2020 Lexus RX problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
45 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
31,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 21 of 45 complaints (46.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 5 | 11.1% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 6.7% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 4.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 2.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 21 |
| Unknown Or Other | 8 |
| Engine | 5 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 3 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 3 |
| Tires | 3 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 |
Air Bags: 21; Unknown Or Other: 8; Engine: 5; Electrical System: 4; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 3; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 3; Tires: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 43 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 | 7 |
2021: 4; 2022: 6; 2023: 3; 2024: 12; 2025: 13; 2026: 7
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 3 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11430031 · 2021-08-22 (August 22, 2021)
Was driving into the garage (coasting) very slowly and as I was preparing to step on brake the car revved forward unsuspectedly - I have a video on my ring door bell and you can hear the engine then the squealing of the automatic braking system. I destroyed the adult 3 wheel bicycle that was stored along the wall but that helped the vehicle from crashing through the bricks - I remember shouting “what the hell is happening”. After much research as I knew I did not depress the accelerator in error - I found that this has been a common occurrenc…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11430031 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11432569 · 2021-09-11 (September 11, 2021)
Just after topping a hill on an Interstate Highway, both lanes of traffic ahead of us came to a sudden and complete stop. I was in left lane and reacted quickly and applied full braking power and managed to stop a foot or 2 from the rear of the stopped car ahead of us. A few seconds later we were hit from the rear by two cars, one, a Black late model Camry, which almost stopped and a 2nd, a large, new German-maker grey SUV, which never applied brakes, destroyed the black Camry behind us and then destroyed our car, when it hit the left rear and…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11432569 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11507921 · 2023-02-18 (February 18, 2023)
Contact states they were sitting in DRIVE, with their foot on the brake. When the contact took their foot off the brake, they began to let the vehicle coast to about 5 MPH. Then, the vehicle lunged forward unexpectedly to about 25 MPH, when it collided with a rock. The vehicle had previously spent over 10 days in different dealerships to diagnose issues related to the engine running rough, the car stalling out, and the vehicle driving erratically and lunging forward. The contact only began to have issues with the vehicle after the NHTSA Dens…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11507921 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11723917 · 2026-03-12 (March 12, 2026)
I own a 2020 Lexus RX 450h with approximately 129,803 miles. The check engine light came on and the vehicle stored diagnostic trouble code P0A2D, which indicates a failure of the drive motor/temperature sensor circuit that is integrated into the transmission/hybrid motor assembly. According to the Lexus dealer’s diagnosis, the temperature control sensor located on the transmission/hybrid drive unit has failed. Because Lexus designed this sensor as part of the transmission assembly, the dealer has stated the sensor cannot be replaced separately …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11723917 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11618515 · 2024-10-07 (October 7, 2024)
The low fuel gauge does not come on until there is only 18 miles left. I brought my auto into the Lexus dealer in Fall 2022 because up until that point the low mileage gauge came on around 40 miles. I was told that the low fuel gauge changes from year to year. Really! It is dangerously to find a gas station with only 18 miles. This makes no sense to me. I have been driving the same model Lexus for 6 years and prior to this the low fuel gauge came on around 40 miles. The Lexus manual says that the gas tank is 19.2 gallons but when I fill up…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11618515 at NHTSA ↗