RoadVitals

2009 Lexus RX350

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
97
Latest Feb 18, 2022
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
8
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 97 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Lexus RX350, most frequently naming the steering, engine and body & structure categories. 160 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Interior & seats
Filed Feb 18, 2022

The contact owns a 2009 Lexus RX350. The contact stated she notice a crack across the dashboard near the airbag on the passenger’s side that had started to expand. The contact notified the dealer and was informed that there was nothing they could do to assist because the recall had already expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ID
11452774
Incident
Jun 1, 2021
Mileage
75,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jul 20, 2021

The contact owns a 2009 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that a crack had formed on the dashboard extending horizontally from the driver’s side instrument panel to the passenger’s side air bag housing. The contact also stated that the dashboard was sticky and appeared to be melting. The contact notified the dealer of the failure and was insured that the dashboard would not affect any safety features in the vehicle. The manufacturer had also been notified of the failure and was informed that an extended warranty had been placed on the vehicle however, the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The contact mentioned concerns about whether or not the airbags would deploy on their own without an accident because of the crack.

NHTSA ID
11425624
Incident
Jul 1, 2015
Mileage
90,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 25, 2019

UPON ARRIVING HOME AND PARKING IN MY DRIVEWAY, A TRAIL OF OIL LINED MY PATH. AS SOON AS IT WAS IN PARK, OIL BEGAN GUSHING OUT INTO A PUDDLE UNDER THE CAR. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, IT WAS FOUND THAT LEXUS HAD ISSUES WITH THE OIL COOLER HOSE USED DURING MANUFACTURING, BEING RUBBER AND LEAKING OR BURSTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED DIRECTLY TO THE NEAREST AUTHORIZED LEXUS DEALER. UPON CONTACTING LEXUS CORPORATE IN REGARDS TO THE ISSUE, THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD ISSUED AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM, THAT EXPIRED IN DECEMBER OF 2018. SINCE THE ISSUE OCCURRED AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE, THERE WAS NO ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE. MY CONCERN IS, THAT THIS IS AND SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, WHICH I COMMONLY DO, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, ENGINE FAILURE, AND WORSE, A FIRE. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY A MATTER OF SAFETY.

NHTSA ID
11234748
Incident
Jul 22, 2019
Mileage
132,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jul 13, 2019

MY DASH BOARD IS MELTING AND FALLING APART!!! MY FINGERS & HAND STICK TO THE DASHBOARD AND EVERYTHING THAT IS UP THERE GETS STUCK TO IT!!!! I CAN TOUCH IT AND LEAVE A MARK OR PUSH IN IT & IT WILL LEAVE AN IMPRINT!!! SOMETHING IS SO WRONG WITH THIS DASHBOARD, IT'S TOTALLY DEFECTIVE AND HAS CAUSED MY IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS TO STICK TO IT AND EVEN GET RIPPED WHEN I TRY TO TAKE THEM OFF THE MELTING DASHBOARD! IT GETS SHINEY AND GLARE IS HARD TO SEE BECAUSE IF THIS ISSUE. ALSO MY EYE GLASSES ACTUALLY GOT STUCK TO IT TOO AND I COULDN'T SEE VERY WELL TO DRIVE. LASTLY, IT'S CRACKING AND SPLITTING IN MANY PLACES TOO, SIMPLY FALLING APART FOR NO REASON!! IT'S JUST MELTING AND TOTALLY DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS RECTIFIED PLEASE!!

NHTSA ID
11231526
Incident
Jul 2, 2019
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 14, 2019
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED BY A NEIGHBOR THAT THE REAR PASSENGAR SIDE TAILGATE GLASS WAS BROKEN. THE CONTACT OPENED THE DOOR AND THE VEHICLE WAS WET INSIDE, INCLUDING CONTENTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS ATTACHED TO THE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE, INDICATING THERE WAS A FIRE THAT WAS PUT OUT BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THAT WAS ALL THE CONTACT KNEW AT THE TIME AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY COUNTED THE VEHICLE AS A TOTAL LOSS SINCE THERE WAS FIRE AND WATER DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE DEALER (LAND ROVER SCHAUMBURG 920 W GOLF RD, SCHAUMBURG, IL 60194 (847) 252-7800) APOLOGIZED AND OFFERED TO SELL THE CONTACT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID
11220162
Incident
May 24, 2019
Mileage
98,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 3, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS RX350. WHILE AT A FUEL STATION, THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER PERSON THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD AAA TOW THE VEHICLE BACK HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO LEXUS OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE (700 SUNRISE HWY, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570, (516) 665-0166) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A HOSE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

NHTSA ID
11217547
Incident
May 28, 2019
Mileage
92,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 31, 2019

IN MOTION.I REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR THE PAPERWORK STATING THE FULL VEHICLE INSPECTIONS COMPLETED AND MY CONTRACT BUT FIRSTTX HONDA SALES REFUSED. RESPONDED BUT ALERTED THE SALES REP AFTER GOING IN PERSON FOR THE PAPERWORK. INSPECTION PAPERWORK TO MATCH THEIR WORD. FROM MY RESEARCH THIS COMMON ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS BACK PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE IN NOV 2017. OVER A WEEK AGO THE CAR SUDDENLY SPLASHED MASSIVE OIL EVERYWHERE WHILE DRIVING LONG DISTANCE (HAVE PIC). SPOKE WITH LEXUS AUSTIN DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT AND IMMEDIATELY THEY KNEW THE ISSUE BUT REFERRED ME TO CORPORATE OFFICE. RECALL DEPT ALSO IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED ME TO SEEK MECHANIC. BECAUSE THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT VZL FOR FREE REPAIR BY LEXUS EXPIRED FEB 2019 THIS YEAR. THEREFORE, IT'S NO LONGER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THIS ONGOING COMMON PROBLEM WITH LEXUS RX 350 LEXUS I'M STRANDED PLUS, I HAVE A FINANCE CA THAT WILL ALSO NEGATIVELY AFFECT MY CREDIT RATING DUE TO THIS ONGOING COMMON PROBLEM LEXUS AND FIRST TX HONDA FAIL TO OWN RESPONSIBILITY. THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN AT ALL DUE TO LIFE THREATENING,. YET SOMEHOW, I'M PLACED IN THE POSITION TO PAY REPAIRS (WITH MONEY I DON'T HAVE) FINANCE NOTE FOR LEXUS AND/OR WHEREVER ELSE ERRONEOUS BEHALF. IT'S NOT MY FAULT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER THE FEB 2019 EXPIRATION DATE FOR LEXUS TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND REPAIR. HOWEVER N WEBSITE:HTTPS://CARS.USNEWS.COM/CARS-TRUCKS/LEXUS/RX-350/OWNERS STATING, ' LEXUS IS ALSO OFFERING FREE REPLACEMENT OF THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING (VVT-I) OIL SUPPLY HOSE FOR 2007 THROUGH 2009 MODELS UNTIL DECEMBER 2021'. ALTHOUGH LEXUS IS UNAWARE AND STILL REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS ISSUE. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF MANUALLY OVERRIDE TO REPAIR THIS ONGOING LEXUS FOR FREE. PLUS REIMBURSED TOW FEES, ANY OTHER COSTS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE, ETC. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

NHTSA ID
11217213
Incident
May 24, 2019
Filed May 15, 2019

DASHBOARD MELTING AND CRACKED

NHTSA ID
11207873
Incident
Mar 1, 2019

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

Safety Recall 22

EQUIPMENT

Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022

L-SB-0006-22

EQUIPMENT

TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to replace the loose or damaged carpet floor retainer(s).

L-SB-0004-22

AIR BAGS

TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This service bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle prior to an odor remediation being performed, as well as contact information for an approved vendor who will arrange the remediation, and instructions on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle for reassembly once the remediation has been completed. Refer to all model and model year specific Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This service bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

Lexus PRO19-02 -

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS

POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.

Lexus Safety Re

AIR BAGS

Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements

L-TT-0294-20

EQUIPMENT; VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:ENGINE COOLANT HOSES AND FITTINGS

TT: HVAC drain tube is found to blocked/clogged.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Lexus RX350 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023410
2022100039.6
2021110
2020710
2019313047.0
2018181043.1
2017463055.8
2016583053.7
2015421045.1
2014150047.2
2013591046.1
2012331051.6
2011301051.4
2010941051.4
2009Viewing970037.3
20081260039.8
20071671147.4
2006011
2005011
2004011

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.