Home · 2013 Lexus Ct200h · Complaints

What 40 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Lexus Ct200h

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (40)Crash / fire / injury (6)Brakes (13)Engine (13)Body & structure (4)Electrical system (3)Lights (3)Airbags (2)Speed control (2)Suspension (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Driver assistance (1)

3 of 40 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Aug 17, 2022Electrical systemEngineFire

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 the bottom I notice that the crankcase had a big hole. it seems that a valve went right through the cracnkcase. resulting in hot engine oil going on fire. The car is only 5 months old and Carmax will not pay for the repair which could cost me 5,000 dollars. I paid 27,000 for the car.

NHTSA ODI 11479752

Feb 13, 2019SteeringElectrical system

THE STEERING WHEEL GETS STIFF, LOCKS EVENTUALLY AND THE CAR GOES DEAD WITHIN COUPLE OF MINUTES WHILE DRIVING. UPON 1ST DIAGNOSIS DEALER REPORTED THAT IT WAS DUE TO BAD BATTERY AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. BUT THE SAME PROBLEM HAS REPEATED 3 TIMES NOW WITHIN A SPAN OF 2 MONTHS. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHEREAS THE SAME ISSUE OCCURS EVERY TIME. THIS IS LIFE THREATENING AS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A STREET AND MAJOR CROSS JUNCTIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11179936

Apr 23, 2013Electrical systemLights

DESIGN DEFECT: TURN SIGNAL FAILS TO CANCEL AFTER A SWEEPING TURN (E.G., RIGHT OR LEFT TURN FROM 2ND LANE, OR A "CORNER CUT" YIELD-TYPE TURN). SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT A NON-CANCELLED TURN SIGNAL CAN THEN CAUSE OTHER DRIVERS TP BELIEVE YOU WILL BE TURNING, WHEN NO SUCH TURN IS CONTEMPLATED. THIS VEHICLE EMPLOYS "PROGRESSIVE STEERING", WHICH MEANS THAT STEERING WHEEL ROTATION IS PROGRESSIVELY MAGNIFIED IN THE TURN OF THE FRONT WHEELS. IT APPEARS THIS MINIMAL STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENT REQUIRED FOR A SWEEPING TURN WAS NOT CONTEMPLATED IN THE PLACEMENT OF THE TURN SIGNAL CANCELLATION MECHANISM ON THE STEERING COLUMN. BEST SOLUTION WOULD BE TO REPOSITION THE AUTO-CANCELLATION TABS SO THAT ALL TURNS WOULD PROPERLY CANCEL. SECONDARY -- EASIER & CHEAPER -- REMEDY WOULD BE TO ADD A PROFOUNDLY AUDIBLE INTERIOR SIGNAL FOR A SIGNAL LEFT UNCANCELLED FOR GREATER THAN (20?) SECONDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10509313

Working with the data? Download all 40 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Lexus Ct200h verdict →