2023 Lexus RX Electrical Problems

Vehicle jerking back and forth aggressively while at a complete stop with foot firmly on brake pedal. Vehicle seems to want to lurch forward.

NHTSA ID

11734180

Incident

Apr 26, 2026

Car stopped running during turn. Then started creeping along ,then after a bit ,started working normally. Happened a few times after. Then later car wouldn’t start in garage, had to get jumpstart. Took to Lexus dealer and found out the 12 volt battery was shot.they replaced it. Very frightening experience. Could have had an accident.

NHTSA ID

11729355

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11711016

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

If we don't drive the car for 4 or 5 days, especially in cold weather, the car will sometimes not start due to a drained 12V battery. We've spoken to Lexus of Rockville, MD and Lexus roadside assistance, who are aware of the issue but say the 12V battery is "healthy." Online research shows this is a widespread known issue with Lexus RX350h and RX500h vehicles from 2023 onward: [XXX] [XXX] . A simple software update to ensure that the high-voltage hybrid battery charges the 12V battery to a greater extent when the vehicle is parked should solve the problem, but Lexus has so far not addressed this problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11710076

Incident

Jan 8, 2026

On at least 7 occasions the driver was TRAPPED inside the vehicle. The car failed to start and the doors and windows locked. If the driver had not had a cell phone to make an emergency call he would have been locked inside until someone discovered the problem. Had this happened in Phoenix, AZ in the summer, there is a very good chance the driver would have been dead before he was rescued. The last time was December 11, 2025. We replaced the starter battery for 2nd time in 2 years and 40K miles.

NHTSA ID

11707085

Incident

Dec 11, 2025

The car battery goes dead when car not used in 14days, or not driven on freeway long enough to top off battery. We've had to jump it for being in a cool garage for a couple of days, and the battery is only 2yrs old. The car needs a stronger battery.

NHTSA ID

11703993

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

I entered then attempted to start my Lexus on November 11, 2025. The car would not start - the dashboard lights fleshed briefly, then the car was completely dead. There was not a light on anywhere. The doors would not open and the windows would not roll down. I was trapped. fortunately I had my cell phone so I was able to call my wife who was inside of our house. She could not open the door with the manual key, She called AAA. The tech hooked up some power device under the hood and the car started and seems OK. This was frightening. I was trapped in the car and running out of air. I could have suffocated.

NHTSA ID

11698992

Incident

Nov 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RX500H. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle surged forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Lexus of Santa Fe (6824 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87507) who were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. While the contact’s wife was driving and was idling at a stop light, the vehicle lunged forward aggressively. The contact’s wife turned off the vehicle to avoid lunging forward and crashing with oncoming vehicles at the intersection. The vehicle was returned to the first dealer, Lexus of Albuquerque (4821 Pan American Fwy, Albuquerque, NM 87109) who was able to duplicate the failure and stated that the failure might be caused by a software failure. The dealer could not confirm but had assumed that the software update might prevent the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and might be preparing a software update to solve the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 5,000.

NHTSA ID

11633174

Incident

Feb 29, 2024

Mileage

5,000 mi

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a system malfunction error message populated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the system was reset. The dealer advised the contact that the error message could populate again and that a software fix was being worked on. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ID

11606149

Incident

May 1, 2024

Mileage

9,000 mi