Lexus RC F: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Lexus RC F has 11 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Lexus RC F: which years to avoid
Across 7 scored model years the Lexus RC F ranges from 53/100 in 2015 to 92/100 in 2020 — a 39-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a RC F at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Seats (3 of them).
Safest years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2015.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the RC F changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2016–2018
Mean score 90/100. Owners of these years complain about Unknown Or Other more than anything else (1 complaints). 3 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2020–2022
Mean score 92/100.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,530 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,670 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,810 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 92 | BUY | $4,950 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 92 | BUY | $5,090 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | 92 | BUY | $5,230 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,370 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 90 | BUY | $5,510 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 90 | BUY | $5,652 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016 | 90 | BUY | $5,792 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 53 | CAUTION | $5,946 | 10 | 1 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the RC F, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Lexus RC F
Across every RC F model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Fuel/Propulsion System4 complaints across all RC F years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Seats3 complaints across all RC F years · typical job: Seat frame, track or occupancy-sensor repair$500–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other2 complaints across all RC F years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Service Brakes2 complaints across all RC F years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Electrical System1 complaints across all RC F years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Air Bags1 complaints across all RC F years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Lexus RC F years to buy?
2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2020 at 92/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Lexus RC F problem?
4 of the complaints filed against the RC F across all its model years sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04