Lucid AIR Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Lucid AIR options? We analyzed 5 model years (2022–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Lucid AIR has 72 owner complaints and 42 safety recalls across model years 2022–2026. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2023 drew the most complaints; 2026 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Lucid
- Model
- AIR
- Model years analyzed
- 2022–2026 (5 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 72
- Safety recall campaigns
- 42
- Crash-related complaints
- 14
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2023 (24 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2026 (3 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Average
By model year
Lucid AIR: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
AverageThe LUCID AIR has 72 NHTSA complaints and 42 recalls on record. 14 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 72 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 42 federal recall campaigns
- 14 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
42 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL:SOFTWARE
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL:SOFTWARE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY THERMAL:MANAGEMENT:SOFTWARE
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:INVERTER
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:FUSES, RELAYS, CONTACTS, AND SHUNTS
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
VISIBILITY/WIPER
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2022–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 72 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
72 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
While operating the vehicle, I experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of propulsion accompanied by a Drive System Failure warning. An associated fault message was also displayed. The vehicle became immediately undrivable and required towing. This matter is not being raised as a routine service concern. The critical issue is the abrupt and uncommanded loss of propulsion during active vehicle operation. Had this event occurred under different driving conditions—such as highway speeds, dense traffic, or an intersection—the potential safety consequences could have been severe, including elevated risk of collision. A propulsion loss of this nature represents a potential safety hazard to vehicle occupants and surrounding road users. Accordingly, I am requesting that Lucid treat this matter as a formal PRODUCT SAFETY INCIDENT requiring engineering-level review, rather than a standard repair disposition.
On [XXX], at approximately [XXX], I arrived at the YMCA parking lot for my yoga class (located on [XXX], Mountain View, CA). While waiting for a parking spot, I put my Lucid Air in reverse to back up slightly. Generally, Lucid’s strong regenerative braking stops the car when the accelerator is released. However, this time, when I lifted my foot, the car unexpectedly accelerated at high speed, completely unresponsive to my control. It plowed through a pedestrian walkway, a row of bushes, and crashed into the exterior wall of the YMCA building before shutting itself off. The steering wheel was also unresponsive during the unexpected acceleration. After the crash, the car shut itself down and would not restart. The crash caused injury to my neck, and it was a miracle that no one was behind me at the normally very busy parking lot. The sudden acceleration and loss of control over the car was terrifying. In addition, all other safety mechanisms such as automatic braking failed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Main issue is that the vehicle will take about 30 seconds to unlock/awake, this is completely unacceptable! even the cheapest car on the market unlocks within a fraction of a second, this can also be a dangerous situation if i need to enter my vehicle quickly. Second issue is that the drivers side windshield wiper leaves smudges after wiping, even after changing the blades, the wiper still performs the same, i believe its the shape of the windshield that causes this. third issue is that the driver side lower seat cushion is retracting and buckling, this has been replaced once and its doing it again, but warranty says its normal wear and tear, this vehicle only has 18k miles on it. 4th issue is that Lucid just sent out an email blast for customers have an option to purchase a hardware upgrade for future enhancements and faster response on screen animations, this is completely insane! this vehicle manufacturer should've calculated all this before vehicle production, this should be a free upgrade for customers to offer future updates and safety features on the vehicles computer hardware. 5ft issue is, i contacted Lucid customer service to voice my opinion and find a resolution more than 5 times, which nobody ever got back to me, i asked to speak to someone on a higher role in the company, and that seems to be impossible. 6th issue is that i asked my service advisor for someone to get in touch with me for a buy-back, he replied that he will forward this to his team and they will send me an application for the buy-back process, that was 6 months ago! and contact from Lucid.
Following the OTA software update to V2.6.16, the car will randomly refuse to shift out of Park and into either Drive or Reverse. This occurs after the car has been recently plugged in to charge as well as randomly regardless of charging activity. This is a significant safety issue in that the car will not move despite having foot on the brake.
There was a safety recall, but Lucid told us the car was safe to drive while we waited for our service appointment. A couple of days before our appointment, (this past 2/9/2025) the car lost brakes, steering, and then completely bricked on the GWB. By great good fortune my wife, who was driving, wasn't injured. The car needed to be towed off the bridge. The service center afterward told us that it was the recall issue (short cable to power train or something like that) and that we shouldn't have been told it was safe to drive the car.
The recent software update v2.5.0 has been very unstable. The screens would often black out every 30 seconds and calls get cut off. But the biggest problem was it resetting profile while driving on the highway! Theres no way to fix it and we had to pull over on the side to switch profiles again to fix the seat. We called them and lucid has yet to call us back. This is a safety issue
Read 14 more owner reports
I was driving on a residential road and the car signaled it had an error and the engine turned off immediately. I was left in the road and couldn’t move. After an hour the electric died. No hazards. I was put in a very dangerous situation for me and passerby’s.
Car lost power and shut down in the middle of the road. Very dangerous, almost got hit. I was able to get the car to the side of the road. The vehicle was not driveable. Call Lucid customer care and they towed the vehicle to the service center. No loaner was provided to me.
My 2023 Lucid Air Touring experienced a rearview camera/display failure while reversing, resulting in a backing collision and rear bumper damage. The main display/rearview image went blank or became unavailable during an active reverse maneuver, and the vehicle did not provide effective visual guidance or rear safety alerts before impact. This failure is consistent with NHTSA Recall 26V017 / Lucid SR-26-01-0, which concerns the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, increasing the risk of a crash. Lucid denied responsibility but has not provided the underlying data, logs, timestamps, diagnostic records, software version history, OTA update records, or methodology supporting its conclusion. Lucid initially stated that the vehicle was not being operated during the reported time window, which I disputed because the vehicle was actively reversing when the display failure occurred. Lucid later acknowledged that a collision occurred but claimed no system errors were detected and that the recall update had allegedly been installed before the incident. If true, that creates an additional concern that the recall remedy may have been ineffective, incomplete, or insufficient. The absence of a recorded fault code does not prove that the rearview camera/display system functioned properly. I request that NHTSA investigate this as a potential rear visibility safety defect, FMVSS 111 issue, recall remedy failure, and inadequate manufacturer investigation. Lucid should be required to preserve and review all telemetry, event data, diagnostic logs, software records, OTA update records, camera/display/ACU logs, service history, and internal engineering analysis related to this incident.
The contact owned a 2023 Lucid Air. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle in front started to brake; therefore, the contact depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle then, instead of decreasing in speed it accelerated independently. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front. The impact then caused the vehicle crashed into the rear to crash into the vehicle in front of it. Another vehicle on the side lane was also impacted due to the crash. The contact stated that the air bags deployed. The contact stated that he sustained bruises to both legs. Medical attention was required. Another unknown occupant was injured, but no further information was available. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to an unknown body shop, and then the vehicle was towed to Ace Auto Body. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed him that they were not responsible for the failure. The contact mentioned the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000. The VIN was invalid.
Premature wear in perforated leather/vinyl seats. Cracking and tearing.
On Saturday [XXX], in Chino Hills, CA (ZIP Code 91709), my 2023 Lucid Air Touring experienced a sudden unintended acceleration event. Shortly after releasing the accelerator pedal to obtain a parking pass, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated at a high speed, resulting in a collision with the pavement and a post on the premises. This incident bears similarities to the all-weather mat recall; however, Lucid has confirmed that my vehicle's mats are not listed under the recall. The failure appears to be related to the Lucid electric propulsion system, which is available for inspection upon request. As a result of the crash, I sustained minor injuries. A police report has been filed with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department by Deputy M. Scott (Report #[XXX], Chino Hills Station, Chino Hills, CA 91709). Lucid is currently conducting an investigation and has issued Incident Report #[XXX]. Additionally, State Farm Auto Insurance (California) has assigned an appraiser to assess the body damage. There was no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the issue appearing except for one short incident of sudden unintended acceleration experienced by my husband which has been reported to Lucid. Please let me know if further information or inspection arrangements are needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The vehicle became completely inoperable suddenly while driving on the road due to a "drive unit failure." Fortunately, I was still at an intersection when this occurred. I don't what would have happened if I was in motion, especially at higher speed on a highway. The car was towed to the nearest Lucid service center, but it remains there over 6 weeks later as they are not able to fix the problem.
The contact owns a 2023 Lucid Air. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a red light and in the "Dream" driving mode, the light turned green and the vehicle drove forward and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. The contact indicated that the "Dream" driving mode had malfunctioned and did not detect the vehicle ahead. During the crash, the vehicle was traveling approximately 5 MPH. No injuries were reported, and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but was unwilling to share data from the vehicle related to the crash. After the incident, the contact will no longer drive the vehicle due to the safety concerns. The failure mileage was 21,000.
I am submitting this complaint regarding a severe safety defect in my 2023 Lucid Air Grand Touring (VIN: [XXX] ). On [XXX], while driving on a state highway with my family—including my [XXX] and [XXX] children—the vehicle suddenly and without warning limited its speed to 35 MPH. This created an immediate and dangerous situation on a high-speed road, significantly increasing the risk of a rear-end collision. I was unable to accelerate beyond this limit, forcing me to pull over abruptly and navigate traffic hazards. This incident could have resulted in a serious accident or injury. I immediately reported this issue to Lucid Customer Care and took the vehicle to an authorized Lucid service center. The vehicle was out of service for 25 days (February 23, 2025 – March 19, 2025) for diagnostics and repairs. Ongoing Safety Concerns & Lack of Response from Lucid Motors Since this incident, I have repeatedly contacted Lucid Motors Customer Care, but I have received no clear response regarding the cause of this dangerous failure or any assurance that this will not happen again. Furthermore: My vehicle has experienced a total of 45 days of downtime in the first 10 months of my lease due to various mechanical failures, including a heating system failure ([XXX]). Lucid has failed to provide a resolution or clear direction regarding my attempts to return the vehicle. I have lost confidence in the safety of this vehicle and am concerned that this issue may impact other Lucid Air vehicles on the road. Request for NHTSA Investigation Given the seriousness of this defect, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine: Whether other Lucid Air vehicles have experienced sudden speed limitation issues. If this defect poses an ongoing safety risk to drivers and passengers. Whether Lucid Motors is adequately addressing and communicating these defects to consumers. I believe this defect could pose a serious INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
left rear passenger door opens while opening the any other door. locking mechanism does not work, notified lucid.
truck does not close all the way. repaired it many times and keep happening.
The contact owns a 2023 Lucid Air. The contact stated that the front driver's side door failed to unlatch consistently. The contact had to enter the vehicle using the other doors. There are no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer sent for the vehicle to be picked up and taken to one of the Service Centers to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was 8.
Drive Mode - Moves the vehicle reverse and Reverse Mode - Moves the vehicle forward, no matter what it moves only FORWARD direction. If I would have trusted the Mode and drove it would have hit a high KWH charging station, would have been a major accident and lost my family! Lucid customer support recorded the whole incident and acknowledged and ordered the towe service! Vehicle is in Lucid Service center till now! They said it is software issues and all usual stories and rectified now and ready to drive( I am afraid to drive honestly as this is very dangerous issue- forward and reverse works to move ONLY in forward!) Here are the sequence: 1. Brake light failure 2, Vehicle will be in reduced power 3. Brake System failure 4.few more errors drove slowly from the parking lot to charging slot then when I put reverse mode - it moved forward only! Before this happened ADAS Issues: Lane Departure Protection Failure, Front Emergency Brake Failure, Traffic Drive Off Alert failure - Lucid Service acknowledge and corrected before!
The contact owns a 2023 Lucid Air. The contact stated that he had purchased and picked up the vehicle from the Service Center. The contact stated that the vehicle had a 425-mile range, and the mile range at pick-up was 408. The contact stated that while driving 64 MPH, the heater became inoperable. Additionally, the vehicle started to lose charging range. The message "Battery Critically Low Vehicle May Shut Down Unexpectedly - Charge Immediately" was displayed. The contact stated that he drove to a charging station. The contact stated that he was able to charge the vehicle after several attempts. Additionally, the charging port failed to close and was stuck after charging the vehicle. The Service Center was notified of the failure and picked up the vehicle. The Service Center later informed the contact that the heater had drained the battery, and no other issue was found. The contact stated that he noticed through the App connected to the vehicle that the Service Center had not test-driven the vehicle. The service center declined to trade the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 316.
Showing 20 of 72 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Lucid AIR
These pages show model-year patterns across 5 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Lucid AIR, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Lucid AIR has 72 complaints on record across 5 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Lucid AIR has 42 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 14 of the Lucid AIR's 72 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Lucid AIR vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Lucid AIR vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Lucid AIR has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Lucid AIR by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Lucid AIR.
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Keep researching before you buy
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Lucid AIR reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Lucid AIR reliable?
Average. The Lucid AIR has 72 NHTSA owner complaints and 42 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Lucid AIR years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2023 (24 complaints), 2022 (23 complaints), 2025 (14 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Lucid AIR problems?
Top reported issues: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (20 complaints); POWER TRAIN (17 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (16 complaints).
Does the Lucid AIR have recalls?
Yes — 42 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Lucid AIR. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.