beefnoodle

Hi all, I just picked up my 2022 RX350 AWD 800km on it so far, does any of yours have a noticeable droning noise when you are coasting and then accelerate?

ravenuer

Did you notice your post was #1981 in this thread?

beefnoodle

oh my goodness me, I did not notice that. I thought I started a new thread!! thanks for brining it to my attention. I am guessing I am not the only one than at 1982 posts LOL

eddie420

I believe the thread he created was merged with this one.

ravenuer

Oops.....didn't know that!

alan2955

My 2022 has droning anytime the rpm is around 1400 to 1700. The worst is when around 1500 to 1600 RPM Whether you’re on the gas or letting it coast. So far the dealer had it three days and installed the former exhaust system with the weight on it, which did no good. Now they just had it for another eight days, and Lexus told them to replace the rear engine mount. That definitely helped the situation somewhat. It’s still not as good as I would like it to be, but it’s definitely more tolerable than before. Just sad that a seven-year-old design is still having these issues, and they are clueless about how to manufacture these. Sadly, the 2022 loaner they gave me that was a June build was even worse than mine! It buzzed so badly around 1600 RPM that plastic interior parts were rattling in harmony with it! And keep in mind that I’m coming from a 2021 Highlander with the same power train, so I don’t have some ridiculous expectations about how it should feel and sound. I’ll probably just drive the thing awhile, and dump it a lot sooner than I would have. Sadly, it’s mostly a very nice car that is brought down by this stupid issue. I’m sure many drivers would not even notice it though, and that’s how they get by with this stuff. I admit that I am very sensitive to strange noises and vibrations in vehicles compared to the average person.

J123rx350

I don't think anyone is asking to much when you purchase a new rx350 or a used rx. I have a similar situation where my 2021 has a vibration when sitting at idle in gear. I brought it in and they said it's normal. They also brought another 2021 in and showed me that it also had a similar vibration. I also figured I would live with it. Will probably not buy another one even though I like everything else about the car, I can't get past the vibration. I expected a Lexus being a high end car should not have any vibration in the steering wheel...the dealership was nice but at the end of the day I still am not happy. This rx was manufactured in Canada and from what I have read in this forum is those rx units built in Japan do not have this issue. Am not really surprised. Good luck with your new car...

beefnoodle

Yes rough idle is the worst. I traded in my nx200t 2017 that had the worst idle vibrations the moment the weather would get cold! Was told this is normal for a turbo engine. Ridiculous that our Mazda idled perfectly quiet. I had really high hopes for this V6, as I had an RX loaner for an entire day that was smooth as butter.

J123rx350

I expect zero vibration from a luxury car. Am surprised a bit that Lexus corporate has not suggested that the dealerships resolve this issue.
good luck with your car...

condor11

I've decided to summarize a lot of useful info in this thread, some of which may not be noticed, unless one reads the entire thread.

To Moderators: It would be great if below info is captured in a sticky post, otherwise it'll just be lost again.

Fact: Lexus RX 350 2016-2022 can experience exhaust droning noise when accelerating. Typical RPM range is between 1400 and 2000 when the issue is most prominent.
Fact: Lexus recognized this and even issues a TSB, however it may not be recognized (i.e. warranty eligible) in all countries. In the USA it is recognized, but in Canada it is not.
Fact: Even when Lexus performs the TSB operation, by replacing a part of exhaust with another one, which has damper weight attached, the issue may still exist.
Fact: Some members on this forum (myself included) attached damper weight in a different location then the part for TSB calls for, and the drone was gone!

In my case, when I positioned the weight in the same place that TSB calls for, the drone was still noticeable. When I positioned as seen in the picture - the drone is gone!
Note: Lexus dealer (here in Canada) told me that the below procedure will not void the warranty. In fact, they were happy that I was able to do this myself because, to them, it meant only one thing - the issue is fixed and I've stopped bugging them about it!

For those of you who can't get Lexus to fix the issue, either because they refuse do perform TSB work or because they did but it did not help, I suggest you try the following.
1) Purchase Toyota Part # 17581-31010 (Exhaust Pipe Damper) from any Toyota dealer or online. Do shop around as prices vary and the part can be had for as little as $50USD or less.
2) Go to your local auto parts store and purchase one "2 & 1/2 inch exhaust clamp" and one "2 & 3/4 inch exhaust clamp". Purchase a 4 extra nuts and 2 washers that fit the threads on the clamps.
3) Using the below picture as a reference, get under the car (be sure the exhaust is cold!) and attach the damper weight in the indicated location. You will see why you need clamps of two different sized. It will take you a total of 10 minutes, of which 5 minutes can be spent to take a nap.
4) Don't go crazy tightening the nuts. Just make sure they are reasonably tight.

If you'd rather not do this yourself, go to nearby muffler place or just your local mechanic, bring the damper weight and the clamps (unless they have them, muffler shops usually do) and show them the below picture. Ask them to attach the weight in the same manner.

If it works - great! Enjoy the car!
If it doesn't work - try to play around with the position of the weight. This is where mechanic may provide an advice. Worst case - you've lost some time and the money you spent on parts. But, considering how much you've spent on this brand new car - it's worth a shot!

One last thing to note: based on my research, Toyota is the only car manufacturer that sells these exhaust damper weights. You will not find them from other manufacturers. Local muffler shop explained that properly engineered exhausts do not require these damper weights.
Somehow Toyota's design is lacking here.

One last tip. If the above trick works, I suggest you to buy 1 or 2 spare weights and keep them, just in case 5 years from now you loose the one you attached and Toyota no longer sells them. Remember, you won't find it from any other automaker. It's a very unusual part.

777rx400h

I put damper(s) in numerous exhaust places on my 2022-NO HELP. This vehicle drones as a matter of design. What a band aid approach anyway. Hop on the freeway and you will never notice. Drive around town as part of your commute and it will sing/vibrate all day.

J123rx350

I found the dampers for around $35 and I think I will try it as my issue is a vibration when idling in drive. I hope the damper does the trick and stops the annoying vibration. It's unfortunate that we need to do this and that Lexus does not address it. They obviously are aware of it and are not standing behind their product.
Thanks very much for providing such great detailed information, it is very much appreciated. Best regards, John

OReliable

Just bought a 2022 RX350 F-Sport (Appearance package) this week.

I noticed the droning sound too on the first night I drove my 2022 RX350 home. I was driving in normal mode that evening and as I was getting closer to my house, it held the engine around the 1500 rpm and it caused a very audible droning/humming sound. I thought there's no way that I'm experiencing an issue already since I was coming from a BMW plagued with issues (the heater core blew at 1,000 miles). I slept it off and drove again the next day to pickup my significant other from work. As I approached around 59mph, the engine hovered at 1500 rpm and again I could hear the droning sound again. This time around, I noticed the slight vibrations in the footwell area leading me to suspect an exhaust resonance. Call me what you may, but I am sensitive to these type of things and do care for these little issues, especially when you're paying 60k for a brand new SUV. This is when I decided to do my own research and came across this thread. I am wholly surprised to see that Lexus/Toyota hasn't fixed this issue yet as it's obviously been around since 2016. I contacted my dealer and he said checked with the service manager and they haven't seen any service bulletin for the 2022 RX350 yet. I sent him the link to the L-SB-0003-18 (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...64911-9999.pdf) and pointed out that my car doesn't have the new style exhaust pipe with the bracket and dampener. He pointed out that the SB is only up to the 2019 model and I told him that it was possibly related to it since the car hasn't undergone any major mechanical changes. Heck, they used the same exact backup camera in the 2016 RX350! I'll be updating you guys on Wednesday/Thursday once I drop off the car at the dealer next week and get the results back. In the meantime, I'll place an order for the $50 Toyota dampener part to see if I can fix it before Wednesday. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

In my research, I saw that in other vehicles with certain RPM resonances, they had used 1/4 resonance pipes aka J-pipes aka Helmholtz tubes to cancel out the frequency, but not sure if I want to go down that route yet....

alan2955

As I’m sure you’ve read it I’m having the same issue on a 2022F sport appearance bought 8/31/22. So far it’s been in the shop a total of 11 days, and has both the older style exhaust installed with the weight on it, and they changed the rear motor mount. Changing the exhaust to the one with the weight did absolutely nothing. I think the motor mount helped the vibrations in the body a little bit, but it still sounds very annoying around 1400 to 1700 RPM. The loaner they gave me was even more annoying than mine. It didn’t quite have the deep bass drone mine has, but instead it had a very bad vibration/buzzing around 1600 RPM that set plastic pieces in the car rattling. So not only do they have this issue, but it seems to vary from car to car quite a bit in the ‘song’ that plays around the troublesome RPM. The dealer basically admitted it’s an issue with no great resolution. I don’t blame them. They’ve been great. Lexus however dropped the ball on this otherwise nice car. I have a feeling it’s going to have a short stay in my garage. I’m the type that notices such things more than most. I probably had 25 vehicles with V6 or four-cylinder engines, and none of them exhibited this weird behavior. Not even some GM vehicles that are supposedly so bad. If you get any resolution to this, please keep us posted.

RealWing

The previous generation also had this exhaust drone. Was very noticeable on my 2015 RX350F.
The exhaust system is different between the 2 generations as Toyota tried to fix it, but has obviously failed. I just replaced the rusted steel clamps holding my 2 dampers on with stainless clamps. The 2 dampers cured my drone.
jim