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Lexus · NHTSA safety record

2016 Lexus RX350

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

58

Complaints

11

Crashes

1

Fires

6

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2016 Lexus RX350 have filed 58 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2016 and April 2021. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 9 of them (16%). The typical failure was reported at 17,866 miles, the median across the 46 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

18V085000 · January 31, 2018

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.
The risk
If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 48,672 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

16V198000 · April 7, 2016

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
The risk
Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 16,656 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER

16V053000 · February 1, 2016

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Lexus RX350 and RX450h vehicles manufactured November 16, 2015, to December 23, 2015. Due to an improper weld, the gas needed to inflate the driver's knee air bag may escape from the inflator.
The risk
A defective inflator may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the knee air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began March 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is GLA.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 5,072 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 58.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 19 33%
AIR BAGS 9 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 14%
POWER TRAIN 7 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 9%
ENGINE 5 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 9%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 5 9%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 5%
STEERING 3 5%
STRUCTURE 2 3%
SUSPENSION 2 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2017 at 15.

2016 2017 2021
2016 to 2021

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · 25,000 miles

AUTO ACCIDENT / OTHER DRIVER FAULT- 20 + MILES PER HOUR IN MOTION FRONT END COLLISION/ IMPACT . FRAME DAMAGE TO BOTH SIDES OF SUV. TOTAL 3 PASSENGERS. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON FRONT DRIVER. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT ALL.

NHTSA complaint 11055748. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 15,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 LEXUS RX350. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHERE A CAT SCAN WAS COMPLETED, WHICH SHOWED A LARGE HEMATOMA ON THE CONTACT'S HEAD. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE TOOK BLOOD THINNER MEDICATION AND LATER HIS ENTIRE FACE TURNED BLACK AND BLUE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN

NHTSA complaint 11257368, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 55,000 miles

A BROADSIDE COLLISION CAUSING DAMAGE TO FRONT LEFT OF THE CAR, INJURY TO THE DRIVER WITH FORCE OF THE COLLISION, AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint 11341947. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · 22,865 miles

I WAS ON MY WAY IN CAR FROM HOME (BRIDGEWATER NJ) WITH MY DAUGHTER TO DROP HER FOR VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE IN HILLSBOROUGH NJ. ABOUT IN 7-10 MINS DRIVE, MY DAUGHTER AND I SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE AC VENT AND ALSO NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE FRONT HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ALERT INDICATION ON THE DASHBOARD. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. WHEN I GOT OFF THE CAR, I IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE FRONT HOOD AND SAW THE FIRE BETWEEN RADIATOR AND ENGINE CYLINDER BLOCK. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. MY DAUGHTER CALLED HER MOM SAYING OUR CAR IS ON FIRE. MY WIFE SUGGESTED MY DAUGHTER TO VIDEO TAPE THIS. WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS VIDEO TAPPING

NHTSA complaint 11139567, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

57,294 miles

KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE AT ~50K MILES. TOOK IT TO A LEXUS SERVICE CENTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SOUND WAS FROM A FAILING BRAKE VACUUM PUMP. IF NOT ADDRESSED, THE FAILING PUMP COULD MAKE BRAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE 2017 RX350S HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE BUT NOTHING FOR THE 2016 RX350S. DISAPPOINTED THAT A VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN DILIGENTLY MAINTAINED WITH ONLY ~50K MILES IS ALREADY HAVING ISSUES WITH FAILING PARTS THAT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint 11406705. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

68,000 miles

I WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. I WAS VERY SHAKEN UP. IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE. I WAS TRAVELING 220 CROSS LAKE BRIDGE AND AT TIME COULD NOT PULL OVER. I KEPT HEARING CRUNCHING NOISE ABOVE ME. I OPENED SUNROOF INSIDE COVER AND THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED THE SUNROOF WAS SHATTERED AND IT WAS WHAT HAD EXPLODED.

NHTSA complaint 11404010. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

WHEELS

62,600 miles

KELLY EDGE A/S TIRES WENT BALD AFTER 6100 MILES OF LIGHT CITY DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint 11397341. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

65,000 miles

RODENT DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS OF MY 2016 LEXUS RX 350 CAUSED BY LEXUS USING A SOY BASE COVERING ON THE WIRES THAT ATTRACT RODENTS. LEXUS TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR THAT COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. NOT TO MENTION A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BASE ON ALL THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS AND SHOULD LED TO A RECALL

NHTSA complaint 11389298. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

23,000 miles

SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED

NHTSA complaint 11376944. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

51,701 miles

THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING AND SPUTTERING AFTER DRIVING LESS THAN 0.1 MILE ON A CITY STREET. AFTER CONTACTING THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE ISSUE, WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED INTO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. AFTER RUNNING A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, THEY DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS 51,701 MILES ON IT. THE TOWING CHARGE WAS $101, AND THE REPAIRS WERE $808.96. APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER, I SAW THAT TOYOTA AND LEXUS WERE RECALLING VARIOUS MODELS AND YEARS WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE THAT WE EXPERIENCED. ALTHOUGH THE 2016 RX350 IS NOT CURRENTLY INCLUDED, I CONTACTED LEXUS BECAUSE THE COINCIDENCE WAS TOO MUCH TO IGNORE. LEXUS ADVISED THAT OUR VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN

NHTSA complaint 11373770, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Lexus RX350

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2019 31 3 —
2018 18 1 —
2017 46 3 1
2015 42 1 —
2013 59 1 1
2012 33 1 —
2011 30 1 —
2010 94 1 1

Other 2016 Lexus models

ES350 21 NX 16 IS200T 9

Every Lexus on this site — 88 vehicles, 116 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst