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2012 Lexus Rx

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 12 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Engine complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 14, 2026
EngineSteering

Alternator completely shut down on Sunday,XXX. Battery warning light came on out of the blue on Sat, XXX at 8:45 PM in Independence, MO in front of Walmart on [XXX], had to go autozone on [XXX] in [XXX]. Test came back showing Alternator failure. Now power steering is gone and prob battery too. All interior electric systems shut…

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Alternator completely shut down on Sunday,XXX. Battery warning light came on out of the blue on Sat, XXX at 8:45 PM in Independence, MO in front of Walmart on [XXX], had to go autozone on [XXX] in [XXX]. Test came back showing Alternator failure. Now power steering is gone and prob battery too. All interior electric systems shut down also. Headlight bulbs became affected within 1 month of purchase from dealership on XXX. Replacement bulbs for dims done last week. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11764212

Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2025
Electrical SystemEngine

The engine shuts off for a second while driving

NHTSA ODI #11654908

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2023
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

October 20, '23 Our recent DEAD STOP! Whistle blower! Did you know that when the alternator goes out on a Lexus, that the car draws down energy from the battery to keep the car going? That's only for about a mile or so, then the car shuts down! You can't steer and THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING and you have no power as you come to …

Read full complaint

October 20, '23 Our recent DEAD STOP! Whistle blower! Did you know that when the alternator goes out on a Lexus, that the car draws down energy from the battery to keep the car going? That's only for about a mile or so, then the car shuts down! You can't steer and THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING and you have no power as you come to a dead stop, whether on the freeway, or one lane mountain pass road, where we would have been later. What would we have done? Scary! Luckily, our Lexus stalled on a city street nearing our on-ramp to the freeway. (needing to be towed.) Lexus has a serious engineering-defective-design-flaw that probably is responsible for accidents. Thanks, [XXX] . Pass it on please! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11551111

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.