LEXUS RX HYBRID · model year

2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID

214 NHTSA complaints, 20 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2006LEXUSRX HYBRID carries 214 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 20 crashes, 0 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2006 RX HYBRID is electrical system with 27 filings, followed by service brakes (19) and vehicle speed control (16). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2006 RX HYBRID. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

214
Complaints
20
Crashes
0
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

214 filings

Crashes Reported

20 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM27
SERVICE BRAKES19
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL16
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC16
POWER TRAIN15
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC13
TIRES10
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)10
STEERING9
STRUCTURE:BODY9
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM8
ENGINE8
STRUCTURE7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING7

Recent Complaints

20230306POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle failed to shift into park(P). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Mileage: 125,000

20230104HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. There were several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V396000 (Hybrid Propulsion System). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and the contact was included that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

Mileage: 134,000

20220802SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that the vehicle would emit abnormal sounds long after the vehicle was parked. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stood on the brake and the vehicle finally responded. The brake warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving at slower speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS actuator had failed. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Lexus Technical Service Bulletin Number: POL16-01 because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Mileage: 100,000

20220802SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that the vehicle would emit abnormal sounds long after the vehicle was parked. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stood on the brake and the vehicle finally responded. The brake warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving at slower speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS actuator had failed. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Lexus Technical Service Bulletin Number: POL16-01 because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Mileage: 100,000

20220131ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the "All-Wheel Drive and Hybrid System Failure" warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with inverter assembly failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V342000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Mileage: 150,000

20220113SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2006 Lexus RX400H. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard without proper braking functionality. The contact stated that the ABS, traction control, service brakes, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the skid control unit needed to be replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact then spoke to a local dealer but did not take the vehicle to be inspected due to the cost of the diagnostic fee. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Mileage: 190,000

20191129SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS AND VIBRATED WHILE BEING DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD. ALSO, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE 30 MPH TO LEXUS OF GLENDALE (1221 S BRAND BLVD, GLENDALE, CA 91204, (818) 507-1300) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1911142372. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

Mileage: 110,000

20190719HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400 HYBRID. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, DRIVING ON AN INCLINE, OR MAKING TURNS, THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE, HYBRID CHECK, AND BATTERY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TREASURE COAST LEXUS (LOCATED AT 5121 US-1, FORT PIERCE, FL 34982, (772) 460-0000) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN CLEANED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, CLEARED THE FAILURE CODES, AND TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE IN CHECK MODE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS EXPECTED. THE DEALER SWAPPED THE CIRCUIT OPEN RELAY WITH THE IGNITION RELAY TO ELIMINATE THE RELAY AS THE FAILURE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION

Mileage: 146,000

20190719ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS RX400 HYBRID. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, DRIVING ON AN INCLINE, OR MAKING TURNS, THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE, HYBRID CHECK, AND BATTERY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TREASURE COAST LEXUS (LOCATED AT 5121 US-1, FORT PIERCE, FL 34982, (772) 460-0000) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN CLEANED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, CLEARED THE FAILURE CODES, AND TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE IN CHECK MODE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS EXPECTED. THE DEALER SWAPPED THE CIRCUIT OPEN RELAY WITH THE IGNITION RELAY TO ELIMINATE THE RELAY AS THE FAILURE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION

Mileage: 146,000

20190706ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING A HYBRID SYSTEM CHECK MESSAGE, AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN DRIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL CAPABILITIES TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. I WAS ON A CITY STREET WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC TO PULL OVER. MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN REGULARLY, AS I JUST PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT HAD BEEN SITTING ON IT FOR SOME TIME. THE CARFAX CHECK OUT FOR THE VEHICLE, SO IT COULD BE A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INVERTER.

Mileage: 66,040

20190706FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING A HYBRID SYSTEM CHECK MESSAGE, AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN DRIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL CAPABILITIES TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. I WAS ON A CITY STREET WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC TO PULL OVER. MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN REGULARLY, AS I JUST PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT HAD BEEN SITTING ON IT FOR SOME TIME. THE CARFAX CHECK OUT FOR THE VEHICLE, SO IT COULD BE A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INVERTER.

Mileage: 66,040

20190706UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING A HYBRID SYSTEM CHECK MESSAGE, AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN DRIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL CAPABILITIES TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. I WAS ON A CITY STREET WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE DOWNHILL IN TRAFFIC TO PULL OVER. MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN REGULARLY, AS I JUST PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALERSHIP THAT HAD BEEN SITTING ON IT FOR SOME TIME. THE CARFAX CHECK OUT FOR THE VEHICLE, SO IT COULD BE A FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INVERTER.

Mileage: 66,040

20190324UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE LEATHER ON THE DASHBOARD BREAKS OFF IN PIECES. CAN'T ATTACH ANYTHING TO IT, SUCH AS CELL PHONE HOLDER. LEATHER ON DASHBOARD JUST TEARS RIGHT OFF.

Mileage: 113,000

20190209ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

MY 2006 LEXUS RX400H THAT I JUST PURCHASED A FEW MONTHS AGO FROM A LOCAL DEALER (ONE OWNER PRIOR) HAS SHUT DOWN GOING DOWN OUR MOUNTAIN. TAKING MY BOYS TO SCHOOL IT JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AS WE COASTED DOWN OUR MOUNTAIN, AND THE BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO MY NEIGHBORS' DRIVEWAY AND BARELY ABLE TO USE MY BRAKES. THEY DIDN'T WORK WHEN THE HYBRID LIGHT CAME ON. EXTREMELY SCARY! IT HAPPENED A FEW TIMES PRIOR TO THIS IN THESE LAST FEW MONTHS, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN PREVIOUSLY. IT'S NOW A BRICK WITH A DASHBOARD OF LIGHTS! I AM BEING TOLD BY LEXUS THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INVERTER RECALL AND IN FACT, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY ALREADY REPLACED IT PRIOR TO MY OWNERSHIP A FEW MONTHS BACK, REPLACED IN 2012, LATER TO FIND OUT THAT WAS NOT TRUE. I HAVE THE SERVICE RECORDS FROM THE FIRST OWNER. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR. IT HAD TO BE TOWED FROM MY NEIGHBOR'S HOME ABOUT 500 FEET DOWN OUR MOUNTAIN, BACK UP TO OUR HOME ABOUT

Mileage: 167,000

20190209FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

MY 2006 LEXUS RX400H THAT I JUST PURCHASED A FEW MONTHS AGO FROM A LOCAL DEALER (ONE OWNER PRIOR) HAS SHUT DOWN GOING DOWN OUR MOUNTAIN. TAKING MY BOYS TO SCHOOL IT JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AS WE COASTED DOWN OUR MOUNTAIN, AND THE BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO MY NEIGHBORS' DRIVEWAY AND BARELY ABLE TO USE MY BRAKES. THEY DIDN'T WORK WHEN THE HYBRID LIGHT CAME ON. EXTREMELY SCARY! IT HAPPENED A FEW TIMES PRIOR TO THIS IN THESE LAST FEW MONTHS, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN PREVIOUSLY. IT'S NOW A BRICK WITH A DASHBOARD OF LIGHTS! I AM BEING TOLD BY LEXUS THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INVERTER RECALL AND IN FACT, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY ALREADY REPLACED IT PRIOR TO MY OWNERSHIP A FEW MONTHS BACK, REPLACED IN 2012, LATER TO FIND OUT THAT WAS NOT TRUE. I HAVE THE SERVICE RECORDS FROM THE FIRST OWNER. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR. IT HAD TO BE TOWED FROM MY NEIGHBOR'S HOME ABOUT 500 FEET DOWN OUR MOUNTAIN, BACK UP TO OUR HOME ABOUT

Mileage: 167,000

20190112SERVICE BRAKES

TAKATA RECALL ABS, VSC, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON. FOUND BRAKE ACTUATOR FAILING NEEDS TO REPLACE. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DOWN.

Mileage: 99,000

20181119ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED FOLLOWING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE IN 2011. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE.

20181119ENGINE

CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED FOLLOWING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE IN 2011. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING DURING THE FIRST OCCURRENCE.

20180801ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

THE HYBRID BATTERY FAILED, POWER INVERTER, LOCKING UP POWER STEERING AND MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO OPERATE ON THE ROAD. I WAS QUOTED 7500$ COST. I HAVE READ OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS OCCURRING. I WOULD LIKE HELP REPAIRING FROM LEXUS

Mileage: 186,000

20180801ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE HYBRID BATTERY FAILED, POWER INVERTER, LOCKING UP POWER STEERING AND MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO OPERATE ON THE ROAD. I WAS QUOTED 7500$ COST. I HAVE READ OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS OCCURRING. I WOULD LIKE HELP REPAIRING FROM LEXUS

Mileage: 186,000

Compare 2006LEXUSRX HYBRID to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID have?
The 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID has 214 NHTSA complaints, 20 crashes, 0 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID?
The most-complained component for the 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 27 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID 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.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.