Lexus RZ Lemon Law

The Lexus RZ is Lexus's first ground-up electric SUV, built on the same e-TNGA platform as the Toyota bZ and Subaru Solterra — and it inherited that platform's most serious defect. In 2026 Toyota recalled the RZ, bZ, and Solterra (NHTSA campaign 26V393) because a fault in the battery control unit can shut down the electric drive system and cause a loss of motive power while driving. Roughly 4,700 Lexus RZ vehicles were included, with the remedy being a free battery ECU software update. A sudden loss of power at speed is a serious safety hazard, and it is the kind of defect California courts treat with heightened concern.

The RZ has also drawn complaints beyond the recall. Owners report charging headaches — including the charge-limit setting defaulting back to full after every key cycle, which undoes the upper limit a driver sets to protect the battery — as well as slower-than-expected DC fast charging, charge-port and connectivity faults, and infotainment or software glitches that require dealer reflashes. Earlier Lexus SUVs using wheel hub bolts rather than studs also generated wheel-attachment cautions, and RZ owners should have any wheel or hub work done to Lexus specification.

A recall shows a defect is known, but it does not by itself make your RZ a lemon — what matters under California law is whether Lexus actually resolves the problem. If a defect substantially impairs your RZ's use, value, or safety and it isn't fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts, or the vehicle is out of service for an extended period, you may be owed a buyback, a replacement, or a cash settlement, with Lexus paying your attorney fees. Save every repair order and note each day the RZ was unusable.

A recall is not automatically a lemon — it's the manufacturer acknowledging a defect and offering a free repair. California's Lemon Law (the Song-Beverly Act) comes into play when a substantial defect can't be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, or when your RZ has been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days.

If your Lexus RZ qualifies, you may be entitled to a buyback (a refund of what you've paid, minus a mileage offset), a replacement vehicle, or a cash-and-keep settlement — and Lexus pays your attorney fees on a successful claim, so pursuing your case costs you nothing out of pocket.