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Lexus RXModel year report

2011 Lexus RX Problems

Compared with other Lexus RX years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

1/100 0.3× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
29filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
125,000miles, 12 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.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
29 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl · hybrid FWD · 31 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Lexus RX (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 29 consumer complaints for the 2011 Lexus RX. The part named most often is engine, with 10 complaints (34% of the total), followed by other or unknown (5) and air bags (4). 12 of the complaints include a mileage, and 17% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 125,000 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 81 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 4 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 11 Lexus RX model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 1 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

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

Engine: “My 2011 Lexus RX 350 has a front timing cover leak. To fix the front timing cover leak, the dealership has an estimated price of $4,000.00. In order to replace a gasket on the timing cover, many accessories and parts needs to be removed. I think it is a safety issue if the engine is losing oil and it stops running. I also believe that it is a poor engineering design, or a manufacturer error. In order to replace a simple gasket, it requires monumental effort and expense. There are many other gaskets in the car engine that are easily accessible and lasts much longer.”

NHTSA complaint #11373612, filed 2020-11, 200,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Oil poured out under vehicle under right side passenger side from oil cooler line overnight in my garage. Lexus stated that I was lucky that this did not occur while driving as oil would have blown completely out due to the pressurized line and damaged the engine. There was no warning lights on. I backed the car out of the garage leaving a stream of oil and discovered the problem. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership as I never saw anything like this. …”

NHTSA complaint #11495927, filed 2022-12

Air bags: “The contact owns a 2011 Lexus RX 450h. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the contact rear ended another vehicle but none of the air bags deployed. The contact was the only person that sustained injuries (body soreness) but did not seek medical treatment. A police report was not filed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated during the incident. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11415932, filed 2021-05, 92,000 miles

Brakes: “I was driving at approximately 40 miles per hour and began breaking behind traffic at a stop light. I was pressing down on the brake pedal as hard as I could, the tires began to grind and I could hear and feel the engine revving because the car was trying to accelerate forward. When the car was failing to come to a complete stop, I put the car in the park gear. The car quickly corrected what was going wrong. This was the third ocassion and most severe. It's been more than two years or so since the first two occurrences. …”

NHTSA complaint #11256477, filed 2019-09, 45,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

17% of the 12 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 74,000 and 150,000 miles.

8%0–100%10–258%25–5017%50–758%75–10025%100–15033%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (12 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 125,000 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.

2012201820206202220242026
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.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Lexus RX version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
RX 450h FWD3.5L 6-cyl · hybridCVT312829$2,850
RX 450h AWD3.5L 6-cyl · hybridCVT292728$2,950

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2011 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. 81 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 81 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 2011 Lexus RX have?

NHTSA recorded 29 consumer complaints for the 2011 Lexus RX as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Lexus RX is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 10 complaints (34% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 5.

Has the 2011 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.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Lexus RX get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Lexus RX (RX 450h, 3.5L 6-cyl · hybrid) at 29 mpg combined, 31 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,850 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Lexus RX reported?

Among the 12 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 125,000 miles and the middle half falls between 74,000 and 150,000 miles; 17% 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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

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.