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2013 Lexus Ct200h

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

40 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 25, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Brakes problems dominate (33% of complaints).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#47 of 493Among the 2013 models with a matured record, the 2013 Lexus Ct200h ranks #47, scoring higher than 87% of them. See the 2013 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity80
Recall load100
Trend90

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20132025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2013 Lexus Ct200h, plotted where owners report it happening.

040k mi80k mi110k mi150k miEngine~132k mi · 13 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Brakes (13)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Brakes

33%

13 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

dash lit up like a xmas tree; braking became immediately unpredictable, spongy, and difficult to stop the car. error code c1391.

Read the brakes complaints →

Engine

33%

13 complaints · typically near 132k mi

At about 165-170,000 miles Lexus dealer advised leaking oil from timing chain area. Apparently it is a known issue from this engine (both CT200h and Prius) suffer from…

Read the engine complaints →

Body & structure

10%

4 complaints

AS I WAS DRIVING INTO A TURN FROM A COMPLETE STOP IN THE TURN LANE ON A CITY STREET, MY CAR SURGED FORWARD AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T RESPOND. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

Read the body & structure complaints →

Electrical system

8%

3 complaints

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN AFTER A LOUD NOISE THE bottom of the vehicle went on fire. we called the fire department who put out the fire. After looking at …

Read the electrical system complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 40 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 6 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Lexus before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report brakes problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any brakes symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 132k miles). Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2013 Lexus CT200H beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2013? See how every Ct200h model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 Lexus Ct200h against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2013 Lexus Ct200h as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.