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Lexus RXModel year report

1999 Lexus RX Problems

Complaints
35filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
107,000miles, 30 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1999 Lexus RX (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 35 consumer complaints for the 1999 Lexus RX. The part named most often is transmission and drivetrain, with 29 complaints (83% of the total), followed by seat belts (3) and engine cooling (2). 30 of the complaints include a mileage, and 3% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 107,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 12 technical service bulletins for this model year. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “When driving my Lexus RX 300 1999 it feels very forced and when on the express way the RPM goes up to 5 when im driving 60mph and when I come to a complete stop and its time to go my car stalls as if it was in neutral very scary when I have my newborn and a 7 year old in the car. I have maintained my car to the upmost standards from the best gas synthetic oil changes constantly checking everything is in good conditions . …”

NHTSA complaint #10592406, filed 2014-05, 150,000 miles

Seat belts: “While on vacation this past weekend my 7 1/2 year old daughter was unable to fasten her seat beat! I had to move her booster seat to the left side of the rear of the car. I took the car to Lexus to have them repair this safety feature. I was informed it would cost me $250 to repair. The front driver's seat belt stopped working in 2003 after a car accident and Lexus claimed is was fine. It still doesn't work.”

NHTSA complaint #10158627, filed 2006-05, 148,000 miles

Engine cooling: “The transmission on my 1999 Lexus RX 300 needed to be replaced with only 70,000 miles on the car. I have also had to replace the struts, the radio antenna motor and have a major oil leak repaired.”

NHTSA complaint #10177085, filed 2006-12, 70,000 miles

Equipment: “While driving my 1999 rx300 on the highway, the transmission went out on me. I felt I was losing power and decided to pull over on the shoulder. I then try to turn off my engine to see if restarting it back up will resolve the issue. When I start the car back up and put it on drive, the car will not move. Needless to say I had to call a tow to tow my car back home.”

NHTSA complaint #10177401, filed 2006-12, 80,228 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

3% of the 30 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 80,000 and 124,972 miles.

0%0–103%10–250%25–5020%50–7520%75–10047%100–15010%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (30 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 107,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

20062007202008201420192020
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1999 Lexus RX in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 12 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 12 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus RX

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026121,00034–525—Too new
20252211244–525—Too new
2024603,00044–525Too new to compareToo new
2023628,2503536100 · MoreToo new
20222931,600043068 · MoreRising
20217058,000143086 · MoreRising
20204731,50014–53087 · MoreRising
20193417,5001—3079 · MoreRising
20182642,5480—300 · FewerRising
20174732,7300—300 · FewerRising
20162867,5000—300 · FewerRising
20152045,0000—29—Rising
20141292,5450—29—Not enough data
201319105,6060—29—Rising
201212143,6820—29—Not enough data
201129125,0000—291 · FewerFalling
20107725,0000——96 · MoreFalling
20093473,5000——19 · FewerFalling
200870114,1830—2515 · FewerFalling
20075893,4260—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200632130,0001—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20052780,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20044066,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200212101,9300———Not enough data
20011995,0000———Rising
20002990,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199935107,0000——Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Lexus RX model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1999 Lexus RX have?

NHTSA recorded 35 consumer complaints for the 1999 Lexus RX as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1999 Lexus RX is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 29 complaints (83% of the total), followed by seat belts with 3.

Has the 1999 Lexus RX been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 1999 Lexus RX reported?

Among the 30 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 107,000 miles and the middle half falls between 80,000 and 124,972 miles; 3% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.