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2020 Lexus RX problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
24%
8 of 33 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2020 Lexus RX. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 24% of relevant complaints.

Better than 81% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 22 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 15%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2020 Lexus RX have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 8 of 33 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus RX concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (24%). For comparison, the 2019 scores 51% and the 2021 scores 11%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
8
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
55
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
7 crashes · 4 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS21 · 38%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10 · 18%
ENGINE6 · 11%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5 · 9%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4 · 7%
TIRES4 · 7%

The years either side

2010
30%
54 of 192
2011
49%
27 of 67
2012
26%
11 of 48
2013
19%
14 of 90
2014
30%
7 of 30
2015
37%
22 of 67
2016
33%
27 of 93
2017
31%
29 of 103
2018
39%
17 of 47
2019
51%
33 of 68
2020
24%
8 of 55
2021
11%
2 of 71
2022
29%
10 of 39
2023
34%
22 of 67

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2020 Lexus RX

What one owner reported

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM02/18/2023CRASH1 INJURED
Contact states they were sitting in DRIVE, with their foot on the brake. When the contact took their foot off the brake, they began to let the vehicle coast to about 5 MPH. Then, the vehicle lunged forward unexpectedly to about 25 MPH, when it collided with a rock. The vehicle had previously spent over 10 days in dif…

One of 8 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Lexus RX?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Lexus RX, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: sensor: occupant classification23V865000 · Dec 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2020 Lexus RX? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2020 Lexus RX

Does the 2020 Lexus RX have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 8 of 33 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus RX concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (24%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2020 Lexus RX?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2020 Lexus RX, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Lexus RX years are better?

Among the Lexus RX years we track, the 2021 (11%) and the 2013 (19%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2020 (24%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2020 Lexus RX?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2020 Lexus RX shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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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 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.