Lexus is one of the most popular high-end automakers in the US. The luxury division of Toyota, this brand has been producing high-quality vehicles for nearly 40 years. It has built a reputation in line with that of its parent company, with reliability and build quality at its core.In recent years, like most other car manufacturers, Lexus has pivoted towards SUVs and crossovers as the central part of its lineup, with only two non-SUV models (the IS and the ES) on sale this year. SUVs and crossovers have become the default family vehicle of choice for the majority of Americans, accounting for around half of new car sales last year.Lexus’ SUVs offer a balance of practicality and luxury, along with the trademark reliability that vehicles produced by the Japanese brand are known for. Reliability is a particularly important factor when making a new car purchase; we have put five new Lexus SUV models under the spotlight with a focus on this aspect, ranking them to see which is the most reliable. Let’s take a closer look at them and what you can expect from your ownership experience.Items are ranked according to JD Power Quality and Reliability Score, from least to most reliable. Lexus LX 2026 Lexus LX F Sport HandlingWe start our list with the LX, a full-size SUV first introduced for the 1996 model year. The LX is currently in its fourth generation, introduced in 2022; this model shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Land Cruiser. The LX does not have a JD Power Quality and Reliability Score, therefore we have placed it at the bottom of the ranking. Previous model years from this generation also do not have a score.The 2026 LX has just one single NHTSA complaint and one recall associated with it. The complaint is related to issues with the braking system, while the recall is related to transmission damage causing loss of drive power and an increased risk of accidents. This generation of the LX began with the 2022 model year, however previous models do not have an NHTSA record, so we have only looked at the most recent version of the vehicle.According to Kelley Blue Book, the expected running cost for a 2026 LX over the first five years of ownership is $74,474. Broken down into individual components, that figure consists of $13,543 in fuel, $22,935 in insurance, $13,855 in financing, $13,983 in state fees, $8,865 in maintenance, and $1,293 in repairs. Lexus GX 2025 Lexus GXThe second model on our list is the GX, a mid-size SUV that has been around since 2003. The model is currently in its third generation, which was introduced in 2024 and has a larger, more squared-off design than its predecessors. It shares its underpinnings with the J250 series Land Cruiser Prado. Like the LX, it has no JD Power Score associated with it. RepairPal, however, does have a score for the model, giving the 2026 GX a reliability rating of 3.5/5.While the 2026 model year has no complaints or recalls to its name, previous model years from the current generation (which began in 2024) do have some on their record. The 2025 model has 10 complaints, mostly related to structural/bodywork issues and powertrain issues. The 2024 model has 15 complaints associated with it, largely related to issues with the electrical system and braking system.There are also three recalls associated with previous model years from this generation. One is related to incorrect labeling for maximum load carrying capacity, another is related to manufacturing debris contaminating the engine, and the third is related to rearview camera failure.The cost of owning a new GX for the first five years is estimated to be $60,682. The highest expenses are fuel at $14,898 and insurance at $17,345. All other expenses are in four-figure territory: financing at $8,735, state fees at $9,308, maintenance at $9,133, and repairs at $1,263. Lexus TX 2026 Lexus TXThe TX is a full-size crossover SUV and one of the most recently introduced models in the Lexus lineup, having made its debut on the market for the 2024 model year. It is exclusive to North America, and shares the TNGA-K platform with the Toyota Grand Highlander and other models.The TX is at the bottom of the ranking with a JD Power score of 80/100; still fairly strong in reliability terms, but outperformed by some of its siblings in the Lexus lineup. The previous two model years in the TX’s current generation (2024 and 2025) respectively got a JD Power score of 81/100 and 80/100.The 2026 TX has three recalls and four NHTSA complaints associated with it. The recalls are related to fairly minor issues: two are about rearview camera glitches and one is about an incorrect label for maximum load carrying capacity. The complaints are mainly related to electrical system issues and braking issues. Looking back at the record for the rest of the TX’s current generation, we find some more complaints (with the biggest culprits being the seats, airbags, and electrical system) and additional recalls concerning airbag issues and instrument panel failure.The five-year cost of owning a TX is estimated at $52,840. This includes $10,991 for fuel, $17,200 for insurance, $7,310 for financing, $8,008 for state fees, $8,142 for maintenance, and $1,189 for repairs. Lexus RX 2026 Lexus RX The Lexus RX is a compact crossover first launched in 1998. It is currently in its third generation, which was introduced for the 2023 model year. It is also built on a version of the TNGA-K platform. Unlike its fourth-gen predecessor, the current RX only has seating for five occupants, with no seven-seater version available.The RX gets second place in our ranking with a JD Power score of 82/100. It has no complaints and two recalls associated with it; both recalls are related to issues with the rearview camera. Previous model years in this generation also have very low complaint and recall numbers, with both being focused on relatively minor issues (such as rearview camera glitches and malfunctioning head rests).The five-year cost of ownership of a new RX is estimated at $49,827. This includes $10,390 for fuel, $16,340 for insurance, $6,530 for financing, $7,294 for state fees, $8,166 for maintenance, and $1,107 for repairs. Lexus NX 2026 Lexus NX 450hAt the very top of the ranking we have the NX, a compact crossover first introduced in 2015. The model is currently in its second generation, which made its debut for the 2022 model year. The current model marked a major departure from its predecessor, with a new platform and an updated design.The NX gets a JD Power score of 85/100; the 2025 model year obtained the same score, but previous years in this generation (which started in 2022) had lower scores. The 2024 model year got 80/100, 2023 got 81/100, and 2022 got a score of just 75/100. This suggests the NX’s reliability has improved over the past two years, making it a smart purchase today as many of the issues that plagued this generation’s earlier years will have likely been mitigated.The 2026 NX has no recalls associated with it, and a single NHTSA complaint related to unintended acceleration. Previous model years in this generation have a few more complaints and recalls, but the overall numbers are still very low, suggesting reliability has been consistently good throughout the past five model years. The biggest culprits in terms of issues are the electrical system and the braking system.The NX’s estimated five-year cost of ownership is $44,378. This figure includes $6,394 for fuel, $15,730 for insurance, $5,806 for financing, $6,635 for state fees, $8,520 for maintenance, and $1,293 for repairs.Sources: Lexus, JD Power, NHTSA, RepairPal, Kelley Blue Book
+70 others
