2009 Lexus ES350 problems & reliability
145 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Lexus ES350, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
11 complaints report injuries (14 injured, 5 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 101 | 70% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 24 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 3% |
| Structure | 5 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 1% |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 20,000 miles (middle 50% between 8,435 and 40,720 miles), based on 40 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Dashboard on 2009 lexus es 350 has begun to melt and on sunny days the reflection on the windshield poses a safety hazard and reduces visibility. There was a recall for this problem on 2007 and 2008 models. The 2009 is identical in design and lexus should fix this. I contacted them and they offered to pay a small…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Sep 28, 2018
“Takata air bag recall; received notice of recall in february, 2017; as of 3/19/2018, we have had no correspondence to schedule repair”
Air Bags · filed Mar 19, 2018
“Faulty airbag harness wirring. Dear sir or madam, this is to report that 2007-2012 is 250, is 350 and es 350 has faulty airbag wiring harness which disables the airbags. Clublexus.com has received hundreds of complaints regarding this. The repairs will only be done or correct if the vehicle is under 6 years old or…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 19, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Low-speed surging
Defect Petition DP15005 · opened Jul 9, 2015 · closed Aug 19, 2015
Technical service bulletins
141 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Lexus ES350. The 10 most recent:
CSP: Takata CSP Coverage Job Aid - published 7.28.2022
Takata CSP Cover · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2022
CSP: On July 30, 2018, a settlement of claims for Economic Loss related to Takata airbag inflators was approved for full implementation. The settlement includes Lexus?s agreement to provide a Customer Support Program…
22LE02 - Takata · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2022
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
Safety Recall 22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2022
TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to replace the loose or…
L-SB-0006-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2022
TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address…
L-SB-0004-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be…
Lexus PRO19-02 - · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2022
TSB: For proper calibration of the millimeter wave radar sensor, the vehicle and radar target must be on a level surface with a consistent plane. If a level surface with a consistent plane is not available, use the…
L-SB-0046-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 2021
OBSOLETE NOTICE July 26, 2021: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0024-21.
L-SB-0018-14 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 2021
TSB: Some 2007 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles in particular geographic areas may exhibit a condition where the HVAC evaporator drain hose has become obstructed with an insect nest. An insect repellent drain hose tip…
L-SB-0024-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 2021
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
Lexus Safety Re · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 31, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Lexus ES350 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Lexus ES350?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 20,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.