2009 Lexus ES350 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2009 Lexus ES350 with SAB (Side Airbags) has received high ratings in both front and side crashes for both the driver and passenger sides. However, the overall safety rating is listed as "Not Rated." The car is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which can help prevent skidding and loss of control. It also has an optional forward collision warning system to alert the driver of potential front-end collisions. Unfortunately, it does not have a lane departure warning system.

Despite its safety features, there have been 169 complaints and 5 recalls associated with this model. This indicates that while the car performs well in crash tests, there are some reported issues and recalls that may need to be addressed to ensure the safety and reliability of the vehicle.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

169

Recall Count

5

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2009 Lexus ES350 w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2009 Lexus ES350 w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2009 Lexus ES350 w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2009 Lexus ES350 w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2007 Score 2009 Score 2018 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2007 Score 2009 Score 2018 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2007 Score 2009 Score 2018 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4

Complaints for the 2009 Lexus ES350

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"had car accident june 14,2019. hit by another car. air bags did not inflate"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2020-02-06

Complaint:
"takat recall: had car accident . hit by another car while turning; ran over street sign and hit iron fence infront of apartment building. air bags did not inflate. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'*jb"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2020-02-06

Complaint:
"takata air bag recall; received notice of recall in february, 2017; as of 3/19/2018, we have had no correspondence to schedule repair"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2017-07-02

Complaint:
"i called lexus of rockville center li ny today regarding "urgent safety recall" notice i received. sadly lexus dealer told me that the parts are on backorder until end of march... can't even make appointment to have lexus fix the problem "takata front passenger airbag inflators" for an urgent safety recall - i have had no vehicle problems yet..."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2019-02-03

Complaint:
"faulty airbag harness wirring. dear sir or madam, this is to report that 2007-2012 is 250, is 350 and es 350 has faulty airbag wiring harness which disables the airbags. clublexus.com has received hundreds of complaints regarding this. the repairs will only be done or correct if the vehicle is under 6 years old or 70,000 miles, whichever comes first. few thousand customers have cars less than 70,000 miles buy beyond 72 months but lexus refuses to rectify this tsb warning under the warranty. it is not our faults that the vehicles have been driven less than 70,000 miles in 6 years. the cost to repair this is in the upwards of 4000$. this is ridiculous on the part of lexus and nhtsa. the airbag wiring should be included in the recalls along with the takata recalls as they are connected but lexus refuses to agree to the consumer complaints and have dared many customers to challenge nhtsa to get it covered under recall. please help thousands of lexus drivers and their families from this fatal tsb fault which lexus refuses to fix. further, lexus stated that "if the fault is covered by the recall, it will be fixed without fail". so far lexus wants to get richer by charging consumers $4000.00 for a part that they installed to big with. please check the clublexus.com forum regarding the airbag lights coming on and the reaction that lexus has submitted to its customers. they are willing to put their customers and their families lives in danger just because nhtsa did not tell them to include airbag harness wiring in the takata recall, even if the vehicles are beyond warranty repairs. please help us in these dire and unsafe circumstances. thank you"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-08-11

Complaint:
"takata recall the manufacturer/dealer has yet to repair/replace the faulty airbags. i have been in a 'loaner' vehicle for 10 months."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-08-12

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 lexus es350. the contact received notification of nhtsa 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. len stoler lexus in owings mills, maryland was made aware of the recall and stated that the parts were unavailable. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect. *tt"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2017-01-02

Complaint:
"takata recall i received recall notice in the past and was told i would be notified when parts were available. now dealer tells me there is no recall. dealer is lexus of rockville centre ny"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-06-12

Complaint:
"takata inflators- takata recall we submitted to the dealership the request to replace the airbags per the recall and at the time these were not been available. it's been several months, and these have not been replaced."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-04-05

Complaint:
"tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2009 lexus es350. the contact received notification of nhtsa 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. the dealer (len stoler lexus, 11311 reisterstown rd, owings mills, md 21117 (410) 773-9613) was contacted and recall repair appointments were scheduled. the appointments were cancelled by the dealer, stating that the parts were not available. the contact stated that this occurred several times in the past year. the contact called the manufacturer at 800-255-3987, but was greeting by a recording, stating to contact the local lexus dealer to schedule a recall repair appointment. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2017-06-12

Recalls for the 2009 Lexus ES350

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-10-17

Recall:
"toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2013 scion xb, toyota corolla, corolla matrix, sienna, 4runner, lexus is250, is350, is250c, is350c, is-f, and gx460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of al, ca, fl, ga, hi, la, ms, sc, tx, pr, as, gu, the mp (saipan), and the u.s. vi or "zone a." toyota is also recalling certain 2010 scion xb, toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, 4runner, lexus is250, is350, is250c, is350c, es350, is-f, gx460, and pontiac vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of az, ar, de, dc, il, in, ks, ky, md, mo, ne, nv, nj, nm, nc, oh, ok, pa, tn, va, and wv or "zone b." toyota is also recalling certain 2009 scion xb, toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, lexus is250, is350, es350, is-f, and pontiac vibe vehicles ever registered in the states of ak, co, ct, id, ia, me, ma, mi,..."
Consequence:
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 the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. 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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-01-09

Recall:
"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..."
Consequence:
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).

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-01-09

Recall:
"toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 scion xb and lexus is f, 2009-2011 toyota corolla and corolla matrix, 2006-2011 toyota yaris, lexus is250 and lexus is350, 2010-2011 toyota 4runner, lexus is250c, lexus is350c and lexus gx460, 2011 sienna, 2007-2011 lexus es350, and 2009-2010 pontiac vibe 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 model year 2008 scion xb and lexus is f, 2007-2008 toyota yaris, 2006-2008 lexus is250 and lexus is350 and 2007-2008 lexus es350 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,..."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify the Toyota 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 December 6, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are G1P (Toyota Zone A), G1R (Toyota Zone B), G2G (Lexus Zone A), and G2H (Lexus Zone B). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), GLG (Lexus Zone A), and GLH (Lexus Zone B).

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2016-05-23

LEXUS Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

LEXUS ranks 23 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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