Is Lexus more reliable than Toyota?
Lexus comes out ahead: Lexus 0.58 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Toyota owners filed 1.6× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Lexus owners.
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.
Lexus vs Toyota at a glance
| Lexus | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 0.58 | 0.94 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.09 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #1 | #2 |
| Models covered | 8 | 12 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 1,799,736 | 15,629,831 |
| Owner complaints | 1,048 | 14,637 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 76.6% | 96.2% |
| Top complaint areas | Air bags 16.6% · Fuel / propulsion 14.1% · Brakes 13.9% | Powertrain / transmission 16% · Engine 14.6% · Electrical system 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 61 (347,080) | 198 (15.8 million) |
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.
What drives the numbers
- 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).
- Toyota's count is driven most by 2019–2020 RAV4 complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (1,563, 10.7% of Toyota's complaints). Other models with rates above Toyota's overall 0.94: Highlander (1.46), Venza (2.00), Tundra (1.06).
Lexus vs Toyota complaints per 1,000 sold, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus | 0.64 | 0.67 | 0.77 | 0.46 | 0.64 | 0.51 | 0.53 | 0.35 |
| Toyota | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.04 | 0.95 | 0.74 |
What Lexus and Toyota owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Lexus
- Air bags16.6% · 174
- Fuel / propulsion14.1% · 148
- Brakes13.9% · 146
- Engine11.7% · 123
- Electrical system10.9% · 114
- Powertrain / transmission6.6% · 69
Toyota
- Powertrain / transmission16% · 2,340
- Engine14.6% · 2,143
- Electrical system13.9% · 2,028
- Fuel / propulsion11.9% · 1,744
- Brakes11.8% · 1,725
- Air bags9.6% · 1,404
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Midsize cars: Lexus ES vs Toyota Camry
The Lexus ES has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Lexus ES 0.55 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. The ES's most-cited area is air bags (23.4%); the Camry's is powertrain / transmission (18.5%).
Lexus ES
0.55 complaints per 1,000 sold
0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,348 complaints / 2,788,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2016, 2017, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2012, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 18.5% · Engine 15.4% · Brakes 14.4%
Compact cars: Lexus IS vs Toyota Corolla
The Lexus IS has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Lexus IS 0.52 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. The IS's most-cited area is fuel / propulsion (22.4%); the Corolla's is air bags (20.9%).
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%
0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,586 complaints / 2,339,849 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2019, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 20.9% · Engine 16.8% · Powertrain / transmission 13.7%
Midsize SUVs: Lexus RX vs Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Lexus RX 0.64 vs Toyota 4Runner 0.44 complaints per 1,000 sold. The RX's most-cited area is air bags (18.5%); the 4Runner's is steering (13%).
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%
0.44 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 438 complaints / 1,003,611 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2018, 2019, 2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Steering 13% · Air bags 12.6% · Electrical system 12.3%
Hybrids & EVs: Lexus CT vs Toyota Prius
They are statistically close: Lexus CT 0.93 vs Toyota Prius 0.99 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). Brakes is the most-cited area for both (50% and 26.3% of complaints).
Lexus CT
0.93 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 22 complaints / 23,560 sold, MY 2015, 2016 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2017, 2018
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Brakes 50% · Electrical system 31.8% · Air bags 13.6%
0.99 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 722 complaints / 726,846 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2014
- Top complaint areas:
- Brakes 26.3% · Electrical system 14.8% · Visibility / wipers 12.9%
Full-size SUVs: Lexus GX vs Toyota Sequoia
The Lexus GX has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Lexus GX 0.31 vs Toyota Sequoia 0.79 complaints per 1,000 sold. The GX's most-cited area is brakes (19.1%); the Sequoia's is electrical system (20.6%).
Lexus GX
0.31 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 68 complaints / 221,192 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Brakes 19.1% · Suspension 13.2% · Electrical system 10.3%
Toyota Sequoia
0.79 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 63 complaints / 79,667 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 20.6% · Speed control / throttle 14.3% · Fuel / propulsion 14.3%
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 Lexus more reliable than Toyota?
Lexus comes out ahead: Lexus 0.58 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Toyota owners filed 1.6× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Lexus owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Lexus or Toyota?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Lexus logs 0.09 per 1,000 sold and Toyota 0.10. Those are 16% of Lexus's complaints and 11% of Toyota's.
Where do Lexus and Toyota rank overall?
Lexus ranks #1 and Toyota #2 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Lexus and Toyota owners complain about most?
Lexus: air bags (16.6%), fuel / propulsion (14.1%), brakes (13.9%). Toyota: powertrain / transmission (16%), engine (14.6%), electrical system (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, Lexus or Toyota?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 61 Lexus recall campaigns covering 347,080 vehicles and 198 Toyota campaigns covering 15,819,237. 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 Lexus ES more reliable than the Toyota Camry?
The Lexus ES has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Lexus ES 0.55 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 404,917 and 2,788,813 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the ES: 2008–2011. Years to avoid on the Camry: 2008–2012, 2018–2020.
Is the Lexus IS more reliable than the Toyota Corolla?
The Lexus IS has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Lexus IS 0.52 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 205,032 and 2,339,849 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Corolla: 2009–2011, 2019, 2020.