Total Complaints
11 filings
LEXUS ES HYBRID · model year
2013 LEXUS ES HYBRID
11 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2013LEXUSES HYBRID carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 ES HYBRID is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by structure:body (2) and unknown or other (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2013 ES HYBRID. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
11
Complaints
8
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
8 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20181118SERVICE BRAKES
ABS BRAKE FAILURE CODE C1391 BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION DURING EMERGENCY STOP WHILE IN MOTION DRY CITY STREET, LUCKY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. COST OF REPAIR $ 5000.00 BY LEXUS DEALER. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH BOTH LEXUS AND TOYOTA VEHICLES. ALSO CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK AFTER THIS HAPPENED AS THE ABS SYSTEM IS NOW DISABLED. ``````````````````
Mileage: 10
20180710CrashPOWER TRAIN
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FACING UPHILL IN MY DRIVEWAY. I STARTED THE CAR AND SET THE GEAR SHIFT/SELECTOR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) TO DRIVE POSITION WHILE CHECKING THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA WAS NOT ENGAGED. I RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BREAK WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AND CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN DRIVE AND THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA HAD NOT ENGAGED. I RELEASED THE BREAK AND ACCELERATED TO GO UP THE HILL. THE CAR ACCELERATED IN REVERSE. I HIT THE BREAKS AND CONFIRMED AGAIN THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS CLEARLY IN DRIVE POSITION EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOW REVERSED AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR THAT HAD BEEN BEHIND ME. I THEN SET THE GEAR SHIFT TO PARK POSITION AND TURNED OFF THE CAR.
Mileage: 45,700
20180710CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FACING UPHILL IN MY DRIVEWAY. I STARTED THE CAR AND SET THE GEAR SHIFT/SELECTOR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) TO DRIVE POSITION WHILE CHECKING THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA WAS NOT ENGAGED. I RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BREAK WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AND CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN DRIVE AND THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA HAD NOT ENGAGED. I RELEASED THE BREAK AND ACCELERATED TO GO UP THE HILL. THE CAR ACCELERATED IN REVERSE. I HIT THE BREAKS AND CONFIRMED AGAIN THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS CLEARLY IN DRIVE POSITION EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOW REVERSED AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR THAT HAD BEEN BEHIND ME. I THEN SET THE GEAR SHIFT TO PARK POSITION AND TURNED OFF THE CAR.
Mileage: 45,700
20170614CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CAR EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. WHILE THE DRIVER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL AND BOUNCED OVER A CURB, DOWN A HILL, STRIKING A PICK UP AND A TREE.
Mileage: 50,000
20170106VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
PARKED IN PARKING RAMP FRONT IN.BACKED OUT SLOWLY, TAPPED PILLAR AT REAR MOVED FORWARD TO ADJUST STEERING, REVERSED AGAIN, THEN ENGINE ACCELERATED SLAMMED ME BACK INTO PILLAR, STEERING WHEEL TURNED RIGHT ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE HIGH SPEED UP THE RAMP. I TIRED TO PUT THROTTLE IN N, DID NOT SLOW DOWN, SLAMMED ONE FOOT ON BRAKE, DID NOT SLOW DOWN, THEN SLAMMED BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID STOP BEFORE HITTING CEMENT FENCE.
Mileage: 67,000
20160415UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NHTSA RECALL 15V728 WAS ISSUED ON 11/3/2015. LEXUS HAS AN TEMPORARY FIX THAT SIMPLY DISABLES THE PRE-COLLISSION SYSTEM. THERE HAS BEEN NO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS GETTING ANY INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN IT WILL BE FIXED. THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM APPLIES TO WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
20160123CrashAIR BAGS
THE CAR WAS IN A VERY BAD FRONT END COLLISION 1-15-16, AND NOT 1 AIR BAG DEPLOYED. WE CAN SEND PHOTOS, AND THE CAR IS ON HOLD, NOT TO BE TOUCHED AT THE INSURANCE STORAGE YARD. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO.
Mileage: 30,000
20160123CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY
THE CAR WAS IN A VERY BAD FRONT END COLLISION 1-15-16, AND NOT 1 AIR BAG DEPLOYED. WE CAN SEND PHOTOS, AND THE CAR IS ON HOLD, NOT TO BE TOUCHED AT THE INSURANCE STORAGE YARD. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO.
Mileage: 30,000
20151214CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY
CAR WAS REAR ENDED BY FORD F-150 PRETTY HARD WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND GOT PUSHED FORWARD INTO THE FRONT SUV VEHICLE WHICH ALSO GOT PUSHED FORWARD FROM STATIONARY POSITION AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. CAR GOT TOTALED THAT THE LENGTH OF THE CAR SHRUNK WRAPPING THE FRONT AND BACK RAILS AND STILL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HENCE THE COMPLAINT
Mileage: 22,000
20151214CrashENGINE
CAR WAS REAR ENDED BY FORD F-150 PRETTY HARD WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND GOT PUSHED FORWARD INTO THE FRONT SUV VEHICLE WHICH ALSO GOT PUSHED FORWARD FROM STATIONARY POSITION AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. CAR GOT TOTALED THAT THE LENGTH OF THE CAR SHRUNK WRAPPING THE FRONT AND BACK RAILS AND STILL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HENCE THE COMPLAINT
Mileage: 22,000
20151214CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER
CAR WAS REAR ENDED BY FORD F-150 PRETTY HARD WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND GOT PUSHED FORWARD INTO THE FRONT SUV VEHICLE WHICH ALSO GOT PUSHED FORWARD FROM STATIONARY POSITION AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. CAR GOT TOTALED THAT THE LENGTH OF THE CAR SHRUNK WRAPPING THE FRONT AND BACK RAILS AND STILL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HENCE THE COMPLAINT
Mileage: 22,000
Compare 2013LEXUSES HYBRID to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2013 LEXUS ES HYBRID have?▼
The 2013 LEXUS ES HYBRID has 11 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 LEXUS ES HYBRID?▼
The most-complained component for the 2013 LEXUS ES HYBRID is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2013 LEXUS ES HYBRID safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.