2013 Lexus LS Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2013 Lexus LS, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes457.1%
- Driver assistance228.6%
- Engine114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
My ABS Brake System warning lights all came on a few days ago, giving me error codes c1253 and c1256. These codes pertain to a manufacturers defect with Lexus, wherein Lexus generated a customer convenience program that said any LS460 that is less than 10 yrs old OR less than 150k miles can be brought to any dealer and have this brake system replaced at Lexus expense. Please see the attached Lexus notice to dealers. My car is 13 yrs old BUT has only 108k miles; so I asked Lexus Corporate to approve my repair and they denied it due to age. This is a SAFETY issue due to a manufacturers defect from Lexus; therefore I should not have to pay for something simply because I have a low mileage car. Lexus should pay for this due to it being a SAFETY issue. Please help me get Lexus to do so. BTW, I am a long-term Lexus customer having purchased 5 Lexus cars.
The ABS system failed. Mechanic stated it was the ABS actuator. Left front wheel locks up when brakes are applied with force. Safety is jeopardized since the ABS system no longer works. Cannot bring vehicle to safe stop in an emergency braking situation. The problem was reproduced by an independent service center. The vehicle had not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. Lexus has been notified and said that I just missed the window on the service bulletin, which ended in March of 2024. There were no warning lamps before the system failure. The system failed during a trip.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
My ABS Brake System warning lights all came on a few days ago, giving me error codes c1253 and c1256. These codes pertain to a manufacturers defect with Lexus, wherein Lexus generated a customer convenience program that said any LS460 that is less than 10 yrs old OR less than 150k miles can be brought to any dealer and have this brake system replaced at Lexus expense. Please see the attached Lexus notice to dealers. My car is 13 yrs old BUT has only 108k miles; so I asked Lexus Corporate to approve my repair and they denied it due to age. This is a SAFETY issue due to a manufacturers defect from Lexus; therefore I should not have to pay for something simply because I have a low mileage car. Lexus should pay for this due to it being a SAFETY issue. Please help me get Lexus to do so. BTW, I am a long-term Lexus customer having purchased 5 Lexus cars.
I am detailing an alarming and persistent issue with unexpected brake activation on my 2013 Lexus LS 460. Over a span of time, the vehicle's brakes have been activated spontaneously on four different occasions, putting me and my passengers in potential danger. Incident Descriptions: 1. Location: I-69 southbound, near Huntington. - Scenario: Alone in the car. Noted a shiny truck about 2,000 ft ahead under a bridge with sun reflection. - Brakes activated hard for approx. 3-5 seconds. - Active cruise and lane-keep assist were on. 2. Location: Westbound on Interstate 70, just past the Indiana line. - Scenario: My wife, [XXX] , was with me. A semi-truck with wind skirts was being overtaken when the rear wheels locked up. - This caused a sideways skid toward the truck, causing tire smoke and chaos among trailing vehicles. - Managed to drive down to the median at high speeds, stopping just before a bridge. Multiple dashboard lights illuminated. 3. Location: 69 south of Anderson IN - Scenario: - On the way to the dealership, the brakes activated similarly as in the first scenario. 4. Location: Ohio on interstate 30 just before Indiana line... Not sure how far... - Scenario: After dealership repairs and 10,000 miles of incident-free driving, the brakes suddenly activated. - I was with my engineer, [XXX] . Reflective tapes on road barrels might have triggered the brakes. The car came to a full stop despite full gas pedal depression. Fortunately the closest vehicle behind us was approximately 2,000 ft back so I was able to get off the road at a slower speed of approximately 5-10 mph with full control all the way to stop. Once the vehicle stopped we were able to take right back off again with no further incidents to date. Concerns: - The spontaneous nature of the braking makes it difficult and dangerous to drive in traffic, especially near larger vehicles. - There are situations, like quick lane changes for exits, where the INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
losing 2qts of oil every 2000 miles. manufacture say this is normal. I have low engine oil level warning light and have to put 2 quarts of oil in the engine
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .