Lexus is a Japanese carmaker founded in 1989, now part of Toyota Motor Corporation. The cars themselves are another matter: across 7 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 3 countries — Japan 76.6%, the United States 20.4%, Canada 3%. 17 models are tracked here (1990–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.3 out of 5 across 17 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Lexus
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation, headquartered in Nagoya. Launched in the United States on January 1, 1989, Lexus was conceived under Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda's F1 project (Flagship One), which set out to build a luxury sedan that could compete with Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series. The original LS 400 introduced in 1989 set new benchmarks for noise, vibration and harshness control and triggered Mercedes-Benz's most aggressive cost-cutting cycle in decades. Lexus has consistently led J.D. Power dependability rankings since the early 1990s and has been the top-selling luxury brand in the United States in 11 of the past 25 years. Lexus is sold in 90+ countries and operates as a separate brand only in markets where Toyota launched it as a luxury division — in Japan, Lexus and Toyota dealerships were combined until 2005. The L/Certified pre-owned program, Lexus Hybrid Drive across the lineup, and the F Performance sub-brand define Lexus's current positioning. Recall data for every Lexus VIN is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Lexus VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original Monroney sticker MSRP.
Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda authorized the F1 luxury-car project in August 1983 with explicit goals: top speed above 250 km/h, fuel economy better than the Mercedes S-Class and a quieter cabin than any luxury sedan in production. The project consumed $1 billion and 24 prototypes before the Lexus LS 400 launched at the 1989 Detroit Auto Show. The brand's first decade saw it pass Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Cadillac to become the top-selling luxury brand in the US in 1991.
| Lexus | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founded by | Toyota Motor Corporation (project led by Eiji Toyoda) |
| Headquarters | Nagoya, Japan |
| Owned by | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Listed as | TM |
| Slogan | «Experience Amazing» |
| Models tracked here | 17 (1990–2026) |
| Assembled in | 3 countries |
Technology it is known for: Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus Safety System+, F Sport tuning, Mark Levinson premium audio, Lexus Interface multimedia.
This page covers Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota Motor Corporation — not the LexisNexis legal database or any unrelated lexus surname uses.
Where Lexus cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 299 vehicles on record, 7 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JTH, JT6, JT8, JTJ | 1994–2026 | |
| the United States | 58A, 5TD | 2016–2026 | |
| Canada | 2T2 | 2022–2026 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Lexus beginning JTH was assembled in Japan.
All Lexus models 17
Every Lexus model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Lexus SUVs & crossovers 6
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus GX | 2003–2026 | 45 | — | 17 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus RX | 1999–2026 | 78 | 83 | 36 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus TX | 2024–2026 | 13 | — | 29 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus NX | 2015–2026 | 33 | 16 | 40 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus LX | 1996–2026 | 63 | 11 | 20 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus RZ | 2023–2026 | 9 | — | 126 mpg | 5.0/5 |
Lexus Cars & sedans 10
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus IS | 2001–2026 | 116 | 43 | 26 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus ES | 1990–2026 | 64 | 73 | 127 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus LS | 1990–2026 | 48 | 43 | 28 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus UX | 2019–2026 | 15 | 8 | 43 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus GS | 1993–2026 | 54 | 26 | 31 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Lexus LC | 2018–2026 | 13 | 3 | 30 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus RC | 2015–2026 | 29 | 9 | 26 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus SC | 1992–2026 | 34 | — | 19 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus CT | 2011–2017 | 2 | — | 42 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus HS | 2010–2012 | 7 | — | 35 mpg | 4.0/5 |
Lexus More models 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus LFA | 2012–2013 | 1 | — | 13 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Lexus by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Lexus | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 624 campaigns | Most recalled: Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module |
| Owner complaints | 315+ filed | Most reported: RX |
| Fuel economy | 127 mpg best | Leader: ES |
| Crash safety | ★★★★★ top rated | 8 models tested by NHTSA |
| Insurance | $1,611/yr typical | Cheapest: GX |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Lexus hybrids & electric models
Lexus's electrified lineup — 11 hybrids and 2 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Lexus hybrids 11
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus RX | 1999–2026 | 36 | 78 | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus TX | 2024–2026 | 29 | 13 | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus ES | 1990–2026 | 127 | 64 | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus LS | 1990–2026 | 28 | 48 | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus NX | 2015–2026 | 40 | 33 | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus UX | 2019–2026 | 43 | 15 | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus GS | 1993–2026 | 31 | 54 | 3.5/5 |
| Lexus LC | 2018–2026 | 30 | 13 | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus LX | 1996–2026 | 20 | 63 | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus CT | 2011–2017 | 42 | 2 | 4.5/5 |
| Lexus HS | 2010–2012 | 35 | 7 | 4.0/5 |
Lexus electric & plug-in 2
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus ES | 1990–2026 | 127 | 64 | 4.0/5 |
| Lexus RZ | 2023–2026 | 126 | 9 | 5.0/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Lexus window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Lexus's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Lexus window stickers →How to read a Lexus VIN
Every Lexus built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Lexus and the country it was built in.
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. You can decode any VIN for free and get the year-code table, the country codes and the exact spots where the number is stamped.
Who owns Lexus, and what you get
Lexus belongs to Toyota Motor Corporation. Lexus competes in the global luxury segment against Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Genesis and Cadillac, with particular strength in hybrid powertrains and long-term reliability rankings. The RX crossover defined the luxury midsize SUV segment in 1998 and remains Lexus's top US seller. F Performance variants compete with BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, while the LC 500 grand tourer and LX 600 full-size SUV anchor the upper end of the lineup.
| Lexus | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Ownership | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Stock ticker | TM |
| Basic warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 6 years / 70,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | Japan, United States, Canada |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 4 years / 50,000 miles. See when Lexus models actually start to break →
Lexus — frequently asked
Is Lexus japanese?
Lexus is a Japanese company, headquartered in Nagoya and founded in 1989. The cars are a separate question: 76.6% of the Lexus vehicles in our records were assembled in Japan.
Where are Lexus cars made?
Across 7 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Japan (76.6%), the United States (20.4%), Canada (3%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Lexus?
Lexus is part of Toyota Motor Corporation.
How many Lexus models are there?
We track 17 Lexus models spanning 1990–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Lexus warranty?
New vehicles come with 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 6 years / 70,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Lexus reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Lexus model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
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