Lexus ES
Owners filed 672 complaints across 30 model years of the Lexus ES. The 2007 drew the most (125).
Which Lexus ES years should you avoid?
Going by 672 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Lexus ES years to avoid are 2007 and 2008.
- 2007125 complaints, 3.7× a typical ES year, most often about the airbags.
- 200868 complaints, 2.0× a typical ES year, most often about the airbags.
Too new to judge: 2025. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Lexus ES model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Too new | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking | Routine | |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | — | 2 | Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection | Routine | |
| 2023 | 10 | 2 | — | 3 | Tires | Routine | |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | — | — | Back Over Prevention › Warnings | Routine | |
| 2021 | 28 | 1 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2020 | 18 | 1 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2019 | 34 | 1 | — | 7 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | — | 1 | Structure › Body | Routine | |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | — | — | Exterior Lighting | Routine | |
| 2016 | 9 | 0 | — | 2 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | — | 2 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | — | — | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2013 | 34 | 0 | — | 3 | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2012 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2011 | 46 | 0 | — | 6 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2010 | 41 | 0 | — | 2 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2009 | 28 | 0 | — | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2008Avoid | 68 | 0 | — | 7 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2007Avoid | 125 | 0 | 1 | 9 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 12 | 0 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 60 | 0 | — | 13 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2004 | 16 | 0 | — | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2003 | 23 | 0 | — | 9 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2002 | 27 | 0 | 5 | 8 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2000 | 6 | 0 | 3 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 1999 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 1998 | 1 | 1 | — | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler | Routine | |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.