Hello. Just joined the forum. Thanks Adam for the warm welcome.
I have a D3500. The DX 18 - 55 lens is part of the original kit, along with a DX 70 - 300 lens. The latter lens works normally. The first one has given up the ghost in a series of steps.
Firstly the focus started to get unreliable. Then apparently the electronic connection to the camera started to fail and I had to keep taking it off and putting it back on to get it to work. It emanated a series of rapid clicks for 2 or 3 seconds and was then totally unresponsive. Then the zoom capacity failed and it would only work on maximum wide-angle. Then it failed completely. Now it takes photos when on AE-L only... with the AE-L / AF-L button held down. It takes photos in the full range of zoom. But the focus doesn't work at all. Everything is wildly out of focus.
It seemed to be a lens hardware issue, given that the other lens and the camera itself are fine. But then it started to work again in AE-L mode. So now I am wondering if it is an easily solvable software issue. Hoping someone can help. Thanks.