C1253 on Lexus vehicles
C1253 is named on 15 Lexus model years (2016–2021): 16 manufacturer filings and 0 owner reports in NHTSA’s files, across LS, CT, GS, NX, RX.
Which Lexus model years name C1253
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Lexus LS | Electronic Stability Control | 2 | — |
| 2021 Lexus NX | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2020 Lexus NX | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2019 Lexus NX | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2019 Lexus RX | Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — |
| 2018 Lexus GS | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2018 Lexus NX | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2018 Lexus RX | Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — |
| 2017 Lexus CT | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2017 Lexus GS | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2017 Lexus LS | Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — |
| 2017 Lexus RX | Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — |
| 2016 Lexus CT | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2016 Lexus GS | Service Brakes | 1 | — |
| 2016 Lexus RX | Lane Departure | 1 | — |
A model year is listed because the code is named in its own record — a bulletin filed against it, or an owner’s complaint about it — not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are documents in NHTSA’s files, not failure rates.
Lexus filings that name C1253
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsBulletins and campaigns Lexus filed with NHTSA whose summary names C1253. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
- L-SB-0009-23 Service bulletin2023-03-02 · Electronic Stability Control — Automatic (Asc)
- TSB: Some 2013 ? 2017 model year LS 460 vehicles may exhibit a condition where the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. One or more of the following specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) C1391, C1252, C1256, or C1253 will be stored in the vehicle memory to be used as verification. This condition may be caused by a small internal brake fluid leak ins
- L-SB-0008-25 Service bulletin2025-01-29 · Service Brakes
- Some 2016 – 2018 model year GS 450h, 2013 – 2016 model year LS 600h, and 2018 – 2021 model year NX 300h vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. One or more of the following specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) C1391, C1252, C1256, and/or C1253 will be stored in the vehicle memory to be used as verification
- LSB000824 Service bulletin2024-02-21 · Service Brakes
- TSB: Some 2014 ? 2017 model year CT 200h vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. One or more of the following specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) C1391, C1252, C1256, and/or C1253 will be stored in the vehicle memory to be used as verification. This condition may be caused by a small internal brake fluid
- L-SB-0011-23 Service bulletin2023-03-02 · Electronic Stability Control — Automatic (Asc)
- TSB: Some 2016 ? 2019 model year RX 450h vehicles may exhibit a condition where the brake, ABS, and/or TRAC warning lights are on and/or a Check VSC message displays. One or more of the following specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) C1391, C1252, C1256, or C1253 will be stored in the vehicle memory to be used as verification. This condition may be caused by a small internal brake fluid leak in
What C1253 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIC1253 is a manufacturer-specific code: the second character is a 1, which under the OBD-II standard hands the definition to whoever built the vehicle. The same code can mean one thing on a Ford and something unrelated on a Hyundai. Any site that prints a single definition for it is guessing.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. The record above is what Lexus and its owners have filed about it; the code’s page across every make has the whole file.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardIs C1253 a known problem on Lexus vehicles?
It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 16 manufacturer filings and 0 owner reports naming C1253 on 15 Lexus model years (2016–2021). Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count — but a bulletin that names the code on your model year is the place to start.
Which Lexus models does C1253 appear on most?
2016 LS (2 documents), 2017 CT (1 document), 2016 CT (1 document).
Does C1253 on a Lexus mean it is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN; no recall is triggered by a scan tool. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or open the model year's page here for the campaigns filed against it.