2021 Lexus RX

No clear pattern

1.1% of complaints about the 2021 Lexus RX arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2021 vehicle, but with only 87 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is air bags (48 complaints), typically at 4.1 yr or about 76,000 miles.

Complaints: 87
Median age at failure: 4.0 yr
Median mileage: 76,000 n=4
Crash / fire / tow: 23% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

23V865000 2023-12-20

Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

In owners’ own words

Air bags mileage not reported 2.7 yr in service crash / fire / tow

1.) My SUV locked up when I swerved to avoid hitting a car in front of me. 2.) My vehicle wouldn't stop and I had no control over it as it "threw me around" the highway. The only reason it stop was when it collided with another vehicle. 3.) It is sitting at the collision center right now waiting to be worked on. 4.) The insurance adjuster. 5.) The message that came on was "brake."

Air bags mileage not reported 3.4 yr in service

The contact owns a 2021 Lexus RX350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Air bags mileage not reported 3.3 yr in service

Multiple Models and Model Years Passenger Airbag May Not Deploy NHTSA SENSORS not working. The campaign number is 23V865 : OCS Sensors May Short Circuit An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury. NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 Manufacturer Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing Components AIR BAGS The official recall release date was December 20, 2023.

Other RX 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.

2021 Lexus RX

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other RX model years

How to read this