Lexus is rated as the most reliable car brand across all segments, yet the 2018 NX has a predicted reliability rating of 3/5 (average), according to JD Power. What am I missing?

Thanks!

 

Nothing. It's JD prediction. You can email them and ask for specifics. As is, at 29 000 miles, mine has issues that make me believe this rating.

 

 

Sure.
I have clunking noise every take off after 10-15 minutes parking. 10 out of ten, take off, clunk somewhere in the driver side tirewell, where middle of the strut would have been. Certaily, it is very hard to pin point exactly, but it's about there. Not brake pads reset, as it is irrelevant to brake pedal use. Wheel has to be slightly turned for clunk to occur.
Same clunk, only much louder, when you go over a smooth bump in the road, followed by a quick drop down.
Two of those are getting worse.
I had NX up on lift and could not find much wrong just from basic investigation. Could possibly be ISS issue, except that ISS does this in turns, like when you pull into a street with a turn.
Same time, while on the lift, found that passenger side axle has about 15-20 degrees free play, rotational, where axle input shaft enters transmission. CV joint itself is solid, but when grabbed by hand and spun back/for, it produces loud clunk IN differential. Likely gears having too much tolerance and teeth clunk, when you engage them by hand, changing direction. No leaks.. Yet. Passenger side axle is SOLID.
Of course, not that I use it, yet quality is quality. Aux does not work. Works for a few seconds and then goes dead. This is known issue with Toyota Aux input, been going on since late 2000.
Loud brake pedal clunk when it's released and rebounds back to initial position. Which is OK, dealer already told me that's how they are made. Wife's RX has similar, just much less loud.
Moonroof closes with loud rubbing vibration. Not just me, others also have it.
Friday NX goes to dealer. Here's my 2 cents bet. "It's normal" or "we can't reproduce it".

 

dealers make money when they fix their cars under warranty and have zero reason not to fix a problem that is well known.

 

The single clunk from the front left after parking is normal on these vehicles, mine does it, dealer says it's an abs self test.
The brake pedal noise, is it a clunk or a click? There's a pin in the pedal mechanism that shifts that some thick grease fixes.

 

Clunk. It simply sounds like as if brake pedal rebounds back up too fast and hits stop with loud bang. But dealer told me right away, "that's how they are made". So, someone at Lexus, when they built the car and it was QCd, heard the noise and said - that is fine. Our buyers will enjoy it.
ABS block is in driver side tire well? Isn't it in the middle of the car, somewhere between the front seats? And why would it "self test" dipping into pothole?
Hold on. I actually went down stairs, put my glasses on, opened hood and looked there. Indeed, the brake actuator assembly on the firewall, right below the master cylinder. Right about in the direction of the noise heard.
I think you are right about origin of that noise, no1SomeGuy.
That module is of course used by ABS block, as it controls hydraulic pressure in brakes. OK, I'll take that.

 

We have Lexus vehicles in the family and although my wife does not care about the electronics in the car I do and for that reason among others she will continue with Lexus but I would never buy another one again. I have complained about several things and Lexus can never seem to get it right. JMO.

 

 

So here's aftermath of my visit to dealer today.
1. Clunk in differential is normal, as predicted. They reproduced the clunk, called Lexus USA and were told that that is perfectly normal, gears meshing inside
2. Clunk in front of my L knee. Turned out to be bad strut bearing plate. They ordered part, I got loaner, they will fix it.
3. Aux they will fix also.

Wish I could upload differential clunk video. My PC refuses to recognize my phone after I reset phone Sunday. It's pretty loud.

 

I finally managed to get my phone connected to PC.
Here's vid of clunk in differential - mine is FWD - when spinning wheels. Lexus said it is normal. Fine. It's on record with them now, just in case. For sake of fairness, there is no clunks in it driving. But you should have seen service guy face when I played that vid for him...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IT...RJWt_9e8zqu59A

 

Now it starts being interesting
Lexus just called and sais:
- they replaced L strut and the problem with clunk didn't go away
- then technician diagnosed it as a right strut bad
- they replaced right strut
- clunk is still there
- LEXUS ENGINEER IS COMING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE CLUNK IS COMING FROM.

I need popcorn!! But I give them credit - they gave me nice loaner and are trying to figure it out, not to pet me on the shoulder and tell me "it's normal". To be honest, as it clunks going over speed bumps, I think it's either sway bar bushing or one of the power train mounts. Oh well.

I'll update as it develops.

 

Looks and sounds like gears play in differential. You can stick long screwdriver to your year/head and touch different parts of car to get better idea about were the noise is coming from.

 

Granted different Lexus but I had a similar sound when we had our 2015 RX F-Sport...At the time the suspension was making a clunking and sometimes creaking type of sound especially going over speed bumps. I took it to my selling dealer three times and each time they told me they inspected the suspension and everything was fine, there was nothing wrong...

So finally I took it to another dealer, the one where I had purchased my first two Lexus' from. The tech drove it and said he is going to put it on the lift but was pretty sure it's the rear trailing arms. A little while later my SA tells me they are replacing the trailing arms because there was too much play in the bushings because they weren't seated properly.

He said it was a common issue, once the trailing arms were replaced the noise was gone.. Not sure if this pertains to the NX but figured I would put it out there.. Good Luck..

 

Thank you. Clunk is clearly in the front, at about 60 degrees down eye to knee line sitting in driver seat. I have very good ear for this type of things, I'd have noticed it coming from rear.
But I do, again, appreciate the dedication. At least, now I have two new struts up front, he he.