After slowly making a left into a parking space at Dunkin Donuts and trying to deploy my brakes, my car lunged forward spontaneously accelerating, jumped two curbs and hit a barrier and the window of the store. The impact of the crash wrecked my front end and the radiator was damaged and was laying on the ground. With this intense impact, the airbags did not deploy on impact. My insurance agency totaled the car. After the crash the warning came on the screen that the Collision System had malfunctioned.
Lexus RX no deployment problems
26 of the 974 owner complaints about the Lexus RX describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2010 model year.
- owner complaints
- 26
- worst model year
- 2010
- typical mileage
- 30,000
By model year
- 20251
- 20241
- 20233
- 20221
- 20212
- 20201
- 20193
- 20173
- 20142
- 20103
- 20081
- 20051
- 20041
- 20011
- 20001
- 19991
Often reported together
What owners say
The contact owned a 2023 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, it suddenly accelerated without warning. While driving in a parking lot, the vehicle again surged forward approximately 20 feet. The contact was able to swerve to avoid striking a pedestrian. The vehicle became uncontrollable, and the brakes were inoperable. The vehicle ultimately crashed into a dumpster fence, which fell onto the vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to her mouth, including cuts to the inside and outside of her mouth, and medical attention was provided by a plastic surgeon. The fire department responded to the scene. The air bags did not deploy during the crash. There was no fire, and a police report was not filed. The fire department was on the scene. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company later deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer has not been notified. The failure occurred at approximately 18,000 miles.
I am submitting this correspondence to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2020 Lexus RX 350 and to request a thorough investigation. On Saturday, February 7, while attempting to park the vehicle, I experienced a sudden loss of control, resulting in the vehicle accelerating forward and colliding with a metal gate. The exact cause of this event is unknown. During the incident, the vehicle’s pre-collision and automatic braking system failed to engage despite an obstruction being present. Additionally, the airbags did not deploy at the time of impact. A minor child was present in the vehicle, properly secured in a child's safety seat. While no injuries occurred, the vehicle sustained extensive damage and was rendered inoperable. I would also like to note that this vehicle was subject to an airbag recall on November 29, 2025, which was serviced prior to this incident. Despite completing the recall service, the airbags failed to deploy during the accident. After the vehicle was towed, the airbags unexpectedly deployed while it was being lifted onto the tow truck using a crane, further raising concerns regarding the reliability and safety of the airbag system.
Making a left turn at night going about 10 mph I was struck by a car with no lights. He hit the right front of my vehicle going about 55-60 mph. He hit my front strut and headlights and grill and radiator. My airbags did not deploy, the other vehicle’s airbag did. The police told me I should call Lexus and report the problem. The insurance company totaled my vehicle..
The contact owns a 2025 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward at a high rate of speed before crashing into the brick wall of an office building. During the crash, no air bags deployed, and the brake pedal was hard when pressed and did not stop the vehicle. Also, the manufacturer's APP indicated a malfunction in the engine and engine throttle during the incident. The driver sustained injuries to the knees, arms, and hips, which required medical treatment. An incident report was filed by the facility Patrol Officer, and the vehicle was towed to the collision center. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident. An engineer from the manufacturer was sent to examine the vehicle and reported no trouble found. The contact indicated that upon delivery of the vehicle, several electronic features did not function properly, including the display and navigation screen. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106.
Was pulling into parking spot when car went haywire and started accelerating on its own. It would not stop until it has hit 5 cars and crashed into a cement wall. The brakes did NOT stop the acceleration. This occurred at the exact same time there was an incoming call which was not answered. The airbags did NOT deploy. The car appears to be totaled and has been towed to a State Farm affiliated auto yard. There were no indicator lights that something was wrong BUT the Lexus app showed 5 warnings that came in to my text messages same day. These 5 alerts are indicative of exactly what occurred.
My air bags did not deploy with a head on collision.
The contact owned a 2017 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated while making a left turn exiting a car wash, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated independently and crashed into the commercial building where it came to a stop. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle was in full throttle and failed to stop. The air bags did not deploy. No warnings light illuminated. No Medical Attention was needed. During the failure, the contact was the only occupant seated in the vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to the head, black and blue marks on the left side of her leg and shoulder as well as her left knee sustained swelling the right of her bottom was also bruised. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to impound lot by the insurance company and then towed to a salvage lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
Hit a deer that impacted the passenger side of the vehicle. Passenger seat was occupied, and door had to be pried open by tow truck driver to get passenger out. Entire right side, from the "L" logo to the front fender was destroyed. The passenger airbag did not deploy, nor did emergency braking or collision avoidance warning go off as deer was crossing from the left (driver) side to passenger side where it impacted. No injuries, but car had to be towed due to front damage. Lexus has no fix for the airbag sensor recall for almost a year now.
Air bags did not deploy & yes it’s available for inspection. I was in an accident & the vehicle is totaled. Yes, has been inspected & confirmed they did not deploy by VA state police, tow company & insurance company USAA. There were no warnings or other symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver clockspring/spiral cassette
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous the federal safety agency recall number 23V‑480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.
Recall number 25V040000 · Recall details
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
- Risk
- An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Recall number 23V865000 · Recall details
Questions about the Lexus RX no deployment
Which Lexus RX years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2010 (3 complaints), 2017 (3 complaints) and 2019 (3 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Lexus RX?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history