27 of 55 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
49% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2011 Lexus RX are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 63% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 12 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 40%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSI07/18/2023CRASH1 INJURED
I was driving my 2011 Lexus RX 350 on July 7, 2023, to a swimming pool. I was pulling into a parking spot just rolling to a stop with my foot on the brake. The car suddenly accelerated with grate speed and ran on the curb of the sidewalk forward to a small rock wall, I immediately turned the vehicle to the right and pr…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE03/12/2018CRASH1 INJURED
12/7/2017 I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY TO PARK AT 1 PM. I SLOWED DOWN I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I WAS PUTTING IT INTO THE PARK POSITION WHEN THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND AND PUT A HOLE IN THE GARAGE DOOR AND KNOCKED IT OFF TRACK.I WAS STUNNED & SURPRISED.MY HUSBAND AND I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS ACTION. ON 12/14/17 I PU…
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL07/02/2012CRASH1 INJURED
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE CAR FELT LIKE IT JUMPED / ACCELERATED FROM NOWHERE, AND I COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME IN A REAR-END COLLISION. DAMAGED CAUSED TO MY ENTIRE FRONT END AND THE OTHER VEHICLES BACK END. IMPACT SPEED IS UNKNOWN BUT IT FELT LIKE 5-10MPH AND DEFINITELY NOT A ROLL-HIT OR A BUMP OF…
Three of 27 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (1)
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 LEXUS RX350 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 30, 2010, THROUGH MAY 18, 2011, AND EQUIPPED WITH VEHICLE DYNAMICS INTEGRA…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2011 Lexus RX
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
1 recall campaign on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.
