Lexus and Car Play malfunction after 17.1.1 install

When I first took to car to Stevenson Lexus in Lakewood, Colorado last June I was told they had received a few other calls the past few days with same issue. Explained it was due to software update and I needed to wait for the update from apple and it would start working again. Well I spent next 4 months on phone with apple. They had me send videos of what was happening. They sent videos to apple engineers. In late September they informed me it was not an apple issue. They told me to take car to dealership. My phone and car play worked fine in my husband’s ford mustang so it wasn’t the phone. I told the dealership to keep the car til it was fixed. I also emailed Lexus customer care and got immediate response with a phone call and promise to help me. They called the dealership as my advocate. Their plan was to start with replacing the amplifier but when that didn’t resolve the problem they replaced the entire radio which if not under warranty is very expensive.now it works great. Took two weeks but they figured it out. Have your service person call Phoenix at Stevenson Lexus in Lakewood Colorado. He can tell them what they need to do.

We encountered the same issue with our 2024 Lexus NX350, and I’ve found a solution. Interestingly, the problem isn’t with Apple, Siri, or CarPlay itself, but with a specific setting under Accessibility that needs to be enabled for everything to work properly.

Ideally, this shouldn’t be necessary, as CarPlay is designed to connect seamlessly to any compatible vehicle. However, since this issue doesn’t occur with all Toyota/Lexus models, I suspect it stems from a low-level firmware issue with the Lexus CarPlay interface. Hopefully, this will be resolved in a future software update from the manufacturer, which often happens during routine service appointments.

In the meantime, the core issue is that the car’s microphone cuts out when Siri interacts with the driver. To fix this and ensure Siri works correctly with Messages, follow these steps on your iPhone:

1. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Siri
2. Toggle "Require Siri for interruptions" to ON
3. 
   

With this setting enabled, you should be able to use CarPlay and interact with Siri for Messages without any further issues.

My voice to text stopped working last June in my 2024 NX350H. After 4 months of the dealership telling me it was an issue with Apple software update… and hours of me on phone with Apple and sending videos to their engineers… It was determined not to be an Apple or software issue. Took back to dealership and told them to keep my car and give me free loaner til they figured it out. After two weeks, it was determined to be the radio. First they replaced the amplifier and that didn’t fix it. Then the radio was replaced and now it works perfectly. The service tech said he had several customers with same issue and now they know what the problem is. If I hadn’t done that, I would still be waiting for them to figure it out. Lexus will have a lot of radios to replace and that is an expensive fix.

Lexus service installed a new radio 9" screen radio in my 2023 Lexus NX350. Because the radio is new I had to reassign my phone and log into the Lexus app. I requested their technology expert to sit with me during this process. I tested the siri voice text and the same issue occurred. it cut me off, and said "what do you want". The technology expert said, "yep, that's what I heard happens, and said it must be an apple issue". So I left frustrated. On my way home I shut my phone off and restarted, and then the siri text started working properly. So for anyone that gets a new radio, restart your phone after you connect it your car.

Once I got home I looked at the software version. I am now back at version 2050 and the date says 02/13/2024. Previously I was at 2170 and the date was 06/29/2024. This issue began when my car FORCED me to update to version 2170. So I suspect Lexus found a radio in stock that did not have the newest software update and pushed me backwards to before the Lexus software broke the siri voice controls.

By the way, back in June, 2024, when I got the software update with the bug, Lexus said I could not go back to version 2050. So it makes sense that they would simply remove and reinstall a new radio with the old software version.

Bottom line, I don't think Lexus actually fixed anything. By getting the previous software, I am pre-bug. Now when they FORCE me to update to 2170 I will be broke again.

@SReynoldEllis, since you are the only other person reporting the fix, what software version do you have.

Hello Everyone!

The same issue has been presented in a different thread, and thankfully, the solution was found. Voice recognition flipped off in settings. Just search it in settings and flip the switch back on.

Also, for those of you that have Siri only partially working (you can’t say “Hey Siri” but works when you press and hold the voice command button) make sure you have “always listen for ‘Hey Siri’” on.

I hope this helps!

This is pure genius....Thanks!! After 14 months of frustration, phone calls, dealer visits, and research, you have hit a bullseye solution. Ironicaly, I just brought by NX to the dealer again yesterday. They verified the problem and ordere a new radio.

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Phoenix at Stevenson Lexus in Lakewood Colorado told me he has had several calls since my post. Replacing radio worked for me.

I bought a 2024 Lexus NX 350H December 2023. Voice to text with Car play worked fine until June 2024. Now it Siri cuts out and repeats things over and over and basically can’t send voice to texts. I can tell Siri to call , play music or give directions on maps and that works great. Just the voice to texts don’t work. I took it to the dealership in June. Was told they had just started getting a few calls regarding same thing and had a call to Lexus Corporate to report it. I was told it was an issue they were seeing with the NX 350 and the smaller screens. After a month of no follow up calls to me, I called dealership and no update available. I then called Apple since Lexus said it was an Apple issue and Apple needed to send a fix. After several hours and 4 months on calls with Apple.. sending them videos of what it was doing and them sending to their engineers…. they told me this week that it is not an Apple issue but a Lexus problem because my phone works perfectly with my husband’s car play on his 2021 Ford Mustang. I will also note that it did same thing with my iPhone 14 Pro Max as well as my new 16 pro max. So I took my car to the Lexus Dealership yesterday and told them I wanted a loaner and didn’t want my car back til it was resolved. Apple representative told me I shouldn’t have to be the one trying to figure this out. If everyone did same thing as far as taking car back to dealership… maybe it will create urgency on their part.

Same. just left dealership just for the tech guy to tell me it's a known issue and apple is working on it. He says it's a problem on the "small" radio NX. I said, then change the radio to the "big" one. sounds like it doesn't have voice recognition and it is picking up on any vocal commands, including Siri.

I have a NX350 2024. I printed this forum out and brought it to my dealership. I finally got someone that actually read through it and agreed to order a new radio. It will take a month so I’m in a loaner until then. It’s so nice to be in a car that works properly!!

Hopefully this radio replacement works 🤞

Mine does the same thing. Every text message starts off with “what do you want?” It’s embarrassing and unacceptable. Lexus keeps telling me to turn down the volume. That doesn’t work either. They don’t seem to care even though they know it’s an issue. It’s because the speaker is right above your head. Siri hears herself ask “what do you want to say” cutting herself off and sending the portion of “what do you want” as part of my text message. Would love a resolution for this!!

I recommend hard resetting your iPhone to see if it solves your issue with CarPlay.

I talked to Phoenix today after my dealership gave me pushback- super nice guy! Essentially there is a software update in this newest radios that they can't get to download on to the ones in existing cars yet.

@Rachel9519, What version does your newly installed radio says it has?

Yes, I initially spoke to Phoenix and had my dealer call him. My dealer was given a Lexus field rep to contact to resolve the issue.

My car is still there since Nov 23rd and last update I received is they are filling out paperwork to order the new radio. I just spoke to Pheonix last week though and I swore he said the new radios being put in had a newer update. Wonder if your dealer didn't use the newest radios. Call him again. He's super nice.