Lexus RX 350: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Lexus RX 350: 15 model years scored from 298 NHTSA owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns. Worst year 2024, best year 2020.
Lexus RX 350: which years to avoid
Across 6 scored model years the Lexus RX 350 ranges from 73/100 in 2024 to 94/100 in 2020 — a 21-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (18 of them).
Safest years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2020 (score 94). Worst: 2024 (score 73, BUY).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84 | BUY | $3,922 | 18 | 0 |
| 2024 | 73 | BUY | $4,242 | 55 | 0 |
| 2023 | 79 | BUY | $4,272 | 65 | 0 |
| 2022 | 92 | BUY | $3,780 | 38 | 0 |
| 2021 | 88 | BUY | $4,006 | 70 | 0 |
| 2020 | 94 | BUY | $4,044 | 52 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,160 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,300 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,440 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,880 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,160 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,300 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,090 | 0 | 0 |
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.
RX 350 sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the RX 350 on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Lexus RX 350
Across every RX 350 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.
- Air Bags70 complaints across all RX 350 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other64 complaints across all RX 350 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Electrical System46 complaints across all RX 350 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine31 complaints across all RX 350 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train21 complaints across all RX 350 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes17 complaints across all RX 350 years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
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 RX 350 years to buy?
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2020 at 94/100, on 52 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
Which Lexus RX 350 years should I avoid?
The 2024 is the weakest year we score, at 73/100 (BUY), on 55 complaints and 0 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Lexus RX 350 problem?
70 of the complaints filed against the RX 350 across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04