2016 Lexus RC
Gas Compact car
The 2016 Lexus RC is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the RC 200t, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 3 complaints, most often about unknown or other.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC 200t | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 32 | 26 | $3,000 |
| RC 350 | Gas | RWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 28 | 22 | $3,500 |
| RC 300 AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 26 | 21 | $3,700 |
| RC 350 AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 26 | 21 | $3,700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2016 Lexus RC is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (1)
Fuel System, Gasoline
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2015-2022 Lexus RC, 2016-2020 GS, and 2022 IS vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26LB05 and 26LA05.
NHTSA investigations
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (open)
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002
Owner complaints
3 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 1
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 2
- Service Brakes — 1
- Vehicle Speed Control — 1
- Latches/Locks/Linkages — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other RC model years
2025 RC
0 recalls · 1 complaints
A2024 RC
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2023 RC
0 recalls · 0 complaints
B2022 RC
2 recalls · 1 complaints
B2021 RC
2 recalls · 0 complaints
B2020 RC
2 recalls · 2 complaints
C2019 RC
3 recalls · 4 complaints
D2018 RC
3 recalls · 2 complaints
C2017 RC
3 recalls · 9 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 37132, 37134, 37133, 37135). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.