Selling a junk Lexus RX330
Any RX330 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Lexus RX330
NHTSA has 659 owner complaints on file for the Lexus RX330, model years 2004 to 2011, the 357th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (94, 14%), brakes (85, 13%), body and structure (83, 13%). 81 complaints involved a crash, 4 a fire, and 5 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 67,000 miles. The 2004 model year has the most complaints (353). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Lexus RX330 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 353 | Transmission and drivetrain | 49 | 1 | 5 | 51,565 |
| 2005 | 210 | Lights | 22 | 3 | 3 | 80,450 |
| 2006 | 87 | Body and structure | 8 | 0 | 1 | 60,541 |
| 2007 | 6 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2009 | 1 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 2 | Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Lexus RX330 recalls
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for speed control (2), engine and cooling (1), seat belts (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2004 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 11V539000, Nov 2011): TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES…
- 2004 model year, speed control (campaign 11V112000, Feb 2011): TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES. IF THE FORWARD RETENTION CLIP USED TO SECURE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, WHICH…
- 2004 model year, speed control (campaign 06V253000, Jul 2006): ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND HYBRID VEHICLES, THE TWO RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FORWARD CENTER CONSOLE CAN BECOME LOOSE. IF BOTH CLIPS SEPARATE FROM THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCEL…
- 2004 model year, seat belts (campaign 06V023000, Jan 2006): CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." THE ANCHOR BOLT FOR THE REAR, LEFT-HAND SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DIRECTL…
- 2004 model year, lights (campaign 04V558000, Nov 2004): CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH AN IMPROPERLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. A SILICON OXIDE BUILD-UP OCCURS ON THE CONTACTS INSIDE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, WHICH CAN MAKE IT INOPERABLE.
What a Lexus RX330 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk RX330 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a bad transmission 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Lexus models
- Lexus ES350 1,629
- Lexus RX350 1,109
- Lexus RX 1,088
- Lexus IS 250 938
- Lexus RX300 849
- Lexus ES 837
- Lexus IS 804
- Lexus ES300 713
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Lexus RX330 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same RX330 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Lexus RX330 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Lexus RX330?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Lexus RX330 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.