The contact owns a 2012 Lexus ES350. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the key was detected, and trunk open warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the doors would lock and unlock independently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the trunk latch replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and agreed to cover the cost of the partial repair. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was not available.
The worst 2012 Lexus ES350 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags77
- Locks3
- Acceleration2
- Body2
- Electrical2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags77
- Locks3
- Acceleration2
- Body2
- Electrical2
- Brakes1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
- Steering1
- Wheels1
Recalls 3
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑888‑270‑9371 or Lexus customer service at 1‑800‑255‑3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Recall number 19V741000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.
Recall number 19V005000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Yaris HB, Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe, Lexus, ES350, IS250, IS350, and IS-F vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and IS350, 2007-2008 Lexus ES350, Toyota Yaris, Yaris HB, and 2008 Lexus IS-F and Scion xB vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑762‑2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).
Recall number 17V006000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2012 Lexus ES350
Defect investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
Technical service bulletins for the 2012 Lexus ES350 208
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- DP: Customer Support Program 19LE05 expired December 1, 2022.
- Ti: 19LE05
- DP: Limited Service Campaign KLG expired December 01, 2022
- CSP: On July 30, 2018, a settlement of claims for Economic Loss related to Takata airbag inflators was...
- CSP: Takata CSP Coverage Job Aid
- Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign
- This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s)...
- Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in...
- POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground...
- For proper calibration of the millimeter wave radar sensor, the vehicle and radar target must be on a...
2012 Lexus ES350 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 19 | 27 | 22 |
What 2012 Lexus ES350 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact stated that the door locks failed to latch securely when the doors were closed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who stated that the door locks needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not subjected to any recalls pertaining to the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact stated that both the rear and front door locks failed to lock. There were no warning indicators illuminated. Lexus of clearwater (27547 us hwy 19 n, clearwater, fl 33761, (727) 231-1443) diagnosed that the door actuators need to be repaired. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was unknown.
On feb 7, 2019 vehicle was being serviced by dealer regarding a recall the vehicle was on dealers lift at time of detection of leak on feb 8, 2019 power steering rack leak was found by dealer on feb 8, 9 and 10, 2019 dealer replaced leaking power steering rack.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact stated that the dashboard and instrument panel were melting and sticky. There was no cushion protection on the dashboard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that the 2012 lexus es350 was not eligible for a dashboard replacement, which ended in may of 2017. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing and repairs. The failure mileage was 79,000.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time the recall repair. The lexus dealer (hennessy lexus of atlanta, 5955 peachtree industrial blvd, atlanta, ga 30341, 770‑457‑6800) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Driver side knee airbag caused hematoma, second degree burn on l. Leg, resulting in 2 surgeries, use of wound vac for 2 1/2 months, and permanent lympedema and scarring on l. Calf. Driver has replaced knees that are at high risk if further crash and knee bag deploys again. Driver needs on-off switch installed for driver knee airbag. Driver was not at fault in this accident and wants knee airbags removed or an on-off switch installed. The airbag on steering wheel deployed correctly and caused no damage. The knee airbag is a danger to driver.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. (nalley lexus roswell located 980 mansell rd, roswell, ga) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. The dealer (lexus of chattanooga, 5800 lee hwy, chattanooga, tn 37421, (423) 499-9095) was unable to verify when the parts would be supplied from the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 lexus es350. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Treasure coast lexus in fort pierce, florida was made aware of the recall and stated that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Compare the 2012 Lexus ES350
ES350 vs Audi A4ES350 vs Mercedes-Benz C300ES350 vs BMW 328IES350 vs Cadillac CTSES350 vs Lincoln MKZES350 vs Acura TLX
Other model years
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Questions about the 2012 Lexus ES350
Is the 2012 Lexus ES350 reliable?
Owners have filed 89 complaints about the 2012 Lexus ES350, 4.0 times a typical ES350 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2012 Lexus ES350 year score?
The 2012 Lexus ES350 scores 24 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Lexus ES350: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Lexus ES350?
Airbags, with 77 complaints, typically around 15,000 miles. Next is locks (3).
How many recalls does the 2012 Lexus ES350 have?
3 recalls, covering air bags.
What gas mileage does the 2012 Lexus ES350 get?
Official estimates for the 2012 Lexus ES350 range from 22 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 19 city and 27 highway.
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