Toyota Recalls 144,200 Lexus SUVs Over Rearview Camera Failure Risk

A brief drop in electrical power during certain engine restart conditions can interrupt the rearview camera system before it fully loads — and the problem may occur when a vehicle is restarted shortly after being turned off, though it does not happen in all cases. That technical quirk has prompted Toyota Motor North America to recall 144,200 Lexus SUVs across the United States.

The recall affects certain non-hybrid Lexus models, including 2022–2025 NX250 and NX350, 2023–2026 RX350, and 2024–2026 TX350 vehicles, according to NHTSA filings. When the defect surfaces, the rearview camera image may fail to display, increasing crash risk, regulators said. The recall is listed under NHTSA campaign number 26V162000 and involves a failure to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111 on rear visibility.

Regulators estimate all affected vehicles contain the underlying condition, though the issue may only appear under specific operating scenarios. In practice, that means a Lexus owner who quickly restarts their SUV and shifts into reverse could find a blank screen where their backup camera feed should be — with no warning that the system failed to load.

The safety recall report filed with NHTSA explains that software in the parking-assist ECU on PVM-equipped vehicles can, under certain startup conditions, cause the rearview image to freeze briefly or fail to appear when reverse is engaged.

The remedy is straightforward and free. Dealers will update the parking-assist software and, where needed, replace rearview cameras at no charge to owners. Lexus will notify affected owners by mid-May. Those with questions in the meantime can contact Lexus directly at 800-255-3987, visit Lexus.com/recall, or call the NHTSA vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 to check their vehicle identification number and confirm whether their SUV is included.

This recall arrives during a crowded season of Toyota safety actions: on March 11, the automaker announced a roughly 550,000-vehicle Highlander seat-back recall. The back-to-back announcements underscore an accelerating pattern in the industry, where software-driven vehicle systems — once considered simple add-ons — are increasingly the source of federal safety complaints.

Until the software update or repair is complete, officials say drivers should not treat the backup camera as their only set of eyes. Owners of the affected NX, RX, and TX models are encouraged to schedule dealer service promptly rather than wait for the formal mid-May notification letter to arrive.