2017 Lexus RX350
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2017 Lexus RX350 has 69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.9x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is brakes problems (16% of all complaints), specifically: when attempting to start the vehicle an error message displays that braking power is low. it states stop in a safe place. dealer has advised this condition is "normal" and no repairs recommended. the vehicle is stationary and can not be started..
69
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.9x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
BRAKES
11 complaints- • WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE AN ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYS THAT BRAKING POWER IS LOW. IT STATES STOP IN A SAFE PLACE. DEALER HAS ADVISED THIS CONDITION IS "NORMAL" AND NO REPAIRS RECOMMENDED. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND CAN NOT BE STARTED.
- • IN ORDER TO START THE CAR, THE BRAKE MUST BE PRESSED. HOWEVER, IF THE CAR SITS WITHOUT USE FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THE BRAKE PEDAL CANNOT BE PRESSED DOWN AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. A WARNING LIGHT INDICATES THAT "BRAKE POWER IS LOW, STOP IN A SAFE PLACE". ATTACHED IS A PICTURE OF THE WARNING LIGHT.
- • I PURCHASED THE NEW CAR IN SEPTEMBER 2017. ON NOVEMBER 17, 2017, AT APPROXIMATELY 1,500 MILES, AFTER THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE GARAGE FOR 2 DAYS, IT WOULD NOT START--THE MESSAGE ON THE CONSOLE STATED "BRAKE POWER LOW STOP IN A SAFE PLACE." THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE BRAKE POWER BOOS
“WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE AN ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYS THAT BRAKING POWER IS LOW. IT STATES STOP IN A SAFE PLACE. DEALER HAS ADVISED THIS CONDITION IS "NORMAL" AND NO REPAIRS RECOMMENDED. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND CAN NOT BE STARTED.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
FUEL SYSTEM
10 complaints- • WHEN ACCELERATING HEAR A LOUD GROANING NOISE AND FEEL A HESITATION IN THE GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAVE BROUGHT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR IS AN ISSUE, BUT SAYS WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE THEIR IS NO RECALL. THEY SAID WILL NOTIFY US IF/WHEN LEXUS HAS
- • FAULTY ACCELERATION OCCURS WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP. AROUND 2.5 RPM, A LOUD GRINDING NOISE OCCURS AS WELL AS A STALL / LAG IN THE ACCELERATION OF VEHICLE. DANGEROUS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT AND PULLING INTO INTERSECTION, VEHICLE STALLS AND THEN SOMETIMES SURGES FORWARD. COMPLAINED
- • THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A DANGEROUS ACCELERATION DELAY AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. THIS IS NOT A MINOR DELAY, BUT ONE THAT IS LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WHEN PULLING ONTO AN INTERSTATE RAMP OR PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, THIS PROBLEM BECOMES A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPP
“WHEN ACCELERATING HEAR A LOUD GROANING NOISE AND FEEL A HESITATION IN THE GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAVE BROUGHT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR IS AN ISSUE, BUT SAYS WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE THEIR IS NO RECALL. THEY SAID WILL NOTIFY US IF/WHEN LEXUS HAS”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
8 complaints- • PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM FAILED. VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO WARNINGS. NO AUTO BRAKING. FULL UNRESTRAINED IMPACT. COLLISION OCCURRED ON FREEWAY OFF RAMP. I HAVE PHOTOS OF CRASH SITE AND A COPY OF THE DATA FROM THE "BLACK BOX" WHICH LEXUS DOWNLOADED. THE ALLSTATE CLAIM NUMBER #0453405540. THE
- • I LEASED THE VEHICLE AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2016. SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER, MY WIFE STARTED TO NOTICE AN ODD SMELL IN THE CABIN. ON SAT 10/7, MY WIFE NOTICED THE FRONT CARPET WAS COMPLETELY SATURATED. I GAVE IT A FEW DAYS TO DRY OUT BUT WHEN IT DIDN'T GET BETTER I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE I EXPLAI
- • REAR AUXILIARY BOX LEVER FAULTY. SNAPPED OFF EASILY WITH MINIMAL USAGE AND CONSERVATIVE HANDLING. WITH LEVER SNAPPED OFF, LID TO AUXILIARY BOX CANNOT BE OPENED. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE YET.
“PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM FAILED. VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO WARNINGS. NO AUTO BRAKING. FULL UNRESTRAINED IMPACT. COLLISION OCCURRED ON FREEWAY OFF RAMP. I HAVE PHOTOS OF CRASH SITE AND A COPY OF THE DATA FROM THE "BLACK BOX" WHICH LEXUS DOWNLOADED. THE ALLSTATE CLAIM NUMBER #0453405540. THE ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
SPEED CONTROL
6 complaints- • WHILE DRIVING HOME, I STOPPED THE CAR AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE DRIVE WAY AT THE MAIL BOX BY APPLYING BRAKE .THE CAR CAME TO A FULL STOP. I SHIFTED THE GEAR ( AUTOMATIC ) TO PARK TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO PICK THE MAIL. AS SOON AS THE GEAR WAS IN PARK, THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, INSPITE OF HARD
- • THE PROBLEM IS IN THE LEARNING ABILITY OF THE EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION (ECT) IN MY WIFE'S LEXUS 2017 RX 350. IT HAS DELAY OF 2 TO 3 SECOND IN ACCELERATING OCCASIONALLY AFTER A STOP OR WHEN TRYING ACCELERATED IN A NORMAL DRIVE' IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AS EXPECTED.
- • VEHICLE SOMETIMES WILL VIOLENTLY SURGE FORWARD WHEN TAKING OFF. THE RESPONSE OF THE ACCELERATOR IS VERY INCONSISTENT. SOMETIMES, YOU CAN HARDLY GET THE VEHICLE TO GO, AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL JUST EXPLODE FORWARD WITH JUST THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE PEDAL.THIS CAUSED ME TO RUN INT
“WHILE DRIVING HOME, I STOPPED THE CAR AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE DRIVE WAY AT THE MAIL BOX BY APPLYING BRAKE .THE CAR CAME TO A FULL STOP. I SHIFTED THE GEAR ( AUTOMATIC ) TO PARK TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO PICK THE MAIL. AS SOON AS THE GEAR WAS IN PARK, THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, INSPITE OF HARD”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
6 complaints- • WHEN ACCELERATING HEAR A LOUD GROANING NOISE AND FEEL A HESITATION IN THE GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAVE BROUGHT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR IS AN ISSUE, BUT SAYS WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE THEIR IS NO RECALL. THEY SAID WILL NOTIFY US IF/WHEN LEXUS HAS
- • IN ORDER TO START THE CAR, THE BRAKE MUST BE PRESSED. HOWEVER, IF THE CAR SITS WITHOUT USE FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THE BRAKE PEDAL CANNOT BE PRESSED DOWN AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. A WARNING LIGHT INDICATES THAT "BRAKE POWER IS LOW, STOP IN A SAFE PLACE". ATTACHED IS A PICTURE OF THE WARNING LIGHT.
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 LEXUS RX350. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VE
“WHEN ACCELERATING HEAR A LOUD GROANING NOISE AND FEEL A HESITATION IN THE GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAVE BROUGHT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR IS AN ISSUE, BUT SAYS WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE THEIR IS NO RECALL. THEY SAID WILL NOTIFY US IF/WHEN LEXUS HAS”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 69 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐BRAKES: WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE AN ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYS THAT BRAKING POWER IS LOW. IT STATES STOP IN A SAFE PLACE. DEALER HAS ADVISED THIS CONDITION IS "NORMAL" AND NO REPAIRS RECOMMENDED. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND CAN NOT BE STARTED.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: WHEN ACCELERATING HEAR A LOUD GROANING NOISE AND FEEL A HESITATION IN THE GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL. HAVE BROUGHT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AS IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR IS AN ISSUE, BUT SAYS WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE THEIR IS NO RECALL. THEY SAID WILL NOTIFY US IF/WHEN LEXUS HAS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM FAILED. VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO WARNINGS. NO AUTO BRAKING. FULL UNRESTRAINED IMPACT. COLLISION OCCURRED ON FREEWAY OFF RAMP. I HAVE PHOTOS OF CRASH SITE AND A COPY OF THE DATA FROM THE "BLACK BOX" WHICH LEXUS DOWNLOADED. THE ALLSTATE CLAIM NUMBER #0453405540. THE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐SPEED CONTROL: WHILE DRIVING HOME, I STOPPED THE CAR AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE DRIVE WAY AT THE MAIL BOX BY APPLYING BRAKE .THE CAR CAME TO A FULL STOP. I SHIFTED THE GEAR ( AUTOMATIC ) TO PARK TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO PICK THE MAIL. AS SOON AS THE GEAR WAS IN PARK, THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, INSPITE OF HARD
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Lexus RX350 — Year Comparison
How does 2017 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 69
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 12
- Injury reports
- 1
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2017 Lexus RX350