Lexus Rx350 · model year

2013 Lexus Rx350

87 NHTSA complaints, 19 crash reports, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

Complaints
87
Recalls
1

The verdict

The 2013 Lexus Rx350 pairs above-average complaint volume with a strong NHTSA safety rating.

29th pctile
complaint volume, own model years
4/5
NHTSA overall rating
1
recall campaign

The 2013LexusRx350 carries 87 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 19 crashes, 6 fires, 26 injuries, and 3 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2013 Rx350 is service brakes with 12 filings, followed by electrical system (11) and unknown or other (9). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2013 Rx350. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

87
Complaints
19
Crashes
6
Fires
26
Injuries
3
Deaths
2013 Lexus Rx350 - NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2013 Lexus Rx350. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.
B
PlainCars Safety Score
74/100
2013 Lexus Rx350

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating A-
4/5 ★
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash A-
4/5 ★
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash A+
5/5 ★
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance A-
4/5 ★
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk F
17.9%
Lower than 22% of 2,516 rated model-years.

Total Complaints

87 filings

Crashes Reported

19 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 - Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES12
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL9
STRUCTURE:BODY8
ENGINE6
AIR BAGS6
STEERING5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4
POWER TRAIN3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
SUSPENSION1
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1

Recalls (1)

14V05400012/02/2014

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder. An electrical component within

Recent Complaints

20230323STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

The contact owns a 2013 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that after closing the liftgate door and reversing out of the car port, the liftgate door erroneously opened and struck the car port causing damage to the liftgate. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that recently the liftgate lowered independently. The failure occurred several times while placing items into the back of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 40,000.

Mileage: 40,000

20230310STEERING

The contact owns a 2013 Lexus RX350. The contact stated that while driving at speeds exceeding 70 MPH, the steering wheel was violently shaking and vibrating. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was no longer covered under an unknown Extended Service Campaign. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000. The contact stated that the manufacturer did not want to address the issue due to the vehicle's model year. There was a TSB involving later model years for the same issue, the faulty steering column.

Mileage: 46,000

20210114FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

NO PROBLEM AS OF NOW SAW IT ON RECALL IN CONSUMER REPORT

20210113STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS RX 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, AN ABNORMAL RATTLING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO LEXUS OF TAMPA BAY (5852 N. DALE MABRY HWY, TAMPA, FL 33614) WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD GOTTEN WORSE OVER TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

20201108FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY CAR BLEW UP. THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. MILE MARKER 372 I95S. I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND THEN FIRE STARTED SO I PULLED OVER ON THE LEFT SHOULDER AND THE FIRE BURST INTO FULL FLAMES

Mileage: 85,000

20201108FireENGINE

MY CAR BLEW UP. THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. MILE MARKER 372 I95S. I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND THEN FIRE STARTED SO I PULLED OVER ON THE LEFT SHOULDER AND THE FIRE BURST INTO FULL FLAMES

Mileage: 85,000

20200908ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TURNING STEERING WHEEL CAUSING DASH CUTOFF. SEATS AREN'T RESETTING TO ORIGINAL POSITION. BACK HATCH WILL NOT LIFT DEPENDING ON POSITION OF STEERING COLUMN

Mileage: 129,550

20200908POWER TRAIN

TURNING STEERING WHEEL CAUSING DASH CUTOFF. SEATS AREN'T RESETTING TO ORIGINAL POSITION. BACK HATCH WILL NOT LIFT DEPENDING ON POSITION OF STEERING COLUMN

Mileage: 129,550

20200908STEERING

TURNING STEERING WHEEL CAUSING DASH CUTOFF. SEATS AREN'T RESETTING TO ORIGINAL POSITION. BACK HATCH WILL NOT LIFT DEPENDING ON POSITION OF STEERING COLUMN

Mileage: 129,550

20200705STRUCTURE:BODY

I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THIS VEHICLE STARTED TO FAIL - FIRST IT STARTED WITH FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND NOW IN ADDITION TO FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, THE DRIVER DOOR AND THE REAR RIGHT DOOR AUTOMATIC LOCKS TO NOT ENGAGE WHEN I TRY TO LOCK/UNLOCK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THESE AT A COST OF ~$1,000 FOR EACH DOOR AND THINK THIS IS UNFAIR SINCE THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THIS MODEL FAILING ONLINE AND IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE DOOR ACTUATOR FAILING (BUT NOT RECALLED) (SEE LEXUS OWNER SITE AND YOUTUBE - SEARCH "2013 LEXUS RX350 DOOR LOCKS NOT WORKING" ON GOOGLE FOR DETAILS). I AM CURRENTLY MANUALLY LOCKING/UNLOCKING THESE DOORS AND FEEL UNSAFE AND FEEL MY PERSONAL PROPERTY INSIDE THE CAR IS EXPOSED TO THEFT SINCE SOMETIMES I FORGET TO LOCK THESE 3 DOORS MANUALLY WHEN DRIVING ALONE IN VEHICLE. NOTE THE ABOVE OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON A CITY STREET/HIGHWAY, AND TURNING.

Mileage: 160,000

20200615STRUCTURE:BODY

MY LEXUS VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH ITS LOCKS AND TRUNK. SOMETIMES THE TRUNK CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL EVEN IF I ATTEMPT TO OPEN IT MANUALLY. ALSO, MY DOORS HAVE TO BE MANUALLY LOCKED MOST OF THE TIME. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL LOCK/UNLOCK USING THE REMOTE. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE TIME I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK ALL OF THE DOORS. THERE ARE TONS OF VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE LOCK ACTUATORS. THERE ARE ALSO A PLETHORA OF FORUMS ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL. MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE CHOSEN TO NOT REPLACE THE LOCK ACTUATORS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL DOOR HAS BECAUSE IT IS VERY COSTLY. I HAVE ALSO READ THAT SOMETIMES THE LOCK ACTUATORS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE, THIS IS A COMMON DESIGN FLAW FOR MY CAR AS WELL AS OTHER LEXUS VEHICLES. EVEN NEWER MODEL LEXUS VEHICLES ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY THIS ISSUE IS A DESIGN FLAW AND DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL THAT LEXUS SHOULD BE MANDATED TO FIX. I ALWAYS HAVE TO CHECK WITH MY SON TO

20200614ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY 2013 LEXUS AWD RX 350 HAS A FAULTY WIRE HARNESS WHICH HAS SHORTED OUT ITS GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO, AND MEDIA CENTER. I REPLACED THE HEADLAMP ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE AND THE BLAST, BUT THE 15 AMP FUSE CONTINUES TO BLOW OUT. THEREFORE, THE FAULTY WIRE HARNESS HAS CAUSED MY HEADLIGHTS, GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO TO NO LONGER WORK.

Mileage: 62,100

20200614EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY 2013 LEXUS AWD RX 350 HAS A FAULTY WIRE HARNESS WHICH HAS SHORTED OUT ITS GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO, AND MEDIA CENTER. I REPLACED THE HEADLAMP ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE AND THE BLAST, BUT THE 15 AMP FUSE CONTINUES TO BLOW OUT. THEREFORE, THE FAULTY WIRE HARNESS HAS CAUSED MY HEADLIGHTS, GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO TO NO LONGER WORK.

Mileage: 62,100

20200614ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY 2013 LEXUS AWD RX 350 HAS A FAULTY WIRE HARNESS WHICH HAS SHORTED OUT ITS GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO, AND MEDIA CENTER. I REPLACED THE HEADLAMP ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE AND THE BLAST, BUT THE 15 AMP FUSE CONTINUES TO BLOW OUT. THEREFORE, THE FAULTY WIRE HARNESS HAS CAUSED MY HEADLIGHTS, GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO TO NO LONGER WORK.

Mileage: 62,100

20200614EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MY 2013 LEXUS AWD RX 350 HAS A FAULTY WIRE HARNESS WHICH HAS SHORTED OUT ITS GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO, AND MEDIA CENTER. I REPLACED THE HEADLAMP ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE AND THE BLAST, BUT THE 15 AMP FUSE CONTINUES TO BLOW OUT. THEREFORE, THE FAULTY WIRE HARNESS HAS CAUSED MY HEADLIGHTS, GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO TO NO LONGER WORK.

Mileage: 62,100

20200613SERVICE BRAKES

USE HANDBRAKE EVERY TIME. THERE WILL BE AN EXPLOSION SOUND FROM THE BACK WHEN I RELEASE MY FOOT. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. I TRY TO CHANGE THE BRAKE PADS. IT HAS NO EFFECT. *TR

20200429UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE SOFTWARE LOCATOR IS DEFECTIVE & WILL SEND YOU TO THE WRONG PLACE. LEXUS HAS A CAMPAIGN TO FIX IT THRU 2022 WHERE THEY UPDATE THE SOFTWARE. UNFORTUNATELY THEY DO NOT UPDATE THE NAVIGATION SOFTWARE AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT SHOULD BE A REQUIREMENT BECAUSE THE LOCATION SOFTWARE AND THE NAVIGATION SOFTWARE WORK CONJUNCTIVELY. INSTEAD THEY WANT TO CHARGE YOU $400 FOR NAVIGATION UPDATE. NOT SATISFACTORY. I ESCALATED THIS AT LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE & IT WAS NOT ADDRESSED PROPERLY. SO LEXUS WANTS TO DO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THE LOCATION SERVICES BUT THEY WANT YOU TO PAY $400 FOR THE NAVIGATION UPDATE THAT WORKS ALONGSIDE IT? SOUNDS LIKE A BAIT AND SWITCH TO ME.

20200111VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY VEHICLE STALLS FREQUENTLY ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN THE SPEED IS INTERRUPTED BY A SUDDEN STOP. IT WILL STALL WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START BACK IN TRAFFIC. I'VE COME VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A REAR END COLLISION.

Mileage: 68,000

20191211CrashAIR BAGS

DRIVING IN SNOW STORM ON SIDE ROAD. GOING APPROX 20 MPH ROAD SLIGHT INCLINE AND CURVES TO LEFT. TRIED TO TURN LEFT AND CAR CONTINUED GOING STRAIGHT. ANTI LOCK BRAKES WERE PUMPING CAR SEEMED TO ACCELERATE CAR HEADED TO TELEPHONE POLE AND HIT VERY DIRECTLY. CAR WAS TOTALED TELEPHONE POLE CRACKED IN HALF I WAS THROWN INTO STEERING WHEEL WINDSHIELD AND CENTER CONSOLE. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I BROKE MY RIBS AND WAS SEVERLY BRUISED AND HAD PAINFUL IMPACT INJURIES. WHAT DID THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOY?

Mileage: 80,000

20191030STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS RX 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED, RATTLED, LOOSENED, AND WAS COMING OUT OF PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEXUS OF PALM BEACH (5700 OKEECHOBEE BOULEVARD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33427, (561)-291-6004) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE SAME DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT STALLED SINCE THE REPLACEMENT. THE STEEERING SHAFT WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. *LN *TR

Mileage: 35,000

Compare 2013LexusRx350 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 Lexus Rx350 have?▼
The 2013 Lexus Rx350 has 87 NHTSA complaints, 19 crashes, 6 fires, 26 injuries, and 3 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 Lexus Rx350?▼
The 2013 Lexus Rx350 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 Lexus Rx350?▼
Yes, the 2013 Lexus Rx350 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Lexus Rx350?▼
The most-complained component for the 2013 Lexus Rx350 is SERVICE BRAKES with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2013 Lexus Rx350 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2013 Lexus Rx350 has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. 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.

Data vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2013 Lexus Rx350; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.