Total Complaints
7 filings
Lexus GX! · model year
2003 Lexus GX!
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 7
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 2003 Lexus GX! posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 45%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 2003LexusGX! carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2003 GX! is unknown or other with 3 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch (1) and vehicle speed control (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2003 GX!. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2003 Lexus GX!
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20210726SUSPENSION
FRAME IS ROTTING FROM INSIDE OUT, EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT WAS COMMON TO THE EARLY/MID 2000'S TOYOTA TUNDRA, TACOMA, AND 4RUNNER, THE LATTER OF WHICH SHARES FRAME COMPONENTS. TOYOTA, FOR WHATEVER REASON, COVERED THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA THROUGH RECALLS, BUT SO FAR HAS NOT DONE A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNER OR GX470.
20210726UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FRAME IS ROTTING FROM INSIDE OUT, EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT WAS COMMON TO THE EARLY/MID 2000'S TOYOTA TUNDRA, TACOMA, AND 4RUNNER, THE LATTER OF WHICH SHARES FRAME COMPONENTS. TOYOTA, FOR WHATEVER REASON, COVERED THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA THROUGH RECALLS, BUT SO FAR HAS NOT DONE A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNER OR GX470.
20210628UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Structure problem. Went to the mechanic for a routine oil change. He said the frame is rotted, rusted away so bad he could stick his finger through the frame. They said it was unsafe, couldn’t even hoist it up on the lift. The body, exterior looks fine, no rust at all, but the frame is evidently rotted away. Faulty metal or treatment??
20190924UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TOOK MY 2003 GX470 TO DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. IT HAS 128,000 MILES ON IT. THEY ADVISED AFTER REVIEWING FRAME STRUCTURE THAT THE VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER BE PUT ON A LIFT BECAUSE THE FRAME IS CRUMBLING AND ALSO ADVISED VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO BE DRIVEN. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND A FRAME SHOP FOR THEIR OPINION. THEY WERE AMAZED HOW THE BODY DIDN'T HAVE ANY RUST YET THE FRAME WAS TOTALLY FALLING APART. FRAME SHOP ALSO AGREED ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT SAFE WAS TOTAL FRAME REPLACEMENT. FOLLOWING UP WITH LEXUS DEALER ON FILING A CLAIM WITH LEXUS.
Mileage: 128,000
20100414VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WE WERE PROCEEDING TO MAKE A R.H. TURN FROM ON TWO LANE ROAD TO ANOTHER IN A 2003 LEXUS GX WHEN THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND ESC COMPLETELY FAILED . ALTHOUGH I PUSHED TRANSMISSION'S LEVER IN NEUTRAL . THE REAR END SKIDDED OUTWARD AND NO ESC OR ABS WAS EVIDENT. I STEERED INTO SKID AND THEN STEERED INTO DITCH TO AVOID OFFSET COLLISION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AND SKIDDED INTO DITCH ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD . SEVERE CONCUSSION AND AMNESIA FOR DRIVER AS DEAD SLAMMED INTO DRIVER'S WINDOW . PASSENGER SUFFERED LEFT LEG INJURY. I REPORTED TWO PRIOR INCIDENTS TO NHTSA JAN 9 , 2010 , ETC AND NO RESPONSE . NOW I AM GOING PUBLIC AND TO SENATOR ROCKERFELLER THAT NHTSA IS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE. *TR
Mileage: 33,112
20100414ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
WE WERE PROCEEDING TO MAKE A R.H. TURN FROM ON TWO LANE ROAD TO ANOTHER IN A 2003 LEXUS GX WHEN THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND ESC COMPLETELY FAILED . ALTHOUGH I PUSHED TRANSMISSION'S LEVER IN NEUTRAL . THE REAR END SKIDDED OUTWARD AND NO ESC OR ABS WAS EVIDENT. I STEERED INTO SKID AND THEN STEERED INTO DITCH TO AVOID OFFSET COLLISION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AND SKIDDED INTO DITCH ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD . SEVERE CONCUSSION AND AMNESIA FOR DRIVER AS DEAD SLAMMED INTO DRIVER'S WINDOW . PASSENGER SUFFERED LEFT LEG INJURY. I REPORTED TWO PRIOR INCIDENTS TO NHTSA JAN 9 , 2010 , ETC AND NO RESPONSE . NOW I AM GOING PUBLIC AND TO SENATOR ROCKERFELLER THAT NHTSA IS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE. *TR
Mileage: 33,112
20070703CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS GX470. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT'S MOTHER-IN-LAW ACCIDENTALLY ACTIVATED THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE BUTTON. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE BACKED OUT OF THE GARAGE AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.
Mileage: 85,000
Compare 2003LexusGX! to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 Lexus GX! have?▼
The 2003 Lexus GX! has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Lexus GX!?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 Lexus GX! is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2003 Lexus GX! safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2003 Lexus GX!; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.