2021 Lexus LS
Hybrid Gas Midsize car
The 2021 Lexus LS is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize car with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the LS 500h, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 6 complaints, most often about unknown or other.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS 500h | Hybrid | RWD | 3.5L 6-cyl + 311V Li-Ion | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,750 |
| LS 500h AWD | Hybrid | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl + 311V Li-Ion | 23 | 29 | 26 | $3,000 |
| LS 500 | Gas | RWD | 3.4L 6-cyl turbo | 18 | 29 | 22 | $3,500 |
| LS 500 AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.4L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 27 | 21 | $3,700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2021 Lexus LS is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (2)
Air Bags
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Lexus LS500 and 2018-2020 Lexus LS500 Hybrid vehicles equipped with the "Executive Package." The front passenger seat may have been assembled with interference between internal parts that can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor to incorrectly detect the occupant. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Incorrect detection of an occupant may result in improper air bag deployment during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the front passenger seat, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 7, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 24LA03.
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
minorProblem: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
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. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
6 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2022: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 2
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 2
- Wheels — 1
- Tires — 1
- Exterior Lighting — 1
- Engine — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other LS model years
2026 LS
0 recalls · 0 complaints
C2025 LS
3 recalls · 3 complaints
B2024 LS
2 recalls · 0 complaints
A2023 LS
2 recalls · 1 complaints
A2022 LS
1 recalls · 0 complaints
B2020 LS
2 recalls · 0 complaints
D2019 LS
4 recalls · 7 complaints
D2018 LS
4 recalls · 18 complaints
A2017 LS
0 recalls · 2 complaints
A2016 LS
0 recalls · 6 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 43742, 43743, 43489, 43490). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.