2008 Lexus RX Hybrid

Typical pattern

1.6% of complaints about the 2008 Lexus RX Hybrid came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2008 vehicle — around the middle of the 262 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is speed control (15 complaints), typically at 7.0 yr or about 60,000 miles.

Complaints: 62
Median age at failure: 7.2 yr
Median mileage: 70,000 n=56
Crash / fire / tow: 38.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Speed control 9,000 mi 1.0 yr in service crash / fire / tow

UNPROVOKED VEHICLE ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO JUMP A CURB, HIT A TREE AND LAND ON THE HOOD OF A VEHICLE PARKED ACROSS FROM THE SUBJECT PARKING SPACE. *TR

Speed control 27,120 mi 2.3 yr in service crash / fire / tow

I WAS COMING BACK FROM MY FIRST OIL CHANGE FROM CROWN LEXUS DEALER. I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP EVEN WHEN MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. I TRIED TO STEER AWAY FROM THE CONCRETE WALL IN FRONT BUT THE FRONT LEFT SIDE STILL HIT THE WALL. THE CAR WAS DAMAGED AND THE WALL IS DAMAGED. THE COST OF THE DAMAGED IS 9,000-10,000. RIGHT NOW IS BEING FIXED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MODEL OF THE CAR IS LEXUS RX400H YEAR 2008. *TR

Speed control 23,200 mi 2.3 yr in service

I WAS DRIVING A LEXUS RX 400H IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN I TURNED LEFT INTO THE PARKING SPOT AND ENGAGED THE BRAKES WHILE PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPOT. AT THAT TIME, I FELT THE CAR CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE AND ENDED UP HITTING AND GOING OVER THE PARKING CEMENT CURB AND THE CAR STOPPED BETWEEN THE CURB AND THE SIDEWALK AFTER I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND SAID THEY COULD NOT REPEAT THE INCIDENT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. *TR

Other RX Hybrid model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2008 Lexus RX Hybrid

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other RX Hybrid model years

How to read this