2021 Lexus RX problems & reliability
69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Lexus RX, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Lexus RX vehicles were involved in 24 fatal crashes with 8 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 47 | 68% |
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 10% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 6% |
| Structure | 4 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 4% |
| Engine | 2 | 3% |
| Tires | 2 | 3% |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Lexus RX 350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 19, 2025
“The contact owns a 2021 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag malfunction warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the SRS alert message was displayed. The passenger’s side seat belt warning light was illuminated for two minutes. The contact received notification of…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 10, 2025
“The contact owns a 2021 Lexus RX-450H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that whenever a handbag was placed on the front passenger’s seat, the air bag warning light illuminated. The local…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 9, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Lexus RX. The 10 most recent:
OBSOLETE NOTICE February 2, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0004-26.
L-SB-0057-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 2, 2026
Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
L-SB-0004-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2026
Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
L-SB-0030-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 15, 2025
23ld01 expired on november 30, 2025 technical instructions for special service campaign 23ld01 tow converter not installed certain 2021 model year rx350
23LD01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2025
23LD01 Expired on November 30, 2025 The involved RX350 vehicles equipped with the Tow Prep Package did not have the Tow Converter installed.
23LD01 · Service Campaign · issued Dec 5, 2025
23LD01 Expired on November 30, 2025 The involved RX350 vehicles equipped with the Tow Prep Package did not have the Tow Converter installed.
23LD01 · Service Campaign · issued Dec 5, 2025
Safety recall and service campaign renotification owner renotification 25r001
25R001 · Other · issued Sep 23, 2025
Some customers may experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot resolve on their own. These resources, in conjunction with the Repair Manual, are for dealership personnel to assist…
L-TT-0326-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2025
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and…
L-SB-0043-23 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 13, 2025
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…
L-TT-0341-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Lexus RX has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Lexus RX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.