Defect 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."
The 2018 Lexus LS is associated with 10 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Electrical System, accounting for 1 reports (10% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 4 certified vehicle configurations spanning 3.5L 6-Cyl hybrid and 3.4l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 21 to 28 MPG combined. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 10 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 2 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Electrical System (1 / 10%)
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: Not rated by NHTSA
- • EPA Efficiency: 21–28 MPG (4 variants)
What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Lexus LS?
Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS 500h Hybrid | 3.5L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AV-S10) | 25 MPG | 33 MPG | 28 MPG | — | $2,700 / yr |
| LS 500h AWD Hybrid | 3.5L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AV-S10) | 23 MPG | 31 MPG | 26 MPG | — | $2,900 / yr |
| LS 500 | 3.4L 6-Cyl | Rear-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 19 MPG | 30 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
| LS 500 AWD | 3.4L 6-Cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S10) | 18 MPG | 27 MPG | 21 MPG | — | $3,600 / yr |
What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Lexus LS?
Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP laboratory crash evaluations are not currently on file for the 2018 Lexus LS.
Not Specified and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Not Specified in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Lexus LS models.
What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Lexus LS?
Summary of 10 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2018 Lexus LS problems & component breakdown (10 categories) →Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Lexus LS?
Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA
Defect 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.
The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
- NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
- U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.