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.
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.7× usual, mostly air bags and engine Extended coverage
Few complaints for any year of this model, so the data can't tell this year apart much. 11 serious complaints of 11, the most about air bags (9) and engine (1); per car on the road, 1.7× this model's usual year. 3 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA21002: desiccated air bag inflator rupture.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 lexus gx460. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Jan 2018
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.
11 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 17 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2012 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
2012 GX trims
| 350 | 460 Base | 460 Premium |
|---|
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.