2018 Lexus LS reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Lexus LS has 10 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 2 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 LS years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor and Sidewall.

2018 Lexus LS 500 — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 10), then Wheels (3) and Forward collision avoidance (1). The most filings arrived in 2019 (4 of 10).

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 LS has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Lexus LS. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2024-04-17 · NHTSA campaign 24V275000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Lexus LS500 and 2018-2020 Lexus LS500 Hybrid vehicles equipped with the "Executive Package." The front passenger seat may have been assembled with interference between internal parts that can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor to incorrectly detect the occupant. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair the front passenger seat, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 7, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 24LA03.

Recall tires, sidewall 2019-02-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V134000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Lexus LS vehicles equipped with run-flat tires with a sidewall reinforcement layer inside the tire. The tire-on-wheel assembly process may have caused the reinforcement layer to crack, possibly resulting in the tire tread layer separating from the tire.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will replace the affected tires, free of charge. The recall began April 26, 2019. Owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. The Toyota number for this recall is KLC.

Complaints by component (10 total)

Electrical system

Wheels

Forward collision avoidance

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Seats

Steering

Tires

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Large lump/lumps on the lower left / bottom portion of the driver's seat, protruding from the seat bottom closest to the lower bolster. As a direct result my left leg loses its circulation, it causes numbness and muscle…"
Seats · filed 2025-01-01
"Recently I purchased a CPO Lexus 2018 LS 500. I realized I am not able to enter Coordinate in the GPS Navigation system. Lexus took away the most import tool (The coordinate Entry) in navigation system away, this make…"
Unknown or other · filed 2024-04-11
"All 4 tires have tread wear on the inner side. Took it to lexus they said no remedy is available ended up selling the car. May cause slip and accident"
Wheels · filed 2024-01-14
"The vehicle exhibited 3 episodes of premature battery failure. Mileage of the vehicle is 6000 miles. Without any warning the car would just not start from a gas pump or such locations in the middle of the road. This is…"
Electrical system · filed 2022-01-04
"VEHICLE HESITATES WHILE DRIVING. RECALL ANNOUNCED TO US 1/20/2020. HAVE ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO HAVE DEALERSHIP DO THE FREE RECALL REPAIR. EVEN WHILE THERE FOR OIL CHANGES AND REGULAR SERVICES THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR.…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2020-10-27

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
LS 500	3.4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	19	30	23 MPG	$3450
LS 500 all-wheel drive	3.4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	All-wheel drive	18	27	21 MPG	$3800
LS 500h	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (AV-S10)	Rear-wheel drive	25	33	28 MPG	$2850
LS 500h all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (AV-S10)	All-wheel drive	23	31	26 MPG	$3050

Specs and fitment

5th generation (XF50), 2018–present

Body styles Sedan

Oil 0W-20 (LS 500; 5W-20 acceptable temporarily if 0W-20 unavailable)

Tire size 245/50RF19 (base), 245/45RF20 (20-inch and F SPORT) front / 245/50RF19 (base), 245/45RF20 (20-inch), 275/40RF20 (F SPORT staggered) rear

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 19V-134 covers certain 2018 Lexus LS vehicles equipped with run-flat tires that have a sidewall reinforcement layer: the tire-on-wheel assembly process may have cracked that layer, which can let the tread separate. If the tread separates, handling and stability may be affected, increasing the risk of a crash. Lexus dealers replace the affected tires free of charge. Recall 24V-275 covers certain 2018-2021 LS500 and 2018-2020 LS500 Hybrid vehicles with the Executive Package: interference in the front passenger seat assembly can cause the Occupant Classification System sensor to misdetect the occupant, which may result in improper air bag deployment. Dealers inspect and repair the seat as needed free of charge. Low-pressure fuel pump recalls 20V-012 and 20V-682 also include certain LS500 and LS500h model years among a much larger multi-model campaign.

Compare

See every Lexus LS model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Lexus LS reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Lexus LS?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 10), then Wheels (3) and Forward collision avoidance (1). The most filings arrived in 2019 (4 of 10).

Is the 2018 Lexus LS more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 LS has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 1 complaint, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Lexus LS been recalled?

The 2018 Lexus LS has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Lexus LS?

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2018 Lexus LS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Lexus LS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Lexus LS is 24.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2015 Lexus LS?

4th generation XF40 (model years 2007-2017).

What oil does a Lexus LS 500 take?

The 2018+ LS 500 owner's manual specifies SAE 0W-20; capacity with filter is about 6.7 qt (RWD) or 7.5 qt (AWD).