2021 Lexus LS reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Lexus LS has 5 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 0 per year. That is about even with the other LS years here. Their median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor.

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 Engine (1 of 5), then Exterior lighting (1) and Tires (1).

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 LS has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

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 2021 Lexus LS. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (5 total)

Engine

Exterior lighting

Tires

Wheels

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"My vehicle has the V6 twin turbo engine that’s been recalled on other years and models and was diagnosed with an internal engine failure. The mechanic at the dealership couldn’t figure out the problem so an expert TAS…"
Engine · filed 2026-05-26
"Both headlight assemblies on a 2021 Lexus LS 500 show external lens delamination, along with visible condensation inside the sealed units. The vehicle has been garage kept, has not been involved in any accidents, and…"
Exterior lighting · filed 2026-04-29
"I was driving and my sunroof exploded sounding like a gun shot. The sunroof shattered and was blown apart on all 4 sides. Glass fell in my face and all over me"
Unknown or other · filed 2025-04-14
"OEM Bridgestone Turanza EL440 RFT 245/45 R20 These tires have not retained recommended air pressure for more than a few weeks at a time since new. Inspection earlier this year by a Bridgestone dealer found no problem…"
Tires · filed 2024-11-21
"The car slipped because of tread wear on the inner side of all four tires. Car has manufacturer installed tires."
Wheels · filed 2024-01-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Lexus LS 500 4 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 Lexus LS 500 4 DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 Lexus LS 500h 4 DR AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated
2021 Lexus LS 500h 4 DR RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
LS 500	3.4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	29	22 MPG	$3650
LS 500 all-wheel drive	3.4L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	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	29	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 2021 Lexus LS reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 Lexus LS?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (1 of 5), then Exterior lighting (1) and Tires (1).

Is the 2021 Lexus LS more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2021 Lexus LS been recalled?

The 2021 Lexus LS has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Lexus LS?

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2021 Lexus LS with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Lexus LS get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Lexus LS is 24.3 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).