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Lexus · NHTSA safety record

2017 Lexus RX Hybrid

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

10

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2017 Lexus RX Hybrid have filed 10 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2018 and April 2021. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 4 of them (40%). The typical failure was reported at 18,000 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 10.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 40%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 40%
AIR BAGS 2 20%
STRUCTURE 2 20%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 10%
ENGINE 1 10%
LANE DEPARTURE 1 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 10%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 10%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 10%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2018 at 4.

2018 2021
2018 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.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 125,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 LEXUS RX450H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD 120 FEET GOING BETWEEN 50 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A TREE, AS THE VEHICLE BOUNCED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO THE CURB. ALL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES BRUISING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER BODY. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS CONTACTED BUT NOT NEEDED. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE HOSPITAL THE NEXT DAY FOR MINOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION LOT WHERE THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS. FREEMAN TOYOTA 2875 CORBY AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407

NHTSA complaint 11377968, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · 27,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 LEXUS RX450H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL WAITING TO BE REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000. PIIR = Y. *TR

NHTSA complaint 11241031. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

40,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 LEXUS RX450H. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE MAIN DISPLAY SCREEN WENT BLANK AND WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT ONCE THIS FAILURE OCCURRED, THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THE VEHICLE WOULD DISENGAGE AS WELL. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VALLEY LEXUS (4701 MCHENRY AVE, MODESTO, CA 95356) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SCREEN NEEDING TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE.

NHTSA complaint 11413555, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

49,000 miles

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS SEEMED TO SHUT DOWN ENTIRELY. THESE INCLUDED THE MULTI-INFORMATIONAL DISPLAY IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE PRIMARY INFOTAINMENT DISPLAY IN THE CENTER. VEHICLE'S PARKING SENSORS, ADAPTIVE CRUISE SYSTEM, AND INFOTAINMENT ALL WENT OFFLINE. THE SCREEN WENT BRIGHT MAGENTA AND THEN COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. VEHICLE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DURING THE INCIDENT IN DENSE TRAFFIC WITHIN THE BAY AREA OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. CAUTIOUS MEASURES WERE TAKEN, AND AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY AND FINDING A REST STOP, VEHICLE WAS SHUT DOWN AND REBOOTED 3X BEFORE SYSTEM CAME BACK ONLINE.

NHTSA complaint 11407425. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

16,000 miles

AIR CONDITIONER RADIATOR FLUID SMELL, THEN STARTED LEAKING IN PASSENGER SIDE

NHTSA complaint 11337487. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

12,737 miles

I RECENTLY INCURRED A A $2900 REPAIR BILL FOR RODENT DAMAGE TO MY KNOCK SENSOR WIRE HARNESS ON MY 2017 LEXUS RX 450H. (MILEAGE 13,000). IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE WIRING INVOLVED HAS A SOY BASED COATING. THIS COATING MAKES IT A FOOD SOURCE FOR 'CRITTERS '. THE REPLACEMENT WIRING HAS THE SAME COATING MAKING THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN EXTREMELY HIGH. THE CAR IS GARAGED WITH PERIODS OF OUTDOOR TIME. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER HOW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN I WAS TOLD TO SPREAD MOTHBALLS ON THE DRIVEWAY AND GARAGE FLOOR AND TO STUFF BOUNCE DRYER SHEETS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SERIOUSLY!!!! NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. HOW

NHTSA complaint 11222036, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Lexus RX Hybrid

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2013 12 0 —
2011 12 0 —

Other 2017 Lexus models

RX 47 RX350 46 ES350 22 GX460 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