2012 Lexus ES350 problems
Owners have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Lexus ES350. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 84% of complaints. After that come latches & locks (3%) and cruise control (2%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 94 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 84% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 40,000 miles 19 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 7 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 19 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 40,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Lexus ES350 with enough data (87 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact stated that while attempting to enter a parking space, the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise as the accelerator pedal traveled to the floorboard unusually. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a restraining wall. The contact was reported injured. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but had not been inspected. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that he had not experienced the failure prior to the crash.
Driver side knee airbag caused hematoma, second degree burn on l. Leg, resulting in 2 surgeries, use of wound vac for 2 1/2 months, and permanent lympedema and scarring on l. Calf. Driver has replaced knees that are at high risk if further crash and knee bag deploys again. Driver needs on-off switch installed for driver knee airbag. Driver was not at fault in this accident and wants knee airbags removed or an on-off switch installed. The airbag on steering wheel deployed correctly and caused no damage.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact stated that the dashboard and instrument panel were melting and sticky. There was no cushion protection on the dashboard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that the 2012 lexus es350 was not eligible for a dashboard replacement, which ended in may of 2017. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing and repairs. The failure mileage was 79,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Lexus ES350. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the key was detected, and trunk open warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the doors would lock and unlock independently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the trunk latch replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and agreed to cover the cost of the partial repair. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was not available.