2024 Lexus NX: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 129 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, body and structure, and fuel system. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

2024

Owner complaints: 129
Recalls: 4
Crashes reported: 16; 16 injuries
Reliability: Good; 77/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/9 checked

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3

01Confirm the 4 recalls listed below show as completed for this VIN. A Lexus dealer can look them up for free.
02Ask for service records showing 12V battery replacements or jump starts, and have the battery load-tested.
03Check the sunroof glass for chips or cracks and ask whether it has ever been replaced.

Walk-around and cabin

Engine off, key in hand0/3

04On a 450h+, let it sit overnight, then confirm the fob unlocks the doors and the car starts.
05Inspect the light at the bottom of the driver's door and nearby trim for scorch marks or melted plastic.
06Pair a phone with CarPlay and test hands-free calls and voice commands for dropouts.

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1

07Press the fuel door release several times and confirm the door opens every time.

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2

08Drive at highway speed and listen for wind noise or a door-open warning from the driver's door.
09Hold a steady 38 to 48 mph and feel for vibration in the steering wheel or floor.

These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.

Which NX is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Lexus NX. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

Version	Drive	EPA rating
2.4L 4-cylGas	AWD	24 mpg
2.5L 4-cylGas	AWD, FWD	28 mpg
2.5L 4-cylHybrid	AWD	39 mpg
2.5L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid	AWD	550 mi range

The 2024 Lexus NX was sold in four versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A NX that averages well under the EPA 24 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Check the odometer against these mileages

Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.

12V battery failure, power loss
5,000–14,600 miles

0 mi25k50k

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Lexus NX, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

Electrical112 crashes
The 12V battery dies and leaves the car unable to start. This is the most common pattern, and several reports involve the 450h+ plug-in hybrid after short trips. With the doors and liftgate locked, some drivers crawl in through the cargo area. One report describes repeat drains at about 5,000 and 6000 miles, including after a warranty battery replacement. Other reports cover a door courtesy light that sparked into a fire, a driver door that opened while driving, a dark gauge cluster, false blind spot alerts, and late collision warnings in 2 crash reports.
Body and structure3No crashes
The sunroof shatters without warning. Two reports describe this with the roof closed, and one happened on the highway. Neither report names an impact or a cause. A separate complaint says that in winter storms the front end packs with snow and buries the standard headlights, which have no washers. The snow also shuts down the safety features, so the driver has to stop and clear it, and the fix lasts only a few miles.
Fuel system21 crash
The fuel door latch won't release, so the tank can't be filled. Support suggested prying the door open while someone else pressed the button, and the dealer is ordering a replacement part. The other complaint describes sudden acceleration followed by an automatic braking failure that ended in a crash, with no warning signs beforehand. Lexus pulled data from the vehicle but had not yet explained the results to the owner.
Transmission2No crashes
The car loses all electrical power while driving, which is the most serious report here. The cluster goes dark and power steering and brake assist cut out, so the driver has to coast to a stop. It happened twice on a 450h+ plug-in hybrid at about 14,600 miles, and the second time came after the dealer replaced the 12V battery. A separate NX 350 complaint describes a popping sound, then a car that would not go into Drive even though the shifter showed D and the screen read Park.
Wipers and visibility2No crashes
The wipers stop about 3 inches short of the windshield edge and leave a strip of glass uncleaned. A second complaint says the driver's side mirror vibrates constantly at highway speeds around 65 mph. Neither complaint mentions a crash, an injury, or a dealer repair. Both describe how the parts are designed and behave in normal use, not a part that broke over time. Shoppers who drive often in rain or at highway speed may want to check both during a test drive.

How the 2024 compares with other NX years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2024 has the most owner complaints of the 8 NX years we cover, about 4.7 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2024 Average of other years

Electrical111
Body and structure31
Fuel system24
Transmission21
Wipers and visibility21

Recalls to confirm (4)

Recall repairs are free at any Lexus dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.

25V744000Backup cameraOct 2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
25V040000SteeringJan 2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous NHTSA recall number 23V-480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.
24V482000SeatsJun 2024
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2024 Lexus RX 350, RX 350h, 2024-2025 NX 250, NX 350, and NX 350h vehicles. The head restraints on the driver and front passenger seats may be inadvertently removed without pressing the lock release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 202, "Head Restraints.".
Risk: A head restraint that is inadvertently removed and not reinstalled can increase the risk of injury during a rear-end crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat head rest assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 14, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24LB06 and 24LA06.
23V480000SteeringJul 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.

Also looking at these instead of a NX?

Cars shoppers compare with the Lexus NX, with their own 2024 checklists.

2024 owner complaints, side by side