LEXUS RX · model year

2018 LEXUS RX

28 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018LEXUSRX carries 28 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 RX is unknown or other with 6 filings, followed by service brakes (6) and electrical system (3). 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 RX. 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.

28
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

28 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6
SERVICE BRAKES6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
ENGINE2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1

Recent Complaints

20260203UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The 12.3-inch display of the instrument panel is blank at startup. Operating the vehicle with this display blank reduces the ability to see certain malfunction indicators. If malfunctions occur while driving, continuing to drive could lead to an increased risk of a crash or an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

20250915ENGINE

Engine block #1 misfire , 02/gasoline ratio level problem

20250904VISIBILITY/WIPER

I have a panoramic sunroof and the sunshade retracts when the switch is pressed but the shade bunches up and stops before fully retracting. It appears from online searches that it’s a well known problem with Lexus and can result in a very costly repair that’s caused in no part by the owners of the vehicles. A recall of this manufacturing defect needs to be issued.

20250801STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR

The contact owns a 2018 Lexus RX 350. The contact stated that upon arriving to the residence and parking the vehicle, the front driver’s side door failed to open while pulling on the interior door handle. The contact rolled down the window and was able to open the front driver’s side door while pulling the exterior door handle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front driver’s side door handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Lexus Special Service Campaign Number: 20LC02. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,518.

Mileage: 47,518

20250721STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR

On our 2018 Lexus RX 350 L, the left front interior door handle broke and we had to roll the window down and open the door from the outside. I learned that there was a recall - Lexus Special Service Campaign 20LC02 but our Lexus VIN was not listed. Our Lexus Model/year was manufactured in 05/18 and that was within the production period of the recall, April 2015 to September 2018. I believe that Lexus not including our suv's VIN in the recall was an oversight. As a result, I reached out to Smithown Lexus in NY and they did not honor the recall and wanted $219 + tax just diagnose the problem. I also called Lexus Guest Experience Center at 1-800-255-3987 and thety also did not honor the recall. Since, I purchased and installed the door handle. Is there a way I can get get reimbursed for parts and labor of $450?

20250617UNKNOWN OR OTHER

iOS lite has come on for the second time. Sensor had to be replaced early this year. Cost $500.

20250517FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The fuel pump sensor electrically shorted. The assembly failed. (tube assembly, fuel suction w/ pump and gage), gasket, fuel suction tube set. It is available for inspection. The car could stall at any time because the fuel pump sensor cannot accurately determine the fuel level or how much fuel is being injected into the engine. There was a warning light. Lexus covered two other fuel pump safety issues for this make and model (2018 RX 450h), one under a manufacturer recall and one through a customer support program. This is a THIRD defect with the fuel pumps on these vehicles for which Lexus has NOT offered coverage or notified its customers.

20250402SERVICE BRAKES

Brake squack/barking noise when brakes are depressed.

20241023CrashSERVICE BRAKES

1. At [XXX] on [XXX], I was pulling into my gym's parking lot, when I stepped on the break to park my car, instead of stopping, the car accelerates rapidly and crashed through the other side of the sidewalk where there were light pole and cement walls, throwing me forward and backward with seat belt on, I was in total shock! 2. My insurance sent a field inspector to the body shop 2X in hope to repair my car but ended up declaring it a Total Loss. 3. Lexus said they would send a field tech to get the EDR (Event Data Recorder) data from my 2018 Lexus RX350 within 30 days, but the results won't be available for 30-45 days after that. Lexus's slow response to this accident concerns and disappoints me b/c it was a serious crash that Lexus should treat it seriously and promptly. 4. The disbelief of a 'young' car with only 12297 miles could have issues like this puzzled me and drove me to do a lot of online research, then I came across this site [XXX] which contains an article titled '10

20241023CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1. At [XXX] on [XXX], I was pulling into my gym's parking lot, when I stepped on the break to park my car, instead of stopping, the car accelerates rapidly and crashed through the other side of the sidewalk where there were light pole and cement walls, throwing me forward and backward with seat belt on, I was in total shock! 2. My insurance sent a field inspector to the body shop 2X in hope to repair my car but ended up declaring it a Total Loss. 3. Lexus said they would send a field tech to get the EDR (Event Data Recorder) data from my 2018 Lexus RX350 within 30 days, but the results won't be available for 30-45 days after that. Lexus's slow response to this accident concerns and disappoints me b/c it was a serious crash that Lexus should treat it seriously and promptly. 4. The disbelief of a 'young' car with only 12297 miles could have issues like this puzzled me and drove me to do a lot of online research, then I came across this site [XXX] which contains an article titled '10

20241008SERVICE BRAKES

I am writing to raise a serious concern regarding a issue with my 2018 Lexus RX450hL involving the brake actuator. Since purchasing the vehicle at 63,000 miles, I have noticed hissing, clicking, and squeaking noises when applying the brakes. As the mileage increased to 83,000, these noises have worsened, becoming unbearable. In addition, I am experiencing a shaky driver-side mirror and a rusting hood latch, both of which present safety concerns. For a vehicle under 5 years old , I believe these problems do not reflect the quality I expected, particularly given the premium price I paid. According to Lexus' Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) #L-SB-0032-23 Rev, issued in October 2023, which addresses squawk or knock noises from the engine compartment when the brake pedal is pressed or released, affecting models like the RX450hL. My vehicle exhibits symptoms similar to those described in the TSB. The vehicle was regularly maintained by the previous owner at Lexus of Thousand Oaks and Woodla

20240521ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

HVAC servo motor failure. There are many complaints on internet if you google. Multiple other lexus models have CSPs regarding same problem too..

20240515VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

The driver-side mirror shakes noticeably while driving making it hard to see what's on your left, specially at night. Even though I'm reporting in 2024 w/ 55k miles, I just bought this L-Certified CPO Lexus 1 week ago, so the problem was likely there before. There are a couple of other signs that this car doesn't handle the South Florida heat very well and my guess is the adhesive on the mirror has started to fail. There is a service notice on late model NX to address this that replaces the entire mirror assembly and they'll likely do this as well when I take it in, but it is a fairly simple issue to resolve yourself following some YouTube videos even if they're not specific to this make/model.

20240512UNKNOWN OR OTHER

If you by mistake forget to put your car on Parking the transmission does not lock by itself creating a hazard of movement of the vehicule that can cause an injury's or even worse. That was reported to the dealer and dismissed the issue as normal.

20240317FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Two days ago, upon entering our vehicle, there was a smell of gasoline as we drove. Our fuel guage wend from 1/4 tank to EMPTY in minutes. I pulled into a gas station and when attached the nozzle, gas entering the tank was POURING out from underneath. I drove the car to the venue we were headed to and parked on a dirt/gravel spot so as to limit fuel runoff to nearby vehicles. We had the vehicle towed to Bob Tyler Toyota, the nearest Lexus type service center. I called service at Lexus of Mobile and the employer stated that there are no recalls. The free flowing fuel endangered not only my and my wife but anyone around the vehicle. No warning lights whatsoever. The tow driver concurred that fuel was POURING until the tank was emptied. I have not been contacted by the service department thus far.

20240130FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

The contact owns a 2018 Lexus RX350. The contact stated at start-up there was raw a fuel odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,548.

Mileage: 42,548

20240125UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The driver side indoor door handle no longer works. Despite my model being part of the special service campaign 20LC02, dealer says that my VIN number is not covered despite it being the exact problem described.

20240125STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR

The driver side indoor door handle no longer works. Despite my model being part of the special service campaign 20LC02, dealer says that my VIN number is not covered despite it being the exact problem described.

20230718SERVICE BRAKES

The car makes a "Brake Squawk" noise when the brake pedal is applied. The noise sometimes is unbearable. Dealer replaced the brake actuator. The noise came back after a few months.

20230523CrashFORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

The contact owns a 2018 Lexus RX350. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, and as she was approaching a toll road gate, there were several lanes that were closed and marked with traffic cones. The contact stated that as she was turning the wheel to steer into an open gate she crashed into one of the traffic cones. The contact stated that her vehicle was equipped with front collision avoidance and that normally the vehicle would have automatically braked before crashing into any objects in front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled onto its roof. The contact stated that all the air bags had deployed. The contact stated that emergency services and the police were on the scene. The contact stated that the police issued her a traffic violation ticket. The contact stated that she had bruises on her face and arms, shoulders, and chest. The contact refused treatment on-site and was not transported to the hospital. The contact stated that later that day h

Mileage: 27,000

Compare 2018LEXUSRX to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 LEXUS RX have?
The 2018 LEXUS RX has 28 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 LEXUS RX?
The most-complained component for the 2018 LEXUS RX is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2018 LEXUS RX 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.