I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2024 Lexus RZ300e related to battery range performance and charging requirements in cold weather. In real-world winter conditions in Massachusetts, the vehicle experiences severe range loss, requiring excessive and repeated public charging to remain operable. On a representative day, I was required to use multiple public charging networks (ChargePoint, FLO, and Tesla Superchargers), spending over 4 hours physically charging, consuming approximately 105 kWh of electricity, and paying nearly $50 in public charging costs, with additional home charging still required for the next day. Many charging stations are outdoors and poorly sheltered, requiring prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, wind, and precipitation. This creates a significant safety risk due to driver fatigue. To earn a modest daily income, I must drive for extended hours. When combined with approximately 4 hours per day spent charging, this results in up to 16 hours in a single day spent driving or waiting in the vehicle. Charging time is not rest, as I must remain alert, manage charging sessions, and relocate the vehicle. This extended time causes physical exhaustion and reduced alertness, increasing risk on public highways. These conditions are particularly concerning because my wife is pregnant, and the vehicle was leased as a family vehicle. Prolonged winter charging exposure and fatigue pose risks not only to the driver but to passengers and other road users. The vehicle has been inspected by a Lexus dealer. Dealer documentation states that battery degradation cannot be directly measured, usable battery capacity data is unavailable, and cold-weather range loss is considered “normal.” No corrective repair or adjustment has been offered. The issue is reproducible in winter conditions and remains unresolved. I believe the vehicle’s real-world charging burden and resulting fatigue create an unreasonable safety risk and warrant review.

Vehicle Completely Locks itself. Not able to open doors. Even Not able to open with keyless remote fob. Not able to take Charging cable connection out of vehicle. It has happened twice. Lexus was made aware of this issue. I have been stranded twice. It is a safety issue and requesting NHTSA to recall.

My 2023 Lexus RZ450e experienced a sudden failure of the 12-volt battery, which completely disabled the vehicle and prevented it from starting. The battery failed while the car was plugged into a Level 2 home charger, but not in ‘Ready’ mode. There were no warning signs or alerts, and I had to call roadside assistance to jump-start the car. After the incident, I brought the vehicle to the dealership. They tested the 12V battery and said it was “fine.” However, during the 100,000-mile maintenance, I specifically requested a battery re-check—and this time, the battery failed the test. This raises serious concerns about the reliability and longevity of the 12V battery in this vehicle, as well as the inconsistent diagnostics at the dealership. If the vehicle had failed to start while I was away from home, I could have been stranded in unsafe conditions. Safety Concerns: The 12-volt battery powers essential systems, including door locks, ignition, and electronic control units. Its failure disables the entire vehicle. The fact that this happened while the car was plugged in, but not in “Ready” mode, suggests a potential design flaw or charging system issue. I’ve also seen reports from other RZ450e owners experiencing similar 12V problems, which may point to a broader systemic issue. Requested Action: Please investigate potential defects in the 12-volt battery system and whether the Lexus RZ450e’s charging system fails to maintain battery health during regular use.

The contact owns a 2024 Lexus RZ 300E. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and charging, the heater was activated and failed to function and provide heat as needed. The contact stated that the charging system intermittently failed to charge as needed. The contact stated that there was an hour-and-a-half delay for a full charge. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,620.