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2023 Lexus RZ

Electric

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash reported 11

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

EV rangebest configuration, EPA 220 mi

Starting MSRP3 trims · manufacturer $59,650

2026 2025 2024 2023

The 2023 Lexus RZ is sold in the U.S. as an electric compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the RZ 450e AWD (18 inch Wheels), is EPA-rated at 220 miles with 107 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 11 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $59,650 to $65,150 across 3 trims.

Lexus RZ — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Lexus RZ · Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	MPG comb	Seats	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
Premium AWD (18 in. wheel)	Electric	AWD	$59,650	308 hp	107 MPGe	5	34.9 cu-ft	18 in
Premium AWD (20 in. wheel)	Electric	AWD	$60,890	308 hp	95 MPGe	5	34.9 cu-ft	20 in
Luxury	Electric	AWD	$65,150	308 hp	—	5	34.9 cu-ft	—

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
RZ 450e AWD (18 inch Wheels)	Electric	AWD	80 and 150 kW AC Synchronous	115	98	107 MPGe	220 mi	32	10 h	$700
RZ 450e AWD (20 inch Wheels)	Electric	AWD	80 and 150 kW AC Synchronous	102	87	95 MPGe	196 mi	36	10 h	$800

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 46986, 46987.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
RZ 450e AWD (18 inch Wheels)	10 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 / California ZEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay Elite
RZ 450e AWD (20 inch Wheels)	10 / 10	California ZEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 0	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay Elite

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

●moderate

Back Over Prevention

25TB13/25LB06/WRE25

1,024,407 vehicles 81% reported repaired built Oct 18, 2022 – Apr 7, 2025

Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility." Risk A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V744000 reported Oct 30, 2025 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

●moderate

Visibility

25TB07,25LB04,WRD25

94,320 vehicles 84% reported repaired built Jan 23, 2023 – Jun 12, 2025

Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2025 bZ4X, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra vehicles. During certain HVAC system faults, such as electrical compressor failure, the defroster and defogger system may become inoperative. Risk An inoperative defroster and defogger system can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will update the HVAC control ECU software, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect the electrical compressor, and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB07 and 25TA07. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB04 and 25LA04. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-25.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V577000 reported Sep 4, 2025 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific RZ

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2023 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Lexus publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Lexus’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Lexus RZ, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

11complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

15 per 10,000 built · Lexus reported 7,341 RZ built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2023: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Electrical System 4

Unspecified 3

Power Train 2

Structure 1

Air Bags 1

Engine 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, my car experienced a sudden, catastrophic failure of braking system while in motion, at my home. I brought the vehicle into Lexus of Concord on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, .

Service Brakes Sep 18, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11765428

My vehicle, a 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, has been out of service for over 30 days due to an unresolved HVAC system failure affecting cabin heating. The issue significantly impacts the safe operation of the vehicle, particularly in cold weather conditions where adequate heat is necessary for driver visibility and occupant safety.

Power Train Mar 24, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11726598

While driving slowly in a parking lot and without striking any object, my 2023 Lexus RZ 450e experienced a catastrophic front right suspension failure. The suspension failure caused separation of the CV axle, detachment of the front right wheel assembly, and an immediate loss of steering control.

Suspension Jan 16, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11711518

I was driving at 45 mph during a sunny day with normal traffic flow. The right rear tire had suddenly exploded. It almost caused a major accident. Upon inspection, the tire was totally blew out. Only the rim was left. The tire expert at Northside Lexus dealer in Houston said he had seen hundreds of blow out tires on Lexus like that.

Wheels Oct 29, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11696241

I have had my 2023 RZ450e for two years and at 53,000 miles, the driver side daytime running light went out. Another owner on a Facebook Lexus RZ450e group reported the same identical thing happening to them in October 2024. With the headlight assembly being LED, these should not fail early on in ownership and should last quite a while.

Exterior Lighting May 19, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11661895

The charger fails to charge. Nothing happens when it is plugged into the vehicle. The dealer has confirmed the vehicle can be fully charged using the dealer’s level 2 charger. I am able to fully charge the vehicle using the level 1 charger supplied with the vehicle. Enel X Way has discontinued support.

Equipment May 6, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11659322

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Lexus itself: 10 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 16 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 136 per 100,000 built. Every RZ model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 105

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-22

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 88 service bulletins, 15 service campaigns, 2 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Structure, Equipment, Engine.

L-SB-0027-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Suspension
Some 2023 – 2025 model year RZ 450e and 2024 – 2025 model year RZ 300e vehicles may exhibit a creaking noise coming from the strut mounting bearing in front suspension when turning. A new part has been developed to address this condition.
L-SB-0030-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2025-12-15 · Structure — Body
Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interio
25LD02 Service campaign
2025-11-04 · Unknown Or Other
Model Year 2023-2025 model year RZ vehicles have charge ports that use the CCS standard. This program is for lessees and guests of these vehicles to receive 1 complimentary NACS Charging Adapter per vehicle to enable charging at stations using the NACS standard.
L-TT-0326-23 Rev2 Service bulletin
2025-08-19 · Electrical System
Some customers may experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot resolve on their own. These resources, in conjunction with the Repair Manual, are for dealership personnel to assist those customers with user issues, user errors, and compatibility issues with other vehicle systems and external applications encountered while operating telematics features.
25LC03 Service bulletin
2025-08-05 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SOFTWARE UPDATE 25LC03 EV CHARGING PERFORMANCE + DISPLAY SOFTWARE UPDATE CERTAIN 2023 RZ450e
L-TT-0347-25 Service bulletin
2025-06-17 · Engine
Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of DTCs.
L-SB-0043-23 Rev1 Service bulletin
2025-06-13 · Electrical System
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
L-TT-0340-25 Service bulletin
2025-04-02 · Electrical System
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.79%

failed the safety inspection

253 initial inspections of 247 vehicles.

Measure	The 2023 RZ	Every 2023 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the safety inspection	0.79%	1.1%	253
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.16%	253
Miles driven a year	6,036	10,038	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	19,185	32,673	odometer at inspection

Electric vehicles get no emissions test in New York, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

RZ by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 1 6 301 mi 2025 B 2 2 266 mi 2024 B 2 5 266 mi 2023 this page B 2 11 220 mi

Common questions about the 2023 RZ

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2023 Lexus RZ cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $59,650 for the Premium AWD (18 in. wheel) AWD to $65,150 for the Luxury AWD, across 3 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2023 Lexus RZ have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2023 Lexus RZ. The most serious on file is 25V744000, covering Back Over Prevention. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2023 Lexus RZ?

NHTSA gave the 2023 Lexus RZ 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (89/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Lexus RZ?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Lexus RZ, the longest EPA range is 220 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2023 Lexus RZ?

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Lexus RZ, most often about electrical system, unspecified, power train. Of those, 1 involved a crash. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2023 Lexus RZ?

The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Lexus RZ is 10 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California ZEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Lexus RZ?

The manufacturer has filed 105 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Lexus RZ, most often covering electrical system, unknown or other, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-09-22. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2023 Lexus RZ do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Lexus RZ failed the safety inspection on 0.79% of first inspections — lower than the 1.1% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

Which 2023 Lexus RZ trim is the best value?

$5,500 separates the cheapest of the 3 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	11	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	105	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	3 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

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