2009 Lexus ES350: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2009 Lexus ES350: 5 recalls, 145 owner complaints and up to 22 mpg combined.
Recalls
5 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Speed control / throttle Vehicle recall #09V388000 · 2009 · 4,445,056 vehicles
What's wrong: The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Why it matters: A stuck open accelerator pedal May result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota filed an amended defect report on November 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned…
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V340000 · 2016 · 1,754,517 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xb and Lexus is f, 2007-2008 Toyota yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus is250 and Lexus is350 and 2007-2008 Lexus es350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016.
Airbags Vehicle recall #17V006000 · 2017 · 577,875 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, yaris hb, Scion xb, Pontiac vibe, Lexus, es350, is250, is350, and is-f vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #18V024000 · 2018 · 628,018 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Vi or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, 4runner, Lexus is250, is350, is250c, is350c, es350, is-f, gx460, and Pontiac vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of az, ar, de, dc, il, in, ks, ky, md, mo, ne, nv, nj, nm, nc, oh, ok, pa, tn, va, and wv or "zone b." Toyota is also recalling certain 2009 Scion xb, Toyota corolla, corolla matrix,…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018.
Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #19V741000 · 2019 · 928,220 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators May explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 2 mention a fire, 14 injuries and 5 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (101): the most common themes are deploys unexpectedly / inflator (5), fails to deploy (3).
- Speed control / throttle (24): the most common themes are sudden acceleration (8), stalls / loses power (3).
- Electrical (5): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
- Body & structure (5): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
The 2009 Lexus ES350 has 145 owner complaints, ranking #3 of 16 ES350 model years for complaints (2.5× the average ES350 year). Complaints peaked in 2017 (69 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 7 years old, at a median of 19,850 miles. Neighboring years: 2008 (255 complaints, 4 recalls), 2010 (137 complaints, 5 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 19 | 27 | 22 | Premium |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2009 Lexus ES350.
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FAQ
Does the 2009 Lexus ES350 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 vehicle recalls for the 2009 Lexus ES350. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2009 Lexus ES350 problems?
Owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (101), speed control / throttle (24), electrical (5).
What gas mileage does the 2009 Lexus ES350 get?
EPA ratings run up to 22 mpg combined (3.5 L, Automatic (S6)), across 1 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2009 Lexus ES350 repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.