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Lexus ESYears to avoid, problems & recalls

Based on 671 NHTSA owner complaints across 27 model years, no Lexus ES year stands out as one to avoid, and the strongest years are 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2021. The ES has 4 safety recalls on record.

Lexus ES
Years to avoidNoneUse caution: 2005, 2007, 2008Best years'09 '10 '13 '21Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints671Top: Air bagsSafety recalls41999–2025 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years. Photo: LuvsMG481, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Best & worst years

Lexus ES years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the ES median. Tap a year for its full report.

'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2025Too new–/1005 complaints · 1 recall2024Not rated–/1009 complaints · 2 recalls2023Not rated–/10010 complaints · 2 recalls2022Not rated–/10011 complaints · 0 recalls2021Solid54/10028 complaints · 1 recall2020Not rated–/10018 complaints · 1 recall2019Solid48/10035 complaints · 1 recall2018Not rated–/1005 complaints · 0 recalls2017Not rated–/1003 complaints · 0 recalls2016Not rated–/1009 complaints · 0 recalls2015Not rated–/1006 complaints · 0 recalls2014Not rated–/1005 complaints · 0 recalls2013Solid59/10034 complaints · 0 recalls2012Solid53/10031 complaints · 0 recalls2011Solid49/10046 complaints · 0 recalls2010Solid57/10041 complaints · 0 recalls2009Solid62/10028 complaints · 0 recalls2008Caution40/10068 complaints · 0 recalls2007Caution29/100125 complaints · 0 recalls2006Not rated–/10012 complaints · 0 recalls2005Caution38/10060 complaints · 0 recalls2004Not rated–/10016 complaints · 0 recalls2003Not rated–/10023 complaints · 0 recalls2002Solid50/10027 complaints · 0 recalls2001Not rated–/1002 complaints · 0 recalls2000Not rated–/1006 complaints · 0 recalls1999Not rated–/1008 complaints · 0 recalls
Complaints by system

Most common Lexus ES problems

All model years combined: 671 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags22739
Structure7419
Electrical system5918
Power train575
Vehicle speed control5626
Engine4916
Service brakes4718
Fuel/propulsion system305
Visibility/wiper291
19 other systems14831
4 recalls

Lexus ES recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

86%Back over prevention: display function25V-744 · 2023–2025 · Oct 30, 2025 · 1,024,407 vehicles93%Back over prevention: display function24V-124 · 2023–2024 · Feb 21, 2024 · 18,616 vehicles59%Sensor: occupant classification23V-865 · 2020–2021 · Dec 20, 2023 · 999,901 vehicles95%Air bags: knee bolster19V-288 · 2019 · Apr 10, 2019 · 564 vehicles
2 investigations

NHTSA investigations of the ES

  1. UNWANTED ACCELERATION, FLOOR MATEA07010 · 2007–2008 · closed Oct 11, 2007
    Led to recall 07E-082
  2. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLDP05002 · 2005 · closed Jan 5, 2006
    No recall