Table 1 shows one common power train related problems of the 2023 Lexus RX.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Train problems |
My 2023 Lexus Rx350 with 67,000 miles displayed a check engine light along with a drive-start control malfunction warning. The vehicle was brought to a Lexus dealership where it was diagnosed with fault code p25b372 — turbocharger wastegate a actuator stuck open. The dealership confirmed the wastegate actuator has failed and requires replacement. The part is currently on backorder with over 800 units backordered nationally, indicating this is a systemic issue affecting multiple vehicles. Toyota has issued technical service bulletin t-sb-0084-23 covering this exact fault code on the same 2. 4l turbocharged engine used in the 2023 Lexus Rx350. The bulletin states the repair is covered under the federal emission warranty for 96 months or 80,000 miles. However, the Lexus dealership has declined warranty coverage citing the absence of a Lexus-specific bulletin, despite the identical engine and fault code. The failure puts safety at risk as the drive-start control malfunction warning indicates loss of traction and stability control systems. The problem has been confirmed by the Lexus dealership. Warning lamps appeared on the dashboard prior to the visit. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
[xxx] ’s my wife we’re driving in sacramento. The vehicle was stopped at a traffic signal waiting for the light to change. Suddenly, without warning the vehicle started violently shuddering/shaking, scaring us completely. The shaking stopped when my wife put into park. But for those few seconds it was extremely scary. This incident should be investigated by the NHTSA as a repeat of the incident in moving traffic may cause severe property damage, serious injury and possible loss of life. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
I am experiencing ongoing issues with my 2023 Lexus Rx500h related to the powertrain/transmission. The vehicle has exhibited abnormal shifting behavior, including hesitation, jerking, and inconsistent acceleration. At times, the vehicle does not respond smoothly when accelerating, which raises safety concerns, especially when merging into traffic or driving at highway speeds. The issue occurs intermittently and has persisted despite multiple attempts to diagnose or address the problem. The condition affects the drivability and reliability of the vehicle and has not been resolved.
Numerous issues relating to drivetrain of 2023 Lexus Rx500h: 1. . Read more...
The contact called on behalf of his mother who owns a 2023 Lexus Rx500h. The contact stated while his mother was reversing, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that while his mother was depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The driver turned off the vehicle and the vehicle restarted after several attempts. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced in January 2025. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,500.
When driving, the car engine will randomly accelerate or race. The car does not physically go faster, but the engine revs at a high speed which is very scary. It will continue to accelerate while your foot is off the gas until you either press back down the gas pedal or come to a full stop. The car engine revs extremely loud making the driver feel like the car is going to keep going. I have had the car for 15 months and it continues to get worse. I have taken the car 3 times to the Lexus in freehold NJ when I first bought it to fix this issue. They were able to replicate it in my car but said the tests came back normal and told me this was a "normal reaction" due to the car being a hybrid. The diagnosis was that it was the battery discharging. I wrote to Lexus and the regional service manager, but they have all dismissed me. I filed a complaint with Lexus, but they also dismissed it. I just went on the Lexus forum site to find many people are now complaining about this issue. What is very interesting is that Lexus has now put out an "unintended acceleration (ua) form which asks questions about this issue. Lexus knows about this major issue but has yet to do anything about it. The other day I approached a few kids playing in the road and started to slow down only to have the car loudly accelerate/rev as I was approaching the children. Very unnerving. . . Something definitely is wrong and needs to be addressed. I was hoping you could help since the manufacturer refused to.
- uknown: 2023 Rx 500h performance hesitates or stalls when gas is applied to accelerate. When vehicle final start moving after 2-4 seconds, engine revs really high. This is believed to be an issue in the power train and specifically transaxle issues and ecu programming issues. More on this issue can be found on Lexus service bulletin record id #4807268. Yes, vehicle is available for inspection. - yes, with the vehicle stalling out in cross traffic, it has almost caused me, my wife and child to get t-boned on multiple instances. Lexus corporate and the Lexus dealer had been made aware of this concern on multiple occasions. - no, dealer has not been able to reproduce after multiple reviews. I do have video proof of the car doing this taken after final attempt for Lexus to review. This video has been sent to Lexus corporate and Lexus dealer. - vehicle has been inspected by Lexus dealership as a representative of Lexus corporate. My dealer has looked at it multiple times and can never duplicate and will not help. I worked with Lexus directly and also were not able to help. Lexus corporate has now turned my case over to their lemon law department for review on 7/8/24 due to this issue and many more issues with car. I provided requested information to Lexus corporate lemon department on 8/12/24 and have not hear back as of 10/24/24. - unknown: issue occurs few time a week since purchased the car on 2/4/2023, but do not recall first experience. Issue occurs more after the car has been sitting for a while on a hot day or not drove in a few days, and will stall out mostly on a left hand turn. The issue feels like the battery is dead and the gas engine has to take over for it causing a lag. When the engine does finally take over it seems to rev really high too. After it does it once or in some cases twice at the beginning of the drive it is typically okay the rest of the drive.