Almost every NX year is a good buy; the 2017 and 2018 have the fewest complaints. The 2015 is the one to check, with fuel smell and hesitation complaints, and on a 2019 make sure the fuel pump recall is done.
Best years: 20172018 Years to avoid: none stand out
Every NX year compared
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold. Lower is better. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so they are marked too new to judge.
Year by year
| Year | Complaints | Per 100k sold | Recalls | Top issue | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 46 | - | 0 | Electrical | Too new to judge |
| 2023 | 18 | - | 0 | Other | Too new to judge |
| 2022 | 15 | 31 | 0 | Brakes | Few reports |
| 2021 | 17 | 29 | 0 | Engine | Few reports |
| 2020 | 29 | 52 | 0 | Engine | Average |
| 2019 | 44 | 75 | 1 | Fuel System | Watch out |
| 2018 | 26 | 42 | 1 | Fuel System | Good buy |
| 2017 | 30 | 51 | 0 | Other | Good buy |
| 2016 | 27 | 49 | 0 | Brakes | Average |
| 2015 | 48 | 110 | 2 | Other | Watch out |
About the NX
The NX is Lexus's compact SUV, sold from 2015 with a 2.0-liter turbo (NX 200t, later NX 300) or a hybrid. It has one of the lowest complaint rates of any SUV we track. The 2015 drew the most complaints, about fuel or exhaust smells and hesitation, and the 2019 is covered by a low-pressure fuel pump recall.
- 2015-2021: First generation, 2.0 turbo or hybrid; renamed NX 300 for 2018.
- 2022 on: Second generation, with plug-in hybrid.
Government investigations into the NX
NHTSA opens an investigation when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Some end in a recall and some close without one.
Defect petition DP22005 · 2022 · opened Jan 2023, closed Aug 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States.
NX vs rivals
Questions
What is the best year for the Lexus NX?
2017 and 2018. Almost every NX year is a good buy; the 2017 and 2018 have the fewest complaints. The 2015 is the one to check, with fuel smell and hesitation complaints, and on a 2019 make sure the fuel pump recall is done.
Which Lexus NX years should I avoid?
No year stands out as clearly bad. Check the recall list for the exact year you are looking at.
Is the Lexus NX reliable?
Yes. It has one of the lowest complaint rates in our data. Check the VIN for open recalls, especially the fuel pump recall on 2019-2020 models.
Based on 300 complaints filed by owners with U.S. safety regulators for model years 2015 to 2024, and U.S. sales by calendar year. How we score.