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2016 Lexus RX

HybridGas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA93
Crash ratingNHTSA overall4★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA30 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2016 Lexus RX is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the RX 450h, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 93 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
RX 450hHybridFWD3.5L 6-cyl + 288V Ni-MH313030$2,600
RX 450h AWDHybridAWD3.5L 6-cyl + 288V Ni-MH302830$2,600
RX 350GasFWD3.5L 6-cyl202723$2,700
RX 350 AWDGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl192622$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37107, 37111, 37108, 37109.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Lexus RX 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 (3)

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
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

G0I, GLC
16,656 vehicles
ProblemToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."RiskInsufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixToyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
NHTSA campaign 16V198000reported Apr 7, 2016Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
▲high

Air Bags

GLA
5,072 vehicles
ProblemToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Lexus RX350 and RX450h vehicles manufactured November 16, 2015, to December 23, 2015. Due to an improper weld, the gas needed to inflate the driver's knee air bag may escape from the inflator.RiskA defective inflator may increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixToyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the knee air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began March 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is GLA.
NHTSA campaign 16V053000reported Feb 1, 2016Toyota 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
93complaints filed

14 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 7 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 16 · 2017: 15 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Unspecified22
Service Brakes14
Power Train13
Air Bags11
Engine11
Electrical System10

What owners describe

“Both sides of the black wheel guides have popped off causing damage to the front bumper and wheel fenders.”Sep 17, 2025 · Structure · NHTSA owner report
“As I was driving southbound on I five in the state of Washington in Stanwood area 8:00 AM my sunroof exploded, causing me to swerve into other lanes and a distraction for other drivers There were no warnings. The sunroof was in a close position, not being used. The vehicle went into repair today being August 1. We did …”Aug 2, 2025 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report
“Timing Cover gasket leak. Apparently this is very common problem with 2016 Lexus RX 350 due to a bad design by Lexus. Lexus is quoting ~7000 to fix”Jun 18, 2025 · Engine · 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★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV AWDnot ratednot rated★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV FWDnot ratednot rated★★★★★★★★★☆18%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other RX model years

A

2026 Lexus RX

2 recalls · 5 complaints

C

2025 Lexus RX

4 recalls · 20 complaints

C

2024 Lexus RX

4 recalls · 56 complaints

C

2023 Lexus RX

4 recalls · 65 complaints

A

2022 Lexus RX

0 recalls · 38 complaints

C

2021 Lexus RX

2 recalls · 70 complaints

B

2020 Lexus RX

2 recalls · 54 complaints

D

2019 Lexus RX

4 recalls · 68 complaints

B

2018 Lexus RX

2 recalls · 46 complaints

C

2017 Lexus RX

3 recalls · 103 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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