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Lexus ES350Model year report

2008 Lexus ES350 Problems

Compared with other Lexus ES350 years

More complaints than typical for this model

93/100 2.7× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2011

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
255filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
29,000miles, 77 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 19 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Lexus ES350 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Complaints on this model year are dominated by two themes: Takata airbag inflator recalls that owners struggled to get repaired, and unexpected acceleration or surging that owners often attribute to the accelerator pedal or floor mats. Remaining reports are scattered across body and trim items such as melting dashboards, window regulators off track, and brake judder, most appearing at moderate mileage.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    Unexpected acceleration or engine surging

    Mentioned in 28 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the car speeding up without the driver pressing the accelerator, sometimes at parking-lot speeds and sometimes from cruising speed, and in several cases the brakes did not bring the vehicle to a stop until the driver shifted to neutral or shut the engine off. A few owners link it to a pedal that felt stuck or to a floor mat trapping the pedal, and some say removing the mat or having the pedal adjusted stopped it. Dealers commonly told owners they could not duplicate the condition or found nothing wrong after inspection. Reports cluster at low mileage, many under 20,000 miles and some under 10,000, across all kinds of driving conditions.

    Recall 09V388000

    What to check: Ask whether recall 09V388000 for the accelerator pedal was performed and whether the pedal and floor mats have been checked since. Have a mechanic inspect pedal travel and mat fitment, and confirm the recall work is recorded.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2008 Lexus 350 unexpected acceleration. Moving slow in parking lot pulling into parking space. Light pressure on brake. Engine went to high RPM car accelerated pushed hard on brake, put in neutral. Engine went back to idle. My bumper hit unoccupied parked car in front of me. Dealer denies anything wrong.”

    NHTSA complaint #10295518, filed 2009-12, 8,000 miles

    “While entering my garage, my car suddenly accelerated and smashed into the rear wall destroying a cabinet and refridgerator and went through the wall. I couldn't stop the car as evidenced by brake skid marks on the garage floor. Lexus later inspected the car and claimed they could find no defect. Fortunately my wife and I were only shaken up from the deployment of the airbags. The car was totaled. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10786456, filed 2015-10, 76,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Takata airbag inflator recall and non-deployment reports

    Mentioned in 11 of 60 sampled complaints

    Many complaints are about the passenger-side airbag inflator recall: owners say they received notice but were told parts were unavailable or that there was no remedy yet, and some were advised not to carry passengers in the front seat. A separate group of complaints describes airbags not deploying in collisions, including side impacts and rollovers, with injuries reported in some cases. Several owners also report the passenger airbag status light showing off with an adult seated there, and dealers had difficulty reproducing or fixing the intermittent condition. Recall-related complaints arrive years after purchase; non-deployment reports span from very low mileage to roughly 70,000 miles.

    Recall 19V741000Recall 17V006000Recall 16V3400003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the VIN with a dealer for open airbag recalls and confirm the inflator replacement was completed, with documentation. With a passenger seated, verify the passenger airbag status indicator reads on consistently.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My son-in-law, mark kuhar, was driving my (robert lehman's) 2008 Lexus ES350 with permission, when it went off the road down an appx. 100 foot hill, rolling end over end, appx. 8 times. None of the air bags were activated. He received serious injuries which he is now recovering from. The car is beyond repairs. Insurance companies for mark and myself have been notified and are active. A police report was filed.”

    NHTSA complaint #10300305, filed 2010-01, 38,500 miles

    “T bone by a 4 runner, driver side door was severely damaged by the impact. 4runner front bumper came off from the impact. Broken glass every where causing minor cuts to the driver and passengers of the Lexus 08 ES350. Side and curtain airbags did not deploy. Minor injuries sustained on the driver and passengers on the Lexus 08 ES350.”

    NHTSA complaint #10383911, filed 2011-02, 25,000 miles
  3. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Door window comes off track or drops

    Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report power windows, both driver and passenger side, suddenly dropping or coming off their tracks, with one complaint saying the regulator's plastic tabs degrade over time and the whole assembly needed replacement. Shops quoted several hundred dollars for the repair, and in one case the glass separated and fell into the door. Reported from about 48,000 to 123,000 miles.

    What to check: Cycle every window up and down during a test drive and listen for grinding or uneven travel; ask whether any regulator or window assembly has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I rolled down the passenger side window of my Lexus 2008 ES350 and the window came off track. The window jumped out of the track as I attempted to roll it up and appears to be falling off the car. This is a window that I seldom roll-down. I believe that due to this problem which I consider to be a safety hazard that the Lexus 2008 ES350 cars should be recalled.”

    NHTSA complaint #10479859, filed 2012-10, 55,000 miles

    “My passenger side front window will not roll up properly. Apparently the plastic clip broke off and the entire window has to be replaced. This is definitely a defect by Lexus. I have seen a lot of complaints online about this. Lexus is charging 700 dollars to fix. I will not buy another Lexus or recommend one to anyone because Lexus should take ownership for this one.”

    NHTSA complaint #10551199, filed 2013-11, 48,000 miles
  4. Brakes

    Brake judder and poor braking in snow

    • 11 complaints (4%)
    • median 20,500 mi at 2.4 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2017

    Complaints describe pulsation or shaking through the steering wheel and pedal when braking, with one owner reporting repeated rotor replacement at low mileage. Another owner reports that in snow and slush the ABS pumped but the car did not slow down, and the condition persisted afterward on clear pavement. Reported from about 14,000 to 23,000 miles in the sample.

    What to check: Brake firmly from highway speed on the test drive and feel for pulsing, and inspect rotor condition and service records; ask how the car behaved in winter conditions.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have 23,753 miles on my ES350 and the rotors have once again warped. They were replace at 800 miles and 11,000 miles and now they are going to need to be replaced again.”

    NHTSA complaint #10321015, filed 2010-03, 23,753 miles

    “Vehicle: 2008 Lexus 350 sedan. Failure: brakes do not work when there is snow on the ground. Abs braking system pumps but the car does not slow down. I suspect that snow gets into the brakes and prevents them from gripping the wheels. The car is not skidding; it just doesn't slow down. Once the condition starts, it doesn't matter whether there is any snow on the road. Even when the road is clear of snow, the brakes just pump and do not slow or stop the car in a reasonable distance. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10313647, filed 2010-02, 22,000 miles

Buying note. Confirm every open airbag recall and the accelerator pedal recall are closed with paperwork before buying, since parts availability was a recurring complaint. Also check the dashboard and each power window for the body-related issues owners describe, as these are usually out-of-warranty repairs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 255 consumer complaints for the 2008 Lexus ES350. 77 of the complaints include a mileage, and 62% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 29,000 miles. Of all complaints, 27 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 22 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 174 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 5 Lexus ES350 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 93 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than 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: Electronic stability control (2), Exterior lighting (2), Transmission and drivetrain (2), Equipment (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seat belts (1), Suspension (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata recall - we live in florida and drove the vehicle to denver, colorado on june 28, 2016 arriving july 1, 2016. We received the notice (forwarded via us mail to our address in denver) regarding the airbag recall on or around july 25, 2016. We contacted Lexus immediately thereafter and was told a case manager would call us back within 2-3 business days. We received a call on or around august 1, 2016 and spoke with a case manager, zandra . …”

NHTSA complaint #10893085, filed 2016-08, 102,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “I purchased a 2008 Lexus es 350 on february 21, 2008. On may 28, 2008, I took the car to the dealer, Lexus of jacksonville, fl, because the gas pedal stuck on may 26, 2008. When this occurred, the car accelerated to over 80 MPH and I had to insert my foot underneath the pedal to unstick and raise the pedal to decrease acceleration. Lexus of jacksonville checked the pedal and I was told the pedal had been adjusted. The problem has not recurred. …”

NHTSA complaint #10312997, filed 2010-02, 5,413 miles

Body and structure: “While driving on the highway at 60 miles / h my driverside window suddenly fell down which seriously distracted me and which almost resulted in a collision with another car. Feedback from Lexus is that the plastic tabs that hold the window disintegrate over time and as a result the entire window will need to be replaced. It's clearly a safety hazard and should pro-actively be addressed by Lexus.”

NHTSA complaint #10547557, filed 2013-10, 65,000 miles

Other or unknown: “The top of the dash is sticky, almost like it's melting, causing a shiny glare to reflect off the bash and windshield making it difficult to see, especially in direct sunlight. Ive owned the car since 2010 and it's steadily worsened overtime. It became an immediate safety concern back in march as the weather became warmer.”

NHTSA complaint #11099335, filed 2018-06, 150,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

62% of the 77 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 14,000 and 66,000 miles.

21%0–1026%10–2516%25–5014%50–759%75–10012%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (77 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 29,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’09’11’13’15’17103’19’22
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Lexus ES350. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
ES350 · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2008 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning not available, automatic emergency braking not available.

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2008 Lexus ES350 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 350 FWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic192722$3,750

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

Recall details for the 2008 Lexus ES350 → · Check a 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. 174 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 174 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus ES350

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202154,0080526—Not enough data
20205—1526—Not enough data
2019512,8002526—Not enough data
201859,5002524—Not enough data
2017229,1001524—Falling
20162118,0001524—Falling
20151623,0001524—Falling
20142830,00015240 · FewerFalling
20132326,0001524—Falling
20128945,58233222 · FewerFalling
201115350,0003—220 · FewerFalling
201013724,5565—2272 · MoreRising
200914519,8505—2299 · MoreStable
200825529,0004—2293 · MoreFalling
200753932,7834—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Lexus ES350 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Lexus ES350?

Complaints on this model year are dominated by two themes: Takata airbag inflator recalls that owners struggled to get repaired, and unexpected acceleration or surging that owners often attribute to the accelerator pedal or floor mats. The issues reported most often: Unexpected acceleration or engine surging; Takata airbag inflator recall and non-deployment reports; Door window comes off track or drops.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Lexus ES350 have?

NHTSA recorded 255 consumer complaints for the 2008 Lexus ES350 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Lexus ES350 is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 170 complaints (67% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 39.

Has the 2008 Lexus ES350 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Lexus ES350 get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Lexus ES350 (ES 350, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,750 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Lexus ES350 reported?

Among the 77 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 29,000 miles and the middle half falls between 14,000 and 66,000 miles; 62% 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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. 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.