Kind of new here. Kicking tires now. Way too much talk about how everyone seems to wish the RX came with a 6 cyl engine. My question is now that this car has been out for a little while with the 4 cyl turbo, any major issues to report? I cant really seem to find one as far oil leaks, engine failures, etc. appreciate your time, thanks,

 

As I understand the RX ICE 4 cylinder engine isn't new and has been used in other Toyota/Lexus vehicles for some time. A year in, mine is flawless. If you look on forums, there appear to be more hybrid-related powertrain issues. As for noise, I like to hear the engine under hard acceleration. Growing up with muscle cars, it's natural. I also don't like the government-mandated AVAS sounds that hybrids make. Many manufacturers have chosen a very odd, to me freaky sound, to comply with the 2010 regulations. Not sure if you can hear the AVAS in the car - but outside the car, I find the AVAS
sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. But hybrids are super popular and some version of them are probably the future. But I love my ICE.

 

12k miles on my 2024 RX 350 Prem+ and so far no issues.

There has been a lot of chatter about 12v battery failures/dying. Since I only read Lexus forums, I thought this was a Lexus/Toyota specific issue. But if you google search, most new hybrid and EVs from all brands are showing 12v battery issues which appears to be a combination of smaller batteries and the newer cars having more electronic gizmos draining the battery. The reality is you really can't keep doors open or play the stereo in accessory mode for long periods of time like you could in the past. And letting the car set idle for weeks on end won't end well either.

If I am out of town more than a couple weeks, I pop on a trickle charger. But so far I have never experienced a dead battery where I had to jump the car. I think living in San Diego with a moderate climate helps as well.

Overall I am happy with the vehicle.

 

IIRC, the first production vehicle with this engine (T24A-FTS) was the 21 NX, so it has been in use for a few years now. The engine in my 23 RX 350 w/16,000 miles has been flawless. More information on the engine can be found HERE.

The engine is used in a few Toyota vehicles and just for grins I check out Toyota Nation forums from time to time specifically looking for engine related problems. I have yet to find any issues with this engine, other than a software update.

As much as some of us (myself included) would like to see the return of a V6/I6 in the RX 350, I personally don't think that this will happen. At least not any time soon.

 

I was never a fan of the V6. I found it gutless at low RPM and slow to downshift if you realized you needed more power when merging. I prefer the 350h and especially the 450h+ power trains. The turbo-4 does have good low-end power though.

 

I have the hybrid 350h and the old V6 ICE. I really don't miss the V6 in the new car.

The new 4Cylindre hybrid uses half the gas, is quieter and smoother yet does not feel any slower. Sure, at full throttle it gets loud, not in a pleasant sound loud, but nothing irritating.

 

I like the V6 in my 2013 RX and the 4 cylinder in my 2023 RX...no problem with either engine.

 

hard to put a trickle charger on it when the car is sitting at the airport for three weeks.

Although… there are little solar panels that lay on the dash and plug into the “cigarette lighter.” Maybe that could work? But only if you’re not using covered parking.

 

Interesting idea, though I wonder if the socket is active (would accept charging) when the vehicle is in the fully off state.

 

Just checked it out and it appear to be not active if the power is not on. Cheers

 

It's ok. Used to the V6 in past Lexus cars. I do make sure I warm it up for a minute and cool down for a minute after driving. Cooking the turbo is minimized if you let the oil warm up and cool slightly. Have to say, I can't complain about the 5.0 V8 in my RCF.

 

Thanks for checking.

I suppose you could run the cables to the actual battery in the rear?

I have such a solar panel that I use to keep my tractor batteries charged up in the shed. The cables are long and are quick connect to allow for hook up with regular alligator clamps or permanent mount rings that fit over the battery posts. So… you could have the ring mounts pre installed with the cable end above the cargo floor. Then just stick the solar panel in the window and connect the cables. If the hatch or side windows are not too dark, the panel will probably work fine back there. That’s easy to test. There is an indicator light on the panel that flashes when it’s receiving solar power from the sun. Not sure if it works with artificial light as in a parking garage.

I think my solar panel set cost about $85 on Amazon.

 

Are these issues with the 12v battery not fixed with software updates? We shouldn't be worried about leaving a Lexus at the airport for 2 weeks and then coming back and worried about not starting to get home. Running solar panels and wiring to the battery are not things to put up with when owning a Lexus. These are things that people might put up with finicky German vehicles.

 

I use a Battery Tender OBD2 charge adapter with a solar panel. I did have to reverse the solar panel polarity with an SAE adapter.

I would not expect the solar panel to provide meaningful charge from artificially lighting.

https://a.co/d/6dRZ4sd

 

I agree. We have had our 350h for almost two years now and we have received one software update, so it doesn't appear as though Lexus is putting in much effort into over-the-air updates. I am very close to replacing the 12 volt battery since I think the OEM battery is garbage, and I don't want it replaced with the same battery. I'm looking at putting in a larger battery. We have only had the battery die one time now, but it is a big pain to have the battery completely die since the doors will not open without going through the manual process of opening them and the trunk won't open. I also have a battery monitor on the battery, and it continually shows the battery is low even after a significant amount of driving.

Other than the 12 volt battery, we think the car is great.