2018 Lexus ES problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 5 owner complaints about the 2018 Lexus ES, or 0.6 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.01, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #1 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Lexus models its rate is 92% lower; against other Luxury sedans it is 88% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2023-08-07 and 2025-12-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 17 days.
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 4.4 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 0 complaints, 100% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (20.0% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (20.0%) and Fuel system (20.0%). 1 reports (20.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
1 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.01
- vs. other Lexus models0.08
- vs. other 2018 models0.01
- vs. other Luxury sedans0.12
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (0)0.0
- #1 of 73 · 2018Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Airbags & seat belts
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 1
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 2
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 68 months
What owners report
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.
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.
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…
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 - [link]
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2018 · Luxury sedans
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Lexus ES | 5 | 0.6 | 0.01 |
| 2018 Audi A4 | 51 | 5.9 | 0.14 |
| 2018 BMW 3 Series | 59 | 6.8 | 0.16 |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 66 | 7.6 | 0.18 |
| 2018 BMW 5 Series | 78 | 9.0 | 0.21 |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 129 | 14.9 | 0.35 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2018 Lexus ES?
5 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Lexus ES, or about 0.6 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2018 Lexus ES?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 20.0% of complaints.
Does the 2018 Lexus ES have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2018 Lexus ES still generating complaints?
1 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
How does the 2018 Lexus ES compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 5 owner complaints about the 2018 Lexus ES, or 0.6 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.01, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #1 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Lexus models its rate is 92% lower; against other Luxury sedans it is 88% lower.