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It is a common problem. I have a 2014 LS460 F Sport. All four actuators have failed, at $1000+ each. This is not what I was expecting when I bought a Lexus.

@Paul A. - Written communication on the internet is dangerous because you can't see tone of voice, eye contact, etc. It is sometimes difficult to tell what someone means. When Jeff in Tx gave his original answer, it was difficult to tell, not being able to see or hear him, whether he meant that 1) Lexus LS never have problems, so I must not have a mildew problem, or 2) Lexus LS may have mildew problems, but the dealer's remedy made no sense. After corresponding with him, it is clear that he meant that the Lexus Dealer's solution made no sense. He noted that this happens on multiple manufacturers, and he shared an inexpensive remedy. I am grateful for his help on two levels. 1) If the dealer fails to fix the problem, I have an inexpensive solution to try. I am hoping that by the end of the 4 year warranty they will figure it out. and 2) I have a strong sense that fussing with the recirculate button has nothing to do with the problem, so I don't need to worry about it so much. Anyhow, thanks for your help Jeff.

@Jeff in TX, Thanks for your input. Everything you say makes sense. And you are right that I don't know what would have happened if I ran everything in Auto mode (but you still have to manually switch to Auto Mode!). But I do feel that I should follow the dealer's recommendations on this, if for no other reason that that when I take it back in with the same problem, I can say "I tried what you suggested, but it didn't help." I wouldn't have a leg to stand on if I did not at least attempt to follow their advice. I am curious Jeff in TX, are you an owner? Independent mechanic/specialist? Do it your-selfer? The reason I ask is if you happen to know any good mechanics in Charlotte specializing in Lexus, I would be very interested. I have a very good shop here in Charlotte for Mercedes, but his expertise is not deep on Lexus. If, in your travels, you hear of a good third party shop in Charlotte, please let me know. I can see you have helped a lot of people here in the forum, so thanks for that!

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had the dealer clean out the smell and replace the filter at 3500 miles. At the 5000 mile service still OK. I am now up to about 6500 miles and the smell appears occasionally but not as intense as the first time. If it continues, I will ask them to fix it at the 10000 mile service. The trick about manually shifting to outside air seems to work most of the time. I have found it best to just run it this way all the time in town rather than try to remember when to change it when I get close to home. On long trips, I will still use the Auto mode and shift it to fresh air when close to destination. I agree it is a pain to constantly have to be thinking about mildew while you are driving. I found that Lexus addresses this issue on page 409 of the 2014 Lexus LS460/460L Owner's Manual. I quote, "To reduce potential odors from occurring: It is recommended that the air conditioning system be set to outside air mode prior to turning the vehicle off. The start timing of the blower may be delayed for a short period of time immediately after the air conditioning system is started in automatic mode." My fear is that at some point, Lexus will refuse to clean out the odor and point to the manual and say "working as designed." I hope they prove me wrong. I hope Lexus can figure out this issue. It is otherwise a great car. Yesterday, I ordered a vanity license plate with the letters EFFSPORT.

Last month I purchased a LS460 F Sport new. It is a great car. The only problem I have encountered is a bad mildew smell. I took it to the dealer, and at first they implied I must be doing something wrong, but finally they admitted that this was so common that Lexus has put out a service bulletin on it. They cleaned out the mildew and replaced the cabin air filter. According to the dealer, this is an issue with the 2013 and 2014 models. These models are programmed to run the air conditioner all the time in Recirculation mode. This is because by closing the vents to prevent fresh air from entering, it increases fuel economy, and this is one way they have employed to meet the fuel economy standards. They recommended that when I get about a mile from my destination to switch to fresh air mode (press recirculate button twice - to go from Recirculate to Auto to Fresh). They said this would allow the car to breathe and prevent the growth of mildew. I have been doing this for the last week and have not had the mildew return. When I crank the car, it returns to Recirculate mode, so I have to do this every trip. This seems like an odd workaround for a car of this quality. Has anyone else experienced this? Any home remedies?