For a used Lexus RX, the 2016-2022 generation is the V6 era: a 295-hp 3.5-liter RX 350 with an eight-speed, the 308-hp RX 450h hybrid, and the stretched three-row RX 350L. The 2023 redesign replaced the V6 with a 275-hp 2.4-liter turbo four and added the RX 350h and the 366-hp RX 500h. Pick the powertrain first, then check the passenger air bag sensor and fuel pump recalls by VIN, and decide whether a CPO warranty is worth the premium over a private sale.
We decoded RX VINs in NHTSA's vPIC decoder on October 13, 2026, and two plants showed up. Patterns starting 2T2 came back from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge, Ontario, including a 2016 RX 350, a 2020 RX 450h and the 2023 RX 350 and RX 500h. A 2019 pattern starting JTJ came back from Toyota Motor Kyushu in Japan. Both are fine. The point is that "made in Japan" in a listing is checkable. Our Lexus VIN decoder covers the rest of the positions.
V6 RX or turbo-four RX
The 2016 redesign kept a V6. In its 2016 first drive, Car and Driver listed the RX 350's 3.5-liter V6 at 295 hp with an eight-speed automatic now standard on every RX 350, and the RX 450h at 308 hp combined with a CVT. Our vPIC decodes agreed on the engines: the 2GR-FKS for the RX 350 and the 2GR-FXS with motors for a 2020 RX 450h. One oddity: vPIC labeled a 2022 RX 350 pattern with an e-CVT, which does not match Car and Driver's eight-speed, so do not lean on vPIC's transmission field for this model.
The 2023 RX is just as soft, with less engine. Car and Driver's 2023 drive says the RX 350's 2.4-liter turbo four makes 275 hp and 317 lb-ft, 20 fewer horsepower than the V6 but 50 more lb-ft. The RX 350h makes 246 hp and felt sluggish under hard throttle, while the RX 500h pairs the turbo four with electric motors for 366 hp and a six-speed automatic; a plug-in RX 450h+ came later. In a later test, the RX 500h hit 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, and Car and Driver noted the RX rides on the same GA-K platform family as the Toyota Highlander. If you like the RX but not the price, our used Toyota Highlander guide covers that cousin.
Recalls to check by VIN
The one we would not skip on 2020-2021 trucks is recall 23V-865, which covers about 1 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles, including 2020-2021 RX 350 and RX 450h, whose front passenger occupant classification sensor can short and keep the passenger air bag from deploying. Toyota said remedy letters would go out in phases through January 2026, so a truck sold this fall may or may not be fixed. Recall 20V-682, a 1.5-million-vehicle fuel pump campaign, lists the 2017 and 2019-2020 RX 350 and the 2018-2020 RX 350L; the low-pressure pump inside the tank can fail. A smaller follow-up, 25V-028, adds some 2019 RX 350Ls.
Early 2016 builds have their own item: recall 16V-053 covers about 5,100 RX 350 and RX 450h trucks built from November 16 to December 23, 2015, whose driver knee air bag inflator may leak. On the newer generation, recall 25V-059 covers 2024-2025 RX models whose second-row center belt webbing may be damaged, and 26V-598, filed in September 2026, covers 617 2026 trucks with front steering knuckles that may crack, with owner letters due November 2, 2026. Run the VIN with our guide to checking recalls by VIN.
CPO or private sale
A certified pre-owned RX costs more than the same truck from a private seller, and the gap pays for a warranty and an inspection checklist. That is a fair trade on a 500h, where the hybrid and turbo parts are pricey. It is a weaker trade on a well-documented 2019 RX 350 with one owner and dealer service records. Either way, CPO does not mean the dealer looked at the history for you in any way you can verify; our post on whether a CPO car still needs a CARFAX covers why. Get the CPO warranty terms in writing, with the start date. And on a private sale, ask for the service file. A Lexus that went to the dealer for every service usually has a paper trail, and a missing one is worth asking about.
Title, history and price
A rebuilt or flood-titled RX can look spotless after a detail job, and that is the risk. CARFAX says its reports can show title brands, odometer readings, ownership and reported accidents. Order it yourself, because a seller's PDF can be edited. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us is about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, versus roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian. For the Toyota side of the decode, see our Toyota VIN decoder guide.
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