2019 RX350 information screen went dead,

[rx350owner2]

Purchased new in late 2019, and since car has been sitting in the garage most of the time due to the pandemic, maintained on schedule by the dealer no replacement of anything, except a few updates/recalls by the dealer.   The car has been running fine until this Wed.  The Information screen just all of sudden went dark, no radio, no navigation, no vehicle info, no nothing. The only time the screen comes back to live is when the backup camera is activated. Googling online, it seems this has been a frequently occurring problem for RX350.  No obvious solution. 

Fortunately, my rx350 is still under warranty.  Took the car to the dealer first thing this morning, and after spent the whole morning waiting there, they told me they changed the screen, updated the software, only to no avail.  They said it was the radio, and they ordered one for me, and asked me to go back in a week or so.

This is really too much for me.  We paid good money for this Lexus for its reputation of reliability.  What gets me is this, 1. How come its electronics is this crappy ?  Any cheap electronics from Walmart is more reliable than this ! 2. How come that the  LEXUS dealers do not have any testing tools to quickly diagnosis the common problems like this ?  Fooling around, swapping parts is the way the DIYers use, NOT for LEXUS dealerships ! Not for the complicated  modern auto electronics !  At this point, I have pretty much lost faith in LEXUS brand. It is over rated.   We have had Nissan, Mazda SUV, Van, and pickup in the past 30 years, never had any problem this ridiculous.

Did anyone else have this problem ?  How was it fixed ?  Thanks.

H.M.

[RX400h]

It is very rare for any model of vehicle to have a flawless reliability record. Consumer Reports receives data from tens of thousands of vehicle owners. CR then publishes reliability tables for each model.

The 2019 RX350 table shows that the only below average reliability category is for "Noises/Leaks". This indicates that the issue you experienced is very likely to be scarce.
Our RX400h is now almost 17 years old and we have never had any electronics failures in all that time. 
 I would not take your situation as a sign that the vehicle is a lemon. Believe me, if you bought a BMW or Audi, you'd be visiting the dealerships far more often.

[rx350owner2]

Thanks Dave.

The scary part is that if my car was out of warranty, this "screen"  repair job would cost me almost $3k, for a  electronics part simpler than a $300 ipad.

[RX400h]

Yes, HM, but I would inquire as to whether Lexus has upgraded the defective component (not necessarily the whole unit) in the replacement unit you are receiving. Also, they should warranty that unit for another 4 years. I'm not sure about that but you may want to inquire. If you do decide to sell it, this is good time to get top dollar. Unfortunately, buying a replacement would require spending top dollar.

[rx350owner2]

If you google it, you will see Lexu has had this problem since 2013 year model.  No hope there.  As a premium car maker, Lexus not having a diagnostic tool for their electronics is a shocker to me.  No more Lexus for me.

[Les Lex 2018]

Can you still use voice control?  If you say "Show Radar", will it respond even though it can't display the results?

Your display is still powered if you get camera display. That display is driven by a video processor just like the one in your home PC. That processor is driven by the Entertainment system computer chip that is the heart of what your dealer calls "the radio". It displays selections and reads your selection to decide what to do next, like play the CD, etc. Your engine computer is just fine cause your car is running fine.  So, without replacement parts, There is no way to go probing into these systems. No one does that anymore. I started troubleshooting integrated computer systems way back in 1965 (before the IBM PC), and we had to isolate down to a chip.  No more of that. With a system this complicated, you get into trouble using logic to figure out what part is bad.  Sometimes its a bad crimp on a connector pin or a spread pin not making good contact (a techs worst nightmare). Memory chips can be isolated using a total stereo replacement swap out.  Unit goes back to the Mfg where they do have complex expensive test equipment that can do a pass/fail which tells the tech exactly which board to replace.  He has no idea how your stereo computer system works, he just replaces which board the computer equipment tells him to.

Sorry I could not be of help, but hope the above helps you at least understand how the entire industry deals with complex electronics. Last time I checked, all the cars you just mentions now have the exact same caliber of information/stereo systems that you have, and they are all made in the same places, like China. Once in a great while "Stuff Happen".

[rx350owner2]

@Les Lex 2018

Thanks for commenting my problem.  I will keep you guys posted about how this saga pans out.  I am an electronics engineer myself.  Lack of testability with the LEXUS electronics is  a joke.  Lexus is obviously  good at making cars, but not so good at the electronics they are putting on their cars , which will damage their reputation sooner or later.

[RX400h]

I used to work for a company that designed fairly complex circuitry for Doppler systems. 
Yes, repair technicians would swap out boards to get the customer up and running. But specific engineers would troubleshoot failed boards and write ECOs to correct any design errors to prevent reoccurrences of such failures. It is well known that a zap of static electricity can cause issues after the customer has been using the product. It should happen less frequently in a well set up assembly area but even then, it can happen.

Car mechanics are not engineers and would certainly not go beyond simple troubleshooting of circuit boards to see if they do or do not function. Hopefully, the failed unit would be sent back to Lexus. I just recently sent a Coffee machine back to the factory. A water level sensor appeared to have failed. Shortly after my call, the factory sent me a new coffee machine but before that happened, they emailed me a paid shipping label for the failed unit. 

[Les Lex 2018]

Oh, ya, Dave!  Working in your neck of the woods, I wrote a ton of Engineering Change Orders.  We could develop on-board electronic that allow the vehicle to diagnose all problem down to a component and send that info to the diagnostic print out, but the cost to Lexus would put them at an even greater disadvantage over other manufacturers.

 With the chip shortage, I am not surprised that they don't keep a good unit in stock. The New Vehicle market is so crazy, now, that there is not a single RX 350 for sale at my dealership.  There are like a dozen 350s listed but they are all sold in-transit.  In other words, folks are getting in line and taking what they can get before it leaves Canada.  Knowing what they must of had to pay to snag an RX, I wonder how many of them care what a new windshield will cost them (including built in camera) should they get too close to a gravel truck? There goes that deductible.

NX-350? Forget it!  Can't even get in line... Don't know what they look like except for pictures, Dave.

Thanks Mr. Pain for responding. Congrats on being an Engineer. 

[Les Lex 2018]

That beautiful Mark Levinson sound/information system in the RX is really manufactured by Harman International Industries, Harman Kardon (HK), a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. HK Products are generally made in China. Maybe other places.  Samsung production can be found throughout S.E.A. Gracenote, Inc provides the metadata and a lot of the software and apps, probably.

The Owners Manual that Lexus had published for the unit is awesome, IMHO.  Yes, I would buy it again...

[rx350owner2]

I are not talking about troubleshoot at board/chip level.   I am talking about the on-board electronics to have  a OBD or JTAG type of diagnostic port, to allow  a quick scan and  find out which unit/module has failed, and order the needed replacement parts.  That should be a 10 min job, not 3 hrs and charge the car owners 3k for the time they spent on swapping parts.

[RX400h]

I believe Lexus techs have a Lexus-specific OBD II scanner. Maybe it IS a 10-minute job that requires an expensive piece of test equipment. (Like having transmission fluid flushed)

[rx350owner2]

OK, got a call and went back to the dealership again.  As promised, they replaced the "radio", and it is all good now.  I am very happy with the dealership, but that does not change my opinion about Lexus.  I am just praying that this "radio" will not die again on me because by then my  warranty will most likely run out.

[Lexus350rx]

Hello,

I have a 2019 rx350, with 37K miles, the computer screen going dark has  happened to me a few times. Is there a solution to this? Does Lexus doing anything for this?

[Dino R]

I went through a similar experience with Information screen on my 2019 Rx350 went black after I connected battery cables upon return from 60 day trip. My 2019 Rx350 started immediately but screen remained black.  I have taken to our local Lexus dealer in Rockville, Md. I was given an estimate to replace a radio unit etc and cost of about $690. I did not get that done. I came back and went thru removal of battery connections and press only start button without pressing the brake pedal. Nothing happened. I am going back to my local dealer tomorrow and see what happens. I am disappointed with such an inconvenience and lack of reliable components. I intend to discuss fully with Lexus Service Manager and if necessary, write to Corporate Lexus Customer Service Dept and demand satisfactory resolution of this annoyance.   I will surely appreciate if other Rx350 owners have better experience and satisfaction from Lexus. 
Dino Rathod

[mazi]

my 2019 rx350 Fsport  ML radio  gone and the computer screen gone black  3 weeks ago.  I paid 3500 for the radio when I purchased the car in 2019.  They said they  have to  replace the radio for $2600. what the waste of money !!

[Les Lex 2018]

Probably going to take some HEAT for saying this, but it's the truth:

I've gone thru two dash cams very quickly and finally gave up the notion that electronics operated above the dashboard will last very long. Computer chips/components generate a lot of heat due to higher clock speeds.  Add to that temperatures near 150 F in direct sunlight, and you have a situation where components age quicker than they would sitting on your stereo/TV shelf.

A good practice is to keep a bright reflective dash or windshield cover in use after parking outside.  And always park facing the car away from the sun.  That also reduces the heat build up on your seats and seat-backs which in turn reduces wear on the seat fabric.

Just whistling past the junk yard.