2011 Lexus ES350 problems & reliability
153 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Lexus ES350, alongside 3 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.
6 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 145 | 95% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 2% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 2% |
| Engine | 2 | 1% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 1% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% |
| Seats | 1 | 1% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% |
| Structure | 1 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 50,000 miles (middle 50% between 29,300 and 68,000 miles), based on 25 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owned a 2011 lexus es350. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 70 mph, without warning an abnormal noise was heard coming from the passenger wheel and within seconds he lost control of the vehicle crashing into a ditch and flipping over. The driver depressed the brake pedal as the…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Aug 13, 2020
“This web site (the nhtsa) says there is no recall on this vin, but toyota/lexus site says there is, for the airbags. This misleading information on a government web site can be dangerous.”
Air Bags · filed Feb 9, 2019
“1. Body paint has deteriorated greatly on roof, front hood and trunk, pictures attached. 2. Leather seats deteriorated. Driver seat broke in various parts. Passenger and rear seats also deteriorating. Pictures attached. Date recorded on the when did this happen field is an approximate when we first noticed the…”
Structure · filed Apr 4, 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
Technical service bulletins
196 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Lexus ES350. The 10 most recent:
TI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022
KLG Technical In · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022
DP: Limited Service Campaign KLG expired December 01, 2022
KLG Dealer Packa · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022
TI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022
19LE05 Technical · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022
DP: Customer Support Program 19LE05 expired December 1, 2022.
19LE05 Dealer Pa · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2022
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
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 2011 Lexus ES350 has 3 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 2011 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 50,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.