34 of the
232 complaints filed about the Lexus GX
are about the other systems —
15% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2007.
This issue began after I brought unrepaired recall concerns to the dealership’s General Manager and was told I would need to sign an NDA and failed to provide the recall part numbers as agreed. When I received my vehicle back, I immediately noticed physical changes to my instrument panel. I then reviewed four years of photos and videos stored on my original devices and discovered approximately twenty date‑stamped images showing drill holes, pry marks, tool damage, and components of the instrument cluster visibly moving, changing, or disappearing over time. I am submitting information regarding possible unauthorized access, alteration, and replacement of my vehicle’s instrument cluster by the same Lexus dealership during multiple service visits. My photographic evidence shows the cluster’s condition changing repeatedly while the vehicle was in the dealer’s custody, including unexplained damage, a puncture in the bezel, tool marks, and ultimately a different cluster faceplate. None of these alterations were ever disclosed or documented in any repair order. I can provide a chronological photo record showing each stage of cluster alteration, service records showing no mention of cluster removal or replacement, and a timeline correlating each change with periods when the vehicle was at the dealership. I also have evidence of additional undocumented or suspicious service actions occurring during the same timeframe. Based on the physical evidence and the lack of disclosure, I believe this may involve unauthorized instrument‑cluster access and potential tampering. I request that this information be forwarded to the appropriate Department of Justice component for review, consistent with the DOJ’s process for submissions involving potential violations of law.
NHTSA complaint #11753089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In 2018 shottenkirk desert lexus marked two recalls as completed but also simultaneously typed in a note saying "customer declined worked and is out of town" The original part number and quantity fields are left blank. The dealership was paid for these items. I do not have anywhere in the vehicle history after that date showing any recalls were addressed. The recalls are the airbag which is a safety hazard for exploding shrapnel., and for the instrumental panel. Both were paid to dealer but both have blank /missing part numbers. Finally--once I reported to lexus corporate and the dealer General manager, the GM Matt attempted to offer me a cash settlement and repairs but I must sign a non disclosure. This dealership sold me this vehicle with deferred recall work that was never remedied in 2022. I'm disabled and have a child. This dealerahip is trying to cover up their felonious actions and I am taking the car to another dealership to document what parts are on my car and how to proceed. I have reported to OAG, DMV, AND BAR. IM also filing police report and filing with the district attorney office.
NHTSA complaint #11748417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunroof tempered glass spontaneous explosion. Loud explosion startled me and my wife, good thing the sliding roof cover was closed otherwise small pieces of sharp glasses will hit us on our head, face and shoulders. Lexus of Oakland denied any product defect and blaming a foreign "magnetic" object hit the sunroof. I was only driving 20 mph in a residential neighborhood and no cars in front of me when the sunroof exploded. No warning lamp or symptoms prior to the incident. My wife and I were scared!
NHTSA complaint #11744639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver-side front door window developed a crack suddenly while the vehicle was in normal use. There was no known impact, and no object was seen or heard striking the glass. The crack originated near the edge of the window close to the side mirror and spread across the glass. There were no warning messages, alerts, or prior symptoms before the failure. The failure appeared spontaneous. This condition poses a safety concern because the integrity of the side window is compromised. The crack continued to spread, which could reduce occupant protection in the event of a side impact and may lead to sudden shattering. It also has the potential to affect driver visibility. The issue was not inspected by the dealership prior to repair. The dealership advised that they could not perform the repair in-house and directed the repair to a third-party glass facility, where the window was replaced. No definitive impact point was identified prior to replacement. Based on the fracture pattern and lack of impact evidence, the failure appears consistent with a stress-related crack rather than road debris damage. Additionally, there are multiple reports from other owners describing similar cracks occurring in the same location on this vehicle model, suggesting a possible defect trend. The original failed component is no longer available for inspection, as it was replaced during repair.
NHTSA complaint #11739560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My less than a year old Lexus GX550 was sitting in the driveway and the sunroof exploded. The car was not moving and it exploded outwards into a ton of pieces. The dealership claims that it is not a warrantable part. No foreign object hit the sunroof, even then it shouldn't shatter, only crack. It is my assumption that defective glass from the factory was installed into my vehicle and caused the sunroof to shatter for no apparent reason.
NHTSA complaint #11737273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Navigation/Screen is black, can’t control heat/AC/defrost or see audio/nav, any safety concerns (fogging, distractions, etc.). Tire sensor on, due to sensor failure. Caused me to pull off the road. No way of actually being notified of a tire pressure safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11702026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail with about 4,500 miles on it bought in December 2024. I went to start it this afternoon and I got a message saying "Low Steering Power". All the electrical things on the car seemed to be working: lights, dash lit up, courtesy lights, all the screens, etc. It just wouldn't turn over. I shut the car off and gave it a minute or two then tried again. Nothing. At the same time, the car started to make a low, continuous humming sound and made a couple of clicking noises about every 10 seconds. It sounded like the hum of a refrigerator and seemed to be coming from the front half of the car. The car was totally turned off at this time. I then called Lexus Roadside assistance (the car was in my garage; hadn't used it in about 48 or so hours). When the flatbed driver arrived he tried to start it a few times. When he did this the car began to smoke from the fuse box. A significant amount of acrid smoke and severe odor of burning plastic developed. The flatbed driver and I immediately pushed the car out of the garage for fear of a fire starting and engulfing more than just the car. The fuse box and some of the fuses in it were melting. No flames developed but I'm quite certain that was a possibility. This just happened today. The dealer said they are going to begin investigating the issue. I'm very concerned that if others have this problem it could develop into something more serious. From what I've discovered from an internet search is that the combination of the "Low Steering Power" error message and the smoking fuse box condition "indicates a likely electrical short or significant component failure that could lead to a fire." I've uploaded a pic of the partially melted fuse box. I have no paperwork from the dealer service department as yet.
NHTSA complaint #11698260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Spouse was driving Saturday [XXX] on [XXX] around [XXX], when she heard a BIG BANG out of nowhere. She discovered the next day the source was a partially exploded sunroof glass. Upon inspection there was no glass fragments in the vehicle or on the sunroof shade, fragments were only found on the outside part of the sunroof glass. She said road conditions were dry and clear and did not see anything hit the vehicle. She also stated that she did not go under any overpass during the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11687330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was just getting off from work starting the engine, the driving meters screen and the head up display were completely off black, I thought that it will turn on after driving but it didn’t. I was driving more than 5 minutes on the free way and both screens were still dark. This is not the first time that this happened. The last time when this was happened, I brought my vehicle to the dealership where I purchased it, but then everything went back normal when I got to the dealership parking lot. They never performed any diagnostic or checking anything. Also the navigation/multi media scene flashing quite a bit. This car electrical system didn’t function properly and correctly when driving and could cause serious accidents or deaths, depending on who was driving. I really don’t know what more failure after this. In the past, Lexus had history of vehicle brake failures and couldn’t stop that claimed someone lives. This issues should be addressed before something else happens. ( I also have video available to support this concern)
NHTSA complaint #11678649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to formally request an investigation into a safety defect affecting the dashboard on my 2004 Lexus GX470. Over the past several months, I have observed significant cracking along the top of the instrument panel. I believe this defect poses a serious safety hazard: if the dashboard material fractures or delaminates, it could interfere with proper expansion and deployment of the front passenger airbag in the event of a collision. Despite the severity of this condition, Lexus has only issued a “limited-service campaign” rather than a full safety recall. Under that campaign, Lexus offers repair assistance only to owners located within certain regions and only if they pay a service fee. I contacted Lexus Headquarters, and requested a complete, no-cost replacement of the defective dashboard assembly, and was declined without satisfactory justification. I consider this response inadequate because: 1.Safety Risk to Occupants oThe dashboard crack traverses the airbag deployment zone. oIf the material fails, the passenger airbag may not be deployed correctly or on time. 2.Insufficient Remedy oA limited-service campaign does not guarantee replacement or cover all affected vehicles. oOwners outside specified regions or who have previously paid for dashboard repairs receive no assistance. 3.Regulatory Precedent oFederal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 mandates reliable airbag deployment. oA comprehensive recall would ensure all affected vehicles receive robust, no-cost repairs. I respectfully request that NHTSA open an investigation under 49 U.S.C. § 30162(a) to determine whether this dashboard cracking constitutes a safety-related defect warranting a nationwide recall. I am prepared to provide photographs, service records, and any additional information needed.
NHTSA complaint #11666410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rusted out frame, missing entire sections of it in the rear end, body mounts are floating, Lexus inspected the car at 144,000~ miles and deemed it unsafe to drive, was owned by a friend of mine and now it is up for sale at morse road auto sales inc in columbus ohio.
NHTSA complaint #11656859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My transmission seems to do a JERK when I press the break. It is like it is struggling to shift down and it jerks me forward. It happens when I am stopped behind other cars. It makes me very nervous In the car line sometimes it jerks so hard I am afraid it is going to hit another car or even a child if they get too close and my foot is on the break and it just pops up unexpectedly! There are MANY people taking their cars in to Lexus service for this "transmission jerk" as consumers are calling it. My lexus service dept has been able to reproduce it in my car. They also noticed the jerk when we drove with them twice and did resets to try to solve the problem. It did not solve the problem. At our last appointment they told me it was normal and theres nothing they would do. My Notes- November 2024 - purchased vehicle. The drive was perfect for many miles and months! Nothing out of the ordinary. January - I stopped at a stop light with my daughter and it did the "jerk" -- My [XXX] noticed it too! She said "What was that Mommy!" She thought we hit something! Kept doing it for a couple weeks. Feb 17 - Took car in - technician didn’t notice any jerking. I asked if I could ride with technician. Feb 18 - rode with technician. Quickly noticed jerk and said he has had a few people bring it in for this concern.. did a reset. [XXX] - the jerking began again - very noticeable. Feb 21 - dropped off at dealer again. March 3 - picked car up - they said they couldn't reproduce - Josh rode with service manager and very noticeable jerking when shifting down.. seems worse than before.. said he will speak to some other person and see what to do. They reset again. We took car home. [XXX] - drove pretty regularly.. very very noticeable jerking when shifting down. Worse than before. March 10 - Took back to dealership.. got a loaner March 17 - Said they reproduced the jerk but it was normal and there was nothing they would do to help! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11649773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexus has a safety issue of the OEM pre-installed Slim profile Roof Rack on the car. There was no option to elect if one wants this or not. It's simply installed to make a quick buck from the customer. Besides that being said, this OEM pre-installed Slim profile Roof Rack is a safety hazard due to fact as you drive above 45mph-55mph, drive hears noises and causing drive to look around trying to figure out what is making that noise which can lead to swerving / cause accident. Calling Lexus corporate, their answer is you need to pay Local Lexus Dealer Labor to swap this out. Knowing the Labor cost from past experience, it most likely would lead to cost in thousands of dollars. Lexus want the customer to pay for this on top of the pretty penny that was paid for the car in the first place for something that is not customers fault in first place.
NHTSA complaint #11646666 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
6 MONTHS AGO , AFTER DRIVEN IN THE RAIN, MADE A FAST TURN. ANTI LOCK BRAKES LOCKED CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN BUT DRIVABLE. NO WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD. NEXT DAY THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. NOT DRIVABLE. BRAKES ENDED UP ON FIRE CAUSE BY TRYING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO SAFETY PARKING AREA. ENTIRE BRAKES SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED.$2500 LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN LAST WEDNESDAY. CAR STILL AT THE SHOP. I WAS VERY SHAKEN UP, CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IS DANGEROUS. DISTURBING TO KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME. I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT TO A DEALER BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF ITS A MANUFACTURE'S FAULT BUT THE MALFUNCTIONED KEEP HAPPENING. NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS I WILL BRING IT THE DEALERSHIP. THE AUTO REPAIR PLACED AN ORDER FOR PARTS ON JUN 13,24 WHEN HE TOOK MY CAR.
NHTSA complaint #11646513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Manufacture paint failure of the “blizzard pearl white” color. Existing recall for the 2005 GX 470 models needs to be extended to include more vins experiencing peeling paint on the roof, hood and doors.
NHTSA complaint #11562623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dec 12th 17:05 in I-880 south bound, 2019 Lexus GS460 rear window shattered with huge exploded sound, and rear wiper gone, and hydraulic rod which supported window fall down. there is no rock and any gun shot. there is not any alert. the temperature is 55 degree in bay area, and no heat/air condition is on. it is kind of risk for the driver and the behind car. I reported to Lexus customer support via online, and also claim for my car insurance.
NHTSA complaint #11560005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexus issued a Warranty Enhancement Program sometime in 2022. It stated that if the check engine light would illuminate due to moisture and cold in the air injection pumps and air switching valves. The warranty would be good until 10 years from first use which is 10/23 for this vehicle. I was not experiencing the problem at the time I received the notice so I files it. A few months later I started to experience the exact issue with the check engine light which would come on and render certain systems inoperable such as cruise control, The light would stay on for any amount of time then go off and everything was then OK. It then would reappear at some time and last for days/weeks then disappear. After a few months I contacted a Lexus dealer to have the issue addressed. They said the condition was caused by something other than what was outlined in the Enhanced Warranty and refused to cover it. .I contend that the exact symptoms outlined affected my vehicle and subsequent to Lexus initiating the program certainly other conditions would cause the problem and should be covered. My appeal to the dealer and Lexus headquarters were denied. In addition to the disabling of cruise control other issues existed and perhaps some not obvious to the driver could be happening.
NHTSA complaint #11540470 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FRAME IS ROTTING FROM INSIDE OUT, EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT WAS COMMON TO THE EARLY/MID 2000'S TOYOTA TUNDRA, TACOMA, AND 4RUNNER, THE LATTER OF WHICH SHARES FRAME COMPONENTS. TOYOTA, FOR WHATEVER REASON, COVERED THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA THROUGH RECALLS, BUT SO FAR HAS NOT DONE A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNER OR GX470.
NHTSA complaint #11426528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.