2012 LEXUS RX350 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
46
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
9
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 LEXUS RX350
The 2012 LEXUS RX350 has received a total of 46 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE. 9 technical service bulletins have been issued by Toyota Motor Corporation for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Vehicle Speed Control (10 complaints), Service Brakes (5 complaints), and Air Bags (4 complaints).
Recalls for the 2012 LEXUS RX350
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2012 LEXUS RX350, potentially affecting up to 522,228 vehicles.
Recall 14V054000 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
| 261,114 vehicles affected
Defect: 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 the actuator may experience an increased resistance resulting in the illumination of various...
Consequence: If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
View full details →Recall 14V054000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
| 261,114 vehicles affected
Defect: 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 the actuator may experience an increased resistance resulting in the illumination of various...
Consequence: If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2012 LEXUS RX350
46 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 LEXUS RX350. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control Esc | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bagssensoroccupant Classification | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LEXUS RX330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ABS AND BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI PENSACOLA LOCATED AT 6303 PENSACOLA BLVD, PENSACOLA, FL 32505, (844) 313-0046, AND THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V054000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL), HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
THE CFEI (CERTIFIED FIRE & EXPLOSION INVESTIGATOR) FIRE LIEUTENANT/INVESTIGATOR WITH THE CITY OF FT. LAUDERDALE'S FIRE DEPT, WHO ALSO RESPONDED TO MY 911 CALL, HAD POINTED OUT AND EXPLAINED TO ME THE INTENSITY OF FLAME, HEAT AND BURN PATTERN IN THE ENGINE AND STATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION. WHAT HAPPENED: I HAD JUST DRIVEN MY 2012 LEXUS RX350 A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I PULLED INTO A 7-11 PARKING LOT NOT FAR FROM THE GAS PUMPS AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, I OPENED MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW TO TALK TO A FRIEND WHEN I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I FILED A REPORT WITH LEXUS THE VERY NEXT DAY AND RECEIVED A LETTER 3 WEEKS LATER. THEIR LAST PARAGRAPH SAYS "WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU REPORTED THIS TO GEICO AS WELL. IF THEIR INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED ANY EVIDENCE OF PRODUCT LIABILITY, WE WILL GLADLY REVIEW THAT INFORMATION." I CALLED OUT TO HIM AS HE WAS WALKING FROM HIS VEHICLE TOWARDS MY CAR AND YELLED OUT TO HIM THAT SOMETHING SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING. HE THEN TOLD ME TO RELEASE THE HOOD BECAUSE HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE SLIGHTLY RAISED THE HOOD, SAW A FLAME, SLAMMED THE HOOD SHUT, THEN HE YELLED OUT TO ME "GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW YOUR ENGINE IS ON FIRE". I JUMPED OUT, CALLED 911, THEN STARTED TAKING PHOTOS WITH MY PHONE WHILE WATCHING AS MY VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND SMOKE. FIRST I HEARD THE TIRES BLOW OUT THEN I HEARD THE WINDSHIELD BLOW OUT. MY FRIEND SAW THE FLAMES WHEN HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAID HE OBSERVED THAT THE FIRE WAS BURNING IN THE CENTER OF THE MOTOR AT THE FUEL MANIFOLD. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES LATER AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS!
THE CFEI (CERTIFIED FIRE & EXPLOSION INVESTIGATOR) FIRE LIEUTENANT/INVESTIGATOR WITH THE CITY OF FT. LAUDERDALE'S FIRE DEPT, WHO ALSO RESPONDED TO MY 911 CALL, HAD POINTED OUT AND EXPLAINED TO ME THE INTENSITY OF FLAME, HEAT AND BURN PATTERN IN THE ENGINE AND STATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION. WHAT HAPPENED: I HAD JUST DRIVEN MY 2012 LEXUS RX350 A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I PULLED INTO A 7-11 PARKING LOT NOT FAR FROM THE GAS PUMPS AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, I OPENED MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW TO TALK TO A FRIEND WHEN I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I FILED A REPORT WITH LEXUS THE VERY NEXT DAY AND RECEIVED A LETTER 3 WEEKS LATER. THEIR LAST PARAGRAPH SAYS "WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU REPORTED THIS TO GEICO AS WELL. IF THEIR INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED ANY EVIDENCE OF PRODUCT LIABILITY, WE WILL GLADLY REVIEW THAT INFORMATION." I CALLED OUT TO HIM AS HE WAS WALKING FROM HIS VEHICLE TOWARDS MY CAR AND YELLED OUT TO HIM THAT SOMETHING SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING. HE THEN TOLD ME TO RELEASE THE HOOD BECAUSE HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE SLIGHTLY RAISED THE HOOD, SAW A FLAME, SLAMMED THE HOOD SHUT, THEN HE YELLED OUT TO ME "GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW YOUR ENGINE IS ON FIRE". I JUMPED OUT, CALLED 911, THEN STARTED TAKING PHOTOS WITH MY PHONE WHILE WATCHING AS MY VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND SMOKE. FIRST I HEARD THE TIRES BLOW OUT THEN I HEARD THE WINDSHIELD BLOW OUT. MY FRIEND SAW THE FLAMES WHEN HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAID HE OBSERVED THAT THE FIRE WAS BURNING IN THE CENTER OF THE MOTOR AT THE FUEL MANIFOLD. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES LATER AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS!
THE CFEI (CERTIFIED FIRE & EXPLOSION INVESTIGATOR) FIRE LIEUTENANT/INVESTIGATOR WITH THE CITY OF FT. LAUDERDALE'S FIRE DEPT, WHO ALSO RESPONDED TO MY 911 CALL, HAD POINTED OUT AND EXPLAINED TO ME THE INTENSITY OF FLAME, HEAT AND BURN PATTERN IN THE ENGINE AND STATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION. WHAT HAPPENED: I HAD JUST DRIVEN MY 2012 LEXUS RX350 A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I PULLED INTO A 7-11 PARKING LOT NOT FAR FROM THE GAS PUMPS AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, I OPENED MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW TO TALK TO A FRIEND WHEN I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I FILED A REPORT WITH LEXUS THE VERY NEXT DAY AND RECEIVED A LETTER 3 WEEKS LATER. THEIR LAST PARAGRAPH SAYS "WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU REPORTED THIS TO GEICO AS WELL. IF THEIR INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED ANY EVIDENCE OF PRODUCT LIABILITY, WE WILL GLADLY REVIEW THAT INFORMATION." I CALLED OUT TO HIM AS HE WAS WALKING FROM HIS VEHICLE TOWARDS MY CAR AND YELLED OUT TO HIM THAT SOMETHING SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING. HE THEN TOLD ME TO RELEASE THE HOOD BECAUSE HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE SLIGHTLY RAISED THE HOOD, SAW A FLAME, SLAMMED THE HOOD SHUT, THEN HE YELLED OUT TO ME "GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW YOUR ENGINE IS ON FIRE". I JUMPED OUT, CALLED 911, THEN STARTED TAKING PHOTOS WITH MY PHONE WHILE WATCHING AS MY VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND SMOKE. FIRST I HEARD THE TIRES BLOW OUT THEN I HEARD THE WINDSHIELD BLOW OUT. MY FRIEND SAW THE FLAMES WHEN HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAID HE OBSERVED THAT THE FIRE WAS BURNING IN THE CENTER OF THE MOTOR AT THE FUEL MANIFOLD. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES LATER AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS!
I WAS BROADSIDED ON MY DRIVERS DOOR AND NOT 1 AIRBAG WENT OFF. THE OFFICER SAID SHE WAS DRIVING AT LEAST 40MPH. I HAD LEFT THE STOP SIGN TO MAKE MY LEFT HAND TURN WHEN IT OCCURED. MY CAR WAS TOTALED
Safety Rating for the 2012 LEXUS RX350
The 2012 LEXUS RX350 received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 LEXUS RX350
Toyota Motor Corporation has issued 9 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 LEXUS RX350. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
L-TT-0149-14 — SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE.
L-TT-0136-13 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
Tech tip for MIL-I message only.
L-TT-0135-13 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
Some 2010-2013 RX350 vehicles may exhibit an exhaust ?rattle? type noise from one or both of the two exhaust manifold heat shields pictured below
L-SB-0129-12 Rev — POWER TRAIN
Some 2013 model year ES 350 and 2012 ? 2013 model year RX 350 vehicles may exhibit a MIL ?ON? condition with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P219A or P219B present. The Engine Control Module/ECM (SAE term: Powertrain Control Module/PCM) logic has been modified to reduce the possibility of this condition...
L-SB-0011-13 — POWER TRAIN
This bulletin includes basic procedures for inspecting and adjusting World Standard (WS) Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) level at normal vehicle operating temperature.
LSB001113 — POWER TRAIN
WS ATF Level Adjustment for U660E/F Transmissions.
LSB-0129-12-1 — ENGINE
LEXUS: ON SOME VEHICLES, THE REPAIR PROCEDURE ADDRESSES THE CONDITION OF MIL ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P219A OR P219B AND TO REDUCE THE OCCURRING CONDITION, THE ECM (PCM) LOGIC WAS MODIFIED. MODULE 2012-2013 ES350, RX350. *PE
L-SB-0129-12 — ENGINE
SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE.
L-SB-0129-12 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Some 2012 model year RX 350 vehicles may exhibit a MIL ?ON? condition with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P219A or P219B present. The Engine Control Module/ECM (SAE term: Powertrain Control Module/PCM) logic has been modified to reduce the possibility of this condition occurring. Please follow the repair procedure below to...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 LEXUS RX350
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the LEXUS RX350
- 2007 LEXUS RX350 — 210 complaints
- 2008 LEXUS RX350 — 160 complaints
- 2009 LEXUS RX350 — 114 complaints
- 2010 LEXUS RX350 — 123 complaints
- 2011 LEXUS RX350 — 49 complaints
- 2012 LEXUS RX350 (current)
- 2013 LEXUS RX350 — 39 complaints
- 2014 LEXUS RX350 — 22 complaints
- 2015 LEXUS RX350 — 58 complaints
- 2016 LEXUS RX350 — 78 complaints
- 2017 LEXUS RX350 — 69 complaints
Other LEXUS Models
- LEXUS ES350 — 1,531 total complaints
- LEXUS RX — 1,154 total complaints
- LEXUS IS 250 — 938 total complaints
- LEXUS ES300 — 862 total complaints
- LEXUS RX300 — 849 total complaints
- LEXUS ES — 817 total complaints
- LEXUS IS — 765 total complaints
- LEXUS RX330 — 659 total complaints