Lexus UX SUV – Reliability & safety

Lexus has forged an enviable reputation for reliability and customer care and these are among the brand's key attributes. The Japanese premium brand also enjoys a reputation for technology and sophistication, to which the UX's long list of standard and optional safety equipment lends credence.

Lexus UX reliability

Lexus couldn't have fared better in our 2020 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey: it finished ahead of every other brand among the 30 surveyed. However, the brand slipped to 10th out of 29 manufacturers in our 2021 results, before dropping a further two places in 2022. Thankfully, things seem to be improving, with the brand finishing eighth in our most recent survey.

Owners rated their cars strongly on all aspects of their performance, from engines and gearboxes to fuel consumption and running costs. Reliability was praised, with a low 14.8% of survey participants reporting at least one fault with their car in the first year. In only one category was there widespread disappointment: owners find the brand's infotainment systems fiddly to use and lacking in features.

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Safety

Safety technology is definitely a Lexus strong suit and the UX offers the brand's Lexus Safety System+ package. This includes autonomous emergency braking and active cruise control with pedestrian recognition, lane-keeping assistance and lane-departure warning, road-sign recognition, automatic headlights and auto-dipping headlights.

There's a semi-autonomous mode for driving in stop-start traffic at up to 18mph, and the active cruise control can be set to automatically comply with speed limits posted on roadside signs. Optional Parking Support looks out for traffic crossing when you're pulling out of a parking space, and there's a rear-view camera to aid manoeuvring.

The introduction of the UX 300h brought some new safety kit, including Proactive Driving Assist. This uses a camera mounted in the front bumper to detect hazards and apply the brakes if it detects a collision. There’s now also a driver monitoring system for Premium and F Sport design trims and above.

Euro NCAP awarded the UX five stars when it tested the car in the spring of 2019. It scored an impressive 96% for adult occupant protection, as well as 85% for child occupant protection and 77% for safety assist.