Lexus bulletin L-SB-0040-20 OBSOLETE
What it saysOBSOLETE NOTICE September 22, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lexus filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 22, 2026, received Oct 8, 2026, about the engine — 1 document under this number: L-SB-0040-20 Rev2. It names 34 model years (2018–2025). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationOBSOLETE NOTICE September 22, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0026-26
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-SB-0040-20 Rev2 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | 11038385 |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 34 model years this bulletin names have filed 333 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 20 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The contact owns a 2019 Lexus LS500. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH and made a knocking sound. The contact was able to drive 15 MPH and pulled over off the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the dealer.
2019 Lexus LS · Engine · filed with NHTSA Dec 21, 2023 · ODI 11561359
Main rod bearing failure in the motor. No lights on the dash. Pulling away from the traffic light, heard loud banging from the engine and loss of power. Two blocks away from home, fortunately the car made it. 97,500 miles on the car. Oil was changed at Len Stoler Lexus 1,242 ago. Service history of maintenance is superb.
2018 Lexus LS · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 11, 2026 · ODI 11770475
The contact owns a 2023 Lexus NX 250. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated. During the failure, there was no warning light illuminated or messages displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure.
2023 Lexus NX · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 7, 2026 · ODI 11755435
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group28 other manufacturer communications filed against these Lexus models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Lexus list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| L-SB-0026-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries. This bull… |
| L-SB-0021-25 | Service bulletin | Mar 10, 2026 | OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete. |
| L-TT-0349-26 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | Some Customers for the listed vehicles may have complaint of the following: unable to charge the vehicle using the supplied level 1 or 2 cha… |
| L-SB-0021-25 OBSOLETE | Service bulletin | Feb 27, 2026 | OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete. |
| L-SB-0052-25 | Service bulletin | Nov 21, 2025 | Some 2022 – 2025 model year NX 450h+ and 2024 – 2025 RX 450h+ vehicles may exhibit a MIL ON condition with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P01… |
| 24LE02 | Warranty extension | Aug 7, 2025 | The specific condition covered by this program is for a small engine coolant leak that can occur from the flow shut-off valve that can allow… |
| L-SB-0032-25 | Service bulletin | Jul 30, 2025 | Some 2016 – 2020 model year GS F, 2008 – 2014 model year IS F, 2022 – 2025 model year IS 500, 2018 – 2025 model year LC 500, 2021 – 2025 mod… |
| L-SB-0051-24 REV2 | Service bulletin | Jun 25, 2025 | Some 2021 model year ES 250 and 2019 – 2021 model year ES 300h and UX 200 vehicles equipped with an A25A-FKS, A25A-FXS, or M20A-FKS engine m… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Lexus, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Lexus L-SB-0040-20 OBSOLETE a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the L-SB-0040-20 OBSOLETE repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Toyota warranty extension on file lists the ones Toyota has filed.
Which vehicles does L-SB-0040-20 OBSOLETE cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 34 model years: 2025 Lexus ES, 2024 Lexus ES, 2023 Lexus ES, 2022 Lexus ES, 2021 Lexus ES, 2020 Lexus ES and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.