NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 70 owner complaints for the 2021 Lexus RX (including the hybrid).
2Safety recalls
70Owner complaints
9Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: air bags and fuel system. Most-reported area: air bags (47 complaints, 67%). Includes the RX 350, RX 350L, the hybrids (450h, 350h, 500h) and the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid.
2 safety recalls for the 2021 Lexus RX
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Lexus) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus RX350 and 2021 RX350 vehicles. The transport hook may not have been removed prior to sale. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk: During a rear-end crash, the transport hook can damage the fuel filler pipe, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Lexus will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, remove the rear transport hook, free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Lexus' number for this recall is 21LA01.
NHTSA listing: RX350. Lexus campaign 21LA01.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 70 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 RX. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Air bags47 · 67%
Body structure5 · 7%
Most named: body (4)
Forward collision avoidance4 · 6%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (4)
Seat belts4 · 6%
Brakes3 · 4%
Electrical system3 · 4%
Engine2 · 3%
Unknown or other8 · 11%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Lexus RX recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 RX drew the most (43) and the 2021 drew 10.
Owner complaints
2021: 70 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Lexus RX
Model year
Complaints
2016
93
2017
103
2018
46
2019
68
2020
55
2021
70
2022
39
2023
66
2024
57
2025
20
2026
7
Safety recalls
2021: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Lexus RX
Model year
Recalls
2016
3
2017
3
2018
2
2019
4
2020
2
2021
2
2022
0
2023
4
2024
4
2025
4
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Lexus RX 350 SUV AWD Early Release
Rollover risk 16.4%
Lexus RX 350 SUV AWD Later Release
Rollover risk 16.4%
Lexus RX 350 SUV FWD Early Release
Rollover risk 17.9%
Lexus RX 350 SUV FWD Later Release
Rollover risk 17.9%
Lexus RX 350L SUV AWD Early Release
Rollover risk 16.7%
Lexus RX 350L SUV AWD Later Release
Rollover risk 16.7%
Lexus RX 350L SUV FWD Early Release
Rollover risk 18.2%
Lexus RX 350L SUV FWD Later Release
Rollover risk 16.7%
Lexus RX 450h SUV AWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
Lexus RX 450hL SUV AWD Early Release
Rollover risk 16.7%
Lexus RX 450hL SUV AWD Later Release
Rollover risk 16.7%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 RX problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: air bags (47), body structure (5), forward collision avoidance (4). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Lexus RX safe?
In NHTSA crash tests the 2021 Lexus RX earns 4 to 5 stars overall, depending on the version. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my RX has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Lexus dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: RX, RX HYBRID, RX350.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.