What breaks most · 2004 to 2011 model years
Lexus RX 330 problems by year
Owners have filed 525 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus RX 330 across model years 2004 to 2011. Two years stand out: 2004 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2005 for exterior lighting complaints. The quietest years are 2007 and 2006.
- Years to check closely: 2004, 2005
- Fewest complaints: 2007, 2006
- Complaints on file
- 5252004 to 2011, all trims
- Worst year
- 2004287 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 582 fires · 38 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 64kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 10Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 287 | 37 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (69) | |
| 164 | 16 | 3 | Exterior lighting (32) | |
| 67 | 4 | 1 | Body and structure (15) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2004 Lexus RX 330
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 24% |
69 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 20% |
58 | 8 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2004 Lexus RX 330 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 12% |
34 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2004 Lexus RX 330 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 12% |
34 | 15 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2004 Lexus RX 330 |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 8% |
22 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2004 Lexus RX 330 |
| Air bags | 7% |
21 | 11 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
20 | 1 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 7% |
19 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2004 Lexus RX 330 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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2004 lexus rx330 transmission jumps and will accelerate when depressing brake pedal. Has almost caused a few accidents. Lexus will not honor any tsb's due to the age of the vehicle. There are thousands and thousands of complaints about this same issue.
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Leaking power steering rack assembly. Seems to be a very common problem with these rx330's. Advised i need a new rack & pinion assembly. Lexus needs a recall for this issue, too many complaints! Also told need to replace headlight ballist!
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lexus RX 330 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2004, 2005 carry the most filings on the Lexus RX 330. The 2004 alone has 287 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Lexus RX 330 problem?
On the 2004 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 69 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus RX 330 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus RX 330 complaints that include mileage is about 64,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.