Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,224,858 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 139,140 crashes, 56,440 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,224,858 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 15,180 complaints for LEXUS
Incident date: May 13, 2026
On May 13, 2026, while traveling at approximately 31 mph under normal driving conditions, a critical right-front suspension or steering component suddenly suffered a catastrophic structural failure on its own. This spontaneous mechanical failure caused the vehicle to immediately and violently veer to the right, rendering the steering ineffective and resulting in an unavoidable collision with two p... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 13, 2026
On May 13, 2026, while traveling at approximately 31 mph under normal driving conditions, a critical right-front suspension or steering component suddenly suffered a catastrophic structural failure on its own. This spontaneous mechanical failure caused the vehicle to immediately and violently veer to the right, rendering the steering ineffective and resulting in an unavoidable collision with two p... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 13, 2026
On May 13, 2026, while traveling at approximately 31 mph under normal driving conditions, a critical right-front suspension or steering component suddenly suffered a catastrophic structural failure on its own. This spontaneous mechanical failure caused the vehicle to immediately and violently veer to the right, rendering the steering ineffective and resulting in an unavoidable collision with two p... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Lexus NX 200t. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, ticking sound was emitted from the fuel tank. As the failure persisted, the vehicle entered "Reduced Engine Power Mode" and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic shop where a diagnostic check was performed, and it was discovered that th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Lexus NX 200t. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, ticking sound was emitted from the fuel tank. As the failure persisted, the vehicle entered "Reduced Engine Power Mode" and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic shop where a diagnostic check was performed, and it was discovered that th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Lexus ES350. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale on Facebook Marketplace. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,000; however, a Carfax vehicle history reported the mileage at 199,000.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
My wife and me and my two kids we all in the car . When we driver this car from highway to local my speedometer keep on 30mph we try to up to 40mph or more.but it doesn’t working. We scared because my vehicle doesn’t show any light on tell us you need fix car . It just happened. So we call Lexus make appointment see what’s going on they told me fuel pump problem we need change. We google saw... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The front timing chain cover on the engine was leaking at 53k miles. This is a 2GR-FKS engine. We have had the car for 19k miles, and bought it as a Certified Pre-Owned. We're looking at spending over 10% of the purchase price of the car on a repair, after barely having it for three years.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
On Juky 7, 2026 @ 10:30pm a catastrophic safety failure occurred involving a 2026 Lexus TX 350. The vehicle experienced a complete electrical and software failure while an occupant (my mother) was inside. All electronic door release buttons failed simultaneously, completely locking the occupant inside the vehicle. The emergency manual double-pull override mechanism on the interior door handles fai... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
2012 Lexus IS 250 Complaint Category: Interior/Seat Belts/Air Bags → Interior Component: Interior Moldings/Trim/Panels Narrative This is a safety issue. The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking and is actively decomposing into a gelatin-like texture, despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. This is not the re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
2012 Lexus IS 250 Complaint Category: Interior/Seat Belts/Air Bags → Interior Component: Interior Moldings/Trim/Panels Narrative This is a safety issue. The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking and is actively decomposing into a gelatin-like texture, despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. This is not the re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The Component Affected: Electrical System / Drivetrain Propulsion. The Core Hazard: Systemic software/hardware defect causing a total failure of the 12V auxiliary system, resulting in immediate vehicle blackouts and leaving the vehicle stranded without warning. The Safety Risk: The vehicle leaves passengers and young children completely stranded in high-traffic or unsafe environments. Note that ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2026
While driving, my vehicle's check engine light came on and the vehicle entered limp mode without warning. It would not exceed 25 MPH and was stuck in 2WD, displaying the message "reduced engine power – take vehicle to nearest dealer." This created a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle could not maintain safe speed in traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The Lexus dealer diag... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
Odometer Fraud: The contact purchased a 2013 Lexus RX 350. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 96,575. After reviewing an AutoCheck report by Experian the following day, the contact became aware that the mileage was 151,219.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
On 2026-07-05, my car started except the digital instrument panel was blank/black. This meant the digital gas and battery gauges weren't visible, in addition to the speedometer, etc. I tried restarting the car to see if it was a fluke but it did not come back. On 2026-07-06, the car worked fine / as expected, but after a google search, it seems like this happens to other owners as well in the pas... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
We were driving down the highway and the vehicle started shaking. I immediately slowed down as I felt we had a flat. There was notification on the screen. I moved to the right onto the shoulder. Only after we were completely stopped did I see a low tire warning come on display. I slowly got out as the traffic was heavy. I could see the outer section of the tire came apart from both sides. As... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2018
In 2018 shottenkirk desert lexus marked two recalls as completed but also simultaneously typed in a note saying "customer declined worked and is out of town" The original part number and quantity fields are left blank. The dealership was paid for these items. I do not have anywhere in the vehicle history after that date showing any recalls were addressed. The recalls are the airbag which is a saf... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2018
In 2018 shottenkirk desert lexus marked two recalls as completed but also simultaneously typed in a note saying "customer declined worked and is out of town" The original part number and quantity fields are left blank. The dealership was paid for these items. I do not have anywhere in the vehicle history after that date showing any recalls were addressed. The recalls are the airbag which is a saf... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2018
In 2018 shottenkirk desert lexus marked two recalls as completed but also simultaneously typed in a note saying "customer declined worked and is out of town" The original part number and quantity fields are left blank. The dealership was paid for these items. I do not have anywhere in the vehicle history after that date showing any recalls were addressed. The recalls are the airbag which is a saf... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
My wife was driving the subject car She intended to come off the road to give a way to on coming car. She got in naghbour's drive way and intended move 10 feet. When she tried to put more gas to move the car was hyper accepting drove 50 feets away and hit naghbour's ion gate and stopped. When she back off it did again and hit street lamp. It did two more time. Ended up damaging 4 corners of the ca... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
My wife was driving the subject car She intended to come off the road to give a way to on coming car. She got in naghbour's drive way and intended move 10 feet. When she tried to put more gas to move the car was hyper accepting drove 50 feets away and hit naghbour's ion gate and stopped. When she back off it did again and hit street lamp. It did two more time. Ended up damaging 4 corners of the ca... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
when driving on the highway and i let up the gas the engine surges. this is an ongoing issue. makes me apply the brakes or take action scary. it happens all the time. took it to lexus and they say this is normal. to me it is a safety driving issue. it surges for some time with no gas applied.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
when driving on the highway and i let up the gas the engine surges. this is an ongoing issue. makes me apply the brakes or take action scary. it happens all the time. took it to lexus and they say this is normal. to me it is a safety driving issue. it surges for some time with no gas applied.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
2013 Lexus GS350, VIN [XXX], manufactured 04/2013. Mileage at repair was approximately 117,310–117,485 miles. During diagnosis for check-engine/EVAP codes, liquid gasoline was found inside the EVAP canister / Leak Detection Pump assembly. This EVAP component is intended to handle fuel vapor, and the presence of liquid fuel appears abnormal. The vehicle had multiple EVAP codes confirmed by both ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the reflection from the melted dashboard reflected onto the windshield. In addition, the contact’s vision was impaired while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the deale... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
I am reporting two separate but related fuel-system defects on my 2025 Lexus TX500h (VIN [XXX]) that raise safety concerns and appear to be widespread across Lexus TX and NX hybrid models. FUEL FILLER DOOR FAILS TO OPEN: The electronic fuel filler door intermittently fails to open when the release is activated. It sometimes requires multiple attempts, and at times will not open at all, leaving the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Lexus NX300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The message “Electronic Fuel System Failure” was displayed, and the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local Auto Zone, and the contact was informed about the fuel system failure. The vehicle was later taken to the local ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Lexus NX300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The message “Electronic Fuel System Failure” was displayed, and the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local Auto Zone, and the contact was informed about the fuel system failure. The vehicle was later taken to the local ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2026
I started my vehicle and thr complete infotainment screen was black, no display, no backup camera, nothing but a black screen. The volume button still worked and you could touch the screen and her things change but you could not see anything because the screen was black. It is like turning the brightness completely off a touchscreen, it works but you can't see anything. There are current recalls f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact was interested in purchasing a 2004 Lexus GS 300 on Facebook Marketplace. The contact reached out to the seller and was informed that vehicle was sold. The contact stated that hours later, the contact discovered the same vehicle listed on Facebook Marketplace website from another owner; however, the contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy within the Adve... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The rear wheel which is Lexus OEM busted and lost air when driving on the highway at highway speed on June 23, 2026. This caused an immediate hazard and a dangerous loss of vehicle control. Fortunately, I was able to safely pull over, but this failure put my life and the lives of others at serious risk. The mileage is about 45,396. The vehicle was purchased from Freeport Lexus as a pre-owned on ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2007 Lexus ES 350. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 120,000. It was later discovered upon checking the Carfax report that the mileage was 200,000.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking across the surface despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. The cracking is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened over time. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Suppo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking across the surface despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. The cracking is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened over time. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Suppo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking across the surface despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. The cracking is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened over time. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Suppo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
y 2025 Lexus TX500h experienced sudden and complete AC failure at fewer than 25,000 miles, 18 months after purchase. The selling dealer diagnosed a refrigerant leak from the AC condenser and denied warranty coverage citing road debris impact damage. No photographic documentation of a discrete impact event or specific leak point was provided to support the denial. This failure is consistent with a ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
y 2025 Lexus TX500h experienced sudden and complete AC failure at fewer than 25,000 miles, 18 months after purchase. The selling dealer diagnosed a refrigerant leak from the AC condenser and denied warranty coverage citing road debris impact damage. No photographic documentation of a discrete impact event or specific leak point was provided to support the denial. This failure is consistent with a ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
On our 2025 Lexus TX350, less than 1 year old, and under normal driving conditions, our AC stopped working suddenly. Upon inspection at the dealership, they determined a rock or road debris came through the front grill and impacted the condenser, which caused a major refrigerant leak and ac to stop working. I believe this was due to a poor design of the lower half of the front grill, it’s wide o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
On our 2025 Lexus TX350, less than 1 year old, and under normal driving conditions, our AC stopped working suddenly. Upon inspection at the dealership, they determined a rock or road debris came through the front grill and impacted the condenser, which caused a major refrigerant leak and ac to stop working. I believe this was due to a poor design of the lower half of the front grill, it’s wide o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
On our 2025 Lexus TX350, less than 1 year old, and under normal driving conditions, our AC stopped working suddenly. Upon inspection at the dealership, they determined a rock or road debris came through the front grill and impacted the condenser, which caused a major refrigerant leak and ac to stop working. I believe this was due to a poor design of the lower half of the front grill, it’s wide o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The dash has started melting after being in hot weather. Despite ceramic window tint which reduces heat (and likely slowed the melting) the dah continues to melt. This results in significant shining and reduction in visibility. While there was an enhanced warranty program from Lexus in which they would repair the dash, the melting occurred shortly after that expired. They will not take respons... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
The headlights continusely shot off while driving. The shift solenoid are stuck off causing the check engine light to continuously remain on. This all began 2023.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
The headlights continusely shot off while driving. The shift solenoid are stuck off causing the check engine light to continuously remain on. This all began 2023.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
The headlights continusely shot off while driving. The shift solenoid are stuck off causing the check engine light to continuously remain on. This all began 2023.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
Sunroof tempered glass spontaneous explosion. Loud explosion startled me and my wife, good thing the sliding roof cover was closed otherwise small pieces of sharp glasses will hit us on our head, face and shoulders. Lexus of Oakland denied any product defect and blaming a foreign "magnetic" object hit the sunroof. I was only driving 20 mph in a residential neighborhood and no cars in front of me ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
Sunroof tempered glass spontaneous explosion. Loud explosion startled me and my wife, good thing the sliding roof cover was closed otherwise small pieces of sharp glasses will hit us on our head, face and shoulders. Lexus of Oakland denied any product defect and blaming a foreign "magnetic" object hit the sunroof. I was only driving 20 mph in a residential neighborhood and no cars in front of me ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
I purchased my vehicle 2026 Lexus tx350 from Lexus of Manchester located in [XXX]. As soon as I left the lot I noticed the hood would shake violently and almost pop up which signaled the safety latch alarm. The alarm would signal multiple times throughout a highway trip. Most noticeable around 70 mph. The dealership was helpful and set up an autobody repair where they added adhesive into the hood.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Lexus TX 350. The contact stated that after an extended driving period, the vehicle was parked in the garage, and the contact became aware of a strong gasoline odor. The fumes caused persistent headaches that lasted two days. The contact had not sought medical attention. Upon inspection, the owner was unable to locate a visible fuel leak. The vehicle was moved to the drive... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
Dear Sir or Madam. My name is [XXX], [XXX], [XXX] living in [XXX]. I bought my 2008 Lexus RX400h car, used, in 2014 at a non-Lexus dealership in the [XXX] where I used to live. My Lexus VIN is: [XXX]. I've been satisfied with the car..until today. The car had been running smoothly forever, and this morning while I was driving I came to a stop (red light) and the car suddenly shut down completely... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
Dear Sir or Madam. My name is [XXX], [XXX], [XXX] living in [XXX]. I bought my 2008 Lexus RX400h car, used, in 2014 at a non-Lexus dealership in the [XXX] where I used to live. My Lexus VIN is: [XXX]. I've been satisfied with the car..until today. The car had been running smoothly forever, and this morning while I was driving I came to a stop (red light) and the car suddenly shut down completely... Read more