Lexus Struggling To Meet Demand On The Popular LX and NX

Jul. 08, 2022 4:59 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Industry News / 11 Comments

But there is still more positive news for American buyers.

The Lexus SUV lineup is currently experiencing a renaissance, with dated models being replaced with new products. It started at the affordable level with the 2022 Lexus NX, expanded further with the flagship 2022 Lexus LX, and will soon converge in the middle upcoming 2023 Lexus RX. These products are clearly superior to their predecessors, as Automotive News reports that Lexus is struggling to keep up with demand, especially in its home market of Japan.

Demand for the LX in Japan is so great, the waiting list now stretches to four years. The delays are so long, Lexus has been forced to suspend new orders because the existing ones may not be delivered until after the LX gets a mid-cycle refresh. "LX is very popular not only in Japan but also around the world, and we have received orders that greatly exceed our production capacity," Lexus said in a statement on its Japanese website. Though we don't get it in the US, the related Toyota Land Cruiser is also delayed by around four years.

The compact NX faces a similar issue, though the wait is only around 12 months compared to four years. Even still, Lexus has paused new NX crossover orders in the Japanese market. "The US market is getting some additional allocations to help meet demand. It's still not enough, but we don't have the wait times other markets are experiencing," a Lexus spokesperson confirmed to CarBuzz, though the company does have a "significant order bank," especially for the LX. As of right now, US customers can still order either an NX or LX, though Lexus dealers only have only a few days worth of supply.

The flagship LX (and Toyota Land Cruiser) is only produced in Japan while the NX is produced in both Japan and Canada, which could explain why the US is able to get the latter more quickly. Lexus is far from the only automaker experiencing production shortages right now, as this issue currently stretches industry-wide. The company has produced around 400,000 fewer vehicles globally for the fiscal year 2022 due to the lack of semiconductors and supply chain issues. Lexus sales in the US have declined by around 17 percent so far this year, which is a far smaller slump than some rivals.