What breaks most · 2007 to 2018 model years
Lexus ES350 problems by year
Owners have filed 1,302 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus ES350 across model years 2007 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2007 for air bags complaints, 2008 for air bags complaints and 2011 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2014, 2015 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2008, 2011
- Fewest complaints: 2014, 2015, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 13022007 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007461 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 13410 fires · 108 injuries · 9 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 29kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 33Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 461 | 59 | 5 | Air bags (189) | |
| 252 | 27 | 5 | Air bags (170) | |
| 145 | 14 | 5 | Air bags (101) | |
| 136 | 10 | 5 | Air bags (108) | |
| 152 | 6 | 3 | Air bags (144) | |
| 87 | 3 | 3 | Air bags (77) | |
| 20 | 5 | 1 | Air bags (4) | |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 14 | 6 | 1 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Lexus ES350
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 41% |
189 | 8 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 27% |
125 | 46 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
39 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Lexus ES350 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
33 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
16 | 0 | — |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 3% |
16 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2007 Lexus ES350 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 3% |
14 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Lexus ES350 |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 3% |
13 | 3 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2007 Lexus ES350 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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2007 lexus es350. Consumer states sudden unintended acceleration *tgw the consumer stated his wife was driving the vehicle, when it suddenly accelerated forward on its own, as she was entering a parking space, resulting in damage to the vehicle.*jb
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2008 lexus 350 with acceleration problem not yet discussed by toyota..sometimes at a full stop or at slow speeds it automatically accelerates.
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I received my recall notice in april. I cannot continue to risk driving my car, it is like a time bomb waiting to go off. The dealer has been unhelpful, by saying they wiil call me when they have a fix??
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lexus ES350 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2008, 2011 carry the most filings on the Lexus ES350. The 2007 alone has 461 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Lexus ES350 problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 189 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus ES350 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus ES350 complaints that include mileage is about 29,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.