2016 Lexus RX 350 problems, recalls & reliability

Owner-reported issues

Specific problems identified in NHTSA complaint narratives for the 2016 Lexus RX 350 — deduplicated so the same account never counts twice, and published only when enough independent evidence exists.

• Sunroof glass fractureLow severityNHTSA reports

  10 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe spontaneous sunroof or moonroof fracturing or shattering while vehicles were in use or parked, sometimes accompanied by loud noises or explosions, with no reported impact or external object causing the damage. Across 10 independent units, owners experienced sudden glass failure ranging from hairline fractures requiring replacement to complete shattering, creating potential safety hazards from flying glass and driver distraction at highway speeds. No diagnostic or repair-confirmed root cause has been identified in any report.

  • “As I was driving southbound on I five in the state of Washington in Stanwood area 8:00 AM my sunroof exploded, causing me to swerve into other lanes and a distraction for other drivers There were no warnings. The sunroof was in a close posi…” NHTSA ODI #11678000 (all complaints)
  • “The contact owns a 2016 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the moon roof independently fractured. The contact stated no object had struck the moon roof to cause the fracture. The vehicle was taken to the …” NHTSA ODI #11555256 (all complaints)
• Brake failure no stoppingCriticalRecall linkedNHTSA reports

  6 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe brake failure events in 2016 Lexus RX models where vehicles failed to stop despite brake pedal application, resulting in collisions. Across six independent units, owners reported the brakes not responding during attempted stops at intersections and during normal driving, with some incidents occurring repeatedly over time. One related recall exists for these vehicles.

  • “2016 LEXUS RX-360. CONSUMER STATED THAT FAILED TO STOP WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION.” NHTSA ODI #11510552 (all complaints)
  • “WE TOOK A CAR FOR LEASE FROM LEXUS. THE FIRST WEEK, WE REALIZED THE BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING WELL. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THEN, A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. LAS…” NHTSA ODI #11182678 (all complaints)
• Timing cover oil leakLow severityNHTSA reports

  5 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe oil leaks originating from the timing cover gasket on 2016 Lexus RX 350 vehicles, occurring at mileage ranging from approximately 49,000 to 71,000 miles. Repair estimates cited range from $6,500 to $7,000, and some owners report recurrence of leaks following initial repair attempts. These symptoms have been reported across 5 independent vehicles.

  • “Timing Cover gasket leak. Apparently this is very common problem with 2016 Lexus RX 350 due to a bad design by Lexus. Lexus is quoting ~7000 to fix” NHTSA ODI #11667776 (all complaints)
  • “Timing chain cover oil leak is a wellknown issue for Lexus/Toyota V6 engine for more than a decade. The company is still reluctant to provide a long term solution. This 2016 Lexus RX350 F Sport was first discovered Timing Cover oil leak a…” NHTSA ODI #11590057 (all complaints)
• Center display failureModerateNHTSA reports

  3 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe an electronic dashboard display that malfunctions by turning pink, going blank, or disappearing for extended periods, leaving owners unable to control associated functions like navigation, audio, and climate controls. Affected owners report attempting resets and battery disconnection without resolution, and dealers have been unable to identify the root cause or error codes. Three independent vehicles are confirmed affected across these reports.

  • “The electronic screen on dashboard that displays map, HVAC, etc. turns pink then black and disappears for several minutes. One then has no control over the various functions displayed on the screen. I've done a hard reset by disconnecting t…” NHTSA ODI #11695726 (all complaints)
  • “AFTER REPLACING BATTERY, THE GPS, AUDIO SYSTEM, HEAT CONTROLS, (ENTIRE DISPLAY IS BLANK) THE DEALER SAID THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON-LINE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE..” NHTSA ODI #11286702 (all complaints)
• Wiper arm bent hood contactLow severityNHTSA reports

  3 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe passenger-side wiper arms that appear bent, causing the wipers to contact the hood during operation and resulting in paint rubbing and noise. Across three independent vehicles, owners report streaking wipers, loud knocking sounds, and visible paint damage on the hood associated with this condition. The affected wipers were difficult to service and owners could not identify a cause from normal use such as snow removal or car washing.

  • “PASSENGER WIPER WAS MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND AND HITTING THE HOOD. LEARNED THAT THE ARM WAS BENT, CAUSING THE WIPER TO HIT THE INTERIOR OF THE HOOD AND HAS CAUSED PAINT TO RUB OFF ON THE HOOD.” NHTSA ODI #11286508 (all complaints)
  • “PASSENGER WIPER WAS STREAKING; ASSUMED THE BLADE NEEDED REPLACING. INSTEAD, LEARNED THAT THE ARM WAS BENT, CAUSING THE WIPER TO HIT THE INTERIOR OF THE HOOD AND HAS CAUSED PAINT TO RUB OFF ON THE HOOD. OUR LEXUS IS ONLY TAKEN THROUGH A TOU…” NHTSA ODI #11075591 (all complaints)
• Sunroof water intrusionLow severityNHTSA reports

  3 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe water leaking into vehicle interiors during heavy rain, with water entering through the sunroof region and draining toward the interior microphone above the driver's seat and front carpeting areas. Affected owners report repeated battery replacements, wet carpeting, headliner dampness with mold/mildew odors, and microphone area water intrusion across at least three independent vehicles. No root cause has been confirmed by repair documentation in the supplied reports.

  • “The vehicle sustained water damage due to Hurricane Ida in September 2021 and was repaired at the dealership. In February 2023, the battery needed replacing for a third time since then and I was told that the front and rear carpeting was so…” NHTSA ODI #11517206 (all complaints)
  • “Water may leak from heavy rain, from the sunroof region into a part of the roof, leading to water leaking from the interior microphone above the driver seat. Seems to be a common issue amongst 2016-2017 RX350’s but no recalls. This is a saf…” NHTSA ODI #11482325 (all complaints)
• Airbag non deploymentCriticalNHTSA reports

  3 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe airbags failing to deploy during front-end and broadside collisions at speeds ranging from 10 to 20+ mph, resulting in driver injuries including head trauma and hematomas. Three independent vehicles experienced non-deployment across driver and passenger positions during impact events. No root cause has been identified across these reports.

  • “A BROADSIDE COLLISION CAUSING DAMAGE TO FRONT LEFT OF THE CAR, INJURY TO THE DRIVER WITH FORCE OF THE COLLISION, AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY.” NHTSA ODI #11341947 (all complaints)
  • “TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 LEXUS RX350. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO TH…” NHTSA ODI #11257368 (all complaints)
• Unintended acceleration garageCriticalNHTSA reports

  3 deduplicated reports

  Multiple reports describe unintended acceleration events occurring in three independent vehicles, including instances when shifting from Park to Reverse or Drive, during highway driving, and when attempting to park. Owners reported the vehicle moving despite maintaining brake pressure or without driver input after shifting, resulting in collisions with garage structures, bicycles, and shelves in two cases.

  • “THIS CAR EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT THE TOP OF MY DRIVEWAY WHILE BEING PUT INTO PARK. THE CAR TOOK OFF AND HIT THE CENTER POSTS OF THE TWO CAR GARAGE AND ONLY STOPPED BECAUSE IT WAS CAUGHT ON THE SUPPORTS IN THE FOUNDATION. …” NHTSA ODI #11114970 (all complaints)
  • “I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF DESCRIPTION AS TO WHAT OCCURRED. I ENTERED OUR GARAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF BACKING THE LEXUS OUT OF THE GARAGE SO WE COULD LOAD NEWLY PURCHASED PATIO FURNITURE INTO THE GARAGE. I ENTERED THE LEXUS, APPLIED THE BRAKE …” NHTSA ODI #10979064 (all complaints)

Most-reported problem areas

What owners of similar 2016 Lexus RX 350 vehicles reported to NHTSA, by component.

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER17 reports
• VISIBILITY/WIPER6 reports
• SERVICE BRAKES6 reports
• STRUCTURE6 reports
• POWER TRAIN6 reports
• AIR BAGS5 reports
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4 reports
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4 reports
• ENGINE4 reports
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3 reports

Recalls (3)

• AIR BAGS18V085000

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.

• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC16V198000

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

• AIR BAGS16V053000

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Lexus RX350 and RX450h vehicles manufactured November 16, 2015, to December 23, 2015. Due to an improper weld, the gas needed to inflate the driver's knee air bag may escape from the inflator.

Crash-test ratings