Lexus ES Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Own a Lexus ES? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Lexus ES — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2025 | Excellent | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2024 | Excellent | 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2023 | Excellent | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2022 | Excellent | 1 | 13 | 1 | — | — | Forward Collision Avoidance | Full report → |
| 2021 | Excellent | 1 | 28 | 3 | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2020 | Excellent | 2 | 18 | 5 | 6 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2019 | Excellent | 2 | 36 | 5 | 4 | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Full report → |
| 2018 | Excellent | 1 | 11 | 3 | 3 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2017 | Excellent | — | 17 | 8 | 4 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2016 | Excellent | — | 17 | 2 | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2015 | Excellent | 1 | 27 | 3 | 2 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2014 | Excellent | 1 | 42 | 14 | 2 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2013 | Good | 1 | 55 | 15 | 16 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2012 | Good | 2 | 72 | 4 | 9 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2011 | Good | 2 | 109 | 10 | 8 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2010 | Good | 4 | 91 | 8 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2009 | Good | 3 | 90 | 13 | 11 | 4 | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2008 | Caution | 2 | 167 | 19 | 18 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2007Worst | Avoid | 2 | 415 | 48 | 59 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2006 | Good | — | 42 | 16 | 6 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2005 | Good | 1 | 125 | 26 | 16 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2004 | Caution | 1 | 141 | 36 | 23 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2003 | Good | — | 101 | 43 | 17 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Full report → |
| 2002 | Good | 2 | 112 | 29 | 24 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Full report → |
25 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Lexus ES Problems
Based on 1,741 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Lexus ES (2022–2026)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Mirai, Lexus LS500, LS500H, 2023-2024 Lexus ES250, ES300H, ES350, 2024 Lexus LC500, and LC500H vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Due to incorrect programming of the parking-assist electronic control unit (ECU) software, the rearview camera image may not immediately display within a couple of seconds after the shifter is placed into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TA01 and 24LA01.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Showing 2 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
ES Years to Avoid
Best ES Years to Buy
Lexus ES Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Lexus ES Reliability
What year ES has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2007 Lexus ES had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 415 complaints and 2 safety recalls. See the full 2007 report for specific defects.
Is the Lexus ES reliable?
The Lexus ES has accumulated 1,741 owner-filed complaints and 34 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 4 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used ES.
What are the most common ES problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Air Bags (602 reports), Vehicle Speed Control (257 reports), Power Train (156 reports), Unknown Or Other (100 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my ES has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Lexus ES VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
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