Driver's side door won't unlock
 

Normally, when I approach my LS460 with the key in my pocket, the car will automatically unlock once I touch the door handle. A few weeks ago, the driver's side door stopped unlocking. All of the other doors unlock but the driver's side door does not. If I take the key fob out and use it to lock the door and then unlock it, the driver's side door usually unlocks after several attempts with the key fob.

Has anyone else experienced this? I have changed the battery in my remote to no avail.

my first guess would have been the battery in the remote, but I would also check the cars main battery in the event that it has a cell or other that is on the edge.

There is also a control unit located in each door that handles all the functions for that door. Its strange that just the drivers door would stop, but I would have to look at the service manuals to see how that circuit is configured and what Lexus recommends for that symptom. I will have time later this week to pull them out and run down the symptoms and recommended fixes if you dont have an answer by then.

when you said driver door doesn't unlock but all the other doors unlock, you mean you put your hand on the driver front door, all the other doors unlock except the driver front? if so, i don't think it's fob battery coz' it senses just fine.

i hope it's not the driver front door actuator acting up?

I have had the same problem, intermittently. When I took the car to the dealer it worked fine and they did not find any codes.

It still occasionally happens and I will report it to the dealer again the next time the car goes in for service. Hopefully, if it keep getting reported, then perhaps Lexus will stand behind the repair if something permanently fails, even if it is after the warranty expires.

I've been having the same intermittent problem with the doors not unlocking. It's happened both with of our keys and it's happened on the driver's door and the front passenger door. I would say it happens about 10% of the time. Sometimes the door will open after multiple attempts and a few times I had to wind up unlocking it with the button on the key fob. Not an "oh my god" but kind of annoying.

I just dropped off my car to have the brake actuator replaced so I told them about it. We'll see what they say.

Turns out that the intermittent problem with the doors not unlocking when touching the handles has to do with low battery. Kind of surprising since the car is only about 10 months old. They told me that the key fob is continually "looking" for the car and that the batteries go pretty quickly. Still seems kind of quick to me.

Anyway they replaced mine at no charge and gave me one for my wifes key. I replaced it myself pretty easily. So far there have been no issues with the doors not unlocking when touching the handles.

wow that's very interesting indeed

but 10 months? that's way too fast. i can understand it goes out faster since it's actively tracking, but my gs350 fob battery just went out and it's been 3 yrs.

Yeah - I'm kind of skeptical. I had a BMW 550i with the "comfort access" feature and the battery went out about 2 months I turned it in at the end of the 3 year lease.

It may be that it had nothing to do with the battery and that I simply haven't used it enough statistically since it was replaced to have it happen. It was probably happening less than 10% of the time. The range of the key does seem to be much improved and as long as they keep replacing them at no cost they can go out every 10 months as far as I'm concerned.

as a matter of fact, i had my key battery replaced this morning. same problems that are being reported here - could not lock or unlock the doors. new battery, all is well again. now i know how to get to the battery so i can do it myself when necessary. people in service dept said - battery should last up to 2 years, but, mine went out after 9 months.

I think this has been discussed here before... If you keep you key next to a cell phone or any electronic device that emits frequency, remote will try to communicate with that device and therefore, battery does not last as long.

My symptoms are slightly different. Only the driver's side door fails to unlock... sometimes. (When I touch the rear door handle, all of the other doors unlock but not the driver's side door)! And, the door does not unlock - sometimes - when I use the key fob unlock button.

I wonder if this could be a problem that was created by the wind noise fix? Maybe the insulation interferes with the unlock function?

Any more ideas?

THANKS!

You need to consider the possibility that the problem you are experiencing is not related to the wireless circuitry that operates the doors. It could be something related to the driver's door-lock-solenoid. Something to try would be to operate the lock/unlock switch on the driver's door armrest several times and watch the little flipper over the interior door handle to see if the door consistently locks and unlocks in response to each switch operation.

And of course you should be certain that the battery in your remote is good. The battery is inexpensive so just be on the safe side and replace it.

Intermitent issues w fob/driver's door lock
 

Having same issue with my '14 IS350. Hit the unlock button on fob and all doors except driver's door will unlock. Have tried relocking and unlocking but once it's happened there's bo way to get in beside crawling through the back doors and manually unlocking the driver's door from inside. Dealer says they can't help because it's an intermitent issue.

Did you have any success with finding a solution?

Welp 2 years later and I am experiencing the same issue. Driver door won't unlock. It's such bs on a luxury car. They couldn't get the door locks right? Really? Anyways my symptoms are this:

Put my hand on driver side door handle, nothing happens. Click my key fob to unlock everything unlocks except for driver door. Go to passenger door: put hand on handle everything except the driver door unlocks. Guessing it's motor (actuator) in driver door again. I'm calling lexus tomorrow to complain. All of my actuators have been replaced already. This will be my third actuator on this door.

I don't see anywhere where you have told us what kind of car yours is. Is it a Lexus LS460? What year? The person that you are quoting in your post was referring to a "14 IS350." This is a LS460/600 forum - we don't see many reports like yours.