Wow! This is a serious deficiency. I always assumed that the emergency key would mechanically open the door especially when the vehicle battery was dead. It appears this is not the case with the 4th generation.

 

I find this hard to believe! Do you know for a fact that it is so or is this just an assumption?

 

How could the engineers have missed that??

 

First, we have not confirmed that the mechanical key does NOT open the door if the vehicle battery is completely dead. Second, even if this were so, it most certainly would not have been an engineering “miss” but rather a deliberate decision by corporate decision makers.

 

No, it is not an assumption, it is a hard fact. And I just reported this to LEXUS.

 

This article applies to an earlier generation (not the 4th generation).

 

I recently turned in my 2017 RX at the lease end so I can't try this. I just find it hard to believe there would be no way to access your car with a dead battery. Dead batteries are not all that rare, so what are you supposed to do, pry open the door with a crowbar?

 

Amazed as well. Not just a dead battery, but what if the solenoid fails too? Hard to believe that Lexus would have missed this…..

 

I don't doubt that it happened to you, but how do you know that it's not mechanical?
Such a blunder is possible, but not probable, that's why I asked.
Let us know what Lexus says.

 

anyone can pull the negative cable, and try the mechanical key in the lock cylinder

(possibly something got messed up in the door handle recall ??)

 

I was thinking of doing that myself but it's 7 degrees outside right now....

 

Lucky you! here it's -21c (-5F) Brass monkeys don't want to go out.

 

Gosh 13F here in NJ heat spell I guess.

 

OK, you talked me into it.

I went out and used the key to unlock the doors with the battery connected and I could hear the solenoids fire and the door/doors unlocked. So, if the battery is good and you use the key, it will electronically unlock the doors.

Next, I disconnected the battery negative cable and tried the remotes to unlock the doors - nothing. Lock, of course didn't flash the parking lights either. Then I used the key and it mechanically raised the door lock button. Then I was able to open the drivers door.

I have a video of it with me fumbling in the cold with the key...

My thoughts are that something is mechanically wrong with the OP's vehicle and the rod connection between the lock cylinder and the door latch mechanism is broken or not connected. Lexus DID provide a way to unlock and open the drivers door if the vehicles battery is totally dead.

 

Thank you in the name of science and this community.

@OP: you aren’t trying to break into someone else’s car, are you? Ha, JK! Hope you get it resolved!