These instructions apply to the Lexus RX Mk4 (AL20) 2015-2022.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
When the maintenance / service reminder appears on your Lexus RX (2015–2022) — the RX 450h hybrid or the petrol RX 200t/300 — you can clear it yourself after a service using the dashboard menu. No dealer needed.
The little spanner symbol — sometimes shown as a ‘MAINT REQD’ message or a countdown of days and miles to the next service — is the fourth-generation RX’s maintenance reminder. It is a schedule counter, not a fault. Nothing has failed and no code has been logged; the car has simply reached the mileage or the elapsed time it was told to flag for routine servicing. Because it is only a counter, the car has no way of knowing whether the oil has actually been changed. It keeps showing the reminder until someone tells it the service is finished by performing the reset below.
What the Maintenance Light Means on the RX
The RX uses a fixed-interval maintenance reminder rather than a sensor that measures oil quality. It counts down from whichever comes first — a set distance or a set period of months — and lights up when that interval expires. That is why the reminder can appear even on a car that covers very few miles: the time element has run out. On petrol RX 200t/300 models and the RX 450h hybrid the symbol behaves the same way; the hybrid’s battery and electric motors are maintenance-free, so the reminder is still tracking the conventional engine oil and general inspection schedule.
Two things are worth separating in your mind. The maintenance/spanner reminder is routine and is what this page clears. A red or amber warning light — oil pressure, check-engine, hybrid-system, brake — is something different and will not be cleared by a maintenance reset; it needs the underlying fault dealt with first.
Getting Ready
Reset only after the service is done. Switch the ignition on, not READY (don’t press the brake when you press START).
A few seconds of preparation makes the reset go cleanly the first time:
- Finish the service first. Complete the oil and filter change (and any other due work) before you clear the counter — resetting only zeroes the reminder, it does nothing to the oil.
- Park safely. Handbrake or electronic park on, transmission in P, on level ground.
- Ignition on, engine off. Press the START button once without your foot on the brake so the dash lights up but the car does not enter READY. The engine must not be running.
- No tools. Everything is done from the steering-wheel controls or the Remote Touch screen. You do not need a scan tool.
Resetting the Reminder
- Switch the ignition on (not READY).
- Using the steering-wheel controls or the Remote Touch screen, open Setup / Settings > Vehicle > Maintenance (or ‘Scheduled Maintenance’).
- Select the engine oil / maintenance item and confirm the reset.
- The reminder clears and the interval restarts.
Some early cars also accept the trip-button method: switch on (not READY), select TRIP A, switch off, then hold the trip button while pressing START twice until the display shows ‘000000’.
If the Reminder Won’t Clear
- Stay in ignition-on, not READY — don’t press the brake.
- Confirm the reset when the menu prompts — backing out leaves it unchanged.
- Use the exact menu item. The reset lives under Vehicle’s Maintenance / Scheduled Maintenance list — make sure you have selected the oil/maintenance entry, not just opened the menu.
- Try the trip-button method on early cars if the menu route won’t take, holding until the display reads ‘000000’.
- Cycle the ignition and repeat. Switch fully off, wait a few seconds, switch back on (not READY) and run through the steps again.
- A separate warning light? A fault stores a code — look it up on autodtcs.com.
What Happens Next
Once the reset is confirmed the spanner symbol or ‘MAINT REQD’ message disappears and the countdown to the next service restarts from full. If the display shows a distance or day count, it should now read the full interval again. Start the engine and glance at the cluster to confirm the reminder has gone; it should not return at the next start-up. If it does reappear, the confirmation step was not completed and you simply run the reset once more.
How Often It Comes Up
Reset the reminder every time the RX is serviced — that is the only time it should be cleared. The interval itself is a fixed distance or period set by Lexus for this model; because exact figures vary by market, model year and how the car is used, check the maintenance schedule in your owner’s handbook for the precise mileage and time that apply to your car rather than assuming a number. Never clear the reminder just to make it go away between services: doing so hides a real prompt and lets the oil keep ageing past its interval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reset the maintenance light on a Lexus RX?
Switch on (not READY), open Setup > Vehicle > Maintenance, select the oil/maintenance item and confirm.
Do I need a diagnostic tool?
No — it’s an owner menu reset.
It cleared but came back — why?
The reset probably wasn’t confirmed; repeat it and accept the prompt.
Does the RX 450h reset differently from the petrol?
No — both use the same Setup > Vehicle > Maintenance menu.
Does the engine need to be running?
No. The car should be in ignition-on with the engine off — press START once without the brake so the dash powers up but the car doesn’t enter READY.
The reminder is on but I only just had it serviced — is something wrong?
No. The reminder is a counter that has to be reset manually as part of the service. If the person who did the work didn’t clear it, the symbol stays on even though the oil is fresh; just run the reset above.
If another warning light appeared with the service message, our sister site autodtcs.com can help you decode it.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Lexus. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.