On Saturday, August 22, 2026, while traveling on the highway with my two toddler-aged children in the vehicle, the temperature gauge entered the red zone and the vehicle automatically reduced power due to overheating. This forced me to navigate a power-reduced vehicle on a highway with minor children — a serious safety hazard. This incident occurred just five days after my vehicle was in the Sewell Lexus service department on August 17, 2026 for its 10,000-mile service and a warranty repair to the rear evaporator case (a known design defect). The proximity of this safety incident to that service visit raises significant concerns about whether the August 17 service contributed to or caused the overheating event.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11759484 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

On Juky 7, 2026 @ 10:30pm a catastrophic safety failure occurred involving a 2026 Lexus TX 350. The vehicle experienced a complete electrical and software failure while an occupant (my mother) was inside. All electronic door release buttons failed simultaneously, completely locking the occupant inside the vehicle. The emergency manual double-pull override mechanism on the interior door handles failed to mechanically release or open any of the doors. Concurrently, the climate control system locked on high heat, causing the cabin temperature to rise rapidly. Due to the total entrapment and extreme heat, the occupant began losing consciousness, and her blood pressure spiked to a dangerous level of 188/100. Family members outside the vehicle were unable to open the doors or bypass the electronic locks from the exterior. Emergency services were called to the scene. The local Fire Department had to perform an emergency extraction to rescue the occupant from the vehicle. The occupant required immediate medical attention for severe heat stress and a hypertensive crisis.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11749022 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

The vehicle is a brand new Lexus TX. The primary issue involves a brake system malfunction. While driving, a “BRAKE” warning message appeared on the dashboard. At the same time, the brakes were actively applied, and this occurred multiple times in succession during the same driving event. At the time of the incident, we were not aware that the vehicle should not be driven when this warning appears and drove the vehicle home. After reviewing the owner’s manual, we learned that the vehicle should not be driven under these conditions. The vehicle was then towed to the dealership for inspection. This event posed a significant safety risk. Repeated, unintended brake application while driving could result in sudden deceleration, loss of vehicle control, or increased risk of being struck by other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash, injury, or death. Prior to this incident, the vehicle also experienced a complete failure of the camera/display system, where the screen went black, impacting driver visibility systems. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and under inspection by the manufacturer’s authorized service center. The issue has not yet been confirmed or reproduced at the time of this report. There were no prior warning messages before the brake warning appeared. The failure occurred unexpectedly. The component(s) responsible for the failure are currently unknown, pending diagnostic evaluation by the dealership. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11732567 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

The contact owns a 2026 Lexus TX 350. After purchasing and taking ownership of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the vehicle was included in a recall prior to the purchase. The contact notified a local dealer and was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and arranged for the vehicle to be inspected or serviced at the dealer. The dealer scheduled a service appointment; however, the dealer later declined to service the vehicle and informed the contact that the VIN was not associated with a recall. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for loaner vehicle assistance. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear passenger-side tire frequently became flat. The contact also stated that there was an abnormal burning odor while coming to a stop, and that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V437000 (Power Train); however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,647.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11761298 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

The SRS spiral cable assembly (clock spring), located directly behind the driver's instrument display in the steering column, is producing an intermittent crackling noise. The component is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: The clock spring is a safety-critical component responsible for airbag deployment, horn operation, and steering wheel controls. A malfunctioning clock spring can cause airbag non-deployment in a collision or inadvertent airbag deployment while driving. The intermittent nature of the malfunction suggests internal ribbon cable contact or thermal expansion failure within the SRS circuit, which may worsen over time. The problem has not been confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle has been brought to Lexus of Jacksonville, a Lexus authorized service center, on 3 occasion(s). On each visit the dealer was unable to reproduce the noise and closed the repair order without repair. The noise is intermittent, occurring after approximately 60–90 minutes of continuous highway driving, lasting 10–15 seconds before stopping. It occurs with the steering wheel straight and during turns of varying degrees. The thermal onset pattern is consistent with internal SRS spiral cable component failure under heat soak conditions. The vehicle has been inspected by the Lexus authorized dealer only. Two audio recordings of the crackling sound were provided to the dealer with confirmation from the service foreman the crackling noise is heard. No independent inspection has been performed to date. There are no warning lamps or dashboard messages associated with this malfunction. The only symptom is the audible crackling noise originating from the steering column clock spring location. The noise first appeared at approximately 700 miles and has occurred on multiple occasions since.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11727308 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

We were traveling 80 miles west of Fargo ND on I94 when we heard a loud bang. It became clear immediately from the wind noise that the sunroof had broken. We did not hear or see that anything was dropped on it. Thankfully the shade was closed. We pulled off at the next possible stop to inspect and noted a large whole in the sunroof and that the glass bowed outward suggesting the explosion was an outward force rather than an item falling on the car. There were no warning lights etc. prior to this happening. This was a very frightening experience and had the shade not been closed our family including young son could have been hurt or even blinded from the falling glass. We called the dealer (we only had the car for 3 weeks) and they were able to get the car in right away to look at it but cannot guarantee the window is covered under warranty.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11754773 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov