Which year to buy
Too new to judge: 2026. Give a new year a year or two of owner reports.
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2011AVOIDSerious complaints 3.1× usual, mostly air bags and engine Extended coverage
36 serious complaints of 36, the most about air bags (22) and engine (6); per car on the road, 3.1× this model's usual year. 3 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA21002: desiccated air bag inflator rupture.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 lexus gx460. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v340000 (air bags) over nine months ago. The part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Feb 2017
“The engine was found to have a leaking valley plate and cam tower cover with little over 82,000 miles on it. An online search indicates that this is a common problem shared across the lexus (gx460) and toyota (tundra) platforms with this engine.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Sep 2020
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage On July 30, 2018, a settlement of claims for Economic Loss related to Takata airbag inflators was approved for full implementation. The settlement includes Lexus's agreement to provide a Customer Support Program (?CSP?) for 2002-2019 model year (MY) vehicles originally equipped with certain Takata… (22LE02, Jul 2022)
- Extended coverage Vehicles that did not have an active Safety Connect subscription on or after 10/1/2017 but are affected by this condition are included in this Customer Support Program (19LE05). (19LE05, Oct 2019)
- Extended coverage Region Email: Lexus is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to extend the warranty coverage for Air Injection Pumps and Air Switching Valves on Certain 2010 ? 2013 Model Year GX 460 vehicles. (ZLH Region, Feb 2017)
- Extended coverage Dealer Package Email: Lexus is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to extend the warranty coverage for Air Injection Pumps and Air Switching Valves on Certain 2010 ? 2013 Model Year GX 460 vehicles. (ZLH Dealer, Feb 2017)
- Extended coverage Technical instructions: technical instructions for limited service campaign klg customer support program 19le05 safety connect system ? (19LE05-KLG, Oct 2019)
- Extended coverage Technical instructions for limited service campaign klg customer support program 19le05 safety connect system ? (KLG 19LE05-TI-Up, Aug 2020)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
36 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 17 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2011 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 4.6L 8-cyl · Drive: 4WD
2011 GX trims
| 350 | 460 Base | 460 High |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Lexus reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Lexus aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | — | — | — | Not rated | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2026 | 3.4L 6-cyl turbo | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | — |
| 2025 | 3.4L 6-cyl turbo, 349 hp | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 13 | Structure (4) | Yes |
| 2024 | 3.4L 6-cyl turbo, 349 hp | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 20 | Engine (5) | Yes |
| 2023 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | 4 of 5 | 0 | 6 | Service brakes (2) | Yes |
| 2022 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 7 | Service brakes (5) | Yes |
| 2021 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 3 | Unknown or other (1) | No |
| 2020 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 5 | Seat belts (1) | No |
| 2019 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | Not rated | 1 | 8 | Unknown or other (2) | No |
| 2018 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 9 | Suspension (3) | No |
| 2017 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 16 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 15 | Suspension (3) | No |
| 2016 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 9 | Service brakes (3) | No |
| 2015 | 4.6L 8-cyl, 301 hp | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 11 | Unknown or other (2) | No |
| 2014 | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 21 | Suspension (6) | No |
| 2013 | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 7 | Fuel/propulsion system (2) | No |
| 2012 | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 11 | Air bags (9) | No |
| 2011 | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 36 | Air bags (22) | No |
| 2010 | 4.6L 8-cyl | 4WD | 17 mpg | Not rated | 5 | 38 | Air bags (11) | No |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Apple lists CarPlay for: GX 2022–2025 (Apple).
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | LEXUS GX 550 SUV ICE AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | LEXUS GX 550 SUV N/A AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | Lexus GX 550 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 2 | 13 |
| 2024 | Lexus GX 550 SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 4 | 19 |
| 2023 | Lexus GX 460 SUV AWD | 4 | Standard | Standard | 0 | 6 |
| 2022 | Lexus GX 460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 7 |
| 2021 | Lexus GX 460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 3 |
| 2020 | Lexus GX 460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 5 |
| 2019 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 1 | 8 |
| 2018 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 2 | 9 |
| 2017 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 15 |
| 2016 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | Optional | 2 | 9 |
| 2015 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 11 |
| 2014 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 21 |
| 2013 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 7 |
| 2012 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 11 |
| 2011 | Lexus GX460 SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 36 |
| 2010 | Lexus GX460 4-DR w/SAB | Not Rated | Optional | No | 5 | 38 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | GX 550 | Auto (S10), 6 cyl, 3.4 L, Turbo | 17 |
| 2025 | GX 550 | Auto (S10), 6 cyl, 3.4 L, Turbo | 17 |
| 2024 | GX 550 | Auto (S10), 6 cyl, 3.4 L, Turbo | 17 |
| 2023 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2022 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2021 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2020 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2019 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2018 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2017 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 16 |
| 2016 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
| 2015 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
| 2014 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
| 2013 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
| 2012 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
| 2011 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
| 2010 | GX 460 | Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L | 17 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.