2020 Lexus RX

I live in the [XXX] area and have noticed a disturbing trend. Frequently, when driving at night, I come across cars that don't have any tail lights on. Usually these are tourists in rental cars, but not always. My wife was guilty of this also. The problem is that the dash lights come on separately from the head and tail lights, it wasn't always this way. If the headlight switch is not in auto, a driver might think the lights are on, because the both daytime running lights and the dash lights are on. This is a very unsafe situation. This problem is made worse when you get your car repaired or rent one because the one of the first things the mechanic or rental people do is put the light switch in off. There was even a incident on the TV show, On-Patrol Live, where the sheriff in [XXX] pulled someone over for no tail lights and had to instruct the driver how to put the switch back in auto. This problem has gone on for years and it is time to fix it. The fix shouldn't be too difficult, just make the dash lights only come on with the headlights. This way when it gets dark and there are no dash lights, the driver should know there is a problem and will turn the headlights on. I came across another car without their tail lights tonight on the [XXX] just south of [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11763972

Incident

Sep 13, 2026

Timing cover oil leak

NHTSA ID

11758498

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

The rear wheel which is Lexus OEM busted and lost air when driving on the highway at highway speed on June 23, 2026. This caused an immediate hazard and a dangerous loss of vehicle control. Fortunately, I was able to safely pull over, but this failure put my life and the lives of others at serious risk. The mileage is about 45,396. The vehicle was purchased from Freeport Lexus as a pre-owned on January 20, 2026. The recording from the dashcam shows no debris on the road and the car didn't hit any object the road. I've written an email to the dealer and asked for an field inspection of the wheel.

NHTSA ID

11746351

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

The panoramic sunroof has a shade, which is not closing. This causes a lot of sunlight to enter the vehicle which might be harmful to your skin and causes headaches. The repair is very expensive and there is no other way around it. I seen many owners raising concerns about the same issue happening to them, on youtube, reddit, google and other websites. This is an issue on the same model from around 2017-2022. This must be repaired by lexus, and improved so it doesn’t keep happening.

NHTSA ID

11743718

Incident

Sep 18, 2024

While driving the engine stalls. It has jolted back-and-forth at times and had to be taken to a dealer. It’s still stalls when trying to slowly accelerate especially uphills. Low gas mileage barely getting 18 miles per gallon. Warning lights flickering while car stallling. It’s like it’s having a seizure. This has happened a few times.

NHTSA ID

11740288

Incident

May 20, 2026

The hatchback window shattered without any known cause. It appeared to have been hit from inside the vehicle but no one was in or around the vehicle when it occurred. It was 82 degrees outside and the vehicle was parked in the shade. Lexus told me there were no known issues regarding the window on other Lexus vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11729675

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

I own a 2020 Lexus RX 450h with approximately 129,803 miles. The check engine light came on and the vehicle stored diagnostic trouble code P0A2D, which indicates a failure of the drive motor/temperature sensor circuit that is integrated into the transmission/hybrid motor assembly. According to the Lexus dealer’s diagnosis, the temperature control sensor located on the transmission/hybrid drive unit has failed. Because Lexus designed this sensor as part of the transmission assembly, the dealer has stated the sensor cannot be replaced separately and that the only repair is to replace the entire transmission. Lexus is refusing to acknowledge this as a manufacturing defect and is requiring me, the consumer, to pay the full cost of a complete transmission replacement, estimated at approximately $9,040.03, solely due to the failure of this internal temperature sensor. This is a critical component used to monitor drive motor/transmission temperature. A malfunctioning sensor of this type can lead to improper system operation, possible overheating, loss of power, or unpredictable behavior of the hybrid drive system while the vehicle is in motion, which presents a safety risk to occupants and other road users. This failure occurred during normal use on public roads and not due to any accident, abuse, or modification. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether there is a design or manufacturing defect in the drive motor/transmission temperature sensor and its housing or circuitry on the 2020 Lexus RX 450h (and related Toyota/Lexus hybrid models) that forces owners to replace the entire transmission when this internal sensor fails. This appears to be an unreasonable safety‑related defect and an unreasonable repair burden on consumers.

NHTSA ID

11723917

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

I am submitting this correspondence to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2020 Lexus RX 350 and to request a thorough investigation. On Saturday, February 7, while attempting to park the vehicle, I experienced a sudden loss of control, resulting in the vehicle accelerating forward and colliding with a metal gate. The exact cause of this event is unknown. During the incident, the vehicle’s pre-collision and automatic braking system failed to engage despite an obstruction being present. Additionally, the airbags did not deploy at the time of impact. A minor child was present in the vehicle, properly secured in a child's safety seat. While no injuries occurred, the vehicle sustained extensive damage and was rendered inoperable. I would also like to note that this vehicle was subject to an airbag recall on November 29, 2025, which was serviced prior to this incident. Despite completing the recall service, the airbags failed to deploy during the accident. After the vehicle was towed, the airbags unexpectedly deployed while it was being lifted onto the tow truck using a crane, further raising concerns regarding the reliability and safety of the airbag system.

NHTSA ID

11718294

Incident

Feb 7, 2026

OBSOLETE NOTICE February 2, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0004-26.

Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.

Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This Service Bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

Some customers may experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot resolve on their own. These resources, in conjunction with the Repair Manual, are for dealership personnel to assist those customers with user issues, user errors, and compatibility issues with other vehicle systems and external applications encountered while operating telematics features.

The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.

To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.