Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 18% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 9% | — |
| 2024 | 3 | 5% | — |
| 2023 | 7 | 11% | — |
| 2021 | 4 | 6% | — |
| 2020 | 3 | 6% | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2018 | 3 | 12% | 48,000 miles |
| 2017 | 2 | 4% | 24,000 miles |
| 2016 | 7 | 25% | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2013 | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2011 | 4 | 14% | 56,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 6% | 125,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 10% | 46,000 miles |
| 2007 | 10 | 17% | 80,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 9% | 58,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 15% | 80,000 miles |
| 2004 | 12 | 30% | 108,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Mileage 3445, vehicle age 3.5 months. Car located in home garage with doors unlocked. Car Locked itself making entry impossible. All systems refused to open with "clicker" or mechanical key. Possibly battery issue. Four (4) different tow truck drivers over 4 days could not gain entry. Safety hazard as a child or disabled person could have been locked inside. Tow driver could not "pop" the door lock. Despite pulling up on the inside handle, the door would not open. Towed to dealer. Thus far dealer has no solution. Dealer said they are contacting Lexus. No warning lights, etc. Vehicle is a plug-in hybrid. Drive Battery was at 100%.
The material (most likely) plastic used as a trim on the vehicle is melted or started to melt. This is the trim (b-pilar) between the driver's door and the rear passenger's door. We believe the quality of the material used for the trim is defective and should be addressed by the manufacturer.
On Thursday, May 25, 2023, I took delivery of my new 2023 Lexus RX 500h at Nalley Lexus in Roswell, Georgia. On Saturday, June 3, 2023, I noticed that the interior dashboard trim has become separated. I could (can) see the plastic clips and some exposed wiring. My initial thought was to not touch it because it could possibly cause an electrical shock and to take the vehicle back to the dealership. Instead, I decided to snap the cover back in place. After driving a few miles in the same day, the cover came loose again. When I got home, I Googled my issue and learned that others were having the same problem. On the next business day, I contacted my service rep at Nalley Lexus, made her aware of the issue but she stated they weren't aware of the issue. I decided to wait until my 5k service to bring it up again. …
This submission is a supplement to a previously filed complaint. Original complaint number: 11719553." In my previously submitted complaint, I incorrectly stated that the vehicle remained stationary until delivery. The actual situation is: the sunroof glass shattered while the vehicle was parked, but the day after the incident, I drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. I am providing this supplement to clarify the vehicle's status in the original report. The incident occurred while the vehicle was completely stationary, with no external forces or driving involved.
I was driving on the freeway in Stockton California and I entered into a connecting on-ramp curve going about 30mph and a lady hit me from behind on the passenger side going 65mph as she was trying to change lanes to get behind me and my car instantly speeded up spinning out of control Into a gully filled with stored freeway construction materials such as poles . The car kept spinning out of control because the ground was mud-slush from the rains. I kept construction poles came into my windshield, I kept spinning and sliding as I slammed into 2 trees and as the car sustained severe damage all over the vehicle and I kept slidding landing over in a second gully on the opposite side of the freeway. No airbags deployed no sensor went off nothing. I was in the car with my autistic daughter. The car is brand new. …
I was at the gas station, in line waiting for one of the three gas pumps to be available. I put my car in reverse to back up and pull around another car in order to go to the open pump in front. When my car was in reverse motion, I stepped on the brake pedal, but the car did not stop. I stepped on the brake pedal numerous times, but the brake did not function. My car backed into the front of the car in line behind me damaging both vehicles. The automatic emergency braking system did not activate, and there was no rear collision warning sound or message. I switched my car from Reverse into Park to stop its movement, but it was too late to avoid the collision. I had a passenger in my car who corroborates this description. Fortunately there were no pedestrians behind my car, so the only damage was to the vehicles. …
While into a road trip from Florida to Tennessee on I-75 the sunroof spontaneously exploded. The interior sunshade was closed. Otherwise the glass shards would have entered the interior. The glass most likely would have caused cut injuries to the driver (my wife) and I. Also, it may well have caused her to lose control of the vehicle resulting in a very serious accident while driving at 75 mph. My insurance company classified it as vehicle mechanical failure and not covered by my insurance. They indicated this has happen to other vehicles including Lexus. The replacement cost for glass and labor was $1,087.75
The contact owns a 2018 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated that upon arriving to the residence and parking the vehicle, the front driver's side door failed to open while pulling on the interior door handle. The contact rolled down the window and was able to open the front driver's side door while pulling the exterior door handle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side door handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Lexus Special Service Campaign Number: 20LC02. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,518.
Frequently asked questions
Which Lexus RX years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (12), 2007 (10), 2008 (7), 2016 (7) and 2023 (7) model years. Body complaints make up 30% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Lexus RX body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Lexus RX model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Lexus RX body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles; 34% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (48 mentions), followed by the body › door › handle › interior (6).
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.