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2021 Lexus RX 350
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
70 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Complaints are still coming in strong late in this car's life, a chronic-problem pattern, not early teething.
Airbags problems dominate (67% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →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.
4/5 overall
Varies 4–5 stars by trim; shown conservatively.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2021 Lexus RX 350 SUV FWD Later Release
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 18%
No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.
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 2021 Lexus RX 350, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (47) · Body & structure (5)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Airbags
67%47 complaints · 41 in the last 2 years
“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 n…”
Body & structure
7%5 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“I was driving on the freeway in Stockton California and I entered into a connecting on-ramp curve going about 30mph and a lady hit me from behind on the passenger side…”
Driver assistance
6%4 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“The PCS detected another car in front and my car went into PARK, but kept rolling and the engine revved to 7500 rpm.”
Seat belts
6%4 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“The contact owns a 2021 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while attempting to remove the [XXX] child from the rear passenger seat the rear passenger seat belt had b…”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
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 2021 Lexus RX 350 beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2021? See how every RX 350 model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2021 Lexus RX 350 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.