ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
2013 Lexus RX350
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 59 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Lexus RX350, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and body & structure categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 309 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2013 | 3 | 3 |
| Apr 2013 | 1 | 4 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 5 |
| Mar 2014 | 1 | 6 |
| May 2014 | 1 | 7 |
| Aug 2014 | 1 | 8 |
| Oct 2014 | 3 | 11 |
| Feb 2015 | 1 | 12 |
| Jul 2015 | 1 | 13 |
| Oct 2015 | 1 | 14 |
| Nov 2015 | 1 | 15 |
| Dec 2015 | 1 | 16 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 17 |
| Mar 2016 | 1 | 18 |
| Aug 2016 | 1 | 19 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 20 |
| Jan 2017 | 1 | 21 |
| Mar 2017 | 1 | 22 |
| Apr 2017 | 1 | 23 |
| Dec 2017 | 3 | 26 |
| Jan 2018 | 1 | 27 |
| Feb 2018 | 1 | 28 |
| Apr 2018 | 2 | 30 |
| Jun 2018 | 1 | 31 |
| Jul 2018 | 2 | 33 |
| Aug 2018 | 2 | 35 |
| Sep 2018 | 1 | 36 |
| Oct 2018 | 1 | 37 |
| Dec 2018 | 1 | 38 |
| Apr 2019 | 1 | 39 |
| May 2019 | 2 | 41 |
| Jul 2019 | 1 | 42 |
| Aug 2019 | 1 | 43 |
| Sep 2019 | 1 | 44 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 45 |
| Dec 2019 | 1 | 46 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 47 |
| Apr 2020 | 1 | 48 |
| Jun 2020 | 4 | 52 |
| Jul 2020 | 1 | 53 |
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 54 |
| Nov 2020 | 1 | 55 |
| Jan 2021 | 2 | 57 |
| Mar 2023 | 2 | 59 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes1316.7%
- Electrical1114.1%
- Body & structure1012.8%
- Driver assistance1012.8%
- Engine67.7%
- Airbags67.7%
- Steering56.4%
- Exterior lighting45.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2013 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that after closing the liftgate door and reversing out of the car port, the liftgate door erroneously opened and struck the car port causing damage to the liftgate. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that recently the liftgate lowered independently. The failure occurred several times while placing items into the back of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 40,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11513401
- Incident
- Sep 27, 2019
- Mileage
- 40,000 mi
The contact owns a 2013 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while driving at speeds exceeding 70 MPH, the steering wheel was violently shaking and vibrating. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was no longer covered under an unknown Extended Service Campaign. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000. The contact stated that the manufacturer did not want to address the issue due to the vehicle's model year. There was a TSB involving later model years for the same issue, the faulty steering column.
- NHTSA ID
- 11511160
- Incident
- Jan 15, 2023
- Mileage
- 46,000 mi
NO PROBLEM AS OF NOW SAW IT ON RECALL IN CONSUMER REPORT
- NHTSA ID
- 11388122
- Incident
- Jan 11, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS RX 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL RATTLING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO LEXUS OF TAMPA BAY (5852 N. DALE MABRY HWY, TAMPA, FL 33614) WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD GOTTEN WORSE OVER TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11387882
- Incident
- Oct 1, 2020
- Mileage
- 90,000 mi
MY CAR BLEW UP. THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. MILE MARKER 372 I95S. I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND THEN FIRE STARTED SO I PULLED OVER ON THE LEFT SHOULDER AND THE FIRE BURST INTO FULL FLAMES
- NHTSA ID
- 11373660
- Incident
- Oct 30, 2020
- Mileage
- 85,000 mi
TURNING STEERING WHEEL CAUSING DASH CUTOFF. SEATS AREN'T RESETTING TO ORIGINAL POSITION. BACK HATCH WILL NOT LIFT DEPENDING ON POSITION OF STEERING COLUMN
- NHTSA ID
- 11353756
- Incident
- Sep 5, 2020
- Mileage
- 129,550 mi
I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THIS VEHICLE STARTED TO FAIL - FIRST IT STARTED WITH FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND NOW IN ADDITION TO FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, THE DRIVER DOOR AND THE REAR RIGHT DOOR AUTOMATIC LOCKS TO NOT ENGAGE WHEN I TRY TO LOCK/UNLOCK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THESE AT A COST OF ~$1,000 FOR EACH DOOR AND THINK THIS IS UNFAIR SINCE THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THIS MODEL FAILING ONLINE AND IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE DOOR ACTUATOR FAILING (BUT NOT RECALLED) (SEE LEXUS OWNER SITE AND YOUTUBE - SEARCH "2013 LEXUS RX350 DOOR LOCKS NOT WORKING" ON GOOGLE FOR DETAILS). I AM CURRENTLY MANUALLY LOCKING/UNLOCKING THESE DOORS AND FEEL UNSAFE AND FEEL MY PERSONAL PROPERTY INSIDE THE CAR IS EXPOSED TO THEFT SINCE SOMETIMES I FORGET TO LOCK THESE 3 DOORS MANUALLY WHEN DRIVING ALONE IN VEHICLE. NOTE THE ABOVE OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON A CITY STREET/HIGHWAY, AND TURNING.
- NHTSA ID
- 11337547
- Incident
- Jul 1, 2017
- Mileage
- 160,000 mi
MY LEXUS VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH ITS LOCKS AND TRUNK. SOMETIMES THE TRUNK CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL EVEN IF I ATTEMPT TO OPEN IT MANUALLY. ALSO, MY DOORS HAVE TO BE MANUALLY LOCKED MOST OF THE TIME. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL LOCK/UNLOCK USING THE REMOTE. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE TIME I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK ALL OF THE DOORS. THERE ARE TONS OF VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE LOCK ACTUATORS. THERE ARE ALSO A PLETHORA OF FORUMS ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL. MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE CHOSEN TO NOT REPLACE THE LOCK ACTUATORS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL DOOR HAS BECAUSE IT IS VERY COSTLY. I HAVE ALSO READ THAT SOMETIMES THE LOCK ACTUATORS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE, THIS IS A COMMON DESIGN FLAW FOR MY CAR AS WELL AS OTHER LEXUS VEHICLES. EVEN NEWER MODEL LEXUS VEHICLES ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY THIS ISSUE IS A DESIGN FLAW AND DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL THAT LEXUS SHOULD BE MANDATED TO FIX. I ALWAYS HAVE TO CHECK WITH MY SON TO ENSURE THAT HE HAS MANUALLY LOCKED HIS DOOR. WE LIVE IN HOUSTON AND IMAGINE HOW NERVOUS I GET WHEN I APPROACH A RED LIGHT WHERE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE OFTEN BEGGING FOR MONEY. I HAVE TO MAKE SURE MY DOORS ARE LOCKED BECAUSE SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE BOLD ENOUGH TO PULL ON YOUR DOOR HANDLE AND ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. THIS HOLD TRUE FOR WHEN I AM EXITING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK ALL THE DOORS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE KNOWN FOR PULLING ON YOUR HANDLES AT NIGHT TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET LUCKY. THE RELIABILITY OF THE LEXUS LOCK ACTUATORS IS A TRUE DESIGN FLAW THAT IS LONG OVERDUE FOR LEXUS TO FIX, I AM ASKING THAT YOU HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING THIS DESIGN FLAW RIGHT WITH ALL LEXUS CAR OWNERS. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 11328944
- Incident
- Nov 16, 2017
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
TI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
DP: Limited Service Campaign KLG expired December 01, 2022
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
TI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
DP: Customer Support Program 19LE05 expired December 1, 2022.
EQUIPMENT
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
EQUIPMENT
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 damaged carpet floor retainer(s).
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.