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2016 Lexus Nx300
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
17 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 20, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Complaints are still coming in strong late in this car's life, a chronic-problem pattern, not early teething.
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#59 of 462Among the 2016 models with a matured record, the 2016 Lexus Nx300 ranks #59, scoring higher than 85% of them. See the 2016 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
5/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2016 Lexus NX300H SUV FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 16%
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2016 Lexus Nx300, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Brakes (5) · Engine (5)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Brakes
29%5 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“My brakes have stopped working twice. Each time I'll stop driving for a day and it's normal again. When it happens my brakes feel very loose and I can't control the di…”
Engine
29%5 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“while I was driving in the desert, the check engine light come on and then the motor when on a safe mode idling at less than 5 miles per hour, when I approach a hill d…”
Fuel system
24%4 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“My 2016 Lexus NX200t with approximately 157,000 miles experienced sudden engine stalling, loss of acceleration, and the check engine light illuminated while driving. T…”
Transmission & drivetrain
18%3 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“2016 NX, F-SPORT. TRANSMISSION FAILURE. DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND SUV JUST WENT INTO LIMP MODE. NO CODE ON DASH BEFORE THIS HAPPENED.”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.
Read all 17 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 5 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Lexus before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- Owners of this model report brakes problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any brakes symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2016 Lexus NX300 beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2016? See how every Nx300 model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2016 Lexus Nx300 against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.