Lexus UX review - Reliability and safety

The UX received a full five-star rating for safety from Euro NCAP in 2019. This included a 96 per cent rating for adult occupant protection, 85 per cent rating for child occupants, 82 per cent for vulnerable road users and 77 per cent for safety assistance equipment.  

All models are equipped with eight airbags and the Lexus Safety System+, comprising autonomous emergency braking, dynamic cruise control, pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane departure alert, steering assist and road sign assist.

It’s an impressive package, with the UX offering a semi-autonomous mode in stop-go traffic at speeds of up to 18mph. You can also set the cruise control to obey the speed limits posted on road signs.

Reliability isn’t likely to be an issue, though Lexus has spent the last couple of years dropping down the order in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey for best manufacturer, finishing in 10th spot out of 29 brands in 2021, and 12th from 29 brands in 2022 – that’s compared to its 1st place finish in 2020.

Read into the details and you’ll see why: characteristics like reliability, comfort, quality and design are all still top notch, and with under 15 per cent of respondents noting faults, the cars have fewer issues than anything around them in the survey. But the brand takes a tumble when it comes to practicality, running costs, or that old bugbear of the fiddly infotainment system. Individual Lexus models didn’t feature in the 2022 survey, so the UX may not feature all the foibles of the range as a whole.

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Warranty

Hybrid Lexus UX models are covered by a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is the same as you’ll find on rivals from Volkswagen and Audi. However, with the Lexus Relax warranty, every time you service your vehicle at a Lexus Centre, a 12 month warranty is included for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The UX 300e is covered by a five-year or 60,000-mile warranty, with no mileage limit on the first year when it comes to the electric motor or the EV system inverter and converter. There’s also an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty covering the battery pack, which includes any degradation below 70 per cent of initial capacity. Provided you always get the car serviced at a Lexus Centre, extended cover applies here too – to a remarkable 10 years or 600,000 miles.

Servicing

Lexus recommends servicing UX models every 10,000 miles. Intermediate services, which start with an odd number (for example those at 10,000 and 30,000 miles) cost £285 while major services, which start with an even number, come in at £505. Servicing costs are significantly less for 300e models, with intermediate services priced at £160 and £315 for a major service.