2009 Lexus Rx350: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2009 Lexus Rx350
On the 2009 Lexus Rx350, the failure owners report most often is steering rack, gear or tie rod failure, and the reports cluster around 55,000 miles. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 55,000 miles. Overall it scores 66 out of 100, high risk for a 2009.
High risk for a 2009 — 228th riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. 114 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 26 named failure modes on the 2009 Lexus Rx350, and the three most-reported carry 32% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure leads with 15 reports, about 0.5 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 48k to 60,000 miles.
Other body or interior problem follows with 12 reports, median 55,000 miles.
Other engine problem follows with 10 reports, usually reported between 72k to 135,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into steering (25), body (17) and engine (16).
At what mileage it happens
90 of the reports on the 2009 Lexus Rx350 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 55,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 39% by 50,000 miles, 82% by 100,000 miles and 99% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 50,000 and 60,000 miles, which alone holds 17% of the dated reports.
32% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 26. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 8 mention a crash, 1 a fire and 1 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.97, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: steering rack, gear or tie rod failure at $700–$2,600, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and other steering problem at $350–$2,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
22% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 15 | 13 | 48k | 55k | 62k | 0.5 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 12 | 7 | — | 55k | — | 0.4 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 10 | 8 | 72k | 120k | 133k | 0.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 9 | 7 | — | 50k | — | 0.3 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 6 | 5 | — | 30k | — | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 6 | — | 51k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 5 | 3 | — | 112k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Oil leak | engine | 4 | 4 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 4 | 3 | — | 12k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 4 | 4 | — | 31k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 103k | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 3 | 3 | — | 103k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 28k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 94k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 2 | — | 82k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 2 | 2 | — | 36k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 108k | — | 0.0 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 132k | — | 0.0 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 8k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 77k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 48k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Wheel, stud or lug nut failure | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 140k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,500 | Critical |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 15 | 7 | — | 31k | — | 0.5 | — | Moderate |
This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2009 Lexus Rx350 draws about 4.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 86th percentile of complaint rates among 2009 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model.
The working figure is 27,738 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2009 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure
During vehicle service,was told the rack and pinion, power steering was leaking. After looking on line I discovered this a common problem with rx vehicles. Most with low mileage or age. Lexus apparently ordered no recall or upgraded their parts to fix the problem. *tr
I took my car in for regular service a couple of weeks ago and they recommenced several things, including replacing the power steering rack due to a leak. I got a second opinion before replacing it and they said it seemed very odd to have that at such low mileage. I therefore did lots of research to see if I was just unlucky and have found many people that own a lexus or toyota have had this problem at such low mileage. I have only ever taken my car to be serviced at lexus as they state needed, and therefore do not believe that this problem should be happening and think it's completely unacceptable I should be responsible for paying for this. If this is a safety concern (my car did not pass inspection due to it) how can lexus not recall the part after so many incidents? *tr
Other body or interior problem
Lexus rx 350 back door does not remain up when there is snow on the roof or snow on the door. It goes up automatically via key or dashboard entry or use of rear door opener, but when it gets up and you are unpacking from the rear cargo area, it comes down without warning and twice hit my wife in the head. *tr
I own a lexus SUV, my third lexus/toyota brand vehicle. So I trusted the safety and reliability. One day everything is fine. The next day, I see a small crack in the lower part of the dashboard of the passenger seat. Literally, one day fine and the next cracked and without a single incident that caused it. In just a matter of weeks, my entire left dashboard is cracking and chipping and it continues to spread and deteriorate day by day. I am shocked and alarmed! I do not trust that this dashboard is safe as I am greatly concerned that the air bag (s) will be compromised. I am also concerned that it could components integral to the operation of the vehicle. This is well-known issue with toyota and lexus (affecting tens of thousands of vehicles) yet little to no action has been taken and I respectfully request a recall. It has been covered extensively in news stories, on the web and by dealerships concerned about customer satisfaction and safety. There are also known to be internal documents by toyota that acknowledges the problem. I contacted lexus corporate and it sent me to a local lexus dealer to document the issue and this went…
Other engine problem
I was driving my 2009 lexus rx 350 down a major surface street when my power brakes and steering went out. I attempted to drive again after moving to a side street, and my steering and brakes went out 2 more times, I then had my vehicle towed to my lexus dealer. They could not identify the reason for the problem. *tr
When the SUV shifts from 1st to 2rd gear the engine revs up about 1000 rpms and hesitates 2-5 seconds before the shift takes place. I can't rely on power when needed because of this. It's not constant, about 30% of the time it occurs. The same thing happens when down shifting. The dealer, kendall lexus of eugene oregon (rick strong-service manager) is aware of the problem and says "toyota won't put out a new chip to fix the problem". Rick strong also said" I told the salesman he should inform potential buyers about this problem before they purchase a vehicle". This problem is ongoing since I bought the vehicle.
How it ranks in the 2009 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2009 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2009 — 228th riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 13 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2013 comes out best at 64 and 2011 worst at 80, with 2009 itself at 66.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2009, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2004–2011 generation specifically, 2007 is the strongest year at 64 and 2011 the weakest at 80.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2004-2011 generation, 2007 Lexus Rx350 scores best at 64 and 2011 Lexus Rx350 worst at 80.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: steering rack, gear or tie rod failure from about 48k and other engine problem from about 72k.
On a 2009 Lexus Rx350 with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether steering rack, gear or tie rod failure has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
The limits of complaint data
114 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 114 reports, 90 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 79% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Lexus Rx350?
The most-reported failures are steering rack, gear or tie rod failure (15 reports, median 55,000 miles), other body or interior problem (12 reports, median 55,000 miles) and other engine problem (10 reports, median 120,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2009 Lexus Rx350 problems start?
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 55,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 50,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 55,000 miles.
Is the 2009 Lexus Rx350 reliable?
It scores 66 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 228th riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2009 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Lexus Rx350 is best?
Within the 2004–2011 generation, 2007 scores best at 64 out of 100 and 2011 worst at 80. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed