LEXUS Complaints

While driving my 2022 Lexus GX460, I experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of braking capability while stopped. After bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, the brake pedal pressure gradually decreased while my foot remained firmly on the brake. As pressure lessened, I applied additional force, but the brake pedal continued to travel downward until it reached the floor. At that point, the vehicle began to move forward at idle despite the brake pedal being fully depressed. I rolled towards the intersection (at a stop light). I took my foot off the brake and applied again. It stopped, and then this repeated. I then put the car in park while I waited for the light to turn green. My destination was only 1km away. When I got there, I turned off the car, and have since been unable to replicate the issue. I took it to a dealership (Lexus on the Park) and they charged me for an investigation and told me the car is good to drive. I need Toyota/Lexus to be informed. Note that I am in Canada but a friend advised for me to submit here. I posted my issue on a Lexus forum and a person named Patrick said he had the same issue in September and was told by the dealership everything is fine. I've asked him to submit to NHTSA as well. His VIN is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving slowly in a parking lot and without striking any object, my 2023 Lexus RZ 450e experienced a catastrophic front right suspension failure. The suspension failure caused separation of the CV axle, detachment of the front right wheel assembly, and an immediate loss of steering control. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing. Fortunately, this occurred at low speed and no injuries occurred. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing. No injuries occurred due to the low speed at the time.

The vehicle hesitates with apparent gear dragging and audible whining or grinding noises. The condition worsens when driving uphill and includes occasional sudden increases to high RPMs during normal acceleration. A slight burning odor is sometimes present after driving, along with lower-than-expected fuel economy in city and highway driving. The transmission exhibits harsh shifting, hesitation, and loss of smooth acceleration, negatively affecting drivability and raising safety concerns. Dealer inspections have not resolved the issue and claim the condition is normal.

The contact owns a 2013 Lexus ES 300H. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The service ABS, Brakes, and hazard warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was determined. An appointment with the dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

There is already a service bulletin for the vacuum pumps on these cars, but it should be made into a recall because these pumps generate the vacuum needed by the brake system. I took it to the Lexus dealer for replacement out of warranty, which I had to pay out-of-pocket, since service bulletins only apply to cars under warranty, and they still installed another replacement vacuum pump that was impacted by the service bulletin and still had the issues. It wasn’t until a field technician came out and confirmed that they installed the old vacuum pump style (2019-2023), which was the one they should have avoided installing. Failure of this part could impact the braking system and cause an accident.

The 2023 Lexus RX-350 has had complete 12 volt battery failure twice in the last year. The hybrid battery charging procedure for the 12 volt battery is insufficient. Twice I have been stranded. The frequency and duration of the hybrid battery charging is not sufficient. A more powerful 12 volt AGM battery is needed. The dealer says I am not taking sufficiently long trips to charge the battery. Last Saturday I took two 30 - 40 minute trips but the battery had only 11.8 volts requiring a 100% charge. There should be a recall to fix this problem.

When accelerating at slow speed, the engine or turbo turns off which causes the nose of the car to take a hard nose dive and then turns back on within 1 second but results in a big loud sound coming from engine/transmission. This issue almost caused on accident because it does a hard engine break where I was almost rear ended but from other drivers perspective, it might seem that I’m break checking them. Showed car to Lexus but they said it is normal but it not normal and should be investigated as it can cause harm to everyone involved if accident were to occur. Situation occurred 3 times this week and it is entirely random and can’t replicate at will.

Purchased a used 2008 Lexus LS460 and within about two hours the vehicle abruptly and completely shut down while driving in traffic, with no warning and no practical ability to predict the failure or safely pull off the road. Near collisions were narrowly avoided only because other drivers swerved or slammed on brakes. At the time of purchase there were no warning lights illuminated, but immediately after the shutdown multiple warning lights illuminated (including brake/ABS/stability-related warnings as documented by an independent service center). The vehicle was inspected the next day by an independent service center, which documented multiple diagnostic trouble codes across major systems and stated that repairs would be in the thousands and not recommended. The inspection also noted indications consistent with diagnostic codes having been cleared prior to purchase, and the battery at inspection could not hold a charge aiding the clearing of codes. The vehicle had no functional exhaust system (mufflers cut off), creating a carbon monoxide exposure risk that was only mitigated because the driver had the windows down unknowingly to the leak. The service center also reported tires beyond safe wear limits that were not readily visible without lifting the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request and has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance.

The vehicle's Brake Booster Pump Assembly and Brake Accumulator are exhibiting signs of imminent failure. While the vehicle is in "READY" mode and stationary (in Park), the brake booster pump cycles on and off at an abnormally high frequency (every 15-30 seconds). Additionally, an audible hissing or "squawking" noise can be heard from the brake actuator assembly after the pump cycles, indicating an internal pressure leak within the accumulator. This condition creates a significant safety hazard. If the brake booster pump fails due to this excessive cycling caused by the internal leak, the vehicle will experience a sudden loss of power braking assist. This would result in an unexpectedly hard brake pedal and significantly increased stopping distances, drastically increasing the risk of a crash. Lexus/Toyota has acknowledged this specific defect in Customer Support Program 24LE01 (DTCs C1391, C1252, C1256), identifying it as an "internal malfunction." However, the manufacturer has limited the coverage to 10 years from the date of first use. My vehicle, with only approximately 62,000 miles, is exhibiting these known failure symptoms just outside this arbitrary time window. A safety-critical component like the braking system should not fail at such low mileage, and the manufacturer should address this design defect via a Safety Recall rather than a time-limited warranty extension that leaves owners of low-mileage vehicles with a dangerous defect.

Brake system sets a high tone pitch indicating failure accompanied by all Brake, ABS, PS, Traction Control Lights. This is an know failure for Hybrid systems. It can occur completely random, while driving without notice. Complete brake pressure is lost with exception of a hard feel to the pedal that allows some incomplete breaking to occur and can also cause locking of the brakes at slower speeds. We replaced The brake actuator as recommended with factory new in March of 2024 Started much earlier. Problem has returned Summer of 2025.