Lexus · NX · 2021
0
Recalls
17
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2021 Lexus NX has no recalls and 17 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: engine (2 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
16.1% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The high-pressure fuel pump and related fuel system sensor failed, resulting in a sudden loss of engine power. The failure was confirmed by diagnostic trouble codes retrieved by an independent mechanic. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost power and became inoperable, leaving me unable to accelerate or maintain speed. This created a dangerous situation with surrounding traffic, including a truck traveling behind me, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision or crash. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. An independent mechanic retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating failure of the high-pressure fuel pump and related sensor. A dealership acknowledged the issue but was unable to reproduce the problem at the time of inspection because the codes had cleared. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealership after being towed. No police or insurance inspections were conducted. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no significant warning signs prior to the sudden loss of power. The failure occurred unexpectedly while driving. Diagnostic codes were retrieved immediately after the incident but were no longer present during the dealership inspection.
My vehicle has slowed while driving four times within the last 12 months. I have taken it to the Hendrick Lexus dealership in Charlotte as well as the Scott Clark Toyota dealership in Charlotte. I was told by the Lexus dealership they could not find anything wrong (this was back in July 2025). The Toyota dealership stated (March 2026) that there may be a problem with the fuel pump, but they were unable to confirm this issue and after getting the vehicle back the same thing happened while driving. This has been concerning. It is very dangerous for us to drive the vehicle at this point. I see that there has been a safety recall introduced in the state of Georgia at a Smyrna Lexus dealership, but I have yet to see any other information. I would greatly appreciate an investigation. Thank you.
Vehicle began exhibiting multiple electrical safety issues around April 2025. EMF (electromagnetic field) levels were measured and found to be excessively high, causing physical discomfort and triggering health concerns for my disabled son and me. We both sought medical attention. Two independent mechanics inspected the vehicle and confirmed it showed signs of water intrusion or exposure to hazardous materials — including corrosion, damage to internal components, and abnormal underbody residue. I reported this to Lexus in April and also submitted a lemon claim, but they have failed to act or resolve the matter despite multiple follow-ups. Additional issues include malfunctioning GPS, flickering interior lighting, and system errors suggesting possible electrical instability. I no longer feel safe operating the vehicle due to the ongoing risks and lack of manufacturer response. This is a serious failure of duty to inform, inspect, or repair — and may indicate deeper electrical or structural defects that pose risk to others.
Coming down a steep, narrow, long driveway leading from a private home on a hill, and moving forward in low gear, I allege that the brakes failed. After 3-5 attempts at braking, we came off the cement driveway as we accelerated and slid off the side of the hill, turning over onto the driver's side of the car and coming to rest near a dropoff, held by the branches of an oak tree. Fire engines came, and the Jaws of Life were applied, basically demolishing the car (which did hold together as we slid along). The seat belts also did their job. The car was removed from the towing yard in Grover Beach, CA, to Fresno, CA, whereupon the car's computer was inspected by an engineer hired by Lexus. He reported no failures. Besides me, the driver, there were two other occupants. My sister has sustained whiplash, and her boyfriend is having some pain in his hip. I seem to be fine. The other occupants were held in place by the seat belts. I was held by my belt and was also resting against the side air bag on the driver's door. The passenger's front side air bag also deployed. There is no confirmation of a problem by the dealer or an independent service center, unless the engineer counts as independent. Other than the engineer, I don't know of any inspection of the vehicle. The Highway Patrol was on the scene but did not write a report as we were on private property. No warning lamps came on that I observed.
The passenger airbag light is constantly on. When no one is sitting on the chair, the light states that the air bag is off and when someone is sitting in the chair, the airbag light states that it is on. I just purchased this used car a month ago from a Toyota dealership. Two weeks in with no accident whatsoever, the problem had occurred. I noticed the airbag light turned on when I first purchased the car but it would quickly turned off completely after a while.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus NX300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his father heard the car alarm sounding off. The contact went to inspect the vehicle and saw that sunroof glass had shattered. The contact stated that he reviewed the home security footage and observed that the sunroof glass had not been impacted by an object for the sunroof glass to shatter. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,718.
The left-hand side outer rear-view mirror vibrates while driving causing safety hazard as it is difficult to clearly see cars behind, or potentially passing while the glass is shaking; yes it is risky; the Lexus dealer in Frederick CO has confirmed the problem. There is currently a warning for other years with the same problem; this is a 2021 NX 300
My sunroof exploded outward while I was driving on the highway. It sounded like a gunshot and sent glass flying everywhere. There was no prior damage to the sunroof which is why I fully believe the materials- glass and frame were defective which led to the explosion
As I was driving, , I suddenly heard a very loud noise. I didn’t know what it was till I was going to turn to look at the side view mirror of any cars or pedestrians passing. Then only I realized it was my right view mirror that suddenly blew up.. I was lucky that it didn’t blew up in crosswalk where people were standing or waiting to cross because the fragments could have hit anyone..
Driving 35 MPH in right lane, heard popping sound from driver side front tire, difficult to steer car as air deflated immediately from tire, pulled over to side of road. Was difficult steering car after tire deflated, felt at risk and had 94 year old passenger in car. tow truck driver stated it looked like a defective tire. warning light of low tire pressure came on as the tire rapidly deflated tire size 225/65R 17
While driving our Lexus on 8/13/2023 on the interstate under normal driving conditions ALL of our warning lights came on one after another. We also lost air conditioning and power brakes it seemed. We immediately exited and pulled over. Opened the hood and the engine caught fire and fully engulfed the engine compartment. From the time of the first warning light to the vehicle being engulfed was probably 5 - 7 minutes. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. We filed a product liability claim with Lexus/Toyota and they investigated the vehicle on or around 8/28/2023 and were not able to determine a cause of the fire. Because they could not determine a cause our claim was denied. Our car was perfectly maintained and only had 15,000 miles on it at the time of the fire. We bought this vehicle new almost two years to the day of the fire and believe the fire was caused by a defective part. We understand it is very difficult to determine the cause of an automobile engine fire. Other comments below: We do not know where the vehicle is now as there was an insurance claim and the insurance company only held it for 30 days. Our safety and the safety of others was at risk luckily no one was injured. Problem has not been reproduced or reviewed by an independent service center. Vehicle was inspected. All electrical warning lights came on
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus NX300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle slowly lost automotive power and decelerated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and restarted the vehicle to continue driving normally. The contact stated that the check engine, traction control, and Service Soon warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
The forward collision not working when it raining. I took to a dealership and they said they test the system not the car and everything it okay. I did a test myself today (10/13/2022),and the system didn't work. They advertised that on national tv and it not working. The sales person convinced me to get this car because it very safe for my family, and failed miserably. What lexus is doing called false advertisements, and I need your help to fix this situation with my car please.
I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the service I have received regarding my 2021 Lexus NX 300, which I purchased pre-owned in October 2022 with approximately 8,000 miles. I trusted in Lexus's renowned reputation for luxury, dependability, and premium comfort. However, my experience with your service department has significantly diminished that trust. Since my initial report of a recurring issue with the braking system on [XXX], 2023, where I heard a cracking sound in the tire and brake area as if the brakes and wheels were about to fail, I have made multiple visits to the dealership. These visits include: [XXX], 2023: Initial concern reported. No findings were made. [XXX], 2023: Returned to the dealership, noise was noticed, and advised that the braking pins required replacing. Left the dealership with a louder noise issue. [XXX], 2023: Christopher Villacreses acknowledged a few complaints regarding the braking system but stated there was no solution and no recall on the vehicle. When questioned about persistent issues, he advised to bring the car back but was unsure if it would be covered under warranty. [XXX], 2024: After filing a complaint with Corporate, Tim, the Master Technician, was assigned to check the vehicle. I was provided with a loaner car for a week. Upon returning, no explanation of the problem was given, despite my deep concerns for my family's safety. [XXX], 2024: Following a complaint with NCDS, Lexus replaced all brakes on the vehicle. However, the problem persisted and seemingly worsened. Despite five subsequent visits and repeated attempts to address the issue, including replacing the brake kits, pins, and all four brake pads, the problem remains unresolved. I am in fear that my brakes may fail while driving, potentially causing injury to my family or others due to this defect. I feel manipulated by the corporation's lack of transparency regarding the issue, and I no feel safe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This is an original equipment Yokohama Geolandar tire with 26,650 miles size 225/60R18. We were traveling on I-80 through a work zone at 50 mph. We noticed our tire pressure indicator was lit. On a separate info screen, I could see the pressure on each tire and watched the passenger front tire at 14 psi and then decline. This told me we had a blowout rather than a leak. The other 3 tires were at the normal 35 psi. Through the work zone, the shoulder was closed, so I had to drive on the tire with inflation below 10 psi until I reached an area wide enough to safely pull over, about 2 miles. The blowout was surprising as we did not hit anything and there were no potholes. Everything was normal until the tire pressure light came on. On inspection at the Lexus dealer, they were unable to determine the cause but noted damage on the sidewall due to driving at low inflation.
middle seat belt in rear seat jammed and would not retract. dealer had to fix
Driver side mirror shakes when traveling on highway, making it difficult to see other vehicles clearly in blindspots. Manufacture closed case saying they called the dealership and my mirror doesn't shake any more than other models. Dealership confirmed most of the nx300 mirrors side view mirrors shake on the highway. Toyota has fixed their rav 4 mirrors, Lexus doesn't have a fix, and doesn't seem interested in finding one. The faster you go over 55 mph the more the side mirror shakes. The jiggle is about half an inch of movement, and a vibrating mirror makes it difficult to tell the difference between cars and other objects .
The 2021 Lexus NX has 0 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 17 owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Lexus NX.
The 2021 Lexus NX received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2021 Lexus NX are engine (2 reports), visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior (2 reports), electrical system (2 reports).
NHTSA does not currently list any recalls on record for the 2021 Lexus NX. To verify the status of your specific vehicle, check nhtsa.gov/recalls with your VIN.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.