Research · complaint index

Lexus RX300 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 5 model years of the Lexus RX300 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
19998
20008
20017
20024
20031
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
20033010.236Fewest complaints
200210540.6521Typical
200117671.0515Typical
200021681.2516Typical
199922181.2718Typical
  • 200330 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
  • 2002105 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
  • 2001176 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
  • 2000216 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
  • 1999221 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026

Fewest complaints for their age: 2003.

02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Lexus RX300 years have the most complaints?

No Lexus RX300 model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 5 model years compared. The highest was 2000.

Is this a reliability rating?

No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.