LEXUS NX350H door handle button frozen

[DeGars]

This morning when i tried to open the driver's door it turned out that the rubber button on the door handle is "frozen" i can't push it and open the door. I checked the other doors and one back door would not open either. The other doors work fine, just these two and I have to open them from the inside when I get into the passenger seat - the door itself is not frozen). Has anyone experienced this issue before? Is this something the dealer will fix/ replace?

[Chance521]

28 minutes ago, DeGars said:

This morning when i tried to open the driver's door it turned out that the rubber button on the door handle is "frozen" i can't push it and open the door. I checked the other doors and one back door would not open either. The other doors work fine, just these two and I have to open them from the inside when I get into the passenger seat - the door itself is not frozen). Has anyone experienced this issue before? Is this something the dealer will fix/ replace?

I heard same issue from one of my friends. Have you tried to unlock with the physical key? If I were you I would report it to Lexus dealer:)

[johns250]

I had the same problem during big freeze,phoned my local dealer i  was told to pour warm water over the handle it worked a treat.

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Edgars. Don't worry about this issue. In freezing conditions just about all cars door handles and buttons within freeze. It'll only be a problem if it happens in normal temperatures. 

A trick is to spray silicon on things like door rubbers handles etc. Just a light coating. 

[NemesisUK]

I'm surprised there's a rubber button on the door handle of a 2022 model? Isn't there just a touch sensor moulded into the handle?

My RX had no issues during the freeze, the easy entry system operated flawlessly, as did my RC previously. Frost, snow and ice had no affect, except the RC's frameless door glass froze to the seal...

[Klaudiusz]

In Poland Lexus replaced few of the handles. The cars manufactured prior July 2022 had some problems. 

[Ken R]

Door opening was certainly a challenge during the recent temperature plunge. 

[Addh]

There is a touch sensor at the back of the handle which unlocks the doors but you have to push it in slightly to open them, one of my rear door buttons was frozen for a few days but the other 3 were fine. The frozen one still opened normally from the inside. 

[Brian Wiseman]

Yes, me too last night. My wife couldn’t get into the passenger door.  I thought that the locking customisation had switched to driver door only. Passenger door would open from inside but opening rear doors was not possible - I couldn’t reach the inside release from the front seats. 
I plan to raise this with my dealer asap. My 450h+ was delivered April 22 so presumably built ~Jan 22 so maybe Polish findings will apply in UK. 

[loknx]

Just to add I experienced the same too this morning, except it's all 4 doors in my case...

Warm water didn't work (or maybe not enough), eventually my left rear door which is the closest door to an outdoor light that stayed on all night worked, presumably it was the least frozen thanks to the heat from the light?

Then had to climb past a bulky car seat to open the driver door from inside...

Drove for over an hour to work to find that they're still frozen! Despite the car/engine fully warmed up..

350h left factory end of July 2022, so may well be one of the last dodgy handles judging by the polish findings.

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

On 1/5/2023 at 10:32 AM, DeGars said:

This morning when i tried to open the driver's door it turned out that the rubber button on the door handle is "frozen" i can't push it and open the door. I checked the other doors and one back door would not open either. The other doors work fine, just these two and I have to open them from the inside when I get into the passenger seat - the door itself is not frozen). Has anyone experienced this issue before? Is this something the dealer will fix/ replace?

Its a Simple fix.. Just take some hot not boiled water from your kettle Pour a little over your door handle and HEY PRESTO Your Door handle will Open normally..IT DOES WORK Its just down to the really cold weather i.m Afraid..

[Eggie]

I started a thread earlier re this before this appeared. I have copied it for info:

I had difficulty gaining access to my vehicle  due to icy weather and electronic locks not working correctly. This issue has been reported widely in North America.  I got into car eventually and called into my local Lexus dealer.  Apparently if this occurs its because the electronic touch pad on the inside of the handle is frozen. (Not the locking mechanism) If you feel for the slightly raised activation pad which you touch to activate the lock and either use fingers to warm it up by friction or use a heated cloth it will defrost and work.  I have tried it using my hand and it does work.

Hope this helps for anyone who has come across this issue.

[DanD]

15 hours ago, RONNIE W HODGEKINSON said:

Its a Simple fix.. Just take some hot not boiled water from your kettle Pour a little over your door handle and HEY PRESTO Your Door handle will Open normally..IT DOES WORK Its just down to the really cold weather i.m Afraid..

Simple but not good enough on a car that costs over £60k. Also, -3 (at home this morning) is cold... but not that cold. There are plenty of countries in which the NX is sold that experience much colder temperatures.

I was given a NX450h yesterday morning as a courtesy car. Last night as I was leaving work, it took me 10 minutes to get into it and I was unable to give a colleague a lift to the station because I gave up trying to open the other doors. He got a list from someone else. I had the same problem again this morning.

I have never encountered such issues on my previous 4 Lexus.

[Las Palmas]

Strange.

Never had that problem in all the years I have been living in cold north in any of the cars we have had. Denmark - Norway. Probably as cold or maybe colder than UK.

[Starlight]

Same here, could not get in this morning. Managed to get one passenger door open to push out the driver side. Drove off, stopped at Starbucks and could not get back in. I bet people nearby who saw me fumbling with the doors must have thought 'a car theft is unfolding'. 

[The_Doctor]

I experienced this too this morning, offside rear passenger door wouldn't open but fortunately all the others did! Is the general consensus this affects earlier production vehicles (mine was likely built Feb / Mar 2022) and has now been addressed?

[Ala Larj]

I’m surprised that there is actually a button to press. On my 2014 gs I only have to put my hand behind the handle for the door to unlock. No button to press or freeze!

[NemesisUK]

2 minutes ago, Ala Larj said:

I’m surprised that there is actually a button to press. On my 2014 gs I only have to put my hand behind the handle for the door to unlock. No button to press or freeze!

As was I..

I mentioned this to the service manager this morning, whilst examining the NX450 door handles. Yes there is a little rubber button on the rear of the grab handle. He reasoned this is because the handle itself does not move to release the door, which the other models do. The newer models now have e-lock an all electronic door lock/release system.

Still not sure why Lexus as moved to this (older?) method, as was found on Mercedes cars iof 20yrs ago and they were fraught with problems. 

If the button simply energises the electronic release, why cannot the hall effect system used in my RX (and presumably your GS) energise the same e-lock system? Could it be the shortage of IC chips? Just seems a step backwards IMHO

[Addh]

There are times when I want to unlock the car with the touch sensor but not open the door - for example to unlock the charging flap. As said above the reason for the push button is because the handle itself doesn't pull out as with most (all?) other cars.

 

 

 

[Caspa]

Had the same yesterday morning after the remote heating schedule didn't activate, but worked after rubbing my finger on it a bit. 

Agree it's strange they didn't make it exactly the same as the locking touch sensor. 

[djp1553]

I have experienced this on 3 occasions in the last few days of icy weather.  I have now had 6 Lexus models over 12 years and this is the first time I have encountered a problem.  It is quite annoying when away from home as there is no access to 'warm' water to free it up and in this day and age why should it be necessary to warm the lock.  I presume the NX450h is not sold in Canada or the northern states of the USA as I am sure their temperatures put the UK in the shade.  Has anyone got a fix from a dealer yet?  If not I will be reporting to my dealer and will report back

[Mark Adrian]

We’ve also encountered identical problems with all four doors during this cold spell.  Initially resorted to opening the boot using the push button and crawling into the car.  Then on one occasion my partner drove to the railway station, got out of the car to meet me, closed driver’s door to keep the heat in and none of the doors would open even though the car was running and the keys were inside the car! It was only -1c outside.

 We have read some of the proposed solutions below and do not favour pouring hot water over a sensor and this is not a solution.  We have reported this to Lexus dealership (along with problems opening the petrol flap from day 1 - again the sensor doesn’t work and we have to use the manual lever hidden in the boot!).

 Our current work around is to put a bath sponge between the door handle sensor and the door frame (it is a tight fit) and has so far kept the frost from the sensor.  Simply remove the sponge and the door sensor operates (the three remaining doors have to be opened from the inside until their sensors have defrosted.  Also worth noting that putting a sponge in between the petrol flap and the petrol cap also works. We think the pressure from the sponge allows the catch to open the flap!

Our car is a NX 450h+ and we took delivery October 2022 and cost over £60k+.  As a luxury end car we are staggered at these issues and can’t believe that we’ve had to buy two bath sponges as a work around! Lexus must sort this out to allow owners to fill up with fuel and get into their cars!

 

 

[royoftherovers]

4 minutes ago, Mark Adrian said:

We’ve also encountered identical problems with all four doors during this cold spell.  Initially resorted to opening the boot using the push button and crawling into the car.  Then on one occasion my partner drove to the railway station, got out of the car to meet me, closed driver’s door to keep the heat in and none of the doors would open even though the car was running and the keys were inside the car! It was only -1c outside.

 We have read some of the proposed solutions below and do not favour pouring hot water over a sensor and this is not a solution.  We have reported this to Lexus dealership (along with problems opening the petrol flap from day 1 - again the sensor doesn’t work and we have to use the manual lever hidden in the boot!).

 Our current work around is to put a bath sponge between the door handle sensor and the door frame (it is a tight fit) and has so far kept the frost from the sensor.  Simply remove the sponge and the door sensor operates (the three remaining doors have to be opened from the inside until their sensors have defrosted.  Also worth noting that putting a sponge in between the petrol flap and the petrol cap also works. We think the pressure from the sponge allows the catch to open the flap!

Our car is a NX 450h+ and we took delivery October 2022 and cost over £60k+.  As a luxury end car we are staggered at these issues and can’t believe that we’ve had to buy two bath sponges as a work around! Lexus must sort this out to allow owners to fill up with fuel and get into their cars!

 

 

A really poor show, Lexus.

Experience Amazing ???

[KiritC]

It would appear that the frozen door handles is a daeign flaw. Surprising as cold weather testing should have revealed this issue but perhaps too far down the road to change anything. Very frustrating. 

[scudney]

Sounds more like some want everything to be perfect, no inconvenience spared lol 😆 unfortunately we don't live in such a world and there will be inconveniences of one sort or another