NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2003–2009

Lexus GX 470 recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 210 owner complaints for the Lexus GX 470, covering model years 2003 to 2009. The 2004 model year drew the most complaints (65), and Structure is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Lexus GX 470 VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

3 recall campaigns on file
210 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
7 model years with data (2003–2009)

most complaints: 2004 (65 for that model year)
top component: Structure (43 complaints)
latest recall 16V065000 (reported Feb 5, 2016)

30 complaints reporting a crash (14.3%)
1 complaint reporting a fire (0.5%)
17 complaints reporting an injury (8.1%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Lexus GX 470 complaints by model year

7 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2004 model year has the most complaints: 65 of 210, or 31.0%. Next come 2003 (46) and 2005 (30). The fewest are for 2009, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Lexus GX 470 complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Lexus GX 470 complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury
2003	46	5	1	2
2004	65	10	0	6
2005	30	4	0	3
2006	28	3	0	1
2007	27	5	0	2
2008	13	3	0	3
2009	1	0	0	0
All model years	210	30	1	17

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Lexus GX 470 components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Structure is the component named most often, in 43 complaints (20.5% of all 210), followed by Air Bags (41) and Power Train (26).

Components named most often in Lexus GX 470 complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Lexus GX 470 complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Structure	43	20.5%
Air Bags	41	19.5%
Power Train	26	12.4%
Vehicle Speed Control	24	11.4%
Unknown or Other	23	11.0%
Suspension	18	8.6%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	14	6.7%
Engine and Engine Cooling	10	4.8%
Electrical System	9	4.3%
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	9	4.3%
Service Brakes	8	3.8%
Steering	8	3.8%
Engine	6	2.9%
Seat Belts	6	2.9%
Seats	5	2.4%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Lexus GX 470 recalls

3 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name GX 470, newest first. The 3 campaigns cover model years 2003 to 2006. The 2003 model year appears in the most campaigns (2).

3 recall campaigns

Lexus GX 470 recall campaigns covering each model year
2003: 2 campaigns	2004: 1 campaign	2005: 1 campaign	2006: 1 campaign

Highlighted: the model year with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 16V065000
Reported Feb 5, 2016
Air Bags › Side/Window
Model years 2004–2006
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
Consequence:
If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy:
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation
NHTSA campaign 03V088000
Reported Mar 10, 2003
Seats › Mid/Rear Assembly
Model year 2003
On certain vehicles equipped with the Lexus link system, it may be difficult to lock one of the two latches on the bottom of the middle row left rear seat (larger side of the bench seat directly behind the driver). Due to the thickness of the Lexus link system storage case, the stopper on the bottom of the seat is slightly elevated. This elevated position misaligns the latch to the striker.
Consequence:
If the vehicle is operated with only one latch locked, the occupant of the seat may be improperly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy:
Dealers will remove the LLS case panels around the seat stopper. Owner notification began April 8, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Lexus at 1-888-333-9376.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation
NHTSA campaign 03V031000
Reported Feb 11, 2003
Equipment › Other › Labels
Model year 2003
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of part 567, "certification." The incorrect gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) data was printed on the certification regulation label. The GVWR is incorrectly reflected on the label as 6,100 lbs. The correct GVWR should be 6,000 lbs.
Consequence:
The certification label does not meet the information requirements as described in the regulations.
Remedy:
As each label is vehicle identification number specific, owners will be requested to contact their local Lexus dealer first to place an order for the corrected label. Once the label has arrived at the dealership, the owner will be contacted for label replacement. Owner began April 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Lexus GX 470 questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Lexus GX 470 have?

NHTSA lists 3 vehicle recall campaigns for the Lexus GX 470, covering model years 2003 to 2009. The most recent, 16V065000, was reported on February 5, 2016 and is filed under “Air bags”. The 2003 model year is covered by the most campaigns (2).

Which Lexus GX 470 model year has the most complaints?

The 2004 model year, with 65 of the 210 complaints in NHTSA’s file (31.0%). The next are 2003 (46) and 2005 (30). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Lexus GX 470 complaint?

Structure is the component named most often: 43 complaints, or 20.5% of all 210. Air Bags (41) and Power Train (26) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Lexus GX 470?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Lexus dealer.

How many Lexus GX 470 complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 210 complaints, 30 report a crash, 1 a fire, 17 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Lexus models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Lexus VIN decoder with every Lexus model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Lexus ES 350 2007–2023 · 11 recalls · 1,451 complaints
Lexus RX 1999–2026 · 10 recalls · 947 complaints
Lexus RX 350 2004–2023 · 13 recalls · 838 complaints
Lexus RX 300 1998–2003 · 2 recalls · 722 complaints
Lexus IS 250 2006–2016 · 8 recalls · 719 complaints
Lexus ES 1996–2025 · 4 recalls · 666 complaints
Lexus IS 1999–2026 · 8 recalls · 595 complaints
Lexus ES 300 1995–2013 · 4 recalls · 562 complaints

All Lexus models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.