What 7 owners told NHTSA about the 2026 Lexus Tx

I purchased my vehicle 2026 Lexus tx350 from Lexus of Manchester located in [XXX]. As soon as I left the lot I noticed the hood would shake violently and almost pop up which signaled the safety latch alarm. The alarm would signal multiple times throughout a highway trip. Most noticeable around 70 mph. The dealership was helpful and set up an autobody repair where they added adhesive into the hood. Unfortunately the hood flutter is still present and it’s only a matter of time before the adhesive wears down. After conducting research Lexus issued a bulletin repair acknowledging the fault in engineering regarding the aluminum light hoods. The hood is clearly to light and this is an obvious engineering defect which should signal recalls. I have read thousands of similar cases and Toyota is failing to take accountability of this problem. They need to replace the hoods instead they are refusing to acknowledge this is a recall and sneakily sending vehicles out to autobody shops. I have read the Lexus GX and TX both have the same problem. It is not safe to have a hood flutter like that it puts way to much strain on the hood safety latches and eventually they will fail. I do find it absurd and ridiculous that a brand new 70,000 SUV has such a problem. My hope is submitting this complaint it helps force Toyota do the right thing and take accountability for their engineering defect. Thank you Respectfully, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11744460

The contact owns a 2026 Lexus TX 350. The contact stated that after an extended driving period, the vehicle was parked in the garage, and the contact became aware of a strong gasoline odor. The fumes caused persistent headaches that lasted two days. The contact had not sought medical attention. Upon inspection, the owner was unable to locate a visible fuel leak. The vehicle was moved to the driveway and was later towed to the dealer. After an extensive diagnostic test was performed by the dealer, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle remained with the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was 3,563.

NHTSA ODI 11744286

The Lexus TX 500h is equipped with a 6-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission, which is paired with the Lexus DIRECT4 all-wheel drive system. This setup utilizes a 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid powertrain to deliver 366 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. During many occasions, the transmission on the 2026 Lexus TX500h would shudder during acceleration or deacceleration. I noticed it happening around 25-40mph mostly and it has happened more than once. I have demonstrated the issue to the dealer on Wed, May 20th around 10:15am Pacific but they didn't know how to address the issue. I did a ride along with the service tech from Lexus of Pleasanton and it happened again during acceleration. The dealer noted that there were no error code when they scanned the system and no observed leaks. I have a video clip but was unable to upload it. The issue with transmission shift thump when this issue happen feels like the transmission locked up. It would shake the vehicle and lose power while accelerating before it starts to gain power back in 1-2 seconds. This causes a safety issue since that pause in acceleration thus this can be dangerous while merging onto a freeway or areas with lots of traffic. I noticed the same issue on some occasions, it would shake during deceleration as well. This issue is intermittent. Maybe Lexus/Toyota can address this with the transmission shifting update. IMO, It's a safety issue that needs to be looked and fixed by Lexus/Toyota. Dealer asked me to come back only. They reset my information screen to address a sliding driving issue where when the power is turned off on the vehicle the seats will go back and immediately go forward.

NHTSA ODI 11739378

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my 2026 Lexus TX 350 F Sport (VIN: [XXX] ), purchased from Treasure Coast Lexus in Florida in December of 2025. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle I noticed significant hood flutter at 60-70 MPH. This is visually distracting and poses a safety concern while driving. Despite three separate repair attempts at the dealership in the past two months the defect has not been resolved. Lexus corporate has since informed me that nothing further can be done to correct the issue. I am aware that this is a known issue across the Lexus TX lineup and that a related Technical Service Bulletin (L-SB-0013-25) was issued in February 2025 for the GX 550, which shares the same hood construction. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this defect as it affects driver safety and may impact other owners of the 2025 and 2026 Lexus TX 350. Thank you for your attention to this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11734705

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.

NHTSA ODI 11732567

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.

NHTSA ODI 11727308

03/15/26 Tried to start the car but it did not start. The display said Low Brake Power. This happened to brand new car. Called the Lexus 24/7 assistance, they jump start the car. Similar incident happened once again on 03/22/26. Called assistance they jump start the car again. The concern here is that it is happening to brand new car ran for only 2000-2400 miles. As the battery dies it becomes less safe to come out of car also.

NHTSA ODI 11726225