vehicle had been regularly serviced every 5,000–10,000 miles. Its most recent service was in late March 2026, four months before this incident, and I was not informed of any transmission problems at that time. The vehicle had 80,000 miles at the time of the failure, and the scheduled transmission service/check was not due until 90,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to Lexus for diagnosis. Lexus determined that the transmission needed to be replaced and is holding my vehicle as transmissions are on back order. Lexus has agreed to cover the replacement transmission and is charging me $1800 for labor costs. I am reporting this incident because the sudden loss of acceleration and eventual complete loss of the ability to drive occurred while traveling on a freeway with a child in the vehicle and surrounding traffic, creating a significant safety concern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: July 29, 2026 · Filed: August 17, 2026

The rain-sensing wiper system in my 2023 Lexus RX has been inoperative since I purchased the vehicle in May 2023 (current mileage: approximately 55,000 miles). The automatic wipers consistently fail to activate in response to rain, requiring manual operation while driving — a dangerous distraction that significantly reduces safety, especially during heavy rainfall when visibility is already compromised. This defect has been present since the day of purchase and is therefore a manufacturing defect, not a wear-and-tear issue. Lexus has since officially confirmed this through TSB L-SB-0025-25, which specifically addresses rain-sensing wiper failure in certain 2023 RX models. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Rather than visiting a dealership, I filed a complaint directly with Lexus Customer Care after discovering through owner forums that multiple dealerships had been unable to diagnose or repair this issue, with all repair requests being turned away. A case number was assigned by Lexus Customer Care, documenting that this defect was reported within the warranty period. No warning lamps or dashboard messages appeared at any point. The system simply never functioned correctly from the time of purchase. Although the vehicle's warranty limit is 50,000 miles, this defect existed from the manufacturing stage and was formally reported to Lexus well within the warranty period. I believe this repair should be covered regardless of the current mileage, and I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter.

Filed: August 3, 2026

had transmission replaced 2 times and update to transmission. this is a brand new car purchased in 2023. first transmission replaced at 20,963 miles, 2nd replaced at 33,543 miles, 35,221 miles transmission update. It was cumulative 33 out of service. We feel this vehicle is unsafe to drive. Even after all the transmissions replaced om the is vehicle had 2 more incidents. One was loss of power in traffic and another was on a highway transmission would not shift into higher gear. This is not new there have been hundreds of people with the same exact problems. Lexus has internal TSB L-SB-0059-23 detailing these problems.

Incident: July 21, 2026 · Filed: August 1, 2026

On July 21st, 2026 while stopped at a red light and upon turning green stepped on the accelerator to transition from stop to start, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power. The engine failed to respond to accelerator input, leaving the vehicle stranded in active traffic. This created an immediate rear-end collision hazard in a busy intersection. I was forced to coast the vehicle out of traffic to the side of the road, cycle the ignition off, and reset and temporarily regain powertrain functionality. Also on July 25th, 2026 I lost the power to accelerate on the highway when I was cutoff. I put the car in neutral and then back in drive to get power back to accelerate. These are the most recent, But I have had 2 transmission replacements. At separate times and then a re flashing to upgrade computer information another time. All within a 7 month period. This is a known issue by Toyota Motor Corp and has been circulated by the company under TSB-L-SB-0059-23.

Incident: March 8, 2026 · Filed: July 3, 2026

when driving on the highway and i let up the gas the engine surges. this is an ongoing issue. makes me apply the brakes or take action scary. it happens all the time. took it to lexus and they say this is normal. to me it is a safety driving issue. it surges for some time with no gas applied.