Total Complaints
8 filings
LEXUS ES · model year
2018 LEXUS ES
8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2018LEXUSES carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2018 ES is structure:body with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2018 ES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
8
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20251202POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Lexus ES 350. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The driver was able to drive to the residence. Upon test-driving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle was hesitating and jerking. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal clicking sound while driving the following day, and the vehicle later became undrivable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
Mileage: 200
20250728CrashAIR BAGS
On 7/25/25, I was rear-ended while driving my 2018 Lexus ES 300h with my child in the front seat. Despite the force of impact and resulting injuries, none of the airbags deployed. Moments after the crash, a âSRS Airbag System Malfunctionâ message appeared on my dashboard. That message is now gone, but airbag and seatbelt lights remain active. I suffered knee injuries from contact with the dashboard, and my child sustained a busted lip and head pain. Iâm concerned that a malfunction in the airbag or supplemental restraint system contributed to these injuries. I have video evidence of the incident and in-cabin alerts. I was later advised by Toyota not to drive the vehicle until an inspection is completed, which raises additional concerns about the vehicleâs safety system. Iâm reporting this because I believe this malfunction may pose a risk to others, and it should be investigated as a potential defect.
20250728CrashSEAT BELTS
On 7/25/25, I was rear-ended while driving my 2018 Lexus ES 300h with my child in the front seat. Despite the force of impact and resulting injuries, none of the airbags deployed. Moments after the crash, a âSRS Airbag System Malfunctionâ message appeared on my dashboard. That message is now gone, but airbag and seatbelt lights remain active. I suffered knee injuries from contact with the dashboard, and my child sustained a busted lip and head pain. Iâm concerned that a malfunction in the airbag or supplemental restraint system contributed to these injuries. I have video evidence of the incident and in-cabin alerts. I was later advised by Toyota not to drive the vehicle until an inspection is completed, which raises additional concerns about the vehicleâs safety system. Iâm reporting this because I believe this malfunction may pose a risk to others, and it should be investigated as a potential defect.
20250321TIRES
27 r
20230922FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This has occurred since I purchased the vehicle new. Might happen a couple of times per month. If I slightly back off from acceleration just for a split second and then decide that I can proceed, when I go back to accelerating, the engine will have no power for 2-3 seconds and then will finally return to normal function. At the same time for seconds only, a message will appear on the dash stating that the brake and accelerator have been depressed at the same time. This all happens in a matter of seconds. And the brake has never been touched! Dealer repeating tells me that can NOT happen unless i hit the brakes, and that I must get confused with the pedals...REALLY !!! Well it has happened maybe 25-30 times At the same time I have near heart failure wondering if the merging or head on traffic is going to smash into me because my acceleration has failed !!! THIS SURE SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THE EXITING FUEL PUMP RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE MODEL, HOWEVER MY VIN # IS NOT LISTED. If it
20230807STRUCTURE:BODY
The Heat Shield on Exhaust becomes loose, rattles and comes off while driving. Danger to to other drives behind me. See the number of complaints over here - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-3rd-gen-2010-2015/863952-exhaust-heat-shield-loose-and-rattling.html
20230807UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Heat Shield on Exhaust becomes loose, rattles and comes off while driving. Danger to to other drives behind me. See the number of complaints over here - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-3rd-gen-2010-2015/863952-exhaust-heat-shield-loose-and-rattling.html
20230807ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
The Heat Shield on Exhaust becomes loose, rattles and comes off while driving. Danger to to other drives behind me. See the number of complaints over here - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-3rd-gen-2010-2015/863952-exhaust-heat-shield-loose-and-rattling.html
Compare 2018LEXUSES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2018 LEXUS ES have?▼
The 2018 LEXUS ES has 8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 LEXUS ES?▼
The most-complained component for the 2018 LEXUS ES is STRUCTURE:BODY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE.
Is the 2018 LEXUS ES safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.