2017 Lexus Rx

My vehicle is experiencing a mechanical failure of the brake actuator/booster assembly, manifested by a "squawk/bark" noise and abnormal pedal feel during braking. This is a known defect recognized by Lexus under Customer Support Program 23LE04. The dealership technician confirmed the noise is present and recommended a full replacement of the ABS actuator. However, Lexus is denying coverage because the onboard computer has not yet triggered a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). By denying the repair, Lexus is requiring me to operate a vehicle with a confirmed mechanical brake malfunction, which increases the risk of a crash, increased stopping distance, or total brake power assist failure. March 2021 (60k miles): Actuator was replaced under warranty for this exact failure. December 2021 (74k miles): The failure recurred. Lexus and the dealer refused to cover the diagnosis/bleed, forcing me to drive a defective vehicle. February 2026 (110k miles): A Lexus dealer confirmed the part is failing again and quoted $3,000 for replacement. Despite a manufacturer program (CSP 23LE04) existing for this exact part, Lexus refuses to honor it without an electronic code, even though the mechanical failure has been physically confirmed by their own technicians. The component is available for inspection.

3 months before the accident the power steering light came on twice and went off. The day of the accident the brake light came on when I started the car that day. It disappeared when I was put in drive. I was entering onto the highway to merge with the traffic. Another car waiting for the light to turn green so he could enter also. My car didn’t stop because my brakes failed and the collision avoidance system didn’t work either. No sounds nor warnings. I have photos of the message that was displayed on the dashboard. Tried sending photos but it didn’t work.

I purchased a 2017 Lexus Rx 450h Fsport last year at Carmax. About 6 months ago, I noticed that every time I pressed the brakes, there was a chirping sound. I figured it could be dust in the calipers. As the months went by, the chirping sound has gotten louder and now it affected the parking brakes. I researched this problem and many people online have also complained that they are hearing this Chirping sound or what the Dealer calls a "Brake Squawking" sound. I received a letter from Lexus saying to bring my vehicle in for a possible Brake Booster and Fuel pump failure. So I brought my car to the dealership. Since it's there I complained about the chirping sounds that it's making every time I step on the brakes and when the parking brake is applied. I told the Advisor at Lexus that a lot of people online have also complained about this problem and it should be a "Recall". He said that it's not a Recall. To make the story short, the Dealership didn't find anything wrong with the Brake Booster and the Fuel pump. What's causing the Chirping or Squawking sounds was the "Brake Actuator". I was quoted $4,327 to have these parts replaced because my Rx was already past the 50,000 miles warranty. I brought my Rx to the Dealership at 55,483 miles. It was a great thing that we purchased the extended warranty at Carmax called the Max Care which I only had to pay a $100 co-pay. Amazing! It took about 2 days to have this completed. Now, the chirping sound has disappeared when I press the brakes and when the parking brake is applied. I truly believe that this should be a Recall by Lexus and be covered. It shouldn't matter how many miles the customer has. This is a safety issue. The brake actuator shouldn't fail this soon. I have a 2007 Lexus GS350 with 225,000 plus miles and I never replaced the Brake Actuator. I don't know if even has one. The bottom line is when I press the brakes on that car, there were never any chirping sounds.

It was found during inspection of front break calipers that rubber dust boots on 3 out of 4 pistons (2 pistons per caliper) were torn apart. Chunks of cut out rubber boots were found inside the pistons. The car never had break work done since the time it was manufactured. The brake pads on both front wheels are still factory original. The only way for dust boots to get damaged is to have improper installation during car assembly process where rubber boot is not tacked fully inside caliper. The issue would result in premature wear of piston seals dust boot supposed to protect. Wearing off seals would result in leak of break fluid and potential sudden loss of break functionality. The workmanship issue is likely to be impacting other vehicles assembled on the same factory floor by the same employee.