Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
23
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2013 Lexus ES350 have filed 23
safety complaints with NHTSA
between December 2013 and August 2021.
The most complained-about system is the air bags,
named in 4 of them
(17%). The typical failure was reported at 26,000 miles, the median
across the 23 complaints that gave an
odometer reading.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. In these vehicles, the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.
The risk
A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 30,812 vehicles across all model years covered
What owners report
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add
up to more than 23.
AIR BAGS 4 17%
VISIBILITY 4 17%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 13%
SEATS 2 9%
STEERING 2 9%
STRUCTURE 2 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 4%
POWER TRAIN 1 4%
TIRES 1 4%
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2015 at 5.
2013 to 2021
In owners' own words
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 64,000 miles
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AFTER CAR WAS IN A WRECK. FRONT END DEMAGED OF 12,000 IN DAMAGES. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.
NHTSA complaint 10919172. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed · 22,300 miles
I WAS PARKING MY CAR IN FRONT OF A STORE. CAR WAS IN PARKING SPOT, READY TO STOP. ALL OF A SUDDEN, CAR ACCELERATED, JUMPED THE CURB, WENT THRU SIDEWALK INTO THE STORE AHEAD. LUCKILY, STORE WAS VACANT. CAR KEPT GOING THRU THE STORE, CAME OUT FROM THE BACK WALL ONTO THE RAIL GUARDS WHICH FINALLY STOPPED CAR. CAR WAS DAMAGED.
NHTSA complaint 10947475. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 49,000 miles
PASSENGER-SIDE LEG AIRBAG FAILED TO FULLY DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT. IT ALSO EXPLODED AND EXPELLED ACCELERATE. THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED PROPERLY. THIS WAS DURING A FRONT-END COLLISION WITH THE SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. MY CAR WAS PROCEEDINGSTRAIGHT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ON A PARKWAY-LIKE CITY DRIVE. ..UPDATED 09/26/17 *BF *JS
NHTSA complaint 10994028. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
1 injured · crash · 20,000 miles
THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF ANOTHER DRIVE JETTING OUT IN FRONT. CAR IMPACTED AT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BUMPER MOUNT, HOOD AND DRIVER SIDE QUARTER PANEL. IMPACT TO THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS THE REAR QUARTER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. UPON IMPACT THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, ONBOARD SAFETY CONNECT FEATURE DID NOT CONNECT TO CONFIRM DRIVER WAS OK AND THE SOS BUTTON FAILED TO WORK AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS WAS REPORTED TO TOYOTA. *TR
NHTSA complaint 10556042. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
135,394 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the contact heard a loud gunshot like sound and the sunroof shattered into pieces. The contact stated that small fragments of glass fell all over him due to the failure however, he was not injured. The contact pulled over, cleaned out his vehicle and was able to drive the vehicle home. The contact called the dealer where he was informed that there were no recalls on his vehicle. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 135,394.
NHTSA complaint 11430439. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
64,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE TO THE SUN ROOF, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE THAT THE SUN ROOF GLASS HAD SHATTERED. THE CONTACT CONTACTED CHATHAM PARKWAY LEXUS (1120 CHATHAM PKWY, SAVANNAH, GA 31405, (912) 330-6051) AND INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
NHTSA complaint 11384668. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
55,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, AN EXPLOSION LIKE SOUND WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SUN ROOF HAD SHATTERED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
NHTSA complaint 11282900. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
23,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED AND GLASS ENTERED THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED OR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEXUS OF WINTER PARK (305 N SEMORAN BLVD, WINTER PARK, FL 32792, (407) 678-2000) WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint 11155236. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
38,450 miles
TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL
NHTSA complaint 11045317. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
70,000 miles
I WAS DRIVING ON I75 IN LOUISVILLE, KY, GOING APPROX 70-75 MPH WHEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT! PANICKED, I LOOKED AROUND IMMEDIATELY BUT THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS CLOSE BY AND NO OVERPASSES. THEN I REALIZED THAT GLASS WAS ALL OVER MY RIGHT ARM, SHOULDER, AND THE CENTER CONSOLE. I LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT MY MOON ROOF WAS SHATTERED. AFTER REALIZING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, I CLOSED THE SHADE SO MORE GLASS DID NOT FALL ON ME AND INSIDE MY CAR. I TOOK AN EXIT AND CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I TOLD THEM I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THAT NO ONE WAS AROUND BUT THAT MY MOON ROOF HAD JUST EXPLODED. THEY GAVE ME THE COMPANY TO CONTACT TO GET IT FIXED AND I TOOK IT THERE TO GET IT FIXED THE …
NHTSA complaint 10995129, quoted in part. 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.
What each state asks for
, read from the statutes.
Where these numbers come from
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file
, published August 20, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API
, most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file
, published 2026-08-19.
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