Lexus · RX · 2018
0
Recalls
23
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2018 Lexus RX has no recalls and 23 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: service brakes (6 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
16.4% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
1. Check engine light comes on. 2. Intelligent collision system (ICS) plashing while driving
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
iOS lite has come on for the second time. Sensor had to be replaced early this year. Cost $500.
Brake squack/barking noise when brakes are depressed.
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 Woodland Hills. Despite this, the major part like brake actuator has failed prematurely. Given Lexus' reputation as a luxury brand, it is unacceptable that such a critical component would fail before the vehicle is 5 years old or has reached 100,000 miles. The combination of the brake actuator defect, the shaky mirror, and the rusting hood latch is disappointing, especially for a vehicle of this caliber. When I initially contacted Lexus Customer Service, I was also dealing with rusting parts and a failing brake booster. Lexus of Cerritos provided a repair estimate of around $5,000 for brake actuator. I was advised to reach out to Lexus Customer Service after my request for a good faith repair was denied due to the inability to obtain the complete maintenance history. However, I have since confirmed with the previous owner and Lexus that the vehicle was regularly serviced. I am also aware that Lexus has issued brake actuator-related recalls for several models.
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 Common Problems of A Lexus RX350'. Problem #5 described exactly what had happened to me: 'ONE RECURRING PROBLEM THIS CAR HAS IS THAT THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS SEVERELY. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENES WHEN THE DRIVER IS TRYING TO PARK THE VEHICLE. REPORTS PAINT THE SAME PICTURES REPEATEDLY: THE DRIVER IS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT, THEY PUSH THE BREAK PEDAL, AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR ACELERATES RAPIDLY, WHICH RESULTS IN A CRASH." Based on this article, it seems that Lexus should have issued a recall, but no! 5. The strange thing was that NO airbags were exploded/activated, yet the vehicle was damaged to beyond repair, it makes me wonder if there was an issue with the airbags too. If this incident had occurred at an intersection, I dare not imagine the outcome...I could have been killed or critically injured along with other innocent people on the road. I am very traumatized by the whole experience and sadly, the feeling seems to have gotten worse as time goes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
HVAC servo motor failure. There are many complaints on internet if you google. Multiple other lexus models have CSPs regarding same problem too..
Engine block #1 misfire , 02/gasoline ratio level problem
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 her husband drove her to the emergency room. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and was later declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Lexus 2018 Rx450hl is known to have issue with brake actuator. A faulty brake actuator causes the car to fail sudden stop. It’s definitely a safety issue. Lexus have technical service information bulletin(tsib) for this issue since 2019. They never contact the owner to replace the faulty part. So if the car is under warranty they will fix the problem with no cost. But if the warranty pass the threshold, they are charging the costumer 3.5k to replace it. It’s an absolute horrible business practices. This part is a manufactured defect and it’s a safety issue.
This car just send me a warning light last night about the all wheel drive system and issues about the engine, I was in the dealer this morning and I tell them the problem with the car but they was charging me for everything and left the lexus repair shop I work in my car and this not supposed to be happen I care of my car really good but now I hace to stop working because all this issues with the car. Now the car just stop working and I'm stock in middle of the city without another way to work and I don't have money for nothing. Please help me!
Showing 1–20 of 23 complaints
The 2018 Lexus RX has 0 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 23 owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Lexus RX.
The 2018 Lexus RX received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2018 Lexus RX are service brakes (6 reports), unknown or other (5 reports), engine (2 reports).
NHTSA does not currently list any recalls on record for the 2018 Lexus RX. To verify the status of your specific vehicle, check nhtsa.gov/recalls with your VIN.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.