Vehicle make

Lexus

14,850 NHTSA complaints and 106 safety recalls across 80 models, every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints
14,850
Recalls
106
Models
80

The verdict

Lexus pairs above-average complaint volume with an above-average recall count.

39th pctile
complaint volume, US makes
46th pctile
recall volume, US makes

How does Lexus compare?

LexusPlymouthAll makes

Average NHTSA crash rating(higher is safer)Beats Plymouth
Lexus4.64 ★
Plymouth0 ★
All makes4.67 ★
Complaints per model(lower is better)Beats Plymouth
Lexus186
Plymouth565
All makes507
Recalls per model(lower is better)Behind Plymouth
Lexus1.3
Plymouth0.9
All makes3.6

Lab-measured rollover risk vs. real-world deaths

Lexus's average NHTSA rollover_risk score (0.137) against its total recorded deaths (5) across all model-years, plotted against 28 other makes. A low lab risk score does not guarantee a low real-world death total, the two metrics diverge across several makes in this dataset.

NHTSA rollover_risk score vs. recorded deaths, Lexus vs. 28 other makes. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 29 entities by Avg. lab rollover risk score (X) and Total recorded deaths (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High risk, high deathsLow risk, high deathsHigh risk, low deathsLow risk, low deaths 0.10.10.10.20.3 020406080100 Avg. lab rollover risk score Total recorded deaths
NHTSA rollover_risk score vs. recorded deaths, Lexus vs. 28 other makes.

Rollover risk vs deaths table: FORD, 0.154 avg risk, 77 deaths. CHEVROLET, 0.157 avg risk, 60 deaths. HONDA, 0.131 avg risk, 33 deaths. JEEP, 0.209 avg risk, 22 deaths. HYUNDAI, 0.126 avg risk, 27 deaths. KIA, 0.13 avg risk, 79 deaths. TOYOTA, 0.149 avg risk, 45 deaths. NISSAN, 0.157 avg risk, 33 deaths. DODGE, 0.15 avg risk, 6 deaths. SUBARU, 0.135 avg risk, 5 deaths. GMC, 0.196 avg risk, 9 deaths. RAM, 0.217 avg risk, 17 deaths. VOLKSWAGEN, 0.136 avg risk, 10 deaths. CHRYSLER, 0.123 avg risk, 5 deaths. TESLA, 0.071 avg risk, 79 deaths. MAZDA, 0.136 avg risk, 4 deaths. ACURA, 0.122 avg risk, 4 deaths. BMW, 0.129 avg risk, 2 deaths. CADILLAC, 0.164 avg risk, 4 deaths. BUICK, 0.146 avg risk, 4 deaths. AUDI, 0.127 avg risk, 0 deaths. LINCOLN, 0.151 avg risk, 65 deaths. INFINITI, 0.137 avg risk, 6 deaths. MITSUBISHI, 0.162 avg risk, 1 deaths. FIAT, 0.147 avg risk, 0 deaths. LEXUS, 0.137 avg risk, 5 deaths. VOLVO, 0.144 avg risk, 0 deaths. GENESIS, 0.121 avg risk, 0 deaths. POLESTAR, 0.083 avg risk, 0 deaths.

Lexus models by complaint volume

Top nameplates, all model-years combined

complaints

What this shows Within Lexus's lineup, the Es350 carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road, drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

Source NHTSA consumer complaint database As of 2026

Lexus is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 14,850 consumer safety complaints across 80 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 106 safety recalls and is currently tied to 3 active or historical federal investigations. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets, not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys, so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside Lexus's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the Es350 (1,631 filings, model years 2007–2023), followed by RX and Rx350. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

No open NHTSA investigations are currently tracked against Lexus in this dataset, meaning the Office of Defects Investigation is not, at this moment, reviewing a specific defect allegation for the brand. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which Lexus models get the most complaints?

ModelComplaints
Es3501,631
RX1,151
Rx3501,113
IS 250938
Es300862
Rx300849
ES817
IS765
Rx330659
RX Hybrid473
Es330470
Gs300446
Ls400424
LS284
NX284
Gx470282
IS 350279
Ls460272
GS 350208
GX!206
GS202
Ls430189
CT189
IS 300156
Gx460129
Sc430127
Lx470114
HS 250 Hybrid106
Gs40080
Sc40079
HS78
LX69
ES Hybrid66
Ls460l62
TX56
Lexus52
Nx200t43
Es25039
CT Hybrid39
Sc30037
Gs43035
Nx30030
IS 350c29
IS F26
Lx57026
RZ26
Gs450h25
GS Hybrid25
IS 250c25
Lx45023
Is200t22
RC 35021
SC20
Nx20020
Rx450h19
UX Hybrid18
RC F14
NX Hybrid13
RC11
RC 200t10
UX10
Lc5009
Ux2009
ES 300h8
Ls5008
Gs4607
Ls600hl7
LC6
LS Hybrid5
NX450H+3
Le3002
GS 200t2
RC 3002
TX Hybrid2
Ls600h1
RX 3511
Nx350h1
Nx3501
Nx2501
RX Plug-IN Hybrid1

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has Lexus received?
Lexus has received 14,850 NHTSA complaints across 80 models and 106 safety recalls.
Is Lexus reliable?
Lexus has 14,850 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which Lexus vehicles have the fewest reported issues.
How do I check for Lexus recalls?
Browse Lexus models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.
Where does Lexus complaint data come from?
All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.
What do Lexus complaints cover?
NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Top Lexus Models

Nationwide makes with similar ODI profiles

Two cross-make peer sets for Lexus. Same-make model lists stay above; these neighborhoods are nearest other makes by published NHTSA totals (complaint floor ≥100, recall floor ≥10).

Similar complaint volume

Nearest makes by total ODI complaints (14,850 here).

Similar recall volume

Nearest makes by recall campaigns (106 here), excluding the complaint-volume set.

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Lexus counts on this page are computed from the NHTSA rows shown in the linked model records; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.