Lexus RX Engine Problems
Owners have filed 146 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Lexus RX across 25 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (21). The words owners use most often: “oil cooler” (21% of reports).
- 146engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 51%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil cooler: mentioned in 31 of 146 complaints (21%)
- Timing cover: mentioned in 9 of 146 complaints (6%)
- Engine damage: mentioned in 8 of 146 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the Lexus RX at $1,300, and half of them between $610 and $7,050.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2018–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 146 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 2 an injury.
Lexus RX engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 RX | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2025 RX | 4 | 18% | 119 |
| 2024 RX | 8 | 14% | — |
| 2023 RX | 11 | 18% | 7,419 |
| 2022 RX | 3 | 10% | — |
| 2021 RX | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2020 RX | 5 | 11% | — |
| 2019 RX | 7 | 21% | — |
| 2018 RX | 4 | 15% | — |
| 2017 RX | 10 | 21% | — |
| 2016 RX | 5 | 18% | — |
| 2015 RX | 5 | 25% | — |
| 2013 RX | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2012 RX | 3 | 25% | — |
| 2011 RX | 10 | 34% | 134,370 |
| 2010 RX | 21 | 27% | 121,000 |
| 2009 RX | 9 | 26% | 133,000 |
| 2008 RX | 15 | 21% | 114,366 |
| 2007 RX | 8 | 14% | 125,000 |
| 2006 RX | 8 | 25% | 106,500 |
| 2005 RX | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2004 RX | 2 | 5% | 87,500 |
| 2002 RX | 1 | 8% | 166,000 |
| 2001 RX | 1 | 5% | 140,000 |
| 1999 RX | 1 | 3% | 150,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the Lexus RX. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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 vehicleâs response unpredictable. Lexus service bulletin L-SB-0026-25 was performed on my…
Dangerous Vehicle Failure on Highway XXX âXXX On the morning of XXX, at approximately 9:00 a.m., I drove the vehicle from [XXX] to the [XXX]. It was raining during Hurricane ISAIAS, and traffic stopped because of an accident approximately 2,000 meters ahead. After waiting in traffic and rain for…
We had a known oil line ruptured the oil cooler, there was a serviceable and sit out to the dealers to only repair if it was leaking and they extended it to 10 years $150,000 miles our vehicle had a rupture at 170,000 miles we were never told about the recall or we would have it done earlier we now…
Car dead stopped two times in the middle of roads. No warning. No signal. Just hard stopped.
Alternator completely shut down on Sunday,XXX. Battery warning light came on out of the blue on Sat, XXX at 8:45 PM in Independence, MO in front of Walmart on [XXX], had to go autozone on [XXX] in [XXX]. Test came back showing Alternator failure. Now power steering is gone and prob battery too. All…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Lexus RXs have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 146 owner complaints about engine for the Lexus RX. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Lexus RX engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the Lexus RX?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,300 (half paid between $610 and $7,050), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Lexus RX?
The most frequent phrase is “oil cooler”, in 31 of 146 complaints, followed by “timing cover” (9).
Other Lexus RX problems
- Power Train problems (134)
- Air Bags problems (128)
- Electrical System problems (118)
- Service Brakes problems (101)
See all Lexus RX problems.