Lexus Class Action Lawsuit: The UA80 Transmission Cases
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The Lexus class action in the news is not really a Lexus case — it is a set of federal lawsuits against Toyota over the UA80 eight-speed automatic transmission, which also sits in the Lexus ES, RX, NX and TX. The lead case was filed in Texas on December 12, 2025. As of October 2026 we found no Lexus settlement, no claim form and no deadline.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lexus Lawsuit Says
The complaints allege that the UA80 transmission Toyota introduced starting in 2017 has two linked defects. Mechanically, too much heat builds up inside the transmission, burning the fluid and wearing parts early; once it fails, the vehicle can stall. In software, the lawsuits allege the control modules force early upshifts and torque-converter clutch engagement to save fuel, adding more stress.
The suits allege Toyota knew from testing, complaints and service bulletins, kept marketing the cars as reliable, and denied warranty coverage once vehicles passed mileage limits. In the Texas case the plaintiff says Toyota supplied a replacement transmission but refused to pay for installation. These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Case Details
The lead case is LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., et al., No. 4:25-cv-01389, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, filed December 12, 2025 against Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Toyota Motor North America and Toyota Motor Corporation. It seeks a nationwide class of Toyota and Lexus owners and lessees plus a Nevada subclass.
Two parallel suits followed: one in California filed in December 2025 by a 2020 Highlander owner, reportedly seeking about $5 million, and Pszwaro, et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., et al. in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, reported February 17, 2026. The New Jersey plaintiffs include owners of a 2024 Lexus TX and a 2023 Lexus ES 350.
Status: Three Lawsuits, No Lexus Settlement
Two other Lexus matters are often confused with this one. The Denso fuel pump settlement covering Toyota and Lexus vehicles is closed — its claim deadline was March 23, 2023. The V35A engine recall for the Lexus LX and GX 550 is a recall, not a settlement: the fix is free at a dealer, and no court process is needed.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Which Lexus Owners Are in the Proposed Class
The complaints list these Lexus models with the UA80 transmission:
2019-present Lexus ES 350
2021-present Lexus ES 250
2023-present Lexus RX 350
2022-present Lexus NX 250 and NX 350
2024-present Lexus TX 350
Toyota models from the 2017 Highlander onward are included too. The proposed class is current and former owners and lessees in the United States. You do not sign up for a lawsuit at this stage; if a class is certified or a settlement is reached, notice goes to class members.
What to keep: repair orders, dealer diagnoses, any warranty denial in writing and receipts for transmission work. Those are what a reimbursement claim would usually ask for.
Is There Any Lexus Settlement Money?
For context, the earlier Toyota and Lexus Denso fuel pump settlement (Cheng v. Toyota Motor Corp., No. 1:20-cv-00629, Eastern District of New York) is what a vehicle-defect resolution looked like: reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket repairs, a $28.5 million payment figure, and an extended fuel pump warranty of 15 years or 150,000 miles. It received final approval on December 20, 2022, and claims closed March 23, 2023. That is history, not a forecast for the transmission cases.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 3,954 motor vehicle product liability casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 8.3% of them filed as class actions:
- 29.4% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 17.2% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 29.4% and 46.7%.
- 4.1% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 82 reached a trial (1.2%), after a median of 30.7 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 10.2 months.
- Almost none record a money award in this data (24 of 3,954), and the recorded figures are capped, so we do not publish an average.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal motor vehicle product liability cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Lexus Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
November 2020 — Fuel Pump Recall Expands
Toyota expands its Denso fuel pump recall to 2.7 million Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Class actions follow in New York.
- 2
December 20, 2022 — Fuel Pump Settlement Approved
Final approval in Cheng v. Toyota. Claims for reimbursement close March 23, 2023.
- 3
November 6, 2025 — V35A Engine Recall Reaches the GX 550
Toyota expands the machining-debris engine recall to 2022-2024 Lexus LX and 2024 Lexus GX models: 126,691 vehicles in total, repair free of charge.
- 4
December 12, 2025 — Lead Transmission Suit Filed
LeBoutheller v. Toyota, No. 4:25-cv-01389, is filed in the Eastern District of Texas over the UA80 transmission. A California suit is filed the same month.
- 5
February 17, 2026 — New Jersey Suit Names Lexus Owners
Pszwaro v. Toyota is reported in the District of New Jersey, with plaintiffs who own a 2024 Lexus TX and a 2023 Lexus ES 350.
- 6
October 2026 — Still No Settlement
As of October 8, 2026 we found no settlement, claim form or deadline in the UA80 transmission cases.
Three Things to Watch For
Old settlement pages and a big recall make Lexus owners easy targets:
“Claim your Lexus transmission payment”
There is no transmission settlement and no claims site. A page asking for your VIN, driver's license or bank details to “reserve a payout” is collecting data, not filing a claim.
Fuel pump settlement messages in 2026
The Denso fuel pump settlement stopped taking claims on March 23, 2023. A message today offering to “reopen” or “expedite” that payment for a fee is not from the administrator.
Calls charging for the engine recall fix
The LX and GX 550 engine recall repair is free at a Lexus dealer. Nobody legitimate charges a fee to put you on the recall list. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or call Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Lexus Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a class action lawsuit Lexus owners can join right now?
There is nothing to join. The UA80 transmission lawsuits propose a class of U.S. owners and lessees of the listed Toyota and Lexus models. If the court certifies a class or approves a settlement, class members get notice. Until then, keep your repair records.
Which Lexus models are in the transmission lawsuit?
Per the complaints: 2019-present ES 350, 2021-present ES 250, 2023-present RX 350, 2022-present NX 250 and NX 350, and 2024-present TX 350.
Is there a Lexus settlement with a claim form?
Not as of October 8, 2026. The transmission cases have no settlement, claim form or deadline. The Toyota and Lexus fuel pump settlement had a claim form, but it closed on March 23, 2023.
Where is the Lexus class action lawsuit filed?
The lead case is LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., No. 4:25-cv-01389, in the Eastern District of Texas, filed December 12, 2025. Parallel cases were filed in California and in the District of New Jersey (Pszwaro v. Toyota).
My Lexus LX or GX 550 is under the engine recall. Is that a lawsuit?
No. It is a safety recall for machining debris in the twin-turbo V6, covering 2022-2024 Lexus LX and 2024 GX 550 models. The repair is free. When the recall was announced, Top Class Actions reported Toyota was not facing legal action over it.
What should I do if my Lexus transmission already failed?
Get the dealer's diagnosis and any warranty denial in writing, keep every invoice, and report the problem to NHTSA. If a settlement ever offers reimbursement, documented repairs are what it typically pays for. For a fuller view of Toyota-brand cases, see our Toyota lawsuit page.
Were there older Lexus class actions?
Yes. Besides the fuel pump settlement, a dashboard warranty case over melting dashboards, Jeffers v. Toyota Motor Corp., No. 4:17-cv-00577 in South Carolina, included several Lexus models. It was dismissed on May 22, 2018.
Has Toyota admitted the transmission is defective?
No. The defect claims are allegations in the complaints. No court has found that the transmission is defective, and the cases are at an early stage.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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