That is a bit baffling, I'm afraid to say. Before you take it to a dealership, I would consider taking it to an auto-electric service shop if there is one near you. They should be able to identify the culprit, quicker.

Our RX400h needed pad replacements at about 100,000 miles. Five genuine brake-pad replacements in only 27k miles would make me want a very thorough pre-purchase inspection, with special attention to: Rotor condition Caliper operation Uneven pad wear Brake temperatures after a test drive Any stored ABS/hybrid brake codes I would not automatically walk away, but I would definitely verify whether those five CARFAX entries were actual pad replacements before buying. If they truly were, I'd want an independent Lexus specialist to explain why. That's far more concerning than the fact that the pads were replaced themselves. Safety-wise, repeated brake work isn't inherently dangerous, but repeated brake wear without a clear cause is a red flag.

I’m considering a 2016 Lexus NX 300h at CarMax with only 27,000 miles, but its CARFAX shows five brake-pad replacements from 2016-2020. Then the carfax record drops off in terms of servicing I’ve also noticed inordinately high brake-pad replacements on the CARFAX reports for several other used NX 300h vehicles at CarMax, sometimes 10 or 11! A Lexus mechanic told us that the 2016 has a European style brake pads that commonly need replacement every 10,000–12,000 miles and that this history is normal for the model. That explanation seems questionable to me. Since the NX 300h uses regenerative braking, I would expect the pads to last longer, not dramatically shorter. If replacement every 10,000–12,000 miles were normal, wouldn’t there be many owner complaints about it? For those who own or service a first-generation NX 300h: At what mileage did you first replace your pads? Is frequent pad replacement a known 2016-specific issue? If five genuine replacements occurred within 27,000 miles, would you suspect sticking calipers, brake drag, corrosion from sitting, or a regenerative-braking problem? I'm mostly concerned about safety when I see brake pad replacements. I currently have a 2010 Lexus RX 170k miles and only had the brake pads replaced once. I drive in Los Angeles about 10k miles a year. It'd be great to hear owners’ actual experiences before deciding whether to buy or walk away. Thank you!

Thanks for your reply. Just want to be clear, the increased rpm came at the exact same time as the dashboard going dark. Will try changing out the ECU, I have a spare, doesn't everybody :-)

I wouldn't rule out any electrical gremlins based off the other symptoms you're dealing with, but definitely check over some basics- check for vacuum leaks, check for free play in your throttle cable (if it has zero free play, it can cause your throttle plate to stay open slightly). You can also try unplugging the MAF sensor to see if it improves the idle- if it does, pull it out and check for debris/clean it with a proper MAF sensor cleaner (or replace it if that doesn't help). Let us know what you find- any information you can provide with more details will help.