2013 Lexus GS problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2013 Lexus GS350, VIN [XXX], manufactured 04/2013. Mileage at repair was approximately 117,310–117,485 miles. During diagnosis for check-engine/EVAP codes, liquid gasoline was found inside the EVAP canister / Leak Detection Pump assembly. This EVAP component is intended to handle fuel vapor, and the presence of liquid fuel appears abnormal. The vehicle had multiple EVAP codes confirmed by both an independent scanner and the Lexus dealer’s Toyota TIS/Techstream system: P2401, P2402, P2419, P043E, and P043F. Park Place Lexus in [XXX] documented that the Leak Detection Pump was mechanically “stuck ON/OFF” and the Pressure Switching Valve was “stuck ON.” This appears consistent with fuel contamination or internal restriction of the EVAP canister/LDP assembly, not just a simple sensor or wiring issue. My safety concern is that liquid gasoline was present in or around an electrically actuated EVAP component located near the vehicle underbody. If fuel migrates further into the pump, connector, wiring, or surrounding area, it may create a potential fire safety risk. This component should not normally contain liquid gasoline. Park Place Lexus replaced the EVAP Emission Canister and Leak Detection Pump assembly, part #77740-30350, with 3.0 hours labor. The vehicle was dropped off XXX and ready XXX. Repair Order #1229991. After repair, the EVAP system re-test passed and the Texas emissions inspection passed. I paid $1,205.88 out of pocket; the repair was not covered by any recall or free-of-charge remedy. I have photos, videos, scan results, and the dealer repair invoice available. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA can track whether other Lexus/Toyota owners experience the same pattern of liquid fuel intrusion, mechanically stuck Leak Detection Pump / Pressure Switching Valve failure, and related EVAP codes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11748153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The servo motor is bad per Lexus dealership. There is a recall for this exact problem for newer models. Years 2013 - 2016 should be included. My daughter has a 2006 Lexus, and it has the exact same problem. Lexus has a problem with their HVAC systems. The air conditioning stalls when turning on and goes from cold to warm when car is is idling.

NHTSA complaint #11726144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2013 Lexus GS 350. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle while making a right or left turn, and the steering wheel was moved all the way. The contact stated that it felt like the tires were driving over a bumpy road. In addition, the vehicle independently veered to the left while driving. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering wheel electronic control unit had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V221000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA complaint #11706159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

Brake actuator or booster accumulator, always has been failing on Toyota/lexus hybrids, they need to do another bulletin or TSD because the malfunction is unsafe and many drivers are reporting it

NHTSA complaint #11664042 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I started my car in the morning and when I started the engine it was an instant extreme rough idle with the engine light and traction control light blinking on my dashboard and the engine cuts out on its own. I have my car at a Toyota dealership since it’s closer than the Lexus dealership and they have ran an extensive testing diagnostic on my car resulting in a valve stuck open and a valve spring fell out. I have kept up the regular maintenance on my car, like every 5,000 miles fully synthetic oil changes, premium gas, regularly checking for recalls, always checking my fluids, correct tires and tire pressure, and I have in no way misused my car since it’s the only car I have to drive. I found that Lexus had a recall on the GS 350 for the 2007 to 2011 years for the problem I’m currently dealing with. In 2012 Lexus did not make a GS 350 but 2013 they were offered again and I feel like they didn’t resolve the engine problem before putting out the new production, at least for the 2013 year. Now as my car sits I have to pay $9,200 to fix the problem and I don’t have that type of money. I would have to sell my house to pay for my car to get fixed. Luckily the car didn’t stop running while I had my family in the car. I don’t feel that I did anything wrong to make the internal engine have a valve issue. This car should still be running at 148,100 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11662948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

I own a 2013 GS350 RWD BASE MODEL. I have been having issues with the steering in this car since it was purchased in 2021 with100k miles. It seems to do great at lower speeds or on curvy roads, but when I drive on interstate going straight at around 70 to 80 mph is where it really becomes noticeable. The vehicle does not want to drive straight for anything. It does not pull in one certain direction; it is literally all over the road. I'd like to note that i have new shocks and upper shock mounts in the front, as well as tires all the way around, also replaced the sway bar linkages on the front and did an alignment. But the vehicle will veer from left to right with no rhyme or reason so bad that you cannot take your eyes off of the road to even adjust the ac or radio from fear of running into the concrete barricade or another vehicle. Something I'd like to add is that it really becomes prominent after about 10 to 15 min of interstate driving. I have taken it to two different Lexus dealerships and called Lexus directly. No one seems to know what I'm talking about; the first dealership told me to replace all of the parts that I previously mentioned. So, I did with no success. I have seen other GS owners complain about this online, so I know it is not just my car. This to me is a major safety concern because it had almost caused me to have several accidents personally not to mention it's just extremely annoying to buy a Lexus and to have to constantly pay attention and adjust the steering so as to not destroy the car and hit or hurt another driver. I always feel like I am going to get pulled over for a DUI. That is how bad it is. I own a 1999 Toyota corolla and that car is effortless to drive straight, I do not have to even think about it. I hope this in some way will help another GS owner to know that you are not alone if you experience this issue and maybe enough of us can cause Lexus to do the right thing here. THX, unhappy GS owner

NHTSA complaint #11602157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

Customer notice deterioration of the seat and proceeding monitoring the seat it was observed in 2021, 2023 & 2014 that while utilizing the seat heating electrical component the seat developed cracks as the heat released a burning sensation to the skin.

NHTSA complaint #11591442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Customer notice deterioration of the seat and proceeding monitoring the seat it was observed in 2021, 2023 & 2014 that while utilizing the seat heating electrical component the seat developed cracks as the heat released a burning sensation to the skin.

NHTSA complaint #11591442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

clock inoperable Lumber Support Button/ Motor is inoperable. Lexus Dealership found that the cable is broken and needs to be replaced on the Driver and Passenger side. As the cable is broken it makes the driver side seat loose

NHTSA complaint #11513643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

clock inoperable Lumber Support Button/ Motor is inoperable. Lexus Dealership found that the cable is broken and needs to be replaced on the Driver and Passenger side. As the cable is broken it makes the driver side seat loose

NHTSA complaint #11513643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

When driving at highway speeds for more than 10 minutes the steering becomes increasingly stiff until it starts locking the wheel in position. It takes quite a bit of force to get it to unlock and then whatever new position it's in it will lock that new position. It will lock in a straight line or in a turn so I could let go of the wheel and it will keep turning. This leads to a potentially dangerous ping ponging back and forth until I get it to lock in a position that matches the road to stay in my lane. If I slow down to below 40mph it resets back to a normal steering feel until I speed up again. The alignment and wheel balance are both good. The suspension components are not warn out to cause a change in alignment. The car does not have lane keep assist or anything that might do that on purpose. It seems quite a few other people are having this same issue and dealerships do not seem to know what it is or how to fix it. Some people have had success with replacing the steering rack and associated control unit. No warning lamps or messages appear when this happens and the steering feels perfect at lower speeds and at higher speeds for short durations. This is only a problem when I drive on the highway for an extended period. Some people think it is heat related but it happens to me in the winter as well.

NHTSA complaint #11510368 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

2013 Lexus GS 350 Stuck Wiper blades; DANGER LEVEL EXTREMELY HIGH - MAY AFFECT 2013-2015 AND 2016-2020 GS MODELS When using the wipes in either automatic mode or manual speed selection they can become stuck in the rain in the up position blocking the windshield's view. This is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Deemed a MAJOR FLAW, the wiper blades can get stuck in any position while wiping. This occurs when the wiper blades are used and it is raining. This is very hard to replicate with windshield wiper fluid. To remedy the malfunction to survive in a LIFE or DEATH moment of LIMITED VISIBILITY, the driver must quickly push the wiper lever activator up and down to reset it and or pushing in the automatic rain sensing function button. Also, when stopped at a stoplight and resuming acceleration, the rain sensor does not pick up rain at low, medium, or heavy rain and does not engage the wipers. Again, the user must re-engage the wiper system by turning it on and off again multiple times while driving over and over again, multiple times during a trip. The car should not be driven on highways at high speed during when raining or above 20 MPH.

NHTSA complaint #11459058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD

STICKY AND CRACKED DASHBOARD

NHTSA complaint #11421947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

NOTCHY STEERING FEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE STEERING EXHIBIT AN INTERMITTENT NON-BINDING, NOTCHY STEERING FEELING AND/OR STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT SELF-CENTER CONDITION WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. LIFE THREATENING. VEERS TO LEFT OR RIGHT AND NEEDS QUICK CORRECTION.

NHTSA complaint #11414773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL ECONOMY BECAME VERY POOR. FOLLOWING DAY HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR CAR RUNNING LEAN. WENT TO FILL UP CAR AT GAS STATION, AND AFTER IT WAS FILLED IT WOULD NOT START AND JUST CRANK. AFTER 5 ATTEMPTS AND THROTTLING THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND FINALLY STARTED. CAR WAS THEN PARKED AFTER MOVING TO A SAFE LOCATION.

NHTSA complaint #11363713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

WINDSHIELD WIPERS GET STUCK IN THE UP POSITION AND DO NOT WORK. MALFUNCTIONING WIPERS, NO ERROR CODE WITH NO FIX. VERY DANGEROUS UNDER EXTREME WEATHER CONDTIONS WHERE WIPERS ARE NEEDED. NOT WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM A TOYOTA PRODUCT. I DEMAND THIS BE FIXED AS I'VE HAD MUCH OLDER CARS WITH NO ISSUES OF WIPERS MALFUNCTION. I COULD CRASH, DIE OR INJURY SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. THE CAR HAS ONLY 41,900 MILES ON IT AND THE WIPERS ARE BARELY USED. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING! IT IS NOT BECAUSE I DID SOMETHING TO THE WIPERS EITHER. I HAVE NEVER GONE THROUGH AN AUTOMATIC CAR WASH AND EVEN IF I DID THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT. THIS IS A LEXUS, WHERE IS THE PERFECTION?

NHTSA complaint #11362718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

THE STRUTS ARE FAILING (LEAKING) AND THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ACROSS THE INTERNET. ALSO, THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS STOP WORKING PERIODICALLY. AND FINALLY, THE REAR DEFROSTER STOPED WORKING. I'VE OWNED MUCH CHEAPER CARS WITH WELL OVER 100,000 MILES AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 82,000 AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF AS I HAVE ANOTHER CAR THAT I LEASE AND THE LEXUS IS USUALLY IN THE GARAGE.

NHTSA complaint #11322332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE STRUTS ARE FAILING (LEAKING) AND THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ACROSS THE INTERNET. ALSO, THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS STOP WORKING PERIODICALLY. AND FINALLY, THE REAR DEFROSTER STOPED WORKING. I'VE OWNED MUCH CHEAPER CARS WITH WELL OVER 100,000 MILES AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 82,000 AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF AS I HAVE ANOTHER CAR THAT I LEASE AND THE LEXUS IS USUALLY IN THE GARAGE.

NHTSA complaint #11322332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.