2008 Lexus ES350 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 2%of 255 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 86,688miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the engine of the 2008 Lexus ES350, 2% of the 255 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 86,688 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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“The contact owns a 2008 Lexus ES350. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle's temperature ran hot and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The warning indicators illuminated and the contact pulled the vehicle over and shut off the engine. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10767550, filed 2015-09, 90,000 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that there was fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the was an oil leak and advised her that there was a manufacturer's recall for the failure. The vehicle was repaired free of charge under the manufacturer's recall. After replacing the component in the recall the mechanic advised her that the oil leak caused damage to her drive belt and it needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired for the drive belt. …”
NHTSA complaint #10483469, filed 2012-11, 83,375 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10179601Aug 5, 2020TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a…
- 10133748Mar 26, 2014Prior to installing remanufactured U660 and U760 transaxles, it is necessary to remove the lower oil cooler tube union from the original transaxle case and install it into the…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2008 Lexus ES350
170 complaintsVehicle speed control
39 complaintsBody and structure
12 complaintsOther or unknown
11 complaintsElectrical system
9 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Lexus ES350
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology