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Lexus ESModel year report

2013 Lexus ES Problems

Compared with other Lexus ES years

Typical for this model

54/100 1.1× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
34filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
45,000miles, 15 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
40 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 40 city / 39 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2013 Lexus ES (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 34 consumer complaints for the 2013 Lexus ES. The part named most often is brakes, with 11 complaints (32% of the total), followed by electrical system (8) and other or unknown (5). 15 of the complaints include a mileage, and 53% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 45,000 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 48 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 8 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 7 Lexus ES model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 54 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine (1), Steering (1), Transmission and drivetrain (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “The pcs (pre collision system) warning icon flashed in the display indicating that the pcs was temporarily unavailable. The vehicle was being driven on a highway. Pulled over to look in the owners manual only to find that the manual told me to stop. We proceeded to return home without experiencing any adverse handling. I really don't feel safe driving the car not knowing if the pcs system will fail.”

NHTSA complaint #11362293, filed 2020-10, 34,200 miles

Electrical system: “Cpo 2013 es350 bought january 2, 2016 at Lexus dealership, which has been kept in an in-door garage, and is lightly driven. Mid-april 2017 battery was dead, jump started but then battery died the next day. I brought vehicle to another Lexus dealership on may 20, 2017. They claimed battery not warrantied. I discovered the original owner who bought car october 2012 had replaced the battery in 2015 which made me curious as to why it was replaced so soon, and why it didn't last very long. …”

NHTSA complaint #10990881, filed 2017-05, 50,300 miles

Other or unknown: “Door locks do not lock via key fob on 3 doors. Lexus wants $800 per door to fix. Have manually locked car for one year; now cannot manually lock door as the manual lock no longer locks. This is safety issue as car remains unlocked at all times.”

NHTSA complaint #11253807, filed 2019-09, 163,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “I was parking my car on a commercial complex. I am pressing on the brake as the car slows down. When I further pressed on the brake, the car instead of taking a complete stop, accelerated. It hit the building in front of me. When trying to back up, it accelerated again in reverse. I pressed the brake really hard then it stopped.”

NHTSA complaint #10970855, filed 2017-04, 58,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

53% of the 15 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 22,300 and 58,000 miles.

20%0–1013%10–2520%25–5027%50–750%75–1007%100–15013%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (15 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 45,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

4201542018202020222024420264
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2013 Lexus ES version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
ES 300h FWD2.5L 4-cyl · hybridCVT403940$1,700

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2013 Lexus ES in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 48 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 48 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus ES

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20255—1525—Too new
2024910,1002526—Too new
20231050,0902544—Too new
2022116,8320528—Not enough data
20212838,000152848 · TypicalRising
20201827,6901544—Rising
20193411,0001544100 · MoreFalling
201852000—40—Not enough data
20169115,5000—40—Not enough data
20155115,0000—40—Not enough data
20133445,0000—4054 · TypicalStable
20123166,3160——36 · TypicalStable
20114647,0000——82 · MoreRising
20104170,0000——11 · FewerStable
20092879,0000——36 · TypicalRising
20086862,0000——52 · TypicalRising
200712580,1230——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200612115,0000———Not enough data
2005598,8500——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20041689,0000———Falling
20032368,0000———Rising
20022796,1500——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20006140,0000———Not enough data
1999885,0000———Not enough data

All Lexus ES model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2013 Lexus ES have?

NHTSA recorded 34 consumer complaints for the 2013 Lexus ES as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2013 Lexus ES is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 11 complaints (32% of the total), followed by electrical system with 8.

Has the 2013 Lexus ES been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2013 Lexus ES get?

The EPA rates the 2013 Lexus ES (ES 300h, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 40 mpg combined, 40 city and 39 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2013 Lexus ES reported?

Among the 15 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 45,000 miles and the middle half falls between 22,300 and 58,000 miles; 53% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.