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Lexus · Compact SUV

2016 Lexus NX

HybridGas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
A
Safety Signal
92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA25
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA32 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2016 Lexus NX is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the NX 300h, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 25 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
NX 300hHybridFWD2.5L 4-cyl + 245V Ni-MH343032$1,950
NX 300h AWDHybridAWD2.5L 4-cyl + 245V Ni-MH333031$2,000
NX 200tGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222825$3,100
NX 200t AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222824$3,250
NX 200t AWD F SportGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222724$3,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37057, 37061, 37058, 37062, 37063.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Lexus NX is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

JLA, J0F
48,672 vehicles
ProblemToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.RiskIf the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.FixToyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.
NHTSA campaign 18V085000reported Jan 31, 2018Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
25complaints filed

6 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Engine6
Service Brakes5
Power Train4
Air Bags4
Fuel/Propulsion System4
Unspecified3

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2016 Lexus NX 300H. The contact stated that the brake pedal was soft and had low performance. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle was slow to respond. The message “Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealerâ€� was disp…”Jul 10, 2026 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · NHTSA owner report
“My 2016 Lexus NX200t with approximately 157,000 miles experienced sudden engine stalling, loss of acceleration, and the check engine light illuminated while driving. The loss of power created a dangerous situation because the vehicle was unable to accelerate normally in traffic. These symptoms are consistent with the d…”Mar 11, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2016 Lexus NX 200T. The contact discovered oil dripping on the surface of her garage floor underneath the vehicle. Due to the failure, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that there was a rear main seal engine oil leak between the engine and the transmission. Neither the d…”Aug 25, 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other NX model years

A

2026 Lexus NX

0 recalls · 5 complaints

D

2025 Lexus NX

6 recalls · 17 complaints

C

2024 Lexus NX

5 recalls · 45 complaints

C

2023 Lexus NX

4 recalls · 15 complaints

D

2022 Lexus NX

6 recalls · 30 complaints

A

2021 Lexus NX

0 recalls · 17 complaints

A

2020 Lexus NX

0 recalls · 27 complaints

B

2019 Lexus NX

2 recalls · 44 complaints

A

2018 Lexus NX

1 recalls · 26 complaints

A

2017 Lexus NX

0 recalls · 30 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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