2013 Lexus ES350 problems & reliability
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Lexus ES350, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
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 26,000 miles (middle 50% between 18,250 and 46,000 miles), based on 23 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Visibility · filed Aug 25, 2021
“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)…”
Visibility · filed Dec 23, 2020
“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…”
Visibility · filed Nov 29, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
268 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 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
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
Safety Recall 22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 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
TSB: This Service Bulletin includes guidelines meant to help determine whether to repair or replace a wire harness assembly based on damage type. This Service Bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable…
L-SB-0002-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 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
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 2013 Lexus ES350 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2013 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 26,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.