Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2025 | 4 | 18% | 0 miles |
| 2024 | 8 | 14% | — |
| 2023 | 11 | 18% | 11,000 miles |
| 2022 | 3 | 10% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 11% | — |
| 2019 | 7 | 21% | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 15% | — |
| 2017 | 10 | 21% | — |
| 2016 | 5 | 18% | — |
| 2015 | 5 | 25% | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2012 | 3 | 25% | — |
| 2011 | 10 | 34% | 134,000 miles |
| 2010 | 23 | 30% | 115,000 miles |
| 2009 | 11 | 32% | 133,000 miles |
| 2008 | 16 | 23% | 114,000 miles |
| 2007 | 9 | 16% | 125,000 miles |
| 2006 | 8 | 25% | 130,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 7% | 80,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 8% | 60,000 miles |
| 2002 | 1 | 8% | 166,000 miles |
| 2001 | 1 | 5% | 140,000 miles |
| 2000 | 1 | 3% | 116,000 miles |
| 1999 | 3 | 9% | 90,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On April 1, 2026, while pulling into a parking space at our church, I was applying the brake when the vehicle suddenly and forcefully surged forward without warning. The unintended acceleration was intense and unexpected, occurring despite continuous braking input. This resulted in the vehicle striking the building and causing significant damage to both the vehicle and the structure. This incident has occurred twice within a 10 day period, both times during low-speed parking/stopping maneuvers. There were no warning lights, alerts, no automatic emergency braking engagement, no air bag deployment, or prior indications of malfunction. I did report this to the police and they filed an Incident Report. Lexus was notified and an independent analysis engineer examined the data from the vehicle's CDR System. This report was sent to me and to Lexus.
The contact owns a 2025 Lexus RX350H. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the brake pedal and accelerator pedal were both depressed simultaneously. The contact stated that there was a loud sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact forcefully depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119.
When we purchased this car in June 2024 it did not have an engine revving issue. The engine, electrical or transmission maybe all of them have SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES! When driving and you let off the gas pedal the engine starts revving very loudly, it scares the heck out of you because you don't know if you can stop! I have a serious mechanical background, there is always the possibility of the transmission not disengaging and forcing the car NOT to stop! This issue is VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY! We get very nervous driving a car we paid almost 70K for! Yes reported to the dealer Mungenast Lexus of St. Louis, yes they have duplicated the issues. After keeping our car now on two different occasions for weeks at a time they went to Lexus engineers who are now trying to say its normal! if so, why didn't it start doing the revving until there were thousands of miles on the car! …
My 2024 Lexus RX 500h experiences an intermittent failure to respond when I press the accelerator pedal. During these episodes, pressing the pedal does not produce the expected acceleration, making the vehicle's response unpredictable. Lexus service bulletin L-SB-0026-25 was performed on my vehicle to address the issue. However, the accelerator nonresponse continues after that repair. The issue remains unresolved. I am concerned that an unexpected inability to accelerate could leave my vehicle exposed to approaching traffic when entering a roadway or crossing an intersection. This is a safety concern because I cannot reliably count on the vehicle to accelerate when needed. I request that NHTSA review this recurring loss of accelerator response, including cases where the condition persists after the software update. …
The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RX 500h. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking abnormally and stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated during the failure. The failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and an engineer was sent to inspect the vehicle; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the inspection; however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,637.
The contact owns a 2023 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that on three occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power for approximately 20 seconds, and then accelerated as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,200.
My wife was driving the subject car She intended to come off the road to give a way to on coming car. She got in naghbour's drive way and intended move 10 feet. When she tried to put more gas to move the car was hyper accepting drove 50 feets away and hit naghbour's ion gate and stopped. When she back off it did again and hit street lamp. It did two more time. Ended up damaging 4 corners of the car and all the material that the car hit. I could not understand that she hit the 4 corner of the car. That is why I suspected engine problem. When I tried the same movement n ghbour came out and worry that the car will do the same thing. While I was talking to him. He told me he has security camera and he noticed excess unning of the engine. He sent me the clip I couldn't see the car but certainly I could hear the engine. The end of the report.
I have a 2022 Lexus RX350 F Sport. There are many complaints for this problem with this era of Lexus that happen daily. When pulling out into traffic the vehicle stutters or hesitates; this could cause a serious accident with injuries or death. I think it is a problem with the transmission shift programming. In an attempt to be fuel efficient, Lexus created a serious safety problem in my opinion. My car is under warranty, I brought it to the dealer and they said that is normal and a known issue with that era of Lexus; there is no fix or repair. Despite being under warranty, I paid to have the transmission system reset to learn my style of driving. The reset had no effect positive or negative. There were 750,000 Lexus RX's made between 2016 and 2022. Nearly all are affected by this problem. Note: Lexus RX450 hybrid uses a different transmission and likely does not have this problem. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Lexus RX years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (23), 2008 (16), 2009 (11), 2023 (11) and 2011 (10) model years. Engine complaints make up 30% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Lexus RX engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 111,000 miles; 12% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (3 mentions), followed by the cooling system › hoses/lines/piping/fittings (1).
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.