There are 5 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2013 Lexus RXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
When I was driving down the road there have been times that I smelled smoke and was concerned my car was on fire. I checked the oil and inspected around my car, and didn't find the source. Today when I took my car in for service I found out the source of the smoke has been for the past 4 months. There is engine oil leaking from the timing cover that I was informed by my Lexus Dealership today would cost $7,000 (approximate) to fix. I researched online and found that all vehicles with this particular engine are known to have this problem, and it is fairly common. Leaking oil can be a fire hazard, and it seems unacceptable that Lexus/Toyota let this issue continue without addressing it with a recall. Thanks for your time, and I have also sent a similar letter to Lexus also to let them know of my concern.
BROKEN COOLING PUMP
LEXUS RX350 HAD A SLIGHT GRINDING NOISE AT AROUND 43,000. IT WAS NOT VERY CLEAR INITIALLY ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AC WAS ON. NOW AT 76,000 MILES, THE NOISE IS VERY LOUD AND LEXUS SAID IT IS THE WATER PUMP SLOWLY GOING BAD. NOW THE CAR, AFTER 70,000 MILES IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE SEEN REPORTS ONLINE WITH COMMON BEARINGS FAILURE ON TOYOTA/LEXUS WATER PUMPS. I WOUNDER IF THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE GIVEN THE WELL KNOW RELIABILITY OF THE LEXUS BRAND.
DRIVING NORMAL SPEED ON FRWY #1 LANE(4 LANE) - NO WARNING-LIGHTS OR ANYTHING, SMOKE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, PULLED OFF FRWY GOT OUT OPEN PASS SIDE DOOR TO RETRIEVE PURSE THEN SAW FLAMES COME THROUGH ON DRIVER SIDE, CLOSED DOOR AND CALLED 911 - CAR ENGINE ON FIRE
AT APPROX. 1:30 P.M. I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP IN LINE FOR THE TOLL BOOTH AT THE THROGS NECK BRIDGE GOING BETWEEN THE BRONX TO QUEENS IN NEW YORK. MY FOOT, FORTUNATELY, WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE CAR ENGINE ROARED AT SEEMINGLY FULL ACCELERATION AT WHICH TIME I PRESSED THE BRAKE HARD, SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ENGINE ROARED EVEN IN NEUTRAL. AT NO TIME DID MY FOOT SLIP TO THE ACCELERATOR NOR DID ANY OBJECT FALL ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE FLOOR MATS WERE SECURELY FASTENED. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT THE TIME THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY DEATH. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO RALLYE LEXUS IN GLEN COVE, N.Y. THE NEXT DAY AND THEY PERFORMED THEIR REQUIRED LEXUS TSA ENGINEERS TESTS, COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE INCIDENT. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026