2016 Lexus ES350 problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown OR Other | 8 | 38% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 10% |
| Engine | 2 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 10% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Steering wheel vibrations after 65 MPH is reach, more noticeable when vehicle has reached the speed and cruising. Had tires rebalanced and rotated and issue still persists. The vibration feels like when a wheel lock is loose or missing.”
Steering · filed May 4, 2022
“2016 Lexus ES350 with the 2nd row sunroof. While driving the car the front sunroof shattered without cause, sending glass pieces into the cabin creating a very dangerous situation. This appears to be a problem that has happened many times before as there are many people that have talked about this issue. Lexus denied…”
Structure · filed Apr 7, 2022
“Effective in 2022 all cellular carriers are upgrading to 5G. With this transition a majority of vehicles will no longer be able to use their vehicles emergency crash response systems. In my 2016 Lexus ES350 the Emergency SOS system utilizes 3G cellular service which will be turned off in 2022 making an automated call…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Dec 22, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
141 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 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
TT: When used in conjunction with the Repair Manual, these Blind Spot Monitor, Forward Recognition Camera, and Front Millimeter Wave Radar tips leverage SSTs and readily available tools to support target placement in…
L-TT-0303-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 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 2016 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 2016 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.