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2020 Lexus RX

Hybrid Gas

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints7 crash · 4 injured reported 56

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2020 Lexus RX is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the RX 450h AWD, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 56 complaints, most often about the air bags. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Lexus RX — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Lexus RX · Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
RX 450h AWD	Hybrid	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl + 288V Ni-MH	31	28	30	$2,750
RX 450h L AWD	Hybrid	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl + 288V Ni-MH	29	28	29	$2,850
RX 350	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	20	27	23	$2,900
RX 350 AWD	Gas	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl	19	26	22	$3,050
RX 350 L	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	19	26	22	$3,050
RX 350 L AWD	Gas	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl	18	25	21	$3,200

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41974, 41975, 41966, 41969, 41965, 41970.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
RX 450h AWD	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
RX 450h L AWD	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
RX 350, RX 350 AWD, RX 350 L	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
RX 350 L AWD	3–5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	5
GVWR class	Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3.5 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

259 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4
Transmission	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Optional: Blind-spot monitoring, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 350 F Sport High, 350 Luxury, 350 Premium, 350L Premium). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	192.5–196.9 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	74.8 in
Height	67.3–67.7 in
Wheelbase	109.8 in
Track, front	64.6 in
Track, rear	64.2 in
Curb weight	4,453–4,905 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	55/45 to 58/42

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 350 4-door SUV, 350L 4-door SUV, 450H 4-door SUV, 450HL 4-door SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Air Bags

23TA15, 23LA03

999,901 vehicles 58% reported repaired

Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying. Risk An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V865000 reported Dec 20, 2023 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

20TA02, 20LA01

1,525,742 vehicles 92% reported repaired

Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, Risk If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 20V682000 reported Nov 4, 2020 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific RX

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Lexus publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Lexus’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2020 Lexus RX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

56complaints filed

7 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

6.0 per 10,000 built · Lexus reported 92,908 RX built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2020: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 12 · 2025: 13 · 2026: 9

Most-cited components

Air Bags 21

Unspecified 10

Fuel/Propulsion System 6

Engine 6

Forward Collision Avoidance 6

Electrical System 5

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2020 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and ascending a slight grade, the vehicle began to shake. The contact stated that she stopped depressing the accelerator pedal and the shaking stopped. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated.

Fuel/Propulsion System at 11,500 miles May 22, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11523335

This vehicle, and those of its generation, have had an active passenger airbag recall since December 2023. There has been no news on a remedy, nor any meaningful updates on progress. I am unable to transport passengers in my front seat as I am afraid for their safety and my own liability

Air Bags Jun 23, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11668757

My 2020 Lexus RX 350 Navigation and Multimedia screen turns blank/black when headlights are on. The vehicle is available for inspection. When the car is put in reverse, the ability to see the safety back up view or any other peripheral safety monitoring views are gone. There were no warning messages prior to the failure.

Back Over Prevention Oct 10, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11619029

The car started giving warnings as follows in the middle of the highway on , at 3 hours away from Chicago In order 1- Hybrid Malfunction, 2- Changing from 4 wheel to 2 wheel 3- Emergency Stop Vehicle And the car was full of the smell of burning I immediately turned off the car and called Lexus Roadside and towed off the vehicle to the…

Electrical System Mar 29, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11580180

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.

Engine Feb 18, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11507921

235/55R20 102V Michelin Premier LTX, premature wear, tires falling apart in layers & chunks, caused premature failure of front left strut on Lexus RX350. Started at 24,000 miles. Tires create an oscillation, causing you to think a tire balance issue, no alignment issue in the onset of problem.

Tires Jul 7, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11472660

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.

Reported by Lexus itself: 62 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 71 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 67 per 100,000 built. Every RX model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%
SUV AWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%
SUV FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	18%
SUV FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	18%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Driver-assist crash reports (9)

Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01

9reports filed

9 no injury reported

Jul 2021 to Dec 2023 · 0 with an air bag deployment · 1 towed

What was engaged, and what was hit

System named: 4 (8)

Crash partner: SUV 3 · Other 2 · Pickup Truck 2 · Non-Motorist: Cyclist 1

Filed by: May Mobility, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, Ambarella

Incident	System	Struck	Injury alleged	State	Speed	Report
Dec 2023	ADS	SUV	no injury reported	NV	18 mph	30630-6900
Apr 2023	ADS · 4	Passenger Car	no injury reported	MI	18 mph	30413-5396
Dec 2022	ADS · 4	SUV	no injury reported	MI	—	30413-4352
Nov 2022	ADS · 4	Non-Motorist: Cyclist	no injury reported	MI	4 mph	1306-4389
Aug 2022	ADS · 4	Pickup Truck	no injury reported	TX	10 mph	1306-4010
May 2022	ADS · 4	Pickup Truck	no injury reported	TX	11 mph	1306-3355
Aug 2021	ADS · 4	Other	no injury reported	IN	6 mph	1306-1247
Aug 2021	ADS · 4	Other	no injury reported	MI	22 mph	30413-1207
Jul 2021	ADS · 4	SUV	no injury reported	IN	18 mph	30413-1130

From the manufacturer’s own filing

The reporting entity’s narrative as NHTSA published it, with anything identifying removed and nothing added. A narrative is a notice, written before the entity had verified what happened.

On Friday April [redacted] at 16:16 local time, the May shuttle was driving Westbound on [redacted] in Ann Arbor, MI in autonomous mode and was followed by another vehicle. The following vehicle was traveling approximately twice as fast as the May shuttle and catching up to the May shuttle from behind.

May Mobility report 30413-5396 Apr 2023 NHTSA SGO filing

Summary of incidentLeading up to the event, the autonomy system functioned as expected, following the route through the intersection, slowing appropriately for other road users and the red light.

May Mobility report 30413-1130 Jul 2021 NHTSA SGO filing

This report is being submitted because May Mobility notified Toyota on July [redacted], 2022 of Monthly Report submission 30413-3138-1, related to an incident reported in May 2022. Toyota has no additional information on this incident beyond what was submitted in the aforementioned Monthly Report. Please refer to the report from May Mobility for details

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing report 1306-3355 May 2022 NHTSA SGO filing

A report under the General Order is a notice the manufacturer or operator must file within days of hearing of a crash in which a Level 2 driver-assist or automated-driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. It is filed before anything is verified, and entities with telematics hear of far more crashes than entities that rely on complaints, so counts say as much about the reporting as about the car and are not comparable across makes. Nothing is normalised by fleet size. Every report on file, by make and year → · NHTSA’s page and files

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 237

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-30

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 237 service bulletins

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Structure, Engine, Fuel/Propulsion System.

L-SB-0028-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-30 · Service Brakes
Some 2018 – 2023 model year LC 500, and LC 500h, 2021 – 2023 model year LC 500c, 2018 – 2023 model year LS 500, and LS 500h, 2015 model year RX 450h, and 2018 – 2022 model year RX 450h vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. One or more of the following specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) C1391, C1252, C1
L-SB-0057-22 Rev2 Service bulletin
2026-02-02 · Electrical System
OBSOLETE NOTICE February 2, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0004-26.
L-SB-0004-26 Service bulletin
2026-01-23 · Electrical System
Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
L-SB-0030-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2025-12-15 · Structure — Body
Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interio
L-TT-0326-23 Rev2 Service bulletin
2025-08-19 · Electrical System
Some customers may experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot resolve on their own. These resources, in conjunction with the Repair Manual, are for dealership personnel to assist those customers with user issues, user errors, and compatibility issues with other vehicle systems and external applications encountered while operating telematics features.
L-SB-0043-23 Rev1 Service bulletin
2025-06-13 · Electrical System
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
L-TT-0341-25 Service bulletin
2025-04-02 · Electrical System
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.
L-SB-0017-19 Rev1 Service bulletin
2025-02-07 · Structure — Body
Some 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard™. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard™. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especially on horizontal surfaces such as the hood, roof, and trunk.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B15FE B15FE on Lexus →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
P0087 P0087 on Lexus →	Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump →	2 bulletins
P0171 P0171 on Lexus →	The engine is running lean on bank 1: too much air, or not enough fuel, for the mixture the computer wants.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Mass air flow sensor →	2 bulletins
P0174 P0174 on Lexus →	The engine is running lean on bank 2.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Mass air flow sensor →	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.57%

failed emissions

4,225 initial inspections of 4,132 vehicles.

Measure	The 2020 RX	Every 2020 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	0.57%	2.2%	4,213
Failed the safety inspection	0.99%	1.6%	4,225
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.21%	0.19%	4,225
Miles driven a year	8,495	9,980	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	53,253	62,630	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

RX by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 B 3 11 36 mpg 2025 C 4 24 36 mpg 2024 C 4 61 36 mpg 2023 C 4 66 36 mpg 2022 A 0 39 30 mpg 2021 B 2 71 30 mpg 2020 this page B 2 56 30 mpg 2019 C 4 68 30 mpg 2018 B 2 47 30 mpg 2017 C 3 103 30 mpg 2016 C 3 93 30 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 RX

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Lexus RX have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2020 Lexus RX. The most serious on file is 23V865000, covering Air Bags. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Lexus RX?

NHTSA gave the 2020 Lexus RX 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Lexus RX?

Across the 6 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Lexus RX, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Lexus RX?

Transport Canada measured it at 192.5–196.9 in long, 74.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 67.3–67.7 in tall, on a 109.8 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,453–4,905 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2020 Lexus RX?

Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus RX, most often about air bags, unspecified, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 7 involved a crash, 4 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2020 Lexus RX?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Lexus RX runs 3 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV125, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Lexus RX?

The manufacturer has filed 237 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Lexus RX, most often covering equipment, electrical system, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-09-30. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2020 Lexus RX do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Lexus RX failed the emissions check on 0.57% of first inspections — lower than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.99% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	6 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	6 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	56	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	6 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	237	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	9	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	Crashes the manufacturer or operator reported with a Level 2 or automated-driving system engaged. Notices, filed before verification; not comparable across makes.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	13 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API