2023 Lucid Air Owner Complaints

My car’s backup camera and main infotainment computer lag badly. It is available for inspection. When I start the car, I have to wait 20–30 seconds for the system to boot before it even lets me shift into reverse. Once in reverse, the backup camera stutters and lags significantly instead of showing smooth, real-time video. This creates a severe blind spot for crossing pedestrians and cars when backing out, violating FMVSS 111 rear visibility standards. The issue consistently repeats on cold starts and is well-documented on early Air models. Lucid has inspected and serviced the car via routine service and OTA updates. No warning lamps appear. I am on the latest software (v2.11), but updates haven't fixed it. Lucid has publicly acknowledged early cars have hardware limits and publicly offered a $950 chip/computer upgrade. A properly functioning backup camera is a core federal safety requirement, and owners should not have to pay $950 out of pocket to fix factory hardware that can't handle basic camera latency.

NHTSA ID

11766817

Incident

Sep 24, 2026

The vehicle manufacturer (Lucid USA, Inc.) is refusing to perform federally mandated safety recall remedies under 49 U.S.C. § 30120 for open safety recalls SR-24-04-0 (NHTSA 24V-495) and SR-26-06-0 (NHTSA 26V540). Vehicle VIN [XXX] holds an official State of Arizona Restored Title. The vehicle is currently immobilized due to a physical Webasto High-Voltage Coolant Heater (HVCH) failure resulting in an Auxiliary Power Supply (APS) fault, falling under Campaign 24V-495. Furthermore, Lucid is withholding the software deployment for Campaign 26V540 (eFuse fire risk, software build 2.10.0+), which carries an explicit NHTSA advisory to park outside away from structures. Lucid refuses to execute these zero-cost safety fixes or allow diagnostic access unless I pay an out-of-pocket $40,000+ proprietary recertification inspection fee. I offered in writing to pay 100% out-of-pocket for towing and a replacement Telematics Control Unit (TCU) to restore network communication, but Lucid has refused to provide a remedy path. Federal law contains no salvage-title exemption allowing OEMs to withhold safety recall remedies or tie them to compulsory paid services. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11764694

Incident

Aug 28, 2026

While travelling to California on a personal trip my vehicle displayed a "Battery System Fault" warning message on the driver's display and advised me to stop the vehicle in a safe location within 120 seconds. After pulling off the highway onto the shoulder of an exit ramp and stopping the vehicle it would not longer shift into drive and displayed a "Vehicle Not Driveable" warning message. -I was told by the manufacturer that the AC compressor had failed, causing damage to other components and leading to a loss of high voltage isolation. -The vehicle gave my 120 seconds to reach a safe location before the vehicle lost drive power. I was travelling on a very busy highway and could have been stranded in heavy traffic, posing a danger to myself and other motorists. Before the failure I was also experiencing very weak cooling performance from the air conditioning related to the AC compressor failing. Outside temperatures were around 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit, and temperatures in the cabin began to each uncomfortable levels. The lack of cooling could pose health risks to susceptible individuals. -The vehicle was inspected and repaired by the manufacturer, who confirmed the failure. -The failed and/or damaged components were inspected and repaired by the manufacturer. -The first symptoms I encountered involved abnormally slow DC fast charging and odd noises coming from the AC system. About 45-60 minutes before the failure I also had very little to no cooling from the air conditioning. Once the failure occurred the vehicle displayed the "Battery System Fault" warning message and instructed me to pull of the road ASAP.

NHTSA ID

11761751

Incident

May 29, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11741749

Incident

Mar 7, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11696405

Incident

May 1, 2025

Mileage

20,000 mi

Premature wear in perforated leather/vinyl seats. Cracking and tearing.

NHTSA ID

11675994

Incident

Jul 24, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11662966

Incident

Apr 5, 2025

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)

NHTSA ID

11662938

Incident

May 17, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11662514

Incident

May 13, 2025

Mileage

21,000 mi

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)

NHTSA ID

11649614

Incident

Feb 22, 2025

truck does not close all the way. repaired it many times and keep happening.

NHTSA ID

11580085

Incident

Oct 20, 2023

left rear passenger door opens while opening the any other door. locking mechanism does not work, notified lucid.

NHTSA ID

11580084

Incident

Mar 1, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11571814

Incident

Jun 3, 2023

Mileage

8 mi

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!

NHTSA ID

11563856

Incident

Dec 16, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11560244

Incident

Dec 5, 2023

Mileage

316 mi

The contact owns a 2023 Lucid Air. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V521000 (Visibility/Wiper). The contact stated that the regional service personnel was contacted; however, the contact had received a response. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11558285

Incident

Dec 4, 2023

I was maneuvering the car in my driveway and it seemed to accelerate suddenly. I drove off my driveway and impacted bushes and a low stone wall. I do not think I pushed the accelerator.

NHTSA ID

11551345

Incident

Sep 29, 2023

I was driving on I80 west in San Francisco with about 75 mph. Suddenly shows turtle mode and dropped the speed to 52 mph. I was on the second lane and a lot of vehicles are behind us with same speed. I towed to the service center.

NHTSA ID

11542552

Incident

Sep 4, 2023

The Lucid Air Touring rapidly accelerated from a full stop in a line of cars. (The traffic hold up was due to a road striping crew that stopped traffic.) My wife was the driver and I was in the passenger seat and the car was in drive/hold mode before suddenly taking off; the car in front of us was about 20' ahead. In spite of my wife's attempt to stop the vehicle, it would not stop until it hit the vehicle in front of us and pushed it into the vehicle in front of it. Additionally, the vehicle's built-in safety features to brake automatically in such a situation did not work. There was no pre-collision braking, no warning and no other automatic safety features activated. My wife is an excellent and experienced driver and drives frequently in heavy traffic without incident.

NHTSA ID

11539565

Incident

Jul 3, 2023

On several occasions, the vehicle's driver assistance systems (specifically the "keep hands on the wheel" and "keep eyes on the road" warnings) have malfunctioned during normal driving, producing continuous, distracting audible alerts that persist until the car is parked and restarted. Of note, these warnings appeared during freeway driving despite having both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk by having an unresolvable visual and audible distraction that interfered with driving in freeway conditions. I have reported this issue to Lucid some time ago but have not received any response from the company. Therefore, the dealer has not attempted to reproduce the issue, and there is not an independent service center for Lucid vehicles. Accordingly, the vehicle has not been inspected by any company or agency. There were no warnings prior to the malfunction. This issue first began to appear in or around late April 2023 and have occurred on 7 or 8 occasions since then, always while driving on the freeway. I have tried various strategies to resolve the intrusive alerts while the vehicle in motion but have been unable to do without unreasonably compromising my safety and ability to pay attention to the road and other drivers. The shifter, steering, accelerator, and brakes appear to work normally during these alerts.

NHTSA ID

11533341

Incident

Apr 29, 2023

On one occasion, with the shifter set to reverse, pressing on the accelerator resulted in the car lurching forward. This problem first appeared in April 2023. I do not know if this is a drive problem, software problem, or something else. My safety was put at risk as I nearly hit the back wall of the garage. I have reported this problem to Lucid some time ago but Lucid has not responded. Neither Lucid nor any other entity has attempted to inspect or make any corrections. There were no warnings or symptoms from the car prior to the problem. Some other Lucid owners have reportedly experienced similar problems.

NHTSA ID

11533338

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

Pulling into a gated parking lot. Once the gate opened the car accelerated and would not brake. Crashed into three car causing damage to Lucid and their vehicles. Have sent car to the dealership but still have not heard back from them. We also have video of accident

NHTSA ID

11517855

Incident

Mar 31, 2023

driver headlight intermittently failing, restarting, and failing again. driver door now not locking correctly and electronic sealing incorrect. intermittent failure of sound throughout car including all warning sounds and turn signals. multiple contact to manufacture without any return of contact from anyone who can actually assist and extreme delays to reach customer service on the order of hours to even have someone answer the phone

NHTSA ID

11514884

Incident

Mar 21, 2023

Driving on a road trip from Norfolk to Louisville from military duty and the car lost power suddenly on the highway at night. Very scary. Had been averaging about 72 mph. Absolutely no reason for it. 36 degrees outside in the middle of rural KY. Awful experience. Likely gonna need to get towed.

NHTSA ID

11512484

Incident

Mar 17, 2023

Tried to Auto Park the car and almost hit my other car. It didn't recognize the fender of the Tesla. I had to push on brake. I have only tried auto park once. I am pretty sure it would have hit my Tesla. With highway drive assist and steering Icon yellow, the car doesn't maintain the lane and swirl and drifts into the next lane without warning. The color of the steering Icon does change white. This has happened several times mostly as the freeway curves. Once I am able to bring the car back into the lane the steering Icon turn yellow itself, without any intervention from me. As a person is driving and focusing on the road it is not possible to look to the icon. It not only gives false sense of security but also drift is worse then lane assist without drive assist. With lane assist it at least chimes and gives a red color when the car is drifting. current functionality is either faulty or counterintuitive and risky for self and public.

NHTSA ID

11510676

Incident

Mar 1, 2023