2006 Lexus ES330

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 64 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. No safety recall has been issued.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
32,000 milesMedian miles at failure

49 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 010,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags17
100
Vehicle Speed Control15
908
Steering4
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission4
000
Power Train3
100
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine3
100
Unknown or Other2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)2
100
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Mar 20, 2019FL

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SEAL IS BROKEN ON DASH AND APPEARS AS IT COULD INFLATE AT ANY MOMENT. NO ACCIDENTS TO CAUSE THIS.

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Crash
Filed Oct 23, 201860,000 milesCA

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO PICK-UP OUR GRANDDAUGHTER FROM SCHOOL ON 10-22-2018. SHE MADE A FULL STOP AT THE CORNER AND TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. WHEN SHE STARTED TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL LIGHTLY, THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO FULL THROTTLE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED AND LUNGED UNCONTROLLABLY FORWARD. HER STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. BECAUSE OF THIS ACCELERATION, SHE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT WITH GREAT FORCE AND SEVERELY DAMAGING OUR FRONT END AND THE CAR BUMPER IN FRONT OF HER. SHE WAS GETTING GET IN LINE TO WAIT FOR THE SCHOOL CHILDREN TO LET OUT. HAD HER THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL WHEN CHILDREN WERE CROSSING THE STREET, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT CATASTROPHE AND DEAD CHILDREN. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO ALERT THE PUBLIC. ANOTHER SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. BUT THE DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. OUR CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 60,000. EACH TIME I TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THEY REMOVED THE FLOOR MAT. THEY SAY THE FLOOR MAT CAN GET IN THE WAY OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I DON'T THINK SO, BUT WE KEEP THE FLOOR MAT IN THE TRUNK. I HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO A LEXUS HEADQUARTER IN TEXAS, (800) 255-3987. THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID A CASE MANAGER WILL BE CONTACTING ME. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY WILL DO. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO PREVENT RUNNING OVER PEOPLE. THERE WILL BE DEATHS IF NOTHING IS DONE!

Air Bags
Filed Oct 2, 2018FL

TAKATA INFLATOR . PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATING DUE TO HEAT. DASH BUMPED. LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE EVENTUALLY.

Air Bags
Filed Sep 22, 2018WA

I HAVE NOTICED THE AIR BAG COVER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS POPPING UP AND LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO EXPLODE. REFERENCING ANOTHER COMPLAINT # 11118471. CAR HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT.

Air Bags
Filed Aug 8, 2018GA

I HAVE NOTICED THE AIR BAG COVER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS POPPING UP AND LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO EXPLODE

Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Filed Feb 19, 2018118,000 milesNY

THE CAR WAS REVERSED AND DRIVEN FORWARD, SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. APPLYING BRAKES WERE NOT HELPING AS ACCELERATION STILL CONTINUED. THERE IS NO FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER SEAT SIDE TO BLAME IT ON FOR GAS PEDAL GETTING STUCK TO THE MAT.. THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE ADJUSTED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL FROM THE FLOOR. HAPPENED A WEEK AGO AND HAPPENED AGAIN ON 17/02/2018. FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS ON FOUR LANE CITY STREET. SECOND TIME ON TWO LANE CITY STREET. IT CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME ANY WHERE. I ASKED THE DEALER. NO RECALL YET I SEE LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM ON THIS SITE. HTTPS://WWW.VEHICLEHISTORY.COM/LEXUS/ES-330/2006

Air Bags
Filed Aug 28, 2017MH

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG COVER IS BULGING SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY PRESSURE.

Air Bags
Filed Aug 5, 2017FL

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON THE DAH BOARD IS CRACKED AND SLIGHTLY PROTRUDING I AM AFRAID THIS WILL EXPLODE WHILE TRAVELLING CHECKED WITH LEXUS THEY SAY IT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE IS NO RECALL - ANYONE HAD INFORMATION ON THIS WOULD APPRECIATE IT

Air Bags
Filed Oct 2, 2016FL

SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ONLINE AND ON THIS SITE, MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS BULGING AND APPEARS TO BE PARTIALLY COMING OUT. PICTURE INCLUDED. I HAVE RAISED THIS TO MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP SERVICE ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, AND THEY DO NOT SEEM CONCERNED AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE ARE QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AIR BAG EITHER DEPLOYING WHEN IT SHOULD NOT, OR NOT DEPLOYED WHEN IT NEEDS TO. IT SEEMS TO BE FAILING. IT ALSO APPEARS TO BE GETTING WORSE OVER TIME.

Air Bags
Filed Jul 27, 201682,000 milesFL

THE AIRBAG COVER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR IS STARTING TO LIFT,SEEMS LIKE PRESSURE IS CAUSING THE LIFT. I LOOKS LIKE ITS READY TO BLOW OUT.

Air Bags
Filed Jul 8, 2016PR

TAKATA RECALL. MY AIRBAG HAS DEFECTS. I CALLED LEXUS AND THEY SAY IT IS NOT UNDER THE RECALL GROUP. BUT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN TRAVELING WITH PASSENGERS SPECIALLY MY CHILDREN. THIS THING IS BASICALLY READY TO BREAK OFF. THIS IS A SECURITY CONCERN.

Air Bags
Filed Jul 1, 201658,000 milesFL

THE EDGES AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG CRACKING AND THE CONDITION KEEPS DETERIORATING AS TIME GOES BY. I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AS WE USE THE CAR ALL THE TIME. WE CONTACTED A LOCAL LEXUS DEALER AND WE TOLD THE SAME THING AS REST OF THE FOLKS EXPERIENCED WITH DEALERS.

Structure › Body
Filed May 27, 201654,838 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS ES330. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG HOUSING THERE WAS A BULGE ALONG THE INNER LINING OF THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,838.

Air Bags
Filed May 4, 201635,000 milesCA

DASHBOARD PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG COVER IS BULGING AND DETERIATING, CONCERN IT MAY POP OPEN, DEALSHIP WILL NOT FIX SINCE ITS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WILL REPAIR IT FOR $2500, DEFINETLY A MANIFACTURE DEFECT BUT THEY DON'T CARE! THANKS!

Air Bags
Filed Apr 6, 2016MS

THE AREA AROUND THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG IS CRACKED AND BEGINNING TO BULGE. THIS IS THE ONLY AREA IN THE ENTIRE CAR AFFECTED

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 21, 201560,000 milesOH

THE DASH IS DISTORTING, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE AIR BAG LOCATION. FABRIC LINER HAS EXTENDED OUTSIDE THE LEATHER TRIM.

Service BrakesCrash
Filed May 29, 2015CA

CAR WOULD NOT STOP AT ALL AT LOW SPEEDS, CRASH INTO BUILDING IN PARKING LOT DUE TO FAILURE

Air Bags
Filed May 14, 2015113,000 milesCA

MY DASHBOARD HAS SEVERE CRACKS ALL AROUND THE AIRBAG. THAT IS THE ONLY AREA ON MY DASHBOARD WITH CRACKS. MY CONCERN IS THAT MY AIRBAG MAY EXPLODE AND INJURE ME OR MY PASSENGERS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED BY SERVICEMEN THAT THE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. THEY GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO LEXUS. SO, I CONTACTED THEM ON APRIL 27, 2015 AND AGAIN ON MAY 11, 2015 AND FILED 2 INCIDENT REPORTS TO NO AVAIL, THEY FINALLY CONTACTED ME ON MAY 14, 2015 TO INFORM ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. SO THAT IS WHY I'M FILING THIS VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT IT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AS MUCH AS THAT VEHICLE COST I SHOULD NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE DASHBOARD CRACKING AROUND THE AIRBAG. I WANT MY VEHICLE DASHBOARD REPAIRED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS.

Power TrainCrash
Filed Feb 20, 201566,534 milesNC

WHEN TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE ON A PRIVATE PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE SPEED UP AND BRAKES DID NOT STOP IT. THE VEHICLE JUMPED A CURB AND CONTINUED UNTIL IT HIT TWO TREES THAT STOPPED IT. DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT $9000. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Sep 4, 201448,705 milesGA

THE SEAL AROUND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG HAS DETERIORATED, WITH A BULGE FORMING IN THE DASHBOARD. *TR

20 of 64 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2004
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20101000Routine
2006 — this page64011Fatalities reported
2005141220Routine
2004174220Routine

Compare every ES330 year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.