2001 Lexus RX300 problems & reliability
169 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Lexus RX300. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 123 | 73% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 20 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 2% |
| Engine | 4 | 2% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 2% |
| Suspension | 3 | 2% |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 108,100 miles (middle 50% between 85,750 and 131,086 miles), based on 152 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Purchased from my mother in 2013 at 115k after she had purchased new from dealership. Babied, dealer serviced, my transmission gave out at 130k at a cost of $3800!!! Then in less than a year it went again, and it was under aamco warranty. Then transmission went again in 2018, and just out of warranty. Why is there not…”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 18, 2019
“The vehicle was started and in park in a flat lot. When I shifted to reverse, it did not engage/roll back. As I applied pressure to the accelerator nothing happened until a it suddenly clunked and lurched back. I put it back in park and then it repeated the same synptom. The transmission has now begun to whine and…”
Power Train · filed Mar 16, 2019
“My transmission is not shifting smoothly between gears. This happened about 7 years ago and I had to have the transmission replaced. Now it is happening again.”
Power Train · filed Sep 16, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
63 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Lexus RX300. The 10 most recent:
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
Safety Recall 22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be…
Lexus PRO19-02 - · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2022
TSB: 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 fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2020
TSB: 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 fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2020
Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
Lexus Safety Re · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2020
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
L-SB-0179-17 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01…
L-SB-0008-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
TSB: 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 fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2020
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0001-18.
L-SB-0021-14_Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 24, 2018
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin No. L-SB-0021-14. * Applicability has been updated to include applicable 2018 models and 2016 * 2018 model year RC 300 and…
L-SB-0001-18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 22, 2018
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2001 Lexus RX300 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Lexus RX300?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 108,100 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.