Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 47 safety complaints
about the 2017 Lexus RX with the US government. Of those, 8 describe a crash, 7 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 10 complaints, 21% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 32,731 miles,
the median across the 6
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers July 2021 to August 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
47 complaints on file
47
Complaints
8
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
7
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
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.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14 · 30%
14 30%
ENGINE 10 · 21%
10 21%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 · 17%
8 17%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 · 9%
4 9%
AIR BAGS 3 · 6%
3 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 6%
3 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 4%
2 4%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 · 4%
2 4%
SEATS 2 · 4%
2 4%
STRUCTURE 2 · 4%
2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 4%
2 4%
VISIBILITY 2 · 4%
2 4%
0815
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 47.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2022 at 15.
16 12 8 4
212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA has not crash tested the 2017 Lexus RX. Its New Car Assessment Program
tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach
motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so
an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It
is not a low score.
What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a
different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people
inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke
during ordinary use.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed
I was involved in a side collision accident and my car was determined to be total loss by the At-Fault's insurance company. I was lucky that my son and I came out with bruises and a few scratches but the main problem here is the airbags. It DID NOT deploy at all when it was hit. The force hit us from lane 1 all the way to lane 3 and damages to the structure near cabin was found by one of the vertified accident body shop. So yes, no airbags were deployed.
NHTSA complaint 11441571. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1 injured · crash · towed · 30,000 miles
The contact owned a 2017 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH on the highway, another vehicle that lost control and crashed into the contact's front and side of the vehicle. The driver's front air bag did not deploy. The contact suffered minor injuries to the face from the glass front windshield, a cut and burn from the seatbelt, and a bruise to the arm. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was deemed and destroyed by the insurance company. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000 The contact stated that of all the airbags, none of them …
NHTSA complaint 11464059, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
I WAS SITTING AT A COMPLETE STOP FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES BEHIND A FATALITY ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY THEY HAD CLOSED WHILE OCCASIONALLY REMOVING FOOT FROM BRAKE TO INCH FORWARD A FEW FEET A BEST AND THEN STOP AGAIN NEVER TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR WHEN I REALIZED AT ONE POINT TRAFFIC BESIDE ME WAS MOVING, I THOUGHT, IT WAS MY RX 350 WHILE PRESSING BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO SEE IF IT WAS SLOW ME DOWN AS AN UPCOMING CRASH WAS UNAVOIDABLE. NO BRAKE ASSIST, PRECOLLISON WARNING OR ASSIST, NO EMERGENCY BRAKING, NO RESISTANCE FROM BRAKE PEDAL AND ***NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AT ALL PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE BACK OF A STOPPED SEMI TRUCK** …
NHTSA complaint 11543106, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 injured · crash · towed · 5,300 miles
The contact owned a 2017 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated while making a left turn exiting a car wash, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated independently and crashed into the commercial building where it came to a stop. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle was in full throttle and failed to stop. The air bags did not deploy. No warnings light illuminated. No Medical Attention was needed. During the failure, the contact was the only occupant seated in the vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to the head, black and blue marks on the left side of her leg and shoulder as well as her left knee sustained swelling the right of her bottom was also bruised. A police report was filed. The …
NHTSA complaint 11650124, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · towed
After slowly making a left into a parking space at Dunkin Donuts and trying to deploy my brakes, my car lunged forward spontaneously accelerating, jumped two curbs and hit a barrier and the window of the store. The impact of the crash wrecked my front end and the radiator was damaged and was laying on the ground. With this intense impact, the airbags did not deploy on impact. My insurance agency totaled the car. After the crash the warning came on the screen that the Collision System had malfunctioned.
NHTSA complaint 11757073. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There are recalls for 2017 Lexus RX350’s for their fuel filters being faulty. Mine is not on the list. I have taken my car to many mechanics and in the last few months I’ve had my front and back brakes replaced, new struts, new tires and more done on the vehicle and nothing is helping. They have checked my mass air flow sensor, oxygen sensors, spark plugs, transmission and everything they can think of to try and see why it is having such a hard time transferring power to the wheels and being very sluggish. I’ve replaced air filters, done fuel additives and many other things, there are no error codes or any stored codes. I am left to only think it is the fuel filter/system and my vehicle is …
NHTSA complaint 11755574, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
59,380 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Lexus RX450H. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with brake actuator assembly, bleeder plug cap, brake actuator cover, and brake fluid reservoir assembly failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,380.
NHTSA complaint 11733292. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Summary of Issues: 1.On March 3, 2026, I contacted my service manager regarding my inability to open the driver’s side door. I also reported persistent rattling sounds coming from the interior panels and driver’s side door, extending toward the rear of the vehicle that leads to the gas cap door. I was forced to enter through the front passenger door. 2.On March 4, 2026, I dropped my vehicle off at Lexus service department. My service manager got into my vehicle and was unable to exit through the driver’s door. This presents a serious safety hazard. I expressed concern that the issue could be electrical in nature; however, I was advised that new door locks were needed. 3.On March 10, 2026, …
NHTSA complaint 11726231, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
My vehicle is experiencing a mechanical failure of the brake actuator/booster assembly, manifested by a "squawk/bark" noise and abnormal pedal feel during braking. This is a known defect recognized by Lexus under Customer Support Program 23LE04. The dealership technician confirmed the noise is present and recommended a full replacement of the ABS actuator. However, Lexus is denying coverage because the onboard computer has not yet triggered a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). By denying the repair, Lexus is requiring me to operate a vehicle with a confirmed mechanical brake malfunction, which increases the risk of a crash, increased stopping distance, or total brake power assist failure. March …
NHTSA complaint 11718075, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
Please see attached regarding LEXUS RX450h brake actuator failure concern. Thank you for your support.
NHTSA complaint 11716910. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst