On this page (8)
The Lexus TX is the newest large group of cars in the TLC fleet. On October 12, 2026, 1,119 for-hire vehicles (FHVs) were Lexus TXs, and 622 of them (55.6%) are model-year 2026. No other top-20 model has a 2026 median model year.
Even with the luxury badge, it is mainly an app car: 98.7% are at black car bases, and only 9 work for luxury limousine bases. Nine in ten decode as gas rather than hybrid.
How we counted
TLC's FHV – Active and Medallion Vehicles – Authorized lists have no model column. Each VIN was decoded with NHTSA's vPIC decoder to get the model. vPIC can report a model family instead of a trim, so all TX versions are counted together here.
Growing every model year
The TX appears in the data from model-year 2024 (191 cars), grows in 2025 (306) and roughly doubles in 2026 (622). Only five models have more 2026 cars on TLC plates: the Toyota Sienna, Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Camry, Toyota Grand Highlander and Toyota RAV4.
Across all FHVs, only about 9% are model-year 2026 (dataset tlc-vehicle-model-years). So a typical TX on the road is a much newer car than a typical TLC vehicle. For brand-new cars, the first TLC inspection after a vehicle transfer is a visual inspection when the car has fewer than 500 miles, and a full NYS DMV inspection at 500 miles or more (TLC inspections page).
Mostly gas
1,009 TXs (90.2%) decode as gas and 110 (9.8%) as hybrid. That is a much lower hybrid share than the FHV fleet (about 30%) and far below the similar-sized Toyota Grand Highlander (58.7%). Because vPIC's fuel fields are not perfect, confirm the powertrain on the window sticker or title of any car you are considering. To compare fuel costs, try the lease-vs-buy tool or read EV vs hybrid for Uber in NYC.
Base types
1,105 Lexus TXs are at black car bases, the base type app trips go through. 9 are at luxury limousine bases and 5 at livery bases. Compare that with the Cadillac XT6 (5.0% luxury) and the Cadillac Escalade ESV (20.9%). If the TX is meant for premium app rides, remember that the apps set their own vehicle lists; TLC licensing does not decide which ride types a car can take.
None are wheelchair accessible and none are yellow taxis.
What this data can't tell you
The TLC lists show which cars are licensed, their model year and their base. They do not show what owners paid, whether the car is owned, financed or rented from a fleet, how many miles it has, or how reliable it has been. A fast-growing model is not proof that it earns more. Ask for the purchase or lease terms in writing, and compare them with other cars before you decide.
Getting a Lexus TX on TLC plates
New FHV licenses are only for owners of approved wheelchair accessible vehicles (TLC: Get a For-Hire Vehicle License), so a TX needs an FHV license you already hold. Move it with a vehicle transfer, filed within 15 days of DMV registration; TLC must inspect the car before approving it (rule 59A-09(a), chapter 59). After that, FHVs are inspected three times a year. Guides: TLC plates for FHVs, TLC vehicle inspection and FHV insurance requirements. TLC's age rules are in TLC vehicle retirement age.
More models: Honda Pilot, Ford Escape, and every model in TLC fleet by make and model.
More in the vehicles topic.
Data on this page
Aggregates of public data. They describe trips and vehicles, never individual people.
TLC's vehicle lists have no make/model column, so TLC Help decoded the VIN of every licensed vehicle with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (one representative VIN per manufacturer + model-descriptor + model-year pattern) and published only counts. 5 of 115,081 vehicles (0%) could not be decoded to a model and are left out. vPIC sometimes reports trim-family names (e.g. 'RX' not 'RX 350h'); powertrain comes from vPIC's electrification/fuel fields and may misclassify a few model years. Snapshot lists change daily.
- Lexus TX: licensed TLC vehicles by model year — Active FHVs and authorized medallion taxis that are a Lexus TX, by model year.NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026Model year from TLC's vehicle_year / model_year columns. Age limits for TLC vehicles come from TLC rules, not this chart.
- Lexus TX in the TLC fleet: hybrid, electric or gas — Licensed Lexus TX vehicles by powertrain (from decoded VINs).NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026
- Lexus TX: where it is licensed (FHV base type vs medallion taxi) — Licensed Lexus TX vehicles by fleet: FHVs by the type of base they are affiliated with, and medallion taxis.NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026Wheelchair-accessible (FHV list): 0 WAV, 0 PILOT. App-based (high-volume) work generally runs through black car bases.
Frequently asked questions
How many Lexus TX are licensed by the TLC?
1,119 in the October 12, 2026 snapshot, all for-hire vehicles: 191 from model-year 2024, 306 from 2025 and 622 from 2026. TLC Help counted them by decoding VINs with NHTSA's vPIC decoder.
Is the Lexus TX the newest car in the TLC fleet?
Among the 20 most common TLC models, it has the newest median model year (2026). 55.6% of TLC Lexus TXs are model-year 2026.
Are TLC Lexus TXs hybrids?
Mostly not. 1,009 decode as gas (90.2%) and 110 as hybrid (9.8%). vPIC may group hybrid trims under the TX name, so check the exact car.
Do Lexus TXs work for luxury limousine bases?
Very few: 9 of 1,119 (0.8%). 1,105 (98.7%) are at black car bases, where app trips are dispatched.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- NYC Open Data: For Hire Vehicles (FHV) – Active (8wbx-tsch) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NYC Open Data: Medallion Vehicles – Authorized (rhe8-mgbb) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder API vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
- TLC: Vehicle Inspections nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 59 (For-Hire Vehicles), updated Feb 27, 2026 nyc.gov
- TLC: Get a For-Hire Vehicle License nyc.gov
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.
TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.