2020 LEXUS ES

1 recalls, 19 complaints - 7 TSBs

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Defect Description

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short cir... Read more

Consequence

An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

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 con... Read more

999,901 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Complaint Statistics

19 total complaints 1 crashes 1 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
POWER TRAIN	4
ENGINE	3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	2
STRUCTURE:BODY	2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2
STEERING	1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1
SEAT BELTS	1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING	1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS	1

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The front timing chain cover on the engine was leaking at 53k miles. This is a 2GR-FKS engine. We have had the car for 19k miles, and bought it as a Certified Pre-Owned. We're looking at spending over 10% of the purchase price of the car on a repair, after barely having it for three years.

Incident date: Nov 17, 2025

Truck shifts from 1st to 3rd, hard shifting in 4th through 10th gears.

Incident date: Nov 17, 2025

Error message "Supplemental Restraint System Problem. See Your Dealer." comes on everyday. I understand this is a Honda well known issue and they refuse to recall.

Incident date: Nov 17, 2025

I was driving on a freeway. I had my adaptive cruise control turned on. The car in front of me slowed down. My adaptive cruise control did not slow me down so I applied the breaks. The breaks did not work. The breaks did not slow me down or stop me. My pre-collision system did not activate. I... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2026

I own a 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe (VIN [XXX]) that is subject to a federally mandated safety recall involving the high-voltage battery system. I attempted to have the recall performed by an authorized Jeep/Stellantis dealership, Carson Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Carson City, Nevada. During com... Read more

Incident date: Feb 4, 2026

Thermostat Issue (Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care) have changed this sensor 3 times in the past 3 years, there is no excuse for that. The emergency braking almost cause me and my daughter to be hit by a train when my car emergency braked while going over train tracks. this is unexcusable

Incident date: Dec 20, 2023

I own a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu (VIN: [XXX] , black, approx. 56,310 miles). The paint and clearcoat are failing prematurely, with peeling, cracking, and delamination appearing on the hood and roof panels. A repair estimate confirmed the need for full refinishing and corrosion protection to restore the... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

The contact is a lawyer whose client owned a 2016 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the drive shaft coupling detached from the transmission. The contact stated that the air bags deployed in his vehicle. The contact stated that he sustained head and back injuries. Medical... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Dec 1, 2023

Water constantly leak from ceiling light in vehicle. Sunroof seal either need replaced. Leaking roof pose a serious risk of meeting in accident for it tamper with vision and electrical components. Passenger side rear door also making unseen sound

Incident date: Dec 23, 2023

While driving it will jerk into gear shifting is rough.

Incident date: Feb 5, 2025

Front headlight low beam. Light randomly turn off. Yes No Alert on dashboard to check manual which provides no information. Internet search reveals this is a very pervasive issue with this vehicles and there should be a recall by ford.

Incident date: Jan 21, 2025

I have had the car since May 2023 and every winter moisture builds up on my windows on the inside of the car and over night it gets frozen from the inside. There is mold growing on the inside of the door panels, the back hatch window and under the seat and on the seat belts.

Incident date: Nov 16, 2024

The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the rear passenger’s seat occupied, the rear passenger’s seat belt thread unraveled, and the buckle detached and remained latched. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was noti... Read more

Incident date: Nov 15, 2024

The oil pressure sensor is causing a oil light. This is a known issue on these cars and engines due to a faulty sesnsor. There even is a recall in Korea for the same cars; however, there is not one in the US.

Incident date: Oct 29, 2024

Delamination of headlight units has left low beam use unsafe. Seeing more than 20-25ft ahead of vehicle is impossible at night. There was a class action suit for this issue but I was not notified and now the window for replacement had passed. This seems like it should have been a safety recall. ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 10, 2024

The rear differential failed. Our safety was put at rick because this is what drives the rear wheels causing them to lock up and lose control. The vehicle is currently at the local jeep dealer and they have deemed it to fail. The issue is apparently a very common as there are over 1k units on back o... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2024

Our display/cluster, indicators, sensors, emergency lights stopped working in the middle of the ride. Major safety hazard on highway. Have to turn off the car and wait 30-60 mins for things to start working again. I know this has happened with others and to us before but in that case display stopped... Read more

Incident date: Sep 27, 2024

Many vehicles have the exhaust manifolds Crack. Yes it is available for inspection. This could be leaking CO in the cabin of the vehicle. I have talked to the dealership and they confirmed they have many vehicles coming in for exhaust manifold replacements due to them cracking. The vehicle has not a... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2024

Vehicle steering locked while driving at highway speed, dealer tested system and replaced a can bus switch. Upon driving home from dealership (after fixing) the steering once again failed. Luckily no one was injured. We did get a warning steering failed only after the steering locked and was immobil... Read more

Technical Service Bulletins, 2020 LEXUS ES

7 manufacturer communications from 5 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER	3
346000 COMMUNICATION:MANUFACTURER TELEMATICS	1
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1
060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	1
353500 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)	1

353500 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

TSB: Some 2018 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform? 2.0 Navigation System, require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software. The SST is used with applicabl

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TSB: Some 2019 ? 2023 model year ES 350, 2018 ? 2023 model year IS 350, IS 300, RC 350, RC 300, 2016 ? 2022 model year RX 350, and 2016 ? 2020 model year GS 350 vehicles equipped with a 2GR-FKS engine may exhibit a knocking noise from the v

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TSB: Some 2018 ? 2024 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit a hybrid system warning lamp occurring in below-freezing temperatures (below 32?F or 0?C). After performing a Health Check, one or both of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (D

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TSB: The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. Follow the procedures outlined in this service bulletin to aid in locating, inspecting, and repair

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TT: A very small percentage of customers experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot resolve on their own. These resources, in conjunction with the Repair Manual, are for dealership personnel to assis

346000 COMMUNICATION:MANUFACTURER TELEMATICS

NHTSA Safety Investigations, LEXUS ES

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2007

UNWANTED ACCELERATION, FLOOR MAT

THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL IF PROPERLY SECURED USING THE RETAINING HOOKS PROVIDED BY TOYOTA.HOWEVER, IF THE ALL WEATHER MAT IS UNSECURED AND MOVES FORWARD FROM ITS INTENDED POSITION IT CAN ENTRAP THE THROTTLE PEDAL AT THE FULLY OPEN POSITION AFTER IT HAS BEE... N DEPRESSED.THIS CAN HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER MAT (CARPET) IS UNDERNEATH.WHEN THIS OCCURS, SOME OPERATORS REACT BY APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL MULTIPLE TIMES, DEPLETING THE BRAKING SYSTEM'S (VACUUM BASED) POWER ASSIST.STOPPING THE VEHICLE WITH UNASSISTED BRAKING WHILE THE THROTTLE IS FULLY OPEN REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT PEDAL FORCE, WHICH SOME OPERATORS DID NOT, OR WERE UNABLE TO, APPLY FOR THE REQUIRED DURATION.CONTINUED DRIVING IN THIS CONDITION RESULTS IN OVERHEATED BRAKES, WHICH FURTHER DIMINISHES THE BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS.SOME OPERATORS ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF BY DEPRESSING THE ENGINE CONTROL BUTTON, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNAWARE THE BUTTON HAD TO BE DEPRESSED FOR THREE SECONDS TO STOP THE ENGINE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION; THIS FUNCTIONALITY WAS NOT EXPLAINED ADEQUATELY IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL.IN ODI INTERVIEWS, OWNER'S REPORTED THEY WERE UNAWARE THE ALL WEATHER MAT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL, ADVISING THAT THIS WAS NEVER PROPERLY EXPLAINED GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT HAZARD IT REPRESENTED.OWNERS REPORTED SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY THE MAT WAS UNSECURED, INCLUDING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED IN THIS CONDITION (MOST COMMON REASON), OR THAT THEY HAD (UNWITTINGLY) INSTALLED THE MAT THEMSELVES, OR THAT ANOTHER PARTY, SUCH AS A CAR WASH ATTENDANT, HAD DISTURBED THE MAT WITHOUT THE OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE.ONE CONSUMER REPORTED THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED WITHOUT THE RETAINING DEVICES INSTALLED.IN A SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 LETTER TO NHTSA, TOYOTA INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE ALL WEATHER MAT WITH A REDESIGNED MAT.ACCORDING TO TOYOTA, THE NEW MAT DESIGN WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MAT INTERFERENCE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL.THE POPULATION NOTED ABOVE REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF SUBJECT MATSTHAT HAVE BEEN SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES.SINCE TOYOTA CANNOT IDENTIFY WHICH VEHICLES MAY HAVE THE SUBJECT MATS, THEY WILL SEND A LETTER TO ALL REGISTERED OWNERS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (ESTIMATED 750K) ADVISING THEM OF THE CONCERN AND REMEDY.A COPY OF THAT LETTER WILL BE POSTED TO NHTSA'S WEB SITE UNDER RECALL 07E-082; IT CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITION AND THE ACTIONS AN OPERATOR SHOULD TAKE IN THE EVENT THROTTLE ENTRAPMENT OCCURS WHILE DRIVING.THE FATALITY INCIDENT NOTED ABOVE OCCURRED IN JULY 2007 AND WAS INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA'S SPECIAL CRASH INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE.IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED ON A VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE.THE OPERATOR REPORTEDLY TRAVELLED AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH FOR AN ESTIMATED EIGHT MILES ON AN INTERSTATE IN CALIFORNIA BEFORE IT STRUCK TWO OTHER VEHICLES.ONE OF THE STRUCK VEHICLES AND THE SUBJECT VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.THE OCCUPANT OF THE STRUCK VEHICLE DID NOT EVACULATE AND DIED AT THE SCENE.THE SUBJECT VEHICLE DRIVER SUFFERED A BROKEN BONE.THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT ALSO.ODI DID NOT ISSUE AN INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER DURING THIS INVESTIGATION.THE TOYOTA REPORTS NOTED ABOVE WERE REPORTED DURING PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE07-016 AND ARE CURRENT THROUGH APRIL 2007 FOR MY 2007 LEXUS ES350 ONLY.ODI DOES NOT HAVE FIELD EXPERIENCE DATA FROM TOYOTA FOR CAMRY VEHICLES.THROTTLE ENTRAPMENT DUE TO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED FLOOR MATS COULD BE A CONCERN IN ALL VEHICLES.THEREFORE, DRIVERS SHOULD ALWAYS ENSURE THEIR FLOOR MATS ARE PROPERLY AND SAFELY INSTALLED.THIS INCLRead more

DP, Closed , Model Year: 2005

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

IN A LETTER DATED JULY 8, 2005, AND AFTER EXPERIENCING TWO INCIDENTS (AND ONE CRASH) WHERE HE ALLEGES HIS MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002 CAMRY ACCELERATED WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT, MR. JORDAN ZIPRIN PETITIONED THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION?S (NHTSA) OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) TO CO... MMENCE A PROCEEDING TO DETERMINE THE EXISTENCE OF A DEFECT WITHIN THE ETC SYSTEM IN MY 2002 TO 2005 TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES, OR TO REOPEN A PRIOR INVESTIGATION PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) 04-021.IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 18, 2005, MR. ZIPRIN AMENDED HIS PETITION TO INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF INTERRELATED BRAKE AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS THAT ALLEGEDLY RESULT IN INAPPROPRIATE AND UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE ACCELERATIONS.THE 1172 VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE REPORTS CITED BY THE PETITIONER INVOLVE 4 LEXUS AND 15 TOYOTA MODELS DEFINING A POPULATION OF 7 MILLION VEHICLES.THE REPORTS TYPICALLY ALLEGED A DEFECT IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM, THE THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH SYSTEMS.IN ITS REVIEW OF THE REPORTS, ODI A) FAILED TO FIND EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE EXISTENCE OF A BRAKE RELATED DEFECT IN THE CITED MODELS, AND B) DETERMINED THAT MANY CITED PRODUCTS WERE NOT EQUIPPED WITH ETC.ACCORDINGLY, ODI RESTRICTED ITS ANALYSIS TO THE 432 PETITIONER REPORTS INVOLVING MY 2002 TO 2005 CAMRY, SOLARA, AND ES MODELS (ALL EQUIPPED WITH ETC) THAT ALLEGED AN ABNORMAL THROTTLE CONTROL EVENT (SEE THE JANUARY 3, 2006 FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS).ABOUT 40% OF THE 432 REPORTS INVOLVE A DRIVEABILITY CONCERN WHERE THE OPERATOR INTENTIONALLY APPLIES THE THROTTLE PEDAL, IN EXPECTATION THAT THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE, AND THEN EXPERIENCES A DELAY OR HESITATION IN VEHICLE RESPONSE.THESE REPORTS INVOLVE VEHICLE RESPONSE TO INTENTIONAL DRIVER COMMANDS WHICH ODI CONSIDERS UNRELATED TO THE ALLEGATIONS RAISED BY THE PETITIONER.THEREFORE, THE REPORTS DO NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED.ABOUT 20% OF THE REPORTS INVOLVE INCIDENTS WHERE OPERATORS ALLEGE VEHICLE ACCELERATION WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT AND AN INABILITY OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHEN APPLIED.NEITHER THE REPORTS, NOR THE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY ODI, IDENTIFIED ANY VEHICLE-BASED CAUSE TO EXPLAIN THE INCIDENTS OR DISCLOSED EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE OR THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM HAD OCCURRED.BECAUSE THESE REPORTS DO NOT INDICATE A DISTINCT SAFETY DEFECT FOR INVESTIGATION, THE REPORTS DO NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED BY THE PETITIONERTHE REMAINING REPORTS (~ 40%, SIMILAR TO THE PETITIONER?S AND THOSE OF PE04-021) TYPICALLY DESCRIBE INCIDENTS WHERE A VEHICLE IS BEING MANEUVERED AT SLOW SPEED IN A CLOSE QUARTER SITUATION AT WHICH POINT THE OPERATOR ALLEGES THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT AND CRASHES.IN THE AFTERMATH, OPERATORS ARE UNSURE OF WHETHER THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED OR NOT, SOMETIMES STATING THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO USE THE BRAKE; A CRASH OCCURRED AND THE OPERATOR BELIEVES AN UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION CAUSED IT.IN SPITE OF THE EFFORT EXPENDED DURING PE04-021 AND DURING THIS ANALYSIS, ODI HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY VEHICLE-BASED CAUSE TO EXPLAIN THE REPORTS, OR UNCOVERED ANY EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT A THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE OCCURRED.THEREFORE, THE REPORTS HAVE AMBIGUOUS SIGNIFICANCE AND DO NOT CONSTITUTE A BASIS ON WHICH ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATIVE ACTION IS WARRANTED.BASED ON THE ANALYSIS CONDUCTED, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.CONSEQUENTLY, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA?S LIMITED RESOURCES TRead more

LEXUS ES - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the LEXUS ES across all model years (1997, 2025).

11 Total Recalls

852 Total Complaints

2 Investigations

120 Reported Crashes

26 Reported Fires

0 Reported Deaths

LEXUS ES - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2025	1	9	View
2024	2	9	View
2023	2	10	View
2022	0	9	View
2021	1	28	View
2020 (current)	1	19
2019	1	55	View
2018	0	8	View
2017	0	2	View
2016	0	13	View
2015	0	7	View
2014	0	3	View
2013	0	49	View
2012	0	35	View
2011	0	59	View
2010	0	46	View
2009	0	29	View
2008	0	78	View
2007	0	164	View
2006	0	12	View
2005	0	75	View
2004	0	21	View
2003	0	37	View
2002	0	48	View
2001	0	3	View
2000	0	9	View
1999	1	8	View
1998	1	3	View
1997	1	2	View
1996	0	2	View

Other LEXUS Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
LS	421	284	View
RX	420	1,181	View
TX	406	75	View
LX	353	73	View
NX	352	296	View
NX HYBRID	310	13	View
LS HYBRID	256	5	View
RZ	252	29	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2020 LEXUS ES

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

Technical Service Bulletins, 2020 LEXUS ES

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, LEXUS ES

LEXUS ES - All Years Overview

LEXUS ES - Year by Year

Other LEXUS Models