The 2023 Lexus RX 350 is the fifth generation for Toyota’s luxury Lexus core model, and it’s been completely redesigned. Some of the advertised benefits of this vehicle include “a comfortable, quiet in-cabin atmosphere” and “confident driving enjoyment.” But owners whose Radiant Crossover (RC) SUV have experienced sunroofs exploding, airbags not deploying, or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that malfunction, aren’t confident or comfortable about much.
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Most Common Problems with the 2023 RX 350
While the new 2023 Lexus RX has been “completely redesigned,” it has remarkably similar problems to the 2022 model, in particular, faulty airbags and sunroofs that spontaneously shatter. Other complaints about this new model relate to lane departure and malfunctions of the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), a lack of bluetooth connectivity, and quality issues with the structure of the luxury SUV.
The first complaint about a 2023 Lexus RX 350 was lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in April 2023. It relates to a sunroof that “suddenly fractured without impact” in a vehicle with 3,000 miles on the clock. At the time, the owner was driving at about 60 mph and wasn’t aware of what caused the failure. While the dealership stated that the sunroof needed to be replaced, they said it would not be covered under warranty.
The experience described by an owner in Arizona is even more alarming. He was sitting in a new 2023 RX 350 F-Sport with the air conditioner on at about 11.20 one morning. “Suddenly I heard a big bang.” “Really scared,” he went to check what had happened, but couldn’t find anything. Then, driving home, a passenger in the rear of the SUV said there was an abnormal sound and that something was wrong.
He pulled over and discovered that the rear panoramic moonroof was “completely shattered.” The complaint states that he was unable to apprehend how the “roof glass” could break in such a way. He said he was also concerned about the safety risk for rear seat passengers, especially children. “Why (does) such a reputable company make such a delicate item for the outer side of the car body?”
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Airbag Problems
When the owner of a 2023 Lexus RX 350H crashed, the airbags in the vehicle did not deploy. In an NHTSA complaint, the owner states that the cause of the crash was a second vehicle on the right of the SUV that began to cross from the shoulder of the road. Attempting to get to the middle of the road, the other driver began to cross in front of the Lexus. This caused the Lexus to “T-bone the corner” of the other vehicle.
The front passenger side fender was damaged in the crash so badly that the door couldn’t open. No airbags deployed. Fortunately nobody was injured, and the owner of the Lexus was able to drive away from the crash.
Whether this airbag malfunction was the result of the issue that led to the recall mentioned above isn’t known. But NHTSA Campaign Number 23V480000 warns that as many as 110,047 Lexus and Toyota vehicles have a fault that can result in the driver’s airbag not deploying. As the recall states, “a deactivated driver’s airbag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.”
The problem cited in the recall is not the airbags as such. Rather, it is an electrical connection inside the steering column’s spiral cable assembly. It appears that this may not have been properly welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the airbag.
Malfunctioning ADAS and Lane Departure
At the time of writing this post, the most recent complaint, listed on July 27, 2023, was about a lane departure issue. After owning a new Lexus RX 350H for less than three weeks, the owner began receiving alerts that parts of the ADAS were malfunctioning. The ADAS is, of course, primarily focused on collision avoidance technologies (for example, lane departure warning and blind-spot applications), as well as important driver aids including night vision, driver alertness, and adaptive cruise control.
“This warning would come on while driving, and even after clearing the warning, it would pop back up within seconds.” The owner took the car to the dealer, but four weeks later (which is when he lodged an NHTSA complaint), “they still can’t figure out how to replace the faulty part and reprogram the vehicle. This is a brand new car with only about 1,000 miles on it. The dealer has indicated that Lexus Corporate is seeing this issue with a bunch of their new 2023 cars, and Lexus doesn’t have the new parts nor the manpower in place to address this issue.”
What to do if your 2023 Lexus RX 350 is a Lemon?
Has your 2023 Lexus RX 350 impacted its value, your safety, or the use you get from the vehicle? If so, you may have landed with a lemon. Lemberg Law has negotiated settlements for many of our clients, including vehicle replacements and refunds. If you think you have a lemon, we are willing to evaluate your problems free of charge to see whether we can help.
All you have to do is call our Helpline or fill out a contact form and we’ll get back to you.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions.
He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
