YearsTellEspaƱol

Lexus RX: best and worst years

Of the 7 RX model years with enough complaints to compare, owners filed the most about the 2010 (0.87) and the fewest about the 2009 (0.28), per 1,000 sold in the first three years.

Median across these years: 0.21 per 1,000 sold in the first three years. A model year well above its own nameplate’s median is the signal worth acting on.

Every RX model yearComplaints per 1,000 sold, first three years
Model yearsToo few complaints to rankTypical year, 0.21

Every model year, worst first

Each model year with a verified denominator. Follow a year for what owners reported about it.

Model yearPer 1,000ComplaintsMost-reported part
20100.8782Vehicle Speed Control 19%
20080.5345Service Brakes 15%
20230.4042Unknown Or Other 19%
20160.3941Unknown Or Other 19%
20170.3740Unknown Or Other 18%
20190.3236Fuel/Propulsion System 24%
20090.2825Steering 21%
20220.2122Unknown Or Other 22%
20150.2021Engine 16%
20130.2020Service Brakes 16%
20120.1715Vehicle Speed Control 16%
20180.1517Service Brakes 14%
20200.1516Air Bags 31%
20110.1513Engine 20%
20140.1112Air Bags 18%
20210.0910Air Bags 53%

Questions buyers ask about the Lexus RX

Which RX years have the most complaints?

2010 (0.87), 2008 (0.53), 2023 (0.40). Figures are complaints per 1,000 sold.

Which RX years have the fewest complaints?

2009 (0.28), 2019 (0.32), 2017 (0.37). A year with too few complaints to rank is left out: few reports is not the same as a good year.

How to read this

What is counted?

Safety complaints owners filed with NHTSA in each model year’s first three years on the road, divided by how many were sold, so a year that sold twice as many cars is not penalised for it.

Why are some years drawn in dashed line?

Too few owners filed complaints about them to rank them. Few reports is not the same as a good year, so those years are left out of best and worst.

The full method