Lexus ES
Registered from 1996 to 2027.
About this model
The Lexus ES is a luxury sedan marketed since 1989 by Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, across multiple generations, each offering V6 engines and a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. The first five generations of the ES used the Toyota Camry platform, while the latter generations are more closely related to both the Camry and the Avalon. Manual transmissions were offered until 1993, a lower-displacement inline-four engine became an option in Asian markets in 2010, and a gasoline-electric hybrid version was introduced in 2012. The battery electric version was later introduced in 2025. The ES was Lexus's only front-wheel drive vehicle until 1998, when the related RX was introduced, and the sedan occupied the entry-level luxury car segment of the Lexus lineup in North America and other regions until the debut of the IS in 1999. The ES name stands for "Executive Sedan". However, some Lexus importers use the name, "Elegant Sedan".
From the Wikipedia article Lexus ES, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Air bags: more complaints than 98% of 2012 cars — 82% of its 116 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 17%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- AIR BAGS — 93 owners reported this, 4 involving a crash
Crash test
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2027 | 2105 kg · 2950 mm wheelbase · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2026 | 2105 kg · 2950 mm wheelbase · 186 Wh/km · 470 km electric range · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2025 | 301 hp · 9.4 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway |
| 2024 | 301 hp · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway |
| 2023 | 301 hp · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway |
| 2022 | 301 hp · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway |
| 2021 | 301 hp · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway |
| 2020 | 301 hp · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.4 motorway |
| 2019 | 301 hp · 9.0 L/100km (EPA) · 10.7 L/100km city · 7.1 motorway |
| 2018 | 154 hp · 9.8 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 7.8 motorway |
| 2017 | 154 hp · 9.8 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 7.8 motorway |
| 2016 | 154 hp · 9.8 L/100km (EPA) · 11.2 L/100km city · 7.6 motorway |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
84% of 2021 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 4. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
15V728000
A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.
17V006000
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).
19V005000
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.
19V288000
In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the knee air bag does not deploy properly.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver knee air bag assembly, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 8, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are KLD and KLE.
19V741000
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
23V865000
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
Low-speed surging
Defect petition, opened July 2015, closed August 2015.
Unwanted and unintended acceleration
Defect petition, opened April 2009, closed October 2009.
Unwanted acceleration, floor mat
Engineering analysis, opened August 2007, closed October 2007.
Accessory floor mat
Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2007, closed August 2007.
Vehicle speed control
Defect petition, opened August 2005, closed January 2006.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Lexus filed 21 bulletins about the 2026 ES.
- Other: 21
- OBSOLETE NOTICE Month ##, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0018-26 · July 2026
- During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle… · July 2026
- A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.… · July 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE June 18, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0017-26. · July 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE June 15, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0016-26. · July 2026
- Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extended vehicle… · July 2026
- Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: • Careful inspection… · July 2026
- Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: • Careful inspection… · June 2026
13 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.