NHTSA Complaint #11538204 — 2017 LEXUS RX

The lane departure camera is mounted to the windshield and the glass between the windshield and the camera becomes fogged over time. This results in the lane departure system becoming less sensitive or inoperable - in particular in low-light or when sun was shining toward the camera (dusk/dawn). It also results in the adaptive cruise control becoming more erratic (abrupt in stops). This design puts the user of the vehicle and others around them at risk as key safety systems are compromised. This is in an area that is generally not easily accessible for an owner to clean. However, I was able to remove the camera and clean the glass (please see pictures) and normal function resumed immediately. This is not an operation a owner should attempt and there are warnings about camera re-calibration. I believe NHTSA should consider this a design defect that could be cured by a visit to a dealer (periodically) with their technicians performing a complementary cleaning of the interior camera glass to ensure the camera continues to function properly. About the car: This car has never been in an accident, non-smoker, always garaged (no sun/heat exposure) driven in the city with no dust or debris in the cabin (exceptionally clean inside and out) 33,500 miles at time of cleaning (photos attached). I believe this fog is due to off-gassing of cabin materials that occurs naturally as the vehicle ages.