Takata air bag recalls
The 2012 ES has about 210 complaints per 100,000 sold, the most of any ES. Takata air bag recalls with long parts waits make up most of them.
Updated November 2026 · based on 116 owner complaints and 3 recalls
207 3.6x the ES average
3 free to fix at a dealer
Every ES year compared
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold. Lower is better. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so they are marked too new to judge.
Top problems and what they cost
Takata air bag recall
Air bag inflator replacement.
Fix: Free under recall
Air bags
Melting dashboard
Dashboard turns soft, sticky or shiny.
Fix: Dashboard $1,000+ unless covered
Structure
Recalls
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Complaints by part
Before you buy a 2012 Lexus ES
- Check by VIN for open air bag recalls.A recall is a safety fix the carmaker must do for free, even for later owners. Typing the 17-character VIN (on the dashboard and driver door) into nhtsa.gov/recalls shows any that were never done. Codes like 18V332 are recall numbers.The 2012 ES has 3 recalls on record, listed below.
- Look at the dashboard for melting or glare.Some dashboards melt, crack or turn sticky and shiny in the sun, which causes glare on the windshield. Some carmakers extended coverage for this.
Questions
Is the 2012 Lexus ES reliable?
Takata air bag recalls. The 2012 ES has about 210 complaints per 100,000 sold, the most of any ES. Takata air bag recalls with long parts waits make up most of them.
How many recalls does the 2012 Lexus ES have?
3 recalls. Recall repairs are free at any Lexus dealer, even for later owners. Enter the VIN on the free government recall lookup to see which are still open on a specific car.
What are the most common 2012 Lexus ES problems?
Takata air bag recall; Melting dashboard.
Crash rating shown for the 2012 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD. Repair costs are typical U.S. ranges for parts and labor, not quotes. How we score.