What breaks most · 1996 to 2013 model years
Lexus ES problems by year
Owners have filed 351 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus ES across model years 1996 to 2013. Three years stand out: 2007 for air bags complaints, 2005 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2008 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 2001 and 1997.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2005, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 2001, 1997
- Complaints on file
- 3511996 to 2013, all trims
- Worst year
- 200778 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 496 fires · 37 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 55kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 2Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 18 | 7 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 18 | 7 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (6) | |
| 14 | 5 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (5) | |
| 49 | 13 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (3) | |
| 78 | 3 | 0 | Air bags (29) | |
| 49 | 5 | 0 | Air bags (34) | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (12) | |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (18) | |
| 34 | 4 | 0 | Air bags (24) | |
| 16 | 3 | 0 | Air bags (15) | |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (4) |
What fails on the 2007 Lexus ES
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 37% |
29 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 29% |
23 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Lexus ES |
| Unknown or other | 17% |
13 | 1 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
5 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
4 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Lexus ES |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2007 Lexus ES |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 3% |
2 | 1 | Shop stability control parts for the 2007 Lexus ES |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The dash board on my car is melting the glare is very bad makes driving on a sunny day very dangerous car is not safe.
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My 2005 lexus es330 has transmission hesitation when after slowing to about 5 mph, i accelerate. It takes 1 to 2 seconds for the transmission to downshift and then the car lurches dangerously forward. The dealership installed a softward fix to the transmission, but this did not solve the problem. *nm
-
The dashboard gets extremely sticky and i have notice a small hole which has now turned into a crack on the passenger side of the car. I think this happen as a result of the heat. I don't always keep my car parked under a garage.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lexus ES years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2005, 2008 carry the most filings on the Lexus ES. The 2007 alone has 78 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Lexus ES problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 29 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus ES problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus ES complaints that include mileage is about 55,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.