2016 Lexus RX350 problems & reliability
58 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Lexus RX350, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. 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.
4 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown OR Other | 19 | 33% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 16% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 14% |
| Power Train | 7 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 9% |
| Engine | 5 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 9% |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 5% |
| Steering | 3 | 5% |
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 20,107 miles (middle 50% between 6,500 and 34,000 miles), based on 43 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Knocking sound coming from the engine at ~50k miles. Took it to a lexus service center and was informed that the sound was from a failing brake vacuum pump. If not addressed, the failing pump could make braking the vehicle extremely difficult and potentially cause an accident. The 2017 rx350s have a recall for this…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 6, 2021
“I was driving down highway and heard a loud explosion. I was very shaken up. It was a scary experience. I was traveling 220 cross lake bridge and at time could not pull over. I kept hearing crunching noise above me. I opened sunroof inside cover and that's when I noticed the sunroof was shattered and it was what had…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 20, 2021
“Rodent damage to the electrical wiring harness of my 2016 lexus rx 350 caused by lexus using a soy base covering on the wires that attract rodents. Lexus takes no responsibility for the repair that cost thousands of dollars. Not to mention a safety issue. This is a common problem base on all the class action law suits…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 21, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
190 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Lexus RX350. The 10 most recent:
SPOC: Effective immediately, Lexus is issuing a stop sale on part numbers 85212-YZZ2L-LX & 85212-YZZ2M-LX, which may have a quality concern relating to a missing kit component (mispack). Lexus is requesting the return…
Bulletin · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2023
TSB: Some 2016 ? 2022 model year RX 350 vehicles may exhibit a droning noise from the exhaust system at takeoff or under light acceleration. Countermeasure parts are available to reduce the droning noise. Follow the…
LSB000323 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 2, 2023
OBSOLETE NOTICE February 02, 2023: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0003-23.
LSB000318 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 2, 2023
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
TT: Some 2019-2022 model year RX350/L AWD equipped vehicles may have had the LX 75W-85 GL-5 gear oil used during assembly. ?The difference between the LT and LX type gear oil is only relevant to models equipped with…
L-TT-0302-21 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 15, 2022
TSB: This Service Bulletin provides a procedure to properly perform the Techstream ?Control the Injection Mode? active test in some 2016 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with an FKS engine
LSB002121Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 20, 2022
TSB: This Service Bulletin provides a procedure to properly perform the Techstream ?Control the Injection Mode? active test in some 2016 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with an FKS engine
LSB002121Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 20, 2022
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 2016 Lexus RX350 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2016 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 20,107 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.