Lexus RX 2004–2009
2nd generation (RX 330 / RX 400h / RX 350) · XU30
NHTSA data through 13 August 2026357 complaints, 198 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 198
- Median of reported failures
- 92,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Problems owners could not categorise (13.4%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 52,345 and 140,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Lexus RX 2004–2009 · 198 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 20,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 24 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 15 complaints (7.6%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 15,000
- 25%
- 52,345
- Median
- 92,000
- 75%
- 140,000
- 90%
- 190,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 23 | 11.6% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 13 | 6.6% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 20 | 10.1% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 23 | 11.6% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 24 | 12.1% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 22 | 11.1% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 21 | 10.6% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 15 | 7.6% |
| 160,000–180,000 | 10 | 5.1% |
| 180,000–200,000 | 12 | 6.1% |
| 200,000+ | 15 | 7.6% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 357 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004–2009 Lexus RX, and 198 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 52,345 and 140,000 miles. The median is 92,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are problems owners could not categorise (13.4% of complaints, typically around 97,000 miles), the engine (11.8% of complaints, typically around 118,000 miles), the brakes (10.9% of complaints, typically around 146,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2004–2009 Lexus RX last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2004–2009 Lexus RX were filed by 92,000 miles and 90% by 190,000 miles — figures drawn from 198 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
15 reports (7.6%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a RX reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2004–2009 RX: the 3-minute check
Generated from 198 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check vvt-i oil supply hose (2gr-fe) on 2007–2009 (RX 350) cars. The rubber section of the VVT-i actuator oil supply hose degrades and ruptures, causing rapid oil loss, abnormal engine noise, oil pressure warning and cam timing codes (e.g. P0024) that can end in engine failure. Lexus…
- Check instrument panel (dashboard) on 2004–2009 cars. Dashboards crack and turn sticky/shiny/melted under heat and humidity. Lexus ran a Warranty Enhancement Program (ZLD) covering MY2004-2006 RX 330 and MY2007-2009 RX 350, with reimbursement for prior out-of-pocket…
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 52,000 and 140,000 miles, with a median of 92,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, problems owners could not categorise and the engine are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 97,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Lexus RX 2004–2009
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Body structure38 reports65,00046,000–92,000Body structure: 38 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 46,000 to 92,000 miles.
- Steering22 reports65,00041,000–86,000Steering: 22 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 41,000 to 86,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise48 reports97,00052,000–140,000Problems owners could not categorise: 48 reports, median 97,000 miles, middle half 52,000 to 140,000 miles.
- Engine42 reports118,000103,000–140,000Engine: 42 reports, median 118,000 miles, middle half 103,000 to 140,000 miles.
- Airbag system28 reports118,00075,000–180,000Airbag system: 28 reports, median 118,000 miles, middle half 75,000 to 180,000 miles.
- Brakes39 reports146,000100,000–180,000Brakes: 39 reports, median 146,000 miles, middle half 100,000 to 180,000 miles.
- Electrical system30 reports161,00065,000–211,000Electrical system: 30 reports, median 161,000 miles, middle half 65,000 to 211,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Problems owners could not categorise | 48 | 13.4% | 97,000 | 52,000–140,000 |
| Engine | 42 | 11.8% | 118,000 | 103,000–140,000 |
| Brakes | 39 | 10.9% | 146,000 | 100,000–180,000 |
| Body structure | 38 | 10.6% | 65,000 | 46,000–92,000 |
| Electrical system | 30 | 8.4% | 161,000 | 65,000–211,000 |
| Airbag system | 28 | 7.8% | 118,000 | 75,000–180,000 |
| Steering | 22 | 6.2% | 65,000 | 41,000–86,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 20 | 5.6% | 39,000 | 1,500–136,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 14 | 3.9% | — | — |
| Throttle and speed control | 12 | 3.4% | — | — |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Lexus RX 2004–2009 · 198 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 28% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 63% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 92%: the remaining 7.6% of reports (15) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
28% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Problems owners could not categorise — middle half 52,000–140,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 46,000–92,000 mi
- Steering — middle half 41,000–86,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Engine — middle half 103,000–140,000 mi
- Brakes — middle half 100,000–180,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 65,000–211,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 75,000–180,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
48% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Steering — median 65,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Problems owners could not categorise — middle half 52,000–140,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 46,000–92,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 65,000–211,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 75,000–180,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Engine — middle half 103,000–140,000 mi
- Brakes — middle half 100,000–180,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
63% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Body structure — median 65,000 mi
- Steering — median 65,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Problems owners could not categorise — middle half 52,000–140,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 103,000–140,000 mi
- Brakes — middle half 100,000–180,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 65,000–211,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 75,000–180,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 92,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 13.4% of complaints (48 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 97,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 140,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 11.8% of complaints (42 reports, 28 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 118,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 103,000 and 140,000 miles.
The brakes account for 10.9% of complaints (39 reports, 18 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail late — a median of 146,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 100,000 and 180,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 10.6% of complaints (38 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 46,000 and 92,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 8.4% of complaints (30 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 161,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 65,000 and 211,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 7.8% of complaints (28 reports, 17 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 118,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 75,000 and 180,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2008 model year drew the most — 89 complaints — while 2005 drew the fewest at 39. The median year sits at 54.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 357 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 12 (3.4%)
- Fires
- 11
- Injury reports
- 8
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Vvt-I Oil Supply Hose (2gr-Fe) 2007–2009 (RX 350)
The rubber section of the VVT-i actuator oil supply hose degrades and ruptures, causing rapid oil loss, abnormal engine noise, oil pressure warning and cam timing codes (e.g. P0024) that can end in engine failure. Lexus ran a Limited Service Campaign replacing the hose with an all-metal part, covering roughly 374,000 vehicles including MY2007-2009 RX 350.
Instrument Panel (dashboard) 2004–2009
Dashboards crack and turn sticky/shiny/melted under heat and humidity. Lexus ran a Warranty Enhancement Program (ZLD) covering MY2004-2006 RX 330 and MY2007-2009 RX 350, with reimbursement for prior out-of-pocket replacements of roughly $1,500.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 56 | 35 |
| 2005 | 39 | 25 |
| 2006 | 52 | 19 |
| 2007 | 79 | 46 |
| 2008 | 89 | 46 |
| 2009 | 42 | 27 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Nov 2010 · 2004–2006 · Service Brakes, HydraulicA leak of brake fluid could lead to a change in brake pedal feel and overtime a degradation in braking…
The defect. Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 avalon, model year 2004-2006 highlander, model year 2004-2006 Lexus rx, and model year 2006 Lexus gs and is vehicles. Brake fluid containing polymers is used that acts as lubricants for certain brake system components. If replacement brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers, or that contains only small amounts, a part of the rubber seal located at the rear of the brake master cylinder may become dry, and the seal may curl during movement of the piston. If this occurs, a small amount of brake fluid could slowly leak from the sea
What can happen. A leak of brake fluid could lead to a change in brake pedal feel and overtime a degradation in braking performance increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the seal with a newly designed one. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 15, 2010. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 and Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
What owners reported
The dashboard cracked in multiple places.And looked as if it were going to fall from the car. I went to Lexus after i read online that several cars reported this problem, but Lexus was not going to issue a recall. I agreed to pay half of the cost, because they said it was the best they would do. I gave them $1604.00.…
2004 · 9,000 miles · Equipment adaptive/mobility
Lexus has had problems with brake vibration, they have issued a TSB but all they are doing is throwing new rotors and pads. This is not addressing the real issue at hand. Brake vibration can cause a car to go off the road when there is ice or snow on the ground and once the car starts slipping in ice or snow you will…
2004 · 17,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
Built from 198 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page