Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Lexus RX Hybrid owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. There were several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V396000 (Hybrid Propulsion System). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and the contact was included that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lexus rx400 Hybrid. When attempting to accelerate from a stop, driving on an incline, or making turns, the vehicle stalled intermittently. In addition, the check engine, Hybrid check, and battery warning indicators illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and powered off the engine. Once restarted, the vehicle drove normally; however, the failures recurred. The vehicle was taken to treasure coast Lexus (located at 5121 us-1, fort pierce, fl 34982, [phone]) where the technician cleaned the mass air flow sensor, cleared the failure codes, and test drove the vehicle in check mode. The dealer stated that the vehicle was operating as expected. The dealer swapped the circuit open relay with the ignition relay to eliminate the relay as the failure. The check engine warning indicator remained illuminated. …
Vehicle appeared to enter "fail-safe" mode with reduced power while driving on highway resulting in reduced ability to control vehicle. Several minutes later, while driving on city street, the vehicle eventually lost all power while stopped at red light and could not be driven, and power-steering also failed. Warning lights included "check Hybrid system," "check engine warning light," "slip indicator," and perhaps others. After turning off and turning back on at red light, there sufficient power to drive vehicle again, though "check Hybrid system" and "check engine warning light" remained illuminated. A couple hours later, after restarting vehicle, warning lights were no longer on and vehicle could be driven normally. The condition appears similar to issue in Toyota safety recall 13v-396. However, our vehicle's VIN is not in the range of that recall. …
I purchased this car on 6/11/2016 with 125, 812 miles. I am now at 140, 949 and today while driving down the road with my daughter in the car my vsc maint light, ABS light, brake light, and track stabilizer light all came on at the same time. I have contacted the Lexus dealer in regards to campaign number 13V396000 as this recall identification is identical to what happened today. This being my only vehicle which carries myself and my child this seems to be a very dangerous issue. The dealership informed me that all of these recalls have been repaired and my vehicle is not covered. If this car was repaired it is obvious it was not repaired correctly, if at all. This repair would cost me close to what I paid for the car itself! I would like documentation that my vehicle has in fact been repaired as I am better off buying a different car and junking this one than paying to repair it.
I was traveling 60 MPH on the highway and my display started reading "check Hybrid system" and "check vsc system" simultaneously. I searched and saw there was a recall for this exact issue (intelligent power module inside the inverter module) for certain vehicles of my exact make/model/year but for some reason my vehicle is not on the recall list. I took it to the dealership and they said the regular 12 volt car battery was the issue so they replaced it and the light went off and the car tested normal for several days however when traveling on the highway about a week later the same lights came on again.
My vehicle is displaying a Hybrid system check message, and the Hybrid system malfunctions. This is causing the vehicle to stall in drive while the vehicle is in motion. The vehicle loses all capabilities to properly function. I was on a city street when this happened, and had to coast the vehicle downhill in traffic to pull over. My engine check light also illuminated. This vehicle has not been driven regularly, as I just purchased it from a dealership that had been sitting on it for some time. The carfax check out for the vehicle, so it could be a faulty electrical system inverter.
The Hybrid system light turned on. Next were the brake and ABS lights turned on, then the was stalled in the middle of the road. The car was in motion and I was able to steered it to the side of the road. It was on the street road. I checked for the recalls related to the VIN, but no recalls for this vehicle although there were 6 recalls total. One of the recall related to the inverter coolant. It happened to me twice once at around 120K and now 135,828 miles.my VIN is [redacted].
This potential safety problem involves Hybrid inverters in Lexus Hybrid vehicles. This particular case involves a 2006 Lexus rx400h vehicle with about 109,000 miles on it that had received all recommended, scheduled, routine maintenance. In the course of normal driving, all power to propel the vehicle completely and abruptly vanished. In addition, the vehicle concomitantly lost power steering and skid control as evidenced by notices on the dash. Fortunately in this case, momentum allowed the vehicle to coast to the side of the road without incident. The car was put in neutral and manually pushed off the road. Later it was towed a great distance to the dealer, at considerable expense, the dealer being the only place capable of this type of repair. The dealer found the Hybrid inverter faulty. No reason for the failure could be provided. …
My 2006 Lexus rx400h that I just purchased a few months ago from a local dealer (one owner prior) has shut down going down our mountain. Taking my boys to school it just stopped in the middle of the road as we coasted down our mountain, and the brakes just stopped working. I was able to coast into my neighbors' driveway and barely able to use my brakes. They didn't work when the Hybrid light came on. Extremely scary! It happened a few times prior to this in these last few months, but I was able to get it started again previously. It's now a brick with a dashboard of lights! I am being told by Lexus this has nothing to do with the inverter recall and in fact, they claimed that they already replaced it prior to my ownership a few months back, replaced in 2012, later to find out that was not true. I have the service records from the first owner. I need to know what is wrong with my car. …
My 2006 Lexus RX 400h has experienced a vibration during acceleration. It seems to stall the engine. Bring the vehicle to dealer for checking. The dealer said my vehicle uses incorrect grade of gasoline or not good quality gasoline and recommend that I shall always use better quality gasoline, I.e. Gasoline from shell. The vibration is caused by the misfire. Subsequently using the gasoline from shell and the vibration seems to be reduced or go away. Later on, try to use a different brand of gasoline (same grade, premium) and the vibration comes back. It seems the vibration has something to do with the timing of ignition which is controlled by the computer. …
Related recalls
Hybrid propulsion system › Inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.
NHTSA investigations
Hybrid inverter failure - vehicle stall
In a June 29, 2011 letter to NHTSA, Toyota submitted a Defect Information Report regarding a safety recall of certain Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX400h vehicles to address a defect condition with the hybrid inverter assembly (NHTSA Recall No.
Fuel System complaints in other RX Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2006 Lexus RX Hybrid?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2006 Lexus RX Hybrid, 15% of the model year's 154 complaints. The component named most often is inverter (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Lexus RX Hybrid fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 13V-396 (inverter, Sep 4, 2013). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Lexus RX Hybrid fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.