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Vehicle safety record

2018 Lexus ES Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2018 Lexus ES with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (1) and the body, doors & structure (1). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 2 injuries. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 2017 has 5 and the 2019 has 1.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical ES year, for its age

#227 most complained-about 2018 vehicle

Complaints
5
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Deaths
0

Most common 2018 Lexus ES problems

Share of all 5 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 2018 Lexus ES

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2018 Lexus ES. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

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5 complaints about the 2018 Lexus ES

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

Transmission & drivetrain

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,...

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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.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11702496
AirbagsSeats & seat beltsCrash2 injuries

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 "SRS Airbag System Malfunction" 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. I'm concerned that a malfunction in the airbag or supplemental...

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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 vehicle's safety system. I'm reporting this because I believe this malfunction may pose a risk to others, and it should be investigated as a potential defect.

Filed Incident Air bags · Seat beltsNHTSA 11676540
Wheels & tires

27 r

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 11649758
Fuel 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...

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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 isn't that, then I guess it would be electronically related. This a serious danger that one doesn't know when it is going to strike next and the dealer understandably can't REPLICATE the acceleration failure. Me and my family needs some safety protection !!! HELP

Filed Incident Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11545990
Body, doors & structureEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident Structure · Unknown or other · Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 11536846

Lexus ES: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
202128110AirbagsF
202018130AirbagsF
20191100LightsA
20185010AirbagsC
20175000Body, doors & structureA
20169020BrakesC
20156020AirbagsC
20145000BrakesB
All ES years

2018 Lexus ES vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2018 Lexus ES

Does the 2018 Lexus ES have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2018 Lexus ES right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Lexus ES?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (1), body, doors & structure (1), engine & cooling (1).

How many complaints has the 2018 Lexus ES had?

5 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on August 7, 2023 and the latest on December 2, 2025. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2018 Lexus ES a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 53 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Lexus ES year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Lexus ES years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2018 Lexus ES has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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