U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Lexus ES350 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

255 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

29,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 77 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 165 of 255 complaints (64.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	29	11.4%
Steering behavior	5	2.0%
Electrical and battery issues	3	1.2%
Transmission and shifting	2	0.8%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

165

Vehicle Speed Control

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal

Electrical System

Structure:Body

Engine

Steering

Air Bags: 165; Vehicle Speed Control: 29; Unknown Or Other: 11; Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal: 10; Electrical System: 9; Structure:Body: 8; Engine: 4; Steering: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 36; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 11; 75,000 to 99,999: 7; 100,000 to 149,999: 9; 150,000 and above: 2

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (36). 178 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

103

2018

2019

2020

2022

2008: 6; 2009: 8; 2010: 37; 2011: 3; 2012: 2; 2013: 4; 2014: 8; 2015: 5; 2016: 64; 2017: 103; 2018: 8; 2019: 5; 2020: 1; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 29 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10252860 · 2008-12-26 (December 26, 2008)

ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008 I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN MY 2008 LEXUS ES 350 WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I GAVE THE CAR A LITTLE EXTRA GAS TO PASS ANOTHER CAR AND THE CAR JUST TOOK OFF. I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE ACCELERATOR BY TRYING TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AS WELL AS TAPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE BY PUSHING THE KEYLESS IGNITION BUTTON, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I CHECKED THE FLOOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND THERE WASN'T. I THEN PUT THE CAR I…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,890 miles reported. Look up ODI 10252860 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10284427 · 2009-09-17 (September 17, 2009)

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 5 IN CALIFORNIA NEAR OCEANSIDE ON MAY 10, 2009 FROM ORANGE COUNTY TOWARDS CARLSBAD, CA. WHEN APPROACHING HIGHWAY 78, I FELT THE VEHICLE INCREASING IN SPEED TO ABOUT 90 MPH, WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD BEEN ON CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 73 MPH (PROBABLY 68-69 MPH ACTUAL SPEED). I HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN MY CAR. THE FEMALE PASSENGER SCREAMED AT ME TO SLOW DOWN. I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO EVEN AFTER STEPPING FORCEFULLY ON THE BRAKES. ALSO DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL, BY PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE END OF A S…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10284427 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10312750 · 2010-02-22 (February 22, 2010)

I BOUGHT ONE LEXUS (TOYOTA) ES 350 LAST NOVEMBER WITH ABOUT 3,500 MILES (CURRENTLY 8,200MILES). RECENTLY, I FOUND FRONT WHEEL ON THE RIGHT SIDE COULD NOT BE RECOVERED TO STRAIGHT POSITION (STEERING ALSO). I TOOK MY CAR TO LEXUS DEALER IN PEORIA, IL, BUT THEY TALKED ME THAT THE ISSUES HAPPEN BECAUSE YOUR CAR HIT HOLES OR CURBS. I WANT TO ASK WHO CAN TELL ME THAT THEIR CARS NEVER HIT HOLES OR CURBS, IF ISSUES HAPPEN AS LONG AS YOUR CAR HITS HOLES OR CURBS. I THINK ISSUES HAPPEN WHEN A STRONG OUTSIDE FORCE WAS ADDED TO THE OBJECTS SUCH TI…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10312750 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10320194 · 2010-03-16 (March 16, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIAMTELY 60 MPH, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL OCCURRED, AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE EXTERIOR BODY AND HEADLIGHTS SUSTAINED SEVERAL SCRATCHES. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED A THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE …

Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10320194 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10318620 · 2010-03-15 (March 15, 2010)

2008 LEXUS ES 350. CONSUMER ASSERTS THAT ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY COMPUTER ISSUES. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AFTER CRASHING INTO A TREE DUE TO THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATING, THE AIR BAG INJURED HIS LEG. THE BATTERY DIED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE VSC AND TRAC LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WENT DEAD AGAIN, BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF THE BATTERY. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS HAD 4 LOANER CARS IN A MATTER OF 4 WEEKS, DUE TO ALL THE PROBLEMS HE HAS EXPERIENCED WITH HIS VEHICLE. *JB UPDATED 04/06/10.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10318620 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10365496 · 2010-11-12 (November 12, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. WHILE CRUISING 60 MPH THE LEXUS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO OVER 90 MPH. CONTACT STOOD ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS HE COULD AND SWITCHED THE IGNITION OFF, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED REVVING AS HIGH AS THE MOTOR WOULD GO. FINALLY, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL TO SLOW DOWN. HOWEVER, BY THEN THE BRAKES WERE RED HOT. CONTACT PULLED THE COIL WIRE TO STOP THE MOTOR FROM BLOWING UP. AFTER, THE CONTACT'S TERRIFIED WIFE AND CHILDREN CALMED DOWN FROM THE NEAR DEATH EXPER…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10365496 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10290866 · 2009-11-03 (November 3, 2009)

ON OCTOBER 1, 2009 MY 2008 LEXUS ES 350 EXPERIENCED UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. UPON ENTERING THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE INCREASED IN SPEED TO APPROX. 90 MPH WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN EVEN AFTER STEPPING FORCEFULLY ON THE BRAKES. I PUSHED THE START/STOP BUTTON ON THE DASHBOARD NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP OR CUT OFF. SOMEHOW, THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD I BEGIN SHIFTING THE GEARS, ONCE THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL THE SPEED FINALLY BROKE AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN. THE VEHICLE W…

Owner-reported narrative. 18,887 miles reported. Look up ODI 10290866 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10953970 · 2017-02-11 (February 11, 2017)

SOME SNOW & ICE ON I82, FROM SUNNYSIDE, WA, (MP 69) TO WEST RICHLAND (MP 96). ENTERING FREEWAY, CAR WOULD ONLY GO 40MPH, ENGINE SURGING LIKE TRANSMISSION STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. TRAFFIC VERY LIGHT. STOPPED AT WEIGH SCALE TO CHECK WHEEL WELLS FOR ICE AS THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE THE REASON CAR ACTING STRANGE. WELLS COMPLETELY CLEAR. GET BACK ON I82, FIRST UNDERPASS HAS PATCHES OF ICE THAT I CAN SEE. WHEN I GO OVER THE ICE, THE CAR BRAKES HARD BY ITSELF AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SWINGS OUT TO THE LEFT & STARTS TO GO BROADSIDE. I KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTR…

Owner-reported narrative. 84,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10953970 at NHTSA ↗