Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2011 Lexus RX350 problems & reliability

30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Lexus RX350, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
30
Recall campaigns
1
Fire reports
2 (7%)
Crash reports
15 (50%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
20–21 MPG combined
City 18 · highway 24 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
215
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

8 complaints report injuries (9 injured).

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Service Brakes9
Vehicle Speed Control8
Engine7
Air Bags6
Power Train6
Structure3
Engine and Engine Cooling2
Electrical System1
Equipment Adaptive/mobility1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

Mileage when problems occurred

Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 46,953 miles (middle 50% between 17,768 and 66,109 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.

under 20k
7
20–40k
2
40–60k
7
60–80k
4
80–100k
2
100–150k
2
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
22

What owners report

  • The contact owns a 2011 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the AWD and oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and discovered oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the…

    Engine · filed Jul 7, 2022

  • Tl* the contact owns a 2011 lexus rx350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, noticed smoke emerging from the engine compartment. No warning indicators illuminated. The fire department extinguished the fire. The police was also present. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was…

    Engine · filed May 29, 2019

  • My 2011 lexus rx350 has rubber oil cooler hose and lexus usa will not replace the pressurized rubber hose despite known incidents of catastrophic failure of the part. On some rx350 models, lexus has an extended warranty and replacement in case the part is leaking oil, but I was told by lexus that my particular vin is…

    Engine · filed Mar 29, 2019

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Technical service bulletins

215 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Lexus RX350. The 10 most recent:

  • TI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022

    KLG Technical In · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022

  • DP: Limited Service Campaign KLG expired December 01, 2022

    KLG Dealer Packa · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022

  • TI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022

    19LE05 Technical · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022

  • DP: Customer Support Program 19LE05 expired December 1, 2022.

    19LE05 Dealer Pa · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022

  • Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022

    Safety Recall 22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2022

  • TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to replace the loose or…

    L-SB-0006-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2022

  • TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address…

    L-SB-0004-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 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

  • OBSOLETE NOTICE July 26, 2021: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0024-21.

    L-SB-0018-14 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 2021

  • TSB: Some 2007 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles in particular geographic areas may exhibit a condition where the HVAC evaporator drain hose has become obstructed with an insect nest. An insect repellent drain hose tip…

    L-SB-0024-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 2021

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

The 2011 Lexus RX350 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.

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 2011 Lexus RX350?

  • · 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 46,953 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Lexus or NHTSA.