Problems · NHTSA complaints

2020 Lexus NX300 problems

Owners filed 28 complaints about the 2020 Lexus NX300 with NHTSA between Jun 2020 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (9).

Complaints
28
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine9
  2. Fuel/propulsion system8
  3. Visibility/wiper3
  4. Vehicle speed control3
  5. Structure2
  6. Power train2
  7. Wheels1
  8. Fuel system, gasoline1
  9. Electrical system1
  10. Seat belts1
  11. Tires1
  12. Steering1
  13. Forward collision avoidance1
  14. Other / unknown3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20204
20211
20223
20233
20242
20256
20269

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

9 reports2 fires
“My 2020 Lexus NX 300 caught fire overnight while parked and unattended outside my residence. I discovered the fire the next morning. The Seattle Fire Department responded (incident #SFD-26-0112715) and their report states the fire originated in the engine compartment, with the cause of ignition listed as 'failure of equipment or heat source.' There was no collision, no theft, and no visible external damage prior to the fire. I am the original and only owner of this vehicle, with approximately 48,000 miles, and 100% of scheduled maintenance was performed at an authorized Lexus dealership (Lexus of Bellevue), with no aftermarket modifications. The fire also caused heat damage to a neighboring parked vehicle. I have reported this incident to Lexus Corporate Customer Experience and am seeking further investigation into the cause.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2026EngineFire reportedODI 11760153

Fuel/propulsion system

8 reports
“Low pressure fuel pump defective, which caused vehicle to stall while driving. Barely made it off of the highway when this happened, which left me in traffic with children in the car and my hazard lights until able to pull over safely and call a tow. Problem has been confirmed by independent service center and called dealership and they confirmed my vehicle was not apart of the recall. There were no warnings prior to the car malfunctioning.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 9, 2026Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11770078

Visibility/wiper

3 reports
“Rear window spontaneously exploded while pulling into my garage.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2025Visibility/wiperODI 11685334

Vehicle speed control

3 reports1 crash
“The contact owns a 2020 Lexus NX. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer could not diagnose the failure. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,880. The VIN was unavailable.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 17, 2023Vehicle speed controlODI 11539128

Structure

2 reports
“The front of the car under the hood exploded while parked and turned off.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2026Structure, Wheels, EngineODI 11774004

Power train

2 reports
“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.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 3, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11702843
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.