Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 31 safety complaints
about the 2012 Lexus ES with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 8 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the air bags,
named in 19 complaints, 61% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 66,316 miles,
the median across the 14
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers April 2014 to July 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
31 complaints on file
31
Complaints
5
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
8
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
AIR BAGS 19 · 61%
19 61%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 16%
5 16%
STRUCTURE 4 · 13%
4 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 13%
4 13%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 10%
3 10%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 · 3%
1 3%
0815
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 31.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2017 at 13.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2014 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA has not crash tested the 2012 Lexus ES. Its New Car Assessment Program
tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach
motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so
an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It
is not a low score.
What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a
different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people
inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke
during ordinary use.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
3 injured · crash · towed · 60,000 miles
TAKATA RECALL OR TAKATA ISSUES - I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN MY 2012 LEXUS ES 350. I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY ANOTHER VEHICLE (2005 JEEP LIBERTY) AT ABOUT 45MPH AND MY FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I READ THE OWNERS MANUAL WHICH INDICATED THAT IF HIT FROM BEHIND THE FRONT AIRBAGS DO NOT DEPLOY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FRONT COLLISIONS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE FOR ALL CONSUMERS BECAUSE THE FORCE OF THE ACCIDENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET CAUSED ME AND MY HUSBAND AS THE PASSENGERS BODILY HARM. MY HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND HIS HEAD HIT THE DASHBOARD - CONCUSSIONS AND LOST CONSCIOUSNESS. HAD WE BEEN HIT ANY HARDER IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN DEATH. ALSO, …
NHTSA complaint 10979405, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · fire · crash · 15,000 miles
I HAD A 2012 LEXUS ES 350 AND HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE FIRST PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN I WAS PARKING. I WAS ANGLE PARKING AND HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE CAR JUMPED INTO A BRICK WALL. FOUR AIR BAGS EXPLODED IN MY FACE AND RENDERED ME UNCONSCIOUS. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN AN AMBULANCE. I COULD HARDLY WALK AND MY LEGS WERE EXTREMELY SWOLLEN AND I HAD MANY OTHER BRUISES. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR WENT ON FIRE AND BURNT THE SEAT. I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE FINAL EXCESS WEAR AND TEAR BILL OF $829.50. IN FACT I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE LAST PAYMENT OF $455 SINCE THE CAR WAS NOT IN MY POSSESSION. I HAD RETURNED IT TO WILDE LEXUS OF …
NHTSA complaint 10724327, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed
Airbag recall was replaced 8/02/2022. Car accident occurred 8/03/2022. Airbags did not deploy.
NHTSA complaint 11478255. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 82,000 miles
The contact owned a 2012 Lexus ES 350. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle, causing the vehicle to rear-end the vehicle in front, resulting in a three-vehicle crash. The impact caused the hood to unlatch, and the hood flew up. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's grandson was a passenger in a rear-facing car seat, and the contact was unable to determine whether the child had sustained any injuries. The contact suffered a sore neck and body, and medical attention was received. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and declared a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the …
NHTSA complaint 11752348, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD
65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the reflection from the melted dashboard reflected onto the windshield. In addition, the contact’s vision was impaired while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
NHTSA complaint 11747902. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident Description: The instrument panel (dashboard) and interior trim panels of my 2012 Lexus ES 350 have suffered a complete material failure, transforming from a solid surface into a viscous, melting adhesive. This is a known manufacturing defect documented under Lexus Customer Support Program ZLZ. This failure creates a critical safety risk because the degraded surface has become highly reflective, producing a blinding glare on the windshield that severely obstructs my visibility while driving. Furthermore, the material has liquefied directly over the passenger-side airbag deployment zone; I am concerned this sticky residue will interfere with the deployment timing or cause …
NHTSA complaint 11721695, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I HAVE A 2012 LEXUS ES350 PURCHASED USED FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. I WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THE MELTING DASHBOARD ISSUE WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR AND IT JUST STARTED HAPPENING. I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE IS GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD IN SUNLIGHT THAT OBSCURES MY VIEW. THE LEXUS DEALER AND LEXUS CORPORATE SAY IT'S TOO BAD BECAUSE THE CASE IS CLOSED BUT I NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION. THEY SAID RECALL NOTIFICATION PROBABLY WENT TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER. HOW IS THIS A SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION? THE CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
NHTSA complaint 11691121. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
1 injured
Driving down the interstate and out of the blue my sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gunshot and I was driving 80mph. I almost ran into another driver due to glass falling on me.
NHTSA complaint 11637350. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The dashboard is melting causing a glare that’s hard to see through on the windshield. I found a self service from Lexus that they recalled it themselves but it isn’t official thought the government. [XXX] ). I called Lexus and they said I had to call corporate, so I did. They still wouldn’t help me as it isn’t an official recall even though they extended the program to 2026. This is a major saftey concern. I could eventually hit someone because of the glare. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11583403. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst