Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and wheels and tires. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2022Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/8 checked
2022 Lexus RX: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2022's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Lexus RX. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cylGas | AWD, FWD | 22–23 mpg |
| 3.5L 6-cylHybrid | AWD | 30 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Lexus RX, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The instrument cluster goes blank or dims while driving, leaving the driver with no speed reading for minutes at a time. Polarized sunglasses also make the gauges and head-up display unreadable. The dealer reportedly agreed this is a design defect but offered no fix. Other reports describe the wireless charger overheating iPhones and the car locking itself with the fob in hand while refusing every unlock method. Rodent-chewed wiring has also triggered warning lights, with a rewiring quote above $10,000 that was refused under warranty.
Braking fails to stop the car as intended in some reports, with a squishing sound from the pedal. In one case on a wet road the vehicle rolled through a stop light and onto a curb. Other complaints describe a faulty brake actuator left unrepaired under warranty. At 12,000 miles, one owner reports pedal shudder and a hard pedal that came back after the rotors were resurfaced. Brand-new cars also show false warnings for ABS, pre-collision, parking brake, and blind-spot systems. Dealers often find no fault.
Sudden tire failures are the main pattern, including a sidewall that shredded during a freeway blowout and a tire and rim that failed on a pothole. One owner at about 20,125 miles learned that the original Bridgestone Ecopia H/L tires were under recall, and the remaining tires kept leaking air. Two of the 4 reports contain only attached documents, so they give no detail here. Factory tires on these cars deserve a close look.
The transmission shifts harshly and hesitates when pulling into traffic, and owners say this has nearly caused rear-end collisions. Reports also describe gear dragging, whining or grinding, sudden RPM flares during normal acceleration, a faint burning smell, and lower fuel economy. Dealers call the behavior normal. One reportedly described it as a known issue with no fix, and a paid transmission relearn changed nothing. The crash-related report also mentions a rear kick sensor that never worked.
Bags fail to deploy where the impact lands in both crash reports, and both crashes caused injuries. In one, a car struck the right front at about 55-60 mph and nothing deployed. The vehicle was totaled. In the other, the driver-side front and rear bags fired during a multi-impact crash, but the front passenger bag did not. That passenger suffered a concussion and a herniated disc.
The exhaust drones and vibrates heavily near 1500rpm, mainly at about 25-30 mph and 55-60 mph. The problem shows up from the day of delivery. Owners feel the vibration around the catalytic converter exhaust assembly. Dealers confirm the problem but say there is no fix for the 2022 RX350, and owners describe repeat visits to several dealers. Both complaints describe the same symptom and say the sudden vibration is distracting in busy traffic.
Fuel leaks from a hole in an exposed corner of the gas tank in one report. The driver noticed a strong gas smell and a fast-dropping fuel gauge, with no dashboard warning, and the family left the car and called 911. The owner suspects road debris and questions why the tank is exposed. The other complaint is mostly about poor GPS routing, a slow software update, and dealer sales practices, plus engine noise after an oil change and a rattling rear hatch latch.
The driver-side exterior mirror shakes at highway speeds around 60 mph, which blurs the reflection into a double image. Both complaints describe the same symptom. A dealer inspected one car and called the vibration normal, so no repair is on record. Owners call it a safety concern because the side view is hard to read at speed.
Excerpts from complaints RX owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Car turned on and no driving yet. All vehicle alert signs popped up. This is brand new car. Warning signs including: Anti-lock brak system advanced ultrasonic detection parking braking system pre-collision system blind spot monitor These signs are constantly popping up without any hazard condition. Lexus keeps refusing to do thorough exam because they keep stating there is no issues with the vehicle.
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2022 ranks seventh for owner complaints among 8 RX years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2022 is the seventh model year of the RX's fourth generation (2016–2022).
It includes the 2019 update.
What changed for 2019
Cars shoppers compare with the Lexus RX, with their own 2022 checklists.
2022 owner complaints, side by side
