2005 Lexus RX Problems, Recalls & Reliability
249 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Lexus RX, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 55/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 69,250 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2005 Lexus RX sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2003, 2013–2014, 2018, 2020, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2005 sits among all RX years
What owners report
“I was parked in a garage on a ramp and left the car in gear (drive) and after exiting the vehicle, it rolled back into another car. The lexus 330 is supposed to prohibit one from removing the keys from the ignition when in gear. My car continues to allow me to remove the key (engine off) while in…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 RX
“Lexus had a recall to repair cracks rapidly developing in the dashboard. When the recall came out i was in the hospital having cancer surgery. The date for the recall had just passed. I called lexus and was told to bring the car to9 the dealer. The dealer found the problem and wrote of an estimate…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 RX
“My steering locked up was wining took it in rack and pinion is leaking real bad no power steering do to leak..”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 RX
“Car was parked and a fire broke out underneath the car. Fire department put it out and said there was leakage, but they didn't know what caused it. I had car towed to lexus dealer in lexington ky.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 RX
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 175 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,000 and 109,594 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES. BRAKE FLUID CONTAINING POLYMERS IS USED THAT ACTS AS LUBRICANTS FOR CERTAIN BRAKE SYSTEM…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V112000.
Technical service bulletins
152 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2005 Lexus RX. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Lexus RX reliable?
The 2005 Lexus RX drew 249 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 55/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2005 Lexus RX problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Lexus RX are electrical (43 complaints), body & structure (36), and steering (31).
At what mileage do 2005 Lexus RX problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Lexus RX problems around 80,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,000 and 109,594 miles.
Does the 2005 Lexus RX have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2005 Lexus RX. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.