Exterior Lighting
NHTSA campaign 09E012000 · 2009 · reported 04/07/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
PARK-IT: NO · PARK-OUTSIDE: NO · OVER-THE-AIR FIX: NO
2001 Lexus RX300 Problems & Recalls
Built from official NHTSA complaint and recall data · data through 07/12/2026
High complaint levelIts most-reported problem — Power Train:automatic Transmission — runs 8.5× the fleet median for that category across the 2391 model-years tracked on this site.
169Complaints
5Recalls
14Crashes
2Fires
13Injured
0Deaths
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint & recall data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Is this problem acknowledged?
The most-reported problem — Power Train:automatic Transmission (51.5% of complaints) — recall and investigation status for this vehicle is currently unavailable.
Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints here are 8.5× the median for that category across the 2391 model-years tracked on this site.
| Complaint category | Reports | Official status | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train:automatic Transmission | 87 · 51.5% | not available | — |
| Power Train | 35 · 20.7% | not available | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 · 9.5% | not available | — |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:engine | 7 · 4.1% | not available | — |
| Air Bags | 6 · 3.6% | not available | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal | 4 · 2.4% | not available | — |
Recalled = an NHTSA safety recall covers this category, so a free repair exists. Under investigation = NHTSA has an open probe but no recall yet. Investigation closed = NHTSA examined it and closed the probe — this is not a defect finding; where a closed probe led to a recall we name the campaign. Not available = recall or investigation data could not be confirmed for this vehicle — it is not a “no”. Categories are matched by NHTSA's top-level component. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Percentages are the share of the 169 complaints citing each component; one complaint can cite several components. “Unspecified / other” is NHTSA’s own catch-all category — we show it rather than hide it.
Recalls — 5 campaigns
Visibility:glass, Side/rear
NHTSA campaign 08E020000 · 2008 · reported 03/06/2008
THE PURPOSE OF THIS STANDARD IS TO REDUCE INJURIES RESULTING FROM IMPACT TO GLAZING SURFACES. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
PARK-IT: NO · PARK-OUTSIDE: NO · OVER-THE-AIR FIX: NO
Exterior Lighting
NHTSA campaign 06E049000 · 2006 · reported 05/24/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
PARK-IT: NO · PARK-OUTSIDE: NO · OVER-THE-AIR FIX: NO
Exterior Lighting:headlights
NHTSA campaign 09E025000 · 2009 · reported 05/11/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
PARK-IT: NO · PARK-OUTSIDE: NO · OVER-THE-AIR FIX: NO
Exterior Lighting
NHTSA campaign 06E026000 · 2006 · reported 03/23/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
PARK-IT: NO · PARK-OUTSIDE: NO · OVER-THE-AIR FIX: NO
Park it Park outside Specimen badges — shown on a recall card only when NHTSA sets the flag. None of the campaigns above carries either flag. Always check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
“THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 2001 LEXUS RX300 WITH ONLY 83,000 MILES, JUST FAILED. THIS CAR WAS FULLY AND TIMELY SERVICED BY LEXUS AND IS OTHERWISE…”NHTSA complaint 10441812 — filed 12/30/2011 · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
“TRANSMISSION FAILURE-2001 LEXUS RX 300, 88,000 MILES, PURCHASED NEW, CAR WAS BABIED, SERVICES REGULARLY WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED AT 30,000 MILE INTERVALS. NEVER TOWED ANYTHING…”NHTSA complaint 10413795 — filed 07/20/2011 · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
“2001 LEXUS RX300 FAILED TRANSMISSION WITH NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS @ 106K MILES. ESTIMATED $3,800 - $4,800 TO REPLACE WITH REBUILT TRANSMISSION.”NHTSA complaint 10409037 — filed 06/27/2011 · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Complaint trend by year filed
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Lexus RX300?
Power train:automatic transmission issues are the most-reported category, cited in 87 of 169 NHTSA complaints (51.5%), followed by power train (35), vehicle speed control (16), engine and engine cooling:engine (7). Complaints are unverified owner reports.
How many complaints does the 2001 Lexus RX300 have?
169 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Of those, 14 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, and 13 reported injuries. No deaths were reported.
Does the 2001 Lexus RX300 have any recalls?
Yes — 5 NHTSA safety recall campaigns, including campaign 09E012000. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Has NHTSA acted on the 2001 Lexus RX300's reported problems?
Recall or investigation data is partly unavailable for this vehicle right now — check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the authoritative answer.
Is a complaint proof of a defect?
No. Complaints are reports submitted by consumers to NHTSA. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints, and a complaint is not proof that a defect exists.
About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.
