2011 Lexus RX recalls & problems
The 2011 Lexus RX has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 29 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is engine (10 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2011 Lexus RX.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Fuel economy
RX 450h Hybrid
| City / highway | 31 / 28 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (AV-S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,850/year to fuel
RX 450h AWD Hybrid
| City / highway | 29 / 27 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (AV-S6) · All-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 10 | 134,370 mi |
| Unknown or other | 5 | — |
| Structure Body | 4 | — |
| Service brakes | 4 | — |
| Air bags | 4 | — |
| Electrical system Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer | 4 | — |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | — |
| Engine and engine cooling Engine › Oil/lubrication › Filter/screen | 1 | — |
| Power train | 1 | — |
| Suspension | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- May 27, 2026Unknown or other
Dealership rolled back the odometer to 125,460 miles, but the last service was performed at 162k miles at Lexus of Murray. - May 27, 2026Unknown or other
This vehicle is being sold at a dealership in Layton Utah. They have rolled back the odometer to show 119,287k miles, but the vehicle was last serviced by the Lexus dealer at 164,279 miles. - Apr 10, 2026 · 195,937 milesElectrical system › Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Lexus RX450H. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 116,000. It was later discovered that the mileage was 195,937 upon scanning the vehicle upon scanning the vehicle. - Jan 15, 2026Engine
I made a 6-mile trip from my garage and back (12 miles total). The next day, my neighbor asked me to come outside to inspect my driveway where I found a trailing stream of oil. The oil leak was substantial enough to visibly observe an unbroken ribbon of oil spanning the entire length of the asphalt street leading to my driveway and a large pool of oil where I waited momentarily for the garage door to open. Needless to say, I then discovered a large pool of oil under the front of the engine on the passenger side. It was the lower oil cooling line. No warning signal appeared reflecting the leak or low oil pressure. I remembered receiving a letter from LEXUS Corporate stating that this was a… - Aug 26, 2025Service brakes
ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE LIGHTS & BEEPING SOUND ALL ON. BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD. PEDESTRIANS, OTHER DRIVERS & FAMILY ARE AT RISK DUE TO SAFETY RISK. DIAGNOSIS CODES C1253 - C1256 DURING TEST INDICATES ABS PUMP ASSEMBLY ISSUES. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTICED BY ME IN LATE AUGUST 2025. - Sep 4, 2024 · 150,000 miles · fireElectrical system
The contact owns a 2011 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH the front driver seat heater was activated and moments later smoke and flames were present coming from the center console of the vehicle. After stopping and exiting the vehicle the fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed and later towed away by the insurance company. No injuries were reported and no police or fire reports were taken. The cause of the fire was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted regarding the incident. The failure mileage was 150,000. - May 1, 2024Suspension
Rear control arms are rusted and can break and cause an accident.i went for an alignment and they couldnât do the full alignment beater of the corrosion - Sep 23, 2023Power train
Tranmission failure around 100k miles. Spoke to few others with similar engine and transmission from lexus who had similar issues. This could be a widespread issue. Costs between 6 to 9 thousand dollars to fix.
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.