CSR

Lexus · NHTSA safety record

2018 Lexus LS

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 14 safety complaints about the 2018 Lexus LS with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the air bags and the tires.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 3 complaints, 21% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 8,300 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2019 to July 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

14 complaints on file

14

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 21%
WHEELS 3 · 21%
ENGINE 2 · 14%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 · 14%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 14%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 7%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 7%
SEATS 1 · 7%
STEERING 1 · 7%
TIRES 1 · 7%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 14.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 4.

8 6 4 2
19 20 22 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2018 Lexus LS. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

24V275000 · April 17, 2024

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Lexus LS500 and 2018-2020 Lexus LS500 Hybrid vehicles equipped with the "Executive Package." The front passenger seat may have been assembled with interference between internal parts that can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor to incorrectly detect the occupant. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
Incorrect detection of an occupant may result in improper air bag deployment during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the front passenger seat, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 7, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 24LA03.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 509 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES:SIDEWALL

19V134000 · February 27, 2019

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Lexus LS vehicles equipped with run-flat tires with a sidewall reinforcement layer inside the tire. The tire-on-wheel assembly process may have caused the reinforcement layer to crack, possibly resulting in the tire tread layer separating from the tire.
The risk
If the tire tread layer separates from the vehicle, vehicle handling and stability may be affected, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will replace the affected tires, free of charge. The recall began April 26, 2019. Owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. The Toyota number for this recall is KLC.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 6,296 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 36,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Lexus LS 500. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle coasted and was steered over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the oil was drained and the cap and filter were removed. The contact stated that there were metal shavings inside the oil. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine and that the oil filter was not the correct oil filter. Additionally, the contact was informed that the engine had seized, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then

NHTSA complaint 11732331, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
At 55,310 miles the car stalled without warning while driving at low speed. The car was towed to a Lexus dealership and it was reported by the dealer after inspection that the engine had seized. The vehicle is available for inspection. The motor failed while driving the vehicle. The V35A-FTS engine has numerous reports of main bearing failure and is subject to a recall for other models that have this engine, however, the Lexus LS500 model is not included in the recall despite having the same/similar catastrophic engine failure with low miles. Lexus corporate has been notified and has contacted the dealer directly regarding the failure. There were no warning lights, no engine sounds, and no

NHTSA complaint 11751587, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint 11740631. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
VIN: [XXX] Current Mileage: 70,440 Vehicle: 2018 Lexus LS500 In November 2021, I purchased this vehicle with approximately 19,000 miles. Routine maintenance was performed every 7,500 miles. At approximately 44,000 miles (in 2023), the vehicle experienced severe engine failure following warning lights for Parking Support Brake Malfunction, Secondary Collision Brake System Malfunction, Check Engine, Reduced Engine Power, and Traction Control Off. The vehicle lost power and stalled. The engine began emitting smoke and was replaced under manufacturer warranty in March 2024 at a Lexus dealership. The repair exceeded $50,000 and included a new engine block and related components. Shortly after

NHTSA complaint 11696175, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS
Large lump/lumps on the lower left / bottom portion of the driver's seat, protruding from the seat bottom closest to the lower bolster. As a direct result my left leg loses its circulation, it causes numbness and muscle pain in thigh and groin due to this. Regardless of seat adjustment the lump / imperfection in the seat cushion is present. This can become dangerous during longer drives and trips. According to the Lexus forums this is a known issue in the 2018-2024 LS500 that Lexus is apparently aware of but has not resolved or seriously looked into. My Lexus service advisor admitted that she has heard of this problem from other LS500 owners and said that the issue has been reported to

NHTSA complaint 11633566, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Recently I purchased a CPO Lexus 2018 LS 500. I realized I am not able to enter Coordinate in the GPS Navigation system. Lexus took away the most import tool (The coordinate Entry) in navigation system away, this make the navigation system useless and easy to get lost when cell service not available especially in and around State and Nation Park area.

NHTSA complaint 11582292. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other 2018 Lexus models

RX350 18

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Lexus on this site — 91 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst