What 23 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus Nx300

While driving, my vehicle's check engine light came on and the vehicle entered limp mode without warning. It would not exceed 25 MPH and was stuck in 2WD, displaying the message "reduced engine power – take vehicle to nearest dealer." This created a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle could not maintain safe speed in traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The Lexus dealer diagnosed trouble codes P219C00, P160500, P030027, and P0301300 — cylinder #1 air/fuel ratio imbalance, rough idling, random misfire, and cylinder #1 misfire. Through active injector testing, the technician confirmed the cylinder #1 direct (high-pressure) fuel injector has failed, and recommended replacing all four direct injectors at a quoted cost of approximately $6,600. The dealer's inspection report also cited Lexus service bulletin L-SB-0007-21 for possible worn exhaust valve guides, a separate documented defect in this engine that produces these same misfire codes and limp mode, with a repair (cylinder head and valve replacement) that can exceed $10,000. Lexus has known about these failures in the 8AR-FTS engine since at least March 2021, when it issued L-SB-0007-21 covering 2018–2021 NX 300 vehicles. The bulletin acknowledges affected vehicles enter limp mode. Despite this, Lexus has not issued a recall, and owners whose vehicles fail shortly after the warranty period expires are left paying thousands of dollars for a known defect. My warranty coverage lapsed shortly before this failure occurred, and Lexus corporate declined meaningful assistance. A vehicle that suddenly cannot exceed 25 MPH on public roads is a crash risk to its occupants and surrounding traffic. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this defect for a potential recall.

NHTSA ODI 11748823

The contact owns a 2020 Lexus NX300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The message “Electronic Fuel System Failure” was displayed, and the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local Auto Zone, and the contact was informed about the fuel system failure. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in an extended warranty coverage associated with the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747682

While driving at interstate highway speed at approximately 70 mph in heavy rush hour traffic, the vehicle suddenly made a popping sound and immediately lost all engine power. The accelerator became unresponsive, and the vehicle rapidly decelerated without warning. I was forced to coast across lanes to the shoulder to avoid a collision. The engine shut down completely and the vehicle would not restart. This created a serious risk of injury or death due to loss of power in high-speed traffic. The vehicle had to be towed and is currently undrivable. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had a long history of repeated engine misfires. Spark plugs were replaced twice, and a fuel line repair was performed. Despite these repairs, the misfires continued. The sudden engine shutdown occurred without warning.

NHTSA ODI 11705864

I am submitting this complaint to report a significant safety defect in my Lexus vehicle. Without any prior warning or history of mechanical problems, the vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of engine power while I was merging onto a busy highway. The vehicle rapidly decelerated despite continued acceleration input, forcing me to navigate to the shoulder while surrounding traffic was traveling at high speed. This unexpected loss of power created an immediate and substantial risk of a collision and posed a serious danger to myself and other motorists. Following this incident, I took the vehicle to a local auto shop, which identified diagnostic code P030002, indicating a misfire in Cylinder 2. I then promptly brought the vehicle to an authorized Lexus dealership. Their diagnostic confirmed the same code and attributed the failure to a “Cylinder 2 direct fuel injector leaking.” Lexus has already acknowledged this defect in TSB L-SB-0007-21, demonstrating that the manufacturer is aware of this recurring issue. My vehicle is five years old with fewer than 100,000 miles, yet this defect resulted in a dangerous loss of engine power under highway conditions. The dealership quoted over $3,000 to replace a single injector, and the remaining injectors may fail at any time, further compounding the safety risk. Despite its knowledge of this defect, Lexus has not issued a recall, implemented preventive measures, or offered assistance, citing that the vehicle is slightly outside the 70,000-mile warranty. I have therefore been left with a vehicle that is unsafe for continued highway operation. Given the severity of the incident, the known recurrence of this defect, and the manufacturer’s lack of corrective action, I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter, as it presents a substantial and ongoing hazard to consumers and the driving public.

NHTSA ODI 11702843

I am writing to formally express my concern regarding ongoing issues with my vehicle following repairs performed at Crown Lexus in Ontario. In December 2024, I experienced rough idling, slow acceleration with vibration, fluctuating RPMs, and stalling. The check engine light turned on, and an error message instructed me to pull over and contact a local dealer due to engine/transmission trouble. I promptly brought the vehicle to Crown Lexus, where it was diagnosed with a faulty cylinder head requiring full replacement. The repairs were completed at that time. However, over the past four months, the same issues have reappeared. I returned the vehicle to Crown Lexus, where I was told no problems were found and the car was safe to drive. Unfortunately, just two days later, the issues persisted, and I am now bringing the vehicle back in for a third time with the same engine/transmission symptoms. Given the recurrence of these serious issues and the prior repairs conducted, I kindly request a thorough diagnostic review and a resolution to ensure the vehicle is safe and functioning properly. I would also appreciate documentation of all findings and repairs. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a prompt and effective resolutio

NHTSA ODI 11660901

The contact owns a 2020 Lexus NX300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The message "Reduced Speed" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,283.

NHTSA ODI 11646690

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 LEXUS NX300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT 2:45 AM THERE WAS A LOAD SOUND COMING FROM THE DRIVEWAY WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE CONTACT THEN DISCOVERED HER VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE HOOD. THE TIRE EXPLODED ALONG WITH THE WINDSHIELD FRACTURING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN SINCE WEDNESDAY FROM THE INCIDENT DATE ON SATURDAY. THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISH BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT ONLY THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE REMAINED AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD BE TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE AN INVESTIGATOR WAS TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE BUT AS OF YET THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE CONTACT STATED AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED CONTACT THERE WAS NO RECALLS ON VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,500.

NHTSA ODI 11326766