Is Genesis as reliable as Lexus?
Genesis GV80 2.80 vs Lexus RX 0.64 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold: Lexus has the lower complaint rate in 2 of 2 model matchups (Genesis 0, Lexus 2). There isn't enough sales data for a Genesis brand score, so the models are compared head to head.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Genesis vs Lexus at a glance
| Genesis | Lexus | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | Not enough sales data for a brand score | 0.58 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | — | 0.09 |
| Rank of 19 brands | — | #1 |
| Models covered | 3 | 8 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 112,428 | 1,799,736 |
| Owner complaints | 317 | 1,048 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 63.2% | 76.6% |
| Top complaint areas | Fuel / propulsion 30.9% · Engine 24.3% · Electrical system 16.7% | Air bags 16.6% · Fuel / propulsion 14.1% · Brakes 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 33 (401,118) | 61 (347,080) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign. Genesis: covered models are 63% of the brand's U.S. sales (minimum 70%).
What drives the numbers
- Genesis's count is driven most by 2022 GV70 complaints about fuel / propulsion and powertrain / transmission (97, 30.6% of Genesis's complaints).
- Lexus's count is driven most by 2015–2017 RX complaints about engine and brakes (264, 25.2% of Lexus's complaints). Other models with rates above Lexus's overall 0.58: LS (1.45), GS (0.74), CT (0.93).
Genesis GV80 vs Lexus RX, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis GV80 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3.00 | 2.57 |
| Lexus RX | 0.67 | 0.85 | 0.96 | 0.42 | 0.61 | 0.56 | 0.62 | 0.41 |
What Genesis and Lexus owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Genesis
- Fuel / propulsion30.9% · 98
- Engine24.3% · 77
- Electrical system16.7% · 53
- Powertrain / transmission11% · 35
- Lighting10.1% · 32
- Forward collision avoidance8.8% · 28
Lexus
- Air bags16.6% · 174
- Fuel / propulsion14.1% · 148
- Brakes13.9% · 146
- Engine11.7% · 123
- Electrical system10.9% · 114
- Powertrain / transmission6.6% · 69
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Midsize SUVs: Genesis GV80 vs Lexus RX
The Lexus RX has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Genesis GV80 2.80 vs Lexus RX 0.64 complaints per 1,000 sold. The GV80's most-cited area is fuel / propulsion (31.1%); the RX's is air bags (18.5%).
Genesis GV80
2.80 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 106 complaints / 37,846 sold, MY 2021, 2022 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2020
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Fuel / propulsion 31.1% · Electrical system 22.6% · Engine 21.7%
Lexus RX(whole line)
0.64 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 547 complaints / 853,444 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011, 2012, 2014
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 18.5% · Fuel / propulsion 15.4% · Engine 13.7%
Compact cars: Genesis G70 vs Lexus IS
The Lexus IS has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Genesis G70 2.55 vs Lexus IS 0.52 complaints per 1,000 sold. Fuel / propulsion is the most-cited area for both (28.9% and 22.4% of complaints).
Genesis G70
2.55 complaints per 1,000 sold
Lexus IS
0.52 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 107 complaints / 205,032 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Fuel / propulsion 22.4% · Electrical system 15% · Wheels & tires 12.1%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Genesis as reliable as Lexus?
Genesis GV80 2.80 vs Lexus RX 0.64 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold: Lexus has the lower complaint rate in 2 of 2 model matchups (Genesis 0, Lexus 2). There isn't enough sales data for a Genesis brand score, so the models are compared head to head.
What do Genesis and Lexus owners complain about most?
Genesis: fuel / propulsion (30.9%), engine (24.3%), electrical system (16.7%). Lexus: air bags (16.6%), fuel / propulsion (14.1%), brakes (13.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Genesis or Lexus?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 33 Genesis recall campaigns covering 401,118 vehicles and 61 Lexus campaigns covering 347,080. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Genesis GV80 more reliable than the Lexus RX?
The Lexus RX has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Genesis GV80 2.80 vs Lexus RX 0.64 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 37,846 and 853,444 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the RX: 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024.
Is the Genesis G70 more reliable than the Lexus IS?
The Lexus IS has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Genesis G70 2.55 vs Lexus IS 0.52 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 44,706 and 205,032 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the G70: 2019.