6 Lexus Models With The Most Recalls (Check Before Buying)

Thanks to their elegant designs and budget-friendly luxury models, Lexus cars have enjoyed public approval for many years.

But some Lexus models are far from perfect. These Lexus models have many recalls, which reduces their potential reliability.

In this article, we explore the Lexus models with the highest number of recalls.

1. Lexus IS350

The Lexus IS350 is the brand’s vehicle with the highest number of recalls. The automaker issued 70 recalls for the model.

Amongst all IS350 cars, the 2006–2010 IS350s are the joint most recalled model years. These vehicles have 10 recalls each. Following closely behind the 2006–2010 IS350 model years is the 2011 IS350, which has about 9 recalls.

The 2012 and 2013 IS350 take up the #3 and #4 spots, with 7 and 4 recalls, respectively.

All the model years above have severe functional issues which you may need to avoid.

If you have been longing to add a Lexus IS350 to your collection, then choose between the vehicle’s 2014–2021 model years. Since these vehicles have no recalls, they might be the safest option for you.

The following problems are some reasons for the recalls:

  1. Airbag Inflator: The airbag inflators in some 1S350 cars may explode and break metal objects in the vehicle. Some broken metal objects may hit the vehicle’s occupants, resulting in severe injuries.
  2. Wiper Arms: Some Lexus IS vehicles were recalled because their wiper arms lacked sufficient torque. If an external object, like heavy snowflakes, falls on the wiper arms, they may stop working.
  3. Fuel System: Some anti-rust coating remnants in the fuel system may tear open the part that link the fuel pressure sensor to the fuel delivery pipe. Fuel may leak from this opening.
  4. Fuel System: Toyota recalled certain Lexus IS350 cars to correct a manufacturing error in their fuel system. This error may make the diaphragms in the fuel system crack prematurely, thus leading to fuel leakage.
  5. Engine: A fault in the Variable Valve Timing (VVT) gear assembly may cause the system to generate an abnormal impact when the driver starts the car. As a result, the bolts securing the gear assembly may loosen.

Although this model has a lot of recalls, it’s not all bad. The Lexus IS has its best and worst years.

2. Lexus LX570

Since its debut, Lexus has issued about 661 recalls. Out of these 661 recalls, 60 belong to the Lexus LX570. This accounts for about 2.1% of all Lexus recalls, thus making the LX570 the second most recalled Lexus vehicle in history.

With 7 recalls each, the 2008-2011 Lexus LX570s have the highest number of recalls amongst all LX570 model years. The 2012 and 2013 model years take the second spot for most recalled LX570 cars. 4 recalls make the 2014 and 2015 Lexus LX570 the third most recalled LX570 vehicles.

On the other hand, the 2020 and 2021 Lexus570 are the least recalled model years. These cars have no recalls. The 2018 and 2019 LX570 take the #2 spot of the least recalled Lexus LX570 cars, as they have only 3 recalls each.

Some common issues in the Lexus LX570 are:

  1. Frontal Seatbelts: Using some Lexus LX570 cars for an extended period may cause the seatbelt tension wire harness to break. This may deactivate the knee airbag, frontal airbag, and side airbags.
  2. Fuel Pump: Toyota may have installed a low-pressure fuel pump in certain Lexus 570 vehicles. This fuel pump may fail occasionally.
  3. Frontal Airbags: The automaker may have fixed incorrect frontal airbags in some Lexus LX570 cars.
  4. Accelerator pedal: The floor mats in some Lexus LX570 cars may be incompatible with the vehicles. As such, these mats may shift and trap the accelerator pedal in a wide-open position. This may prevent the driver from increasing the speed of the car.

3. Lexus IS250 

45 recalls earn the Lexus IS250 the third spot on the list of most recalled Lexus cars.

Amongst all Lexus 1S250 model years, the 2006, 2009, and 2010 Lexus IS250 vehicles have the highest number of recalls. The 2007 and 2008 have 6 recalls each, making them the second most recalled Lexus 1S250. With about 4 recalls each, the 2011 and 2012 Lexus IS250 earn a third place on the list of most-recalled Lexus IS250 model years.

Ranking Lexus IS250 model years from the point of least recalled models will put the 2014 and 2015 Lexus IS250 at the top of the list. Toyota has never recalled the 2014 and 2015 Lexus IS250 cars. The second least recalled Lexus IS250 is the 2013 model year.

You may also want to probe some common Lexus IS problems. Meanwhile, some of the common problems that mandated recalls of the Lexus IS250 model are:

Airbag Inflators:

The frontal airbag inflators may deteriorate due to extended exposure to high temperatures and excess humidity. As a result, these inflators may explode when they are deployed during an accident.

Wiper Arms:

The fastening nuts on the wiper arms may lack adequate torque. Due to this problem, both wipers may stop working when an external load, like snow, lands on the arms.

Fuel System:

Certain anti-rust coating remnants may cause fuel to leak from the area between the fuel delivery pipe and the fuel sensor.

Accelerator Pedal:

The clearance between the accelerator pad linkage and a plastic pad in the vehicle’s carpet is minimal. As a result, the accelerator pedal may get stuck.

Related: 7 Fiat Models With The Most Recalls (Check Before Buying!)

4. Lexus IS350C

The Lexus IS350C is the fourth most recalled Lexus car. Toyota recalled this vehicle 39 times.

The Lexus IS350C model year with the highest number of recalls is 2010. This model year has 10 recalls. Taking second place on the list of most recalled Lexus IS350C cars is the 2011 model year. In addition, the 2012 and 2013 IS350C have the third and fourth highest number of recalls, respectively.

In contrast, the least recalled Lexus IS350 model year is 2015. The automaker only recalled this model year 3 times. With 5 recalls, the 2014 earns the second spot on the list of least recalled IS350Cs.

Some reasons Toyota recalled the IS350C are:

Airbags:

The frontal airbag inflators may degrade due to high exposure to extreme humidity. Such inflators tend to explode when the vehicle deploys them during a crash.

Fuel System:

Cracks in the fuel pulsation dampers of certain IS350C cars may cause fuel leakages.

VVT (Variable Valve Timing):

The bolts that secure the VVT gear assembly of some Lexus 1S350C may loosen. This often occurs when the driver starts the engine in cold weather.

Wiper Arms:

The torque on the wiper arm fastening nuts of certain IS350C cars may be inadequate. Due to this issue, the wipers in the vehicle may stop functioning when an external load falls on them.

Related: Are Recalls On Cars Always Free? (Solved & Explained)

5. Lexus ES350

The Lexus ES350 may not be the most recalled Lexus vehicle, but it still has a high number of recalls that are difficult to ignore. Toyota issued about 38 recalls for the Lexus ES350, making it the fifth most recalled Lexus model.

Although nearly all Lexus ES350 model years have recalls, none of them contain as many manufacturing issues as the vehicle’s 2009 and 2010 models. These models were recalled 6 times each. Coming up in second place on the list of most recalled LexusES350 are the 2007 and 2008 model years.

With only 4 recalls, the 2012 Lexus ES350 ranks #3 on the list of most recalled Lexus ES350 cars.

On the other hand, more recent Lexus ES50 vehicles have only a few recalls. For instance, the 2016 Lexus ES350 has only 2 recalls. Likewise, newer ES350 models have even fewer recalls. Excluding the 2016 model year, every other model from 2013 to 2020 has only one recall each.

Check out some of the problems in the Lexus ES350:

  1. Pre-Collision System (PCS): The PCS radar may confuse a steel joint for an obstacle. When this happens, the PCS may automatically activate and deploy the brakes.
  2. Fuel System: Due to low pressure, the fuel pump inside the fuel tank of some Lexus ES350 cars may stop working.
  3. Steering: The tie rod lock nut on the right of the steering may come loose.
  4. Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS): The O-ring in the ABS actuator may be damaged. This might affect how the engine controls brake fluid pressure.
  5. Airbag Inflators: When the frontal airbag inflators are exposed to high humidity, they may lose their efficiency. As a result, these inflators tend to explode when the airbags deploy during a collision.
  6. Accelerator Pedal: Toyota may have installed an incompatible floor mat in certain Lexus ES350 cars. This mat may cause the accelerator pedal to get stuck when the driver applies it.

Related: 3 Kia Models With The Most Recalls (Check Before Buying!)

6. Lexus GX460 

Toyota’s 34 recalls for the Lexus GX460 car make the model the sixth most recalled Lexus vehicle.

While buying a Lexus GX460 car, you may need to avoid the 2010 model. This model has the highest number of recalls among all GX460 model years, a fact that points to severe manufacturing problems.

With 4 recalls each, the GX460 model years between 2011 and 2015 and 2017 are the second most recalled GX460 cars. Following closely behind is the 2016 model, which has about 3 recalls.

On the other hand, more recent Lexus GX460 models are safer to purchase. For instance, Toyota has never recalled the 2019 and 2020 Lexus GX460 models.

So, these model years may lack production issues. The 2018 model year may also pose fewer problems than its predecessors, given that it has only one recall.

Here are the reasons for Lexus GX460 recalls:

  1. Fuel Pump: Toyota recalled some Lexus GX460 cars to change their fuel pump. The fuel pumps in such vehicles are likely to fail. When this incident occurs, the engine may stall while the driver is using it.
  2. Airbags: The faulty inflator may explode and break metal objects in the vehicle. On such occasions, the metal fragments in the affected car can cause severe injuries to the vehicle’s occupants. We have more on these issues in our article about Lexus SUV problems.
  3. Electronic Stability: Certain Lexus GX460 cars may skid over if their users drive at high speed while making a sharp turn. A car accident may occur if the vehicle rolls over.
  4. Airbag Inflators: The automaker may have manufactured some GX460 cars without ignition booster tablets. Due to this issue, the airbags may not inflate properly during a crash.
  5. Tires: Tires in certain Lexus GX460 cars do not comply with Federal road safety standards. These tires have a lower load-carrying capacity than their host vehicles. If a driver places luggage that is higher than the load-carrying capacity of the tires in an affected car, the car may suffer a reduction in performance. Such vehicles are also more likely to crash.
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