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2012 Lexus ESProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 31 owner complaints about the 2012 Lexus ES, most often about the air bags. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

2012 Lexus ES
53
CarFlaw IndexSolid year13% below the ES median · #7 of 17 years by complaints
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints3112 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage52kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 23, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Ethan Llamas, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Lexus ES has problems

31 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags195
Electrical system51
Structure41
Visibility/wiper31
Vehicle speed control10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

2012 Lexus ES recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other ES year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the ES median. How we score

'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What ES owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owned a 2012 Lexus ES 350. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle, causing the vehicle to rear-end the vehicle in front, resulting in a three-vehicle crash. The impact caused the hood to unlatch, and the hood flew up. The air bags did…
Complaint 11752348 · Jul 23, 2026 · 82,000 miles
I RECEIVED A LETTER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO NEAREST DEALER FOR AIR BAG RECALL REPLACEMENT PROCESS, AND I CALLED AND INITIATED ONLINE CHATTING W/ THE LEXUS AIR BAG RECALL SUPPORT TEAM NUMEROUS TIMES BUT FAILED TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THEM. ONLINE CHAT REPRESENTATIVE STATED THEY CAN'T HELP WITH…
Complaint 11363245 · Oct 7, 2020
LIGHT CAN ON AND OFF 12/20/2019 WHEN I WAS DRIVING, I PULL INTO PARKING LOT AND CUT OFF ENGINE...WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED CAR BACK UP IT WENT AWAY, THE NEXT DAY 12/21/2019 WHEN I STARTED UP MY CAR IT CAME ON WHILE STILL PARK AND STAY ON, NOT A GOOD FEELING.
Complaint 11290583 · Dec 21, 2019 · 67,632 miles

Own a 2012 ES?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.