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
2013 Lexus Rx 350
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
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There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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Owner complaints by model year
Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
24 reports with mileage · 6 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes complaints
8 reportsVEHICICLE SHOT FORWARD GAINING SPEED WITH BRAKES FULLY APPLIED WHCH DID NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKE OVERRIDE OF ACCELERATION. RAN THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR GAINING SPEED THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE BACK WALL. THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ADJACENT KITCHEN WALL COLLAPSED WHICH MOVED THE REFRIGERATOR FORWARD TRAPPING OUR TW…
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VEHICICLE SHOT FORWARD GAINING SPEED WITH BRAKES FULLY APPLIED WHCH DID NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKE OVERRIDE OF ACCELERATION. RAN THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR GAINING SPEED THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE BACK WALL. THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ADJACENT KITCHEN WALL COLLAPSED WHICH MOVED THE REFRIGERATOR FORWARD TRAPPING OUR TWO FRIENDS BETWEEN IT AND THE KITCHEN CABINETS ON THE PARALLEL WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE BLACK BOX INDICATED THE CAR HIT THE GARAGE WALL AT ABOUT 17 MPH. BLACK BOX SHOWED FULL THROTTLE AND TOTAL APPLICATION OF BRAKES. CAR WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND PRODUCED HORRIFYING RESULTS. ONE OF OUR FRIENDS LAPSED INTO A COMA THAT NIGHT AND WAS TAKEN OFF LIFE SUPPORT A WEEK LATER. THE OTHER FRIEND IS IN REHAB AFTER SUFFERING A BROKEN FEMUR, A BROKEN PELVIS, AND SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN OUR MINDS THAT THE CAR WAS AT FAULT AND HAVE NOTED THAT MANY LEXUS VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE FACT THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND AT A SPEED EXCEEDING THE NHTSA STANDARDS IS ANOTHER SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE LEXUS. WE ARE HORRIFIED ABOUT THIS EVENT THAT HAS HAD SUCH TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE NOTE THIS OCCURED IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND AROUND TOWN THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION MESSAGE COMES ON AND THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES ALONG WITH THE ABS LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE C1428 IS STORED IN THE VEHICLE SELF-DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT SIX TI…
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WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND AROUND TOWN THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION MESSAGE COMES ON AND THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES ALONG WITH THE ABS LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE C1428 IS STORED IN THE VEHICLE SELF-DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT SIX TIMES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
RECALL FORM ABS BRAKE MALFUNCTION/ACCUATOR ISSUE WAS CORRECTED PRIOR TO MY OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED TODAY WITH THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATING STATING "BRAKE FAILURE" "CHECK BRAKES". APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE.
I HAD BRAKED TO A STOP ON A CITY STREET IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC THAT WAS STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT. SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. IT MADE A NOISE LIKE THE ENGINE WAS ACCELERATING. MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT. AS HE MOVED FORWARD, MY CAR AGAIN…
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I HAD BRAKED TO A STOP ON A CITY STREET IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC THAT WAS STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT. SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. IT MADE A NOISE LIKE THE ENGINE WAS ACCELERATING. MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT. AS HE MOVED FORWARD, MY CAR AGAIN STRUCK IT. I HAD TO PUT MY CAR IN PARKING GEAR TO GET IT TO STOP MOVING. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE LEXUS DEALER. THEY CHECKED AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE EVENT DATA RECORDER THAT I HAD READ ABOUT ONLINE. THEY SAID THE CAR HAD NO SUCH THING. NOBODY SHOULD DRIVE THIS CAR - SOMEBODY COULD GET HURT BADLY IF THAT UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HAPPENS AGAIN. I LEASE THIS CAR AND WILL TERMINATE THE LEASE. I HOPE WHOEVER THINKS OF BUYING THIS CAR WILL SEE THIS REPORT AND STAY AWAY FROM IT. IT IS UNSAFE.
THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE ON THE TOP OF A DRIVEWAY THAT GOES DOWNHILL. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHOT DOWN THE HILL LIKE A BULLET AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN THE CAR. WE WENT THROUGH 3 FENCES BEFORE THE CAR WAS FINALLY STOPPED …
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THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE ON THE TOP OF A DRIVEWAY THAT GOES DOWNHILL. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHOT DOWN THE HILL LIKE A BULLET AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN THE CAR. WE WENT THROUGH 3 FENCES BEFORE THE CAR WAS FINALLY STOPPED BY THE THIRD FENCE. THE CAR HAD 4 PASSENGERS IN IT. THE PASSENGERS ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE, BOTH FRONT AND REAR, SUSTAINED THE MOST INJURIES. NONE OF THE 10 AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *TR
THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE CAR SHOOK WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE BEEN NOTICING IT BEFORE AND IT WAS MORE SUBTLE BUT THIS TIME IT WAS NOT. I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES I WAS NOT SURE IF THE BRAKES WOULD STOP THE CAR IN TIME. AFTER THAT TRIP I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL SO I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED AND MENTIO…
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THE ENTIRE BODY OF THE CAR SHOOK WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE BEEN NOTICING IT BEFORE AND IT WAS MORE SUBTLE BUT THIS TIME IT WAS NOT. I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES I WAS NOT SURE IF THE BRAKES WOULD STOP THE CAR IN TIME. AFTER THAT TRIP I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL SO I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED AND MENTIONED MY EXPERIENCE. THEY UPGRADED THE SOFTWARE FOR THE SAFETY RECALL AND TEST DROVE MY VEHICLE FOR THE COMPLAINT AND FOUND OUT A MANUFACTURING ISSUE WITH THE ROTOR OF THE BRAKES. *TR
WAS DRIVING IN SNOW 10 MPH WHEN ANTILOCK BRAKES QUIT WORKING. LEXUS SAID IT WAS THE BRAKER ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. *TR ## VIN FAILED ##
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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