2006 Lexus RX330 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 7%of 67 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 98,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine of the 2006 Lexus RX330, 7% of the 67 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 98,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Backing car out of garage and accelerator automatically increased high speed. I was unable to stop. Car hit garage door and damaged the garage door, wall, front driver side quarter panel, front bumper. Approx $3600 car damage and $1500 garage damage. Fortunate that no other damage or injuries occurred. This never happened before and was very unexpected. I am now afraid that this may happen again under unexpected circumstances with more severe consequences.”
NHTSA complaint #10565522, filed 2014-02, 120,000 miles“Complete engine failure while driving. No leaks. Vehicle was towed to service station and mechanic diagnosed seized engine due to clogged oil intake due to excessive sludge build up. Vehicle oil was routinely changed iaw manufacture guidelines with synthetic oil. Replaced engine with a used engine and after one day of driving the same thing happened on the replacement engine. Currently unable to locate a third engine that doesn't suffer from excessive sludge build up in the engine.”
NHTSA complaint #10609837, filed 2014-07, 104,000 miles“The contact owns a contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX330. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked coolant leaked from the radiator. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the radiator was cracked and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 55,340.”
NHTSA complaint #10475716, filed 2012-09, 55,340 miles“The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX330. The contact stated that the radiator exploded, causing a loss of engine coolant fluid. The failure occurred as the contact traveled 35 ph. The temperature gauge began increasing prior to the failure, indicating that the vehicle was overheating. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 98,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10490535, filed 2012-12, 98,000 miles“The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX330. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the steam began rising from the engine area. The contact stopped the vehicle and noticed coolant leaking from the radiator. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer, who advised that the radiator was fractured and needed to be replaced. In addition, the water pump and timing belt were recommended to be replaced. The dealer replaced all three components. The failure mileage was 60,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10560421, filed 2014-01, 60,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10179601Aug 5, 2020TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2006 Lexus RX330
15 complaintsVehicle speed control
12 complaintsExterior lighting
9 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsOther or unknown
7 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 Lexus RX330
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology