NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1996–2025

Lexus ES recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 666 owner complaints for the Lexus ES, covering model years 1996 to 2025. The 2007 model year drew the most complaints (125), and Air Bags is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Lexus ES VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

4 recall campaigns on file
666 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
30 model years with data (1996–2025)

most complaints: 2007 (125 for that model year)
top component: Air Bags (227 complaints)
latest recall 25V744000 (reported Oct 30, 2025)

95 complaints reporting a crash (14.3%)
14 complaints reporting a fire (2.1%)
58 complaints reporting an injury (8.7%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Lexus ES complaints by model year

30 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2007 model year has the most complaints: 125 of 666, or 18.8%. Next come 2008 (68) and 2005 (58). The fewest are for 1998, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Show the figures for all 30 model years

Lexus ES complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Lexus ES complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury
1996	1	0	0	0
1997	2	0	0	0
1998	1	0	0	0
1999	8	1	3	0
2000	6	0	3	1
2001	2	0	0	0
2002	27	8	5	5
2003	23	9	0	5
2004	16	5	0	2
2005	58	13	0	9
2006	12	0	0	0
2007	125	9	1	5
2008	68	7	0	6
2009	28	4	0	1
2010	41	2	0	1
2011	46	6	0	4
2012	31	5	1	6
2013	33	3	0	2
2014	4	0	0	1
2015	5	2	0	2
2016	9	2	0	1
2017	2	0	0	0
2018	5	1	0	1
2019	34	7	0	3
2020	18	3	0	2
2021	28	1	0	1
2022	9	0	0	0
2023	10	3	0	0
2024	9	2	0	0
2025	5	2	1	0
All model years	666	95	14	58

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Lexus ES components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Air Bags is the component named most often, in 227 complaints (34.1% of all 666), followed by Structure (74) and Electrical System (58).

Components named most often in Lexus ES complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Lexus ES complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Air Bags	227	34.1%
Unknown or Other	91	13.7%
Structure	74	11.1%
Electrical System	58	8.7%
Power Train	57	8.6%
Vehicle Speed Control	55	8.3%
Engine	49	7.4%
Service Brakes	45	6.8%
Fuel/Propulsion System	30	4.5%
Visibility/Wiper	28	4.2%
Steering	24	3.6%
Exterior Lighting	17	2.6%
Suspension	16	2.4%
Wheels	10	1.5%
Forward Collision Avoidance	9	1.4%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Lexus ES recalls

4 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name ES, newest first. The 4 campaigns cover model years 2019 to 2025. The 2023 and 2024 model years appear in the most campaigns (2 each).

4 recall campaigns

Lexus ES recall campaigns covering each model year
Decade	Years ending in 0	Years ending in 1	Years ending in 2	Years ending in 3	Years ending in 4	Years ending in 5	Years ending in 6	Years ending in 7	Years ending in 8	Years ending in 9
2010s										2019: 1 campaign
2020s	2020: 1 campaign	2021: 1 campaign	2022: no campaigns	2023: 2 campaigns	2024: 2 campaigns	2025: 1 campaign

Highlighted: the model years with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 25V744000
Reported Oct 30, 2025
Back Over Prevention › Display Function
Model years 2023–2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence:
A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation
NHTSA campaign 24V124000
Reported Feb 21, 2024
Back Over Prevention › Display Function
Model years 2023–2024
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Mirai, Lexus LS500, LS500H, 2023-2024 Lexus ES250, ES300H, ES350, 2024 Lexus LC500, and LC500H vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Due to incorrect programming of the parking-assist electronic control unit (ECU) software, the rearview camera image may not immediately display within a couple of seconds after the shifter is placed into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence:
A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will update the parking assist ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TA01 and 24LA01.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation
NHTSA campaign 23V865000
Reported Dec 20, 2023
Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification
Model years 2020–2021
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 circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
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 contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation
NHTSA campaign 19V288000
Reported Apr 10, 2019
Air Bags › Knee Bolster
Model year 2019
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus ES vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a driver knee air bag assembly mounted to the lower instrument panel (IP) that may have been improperly installed, possibly affecting the deployment of the knee air bag in the event of a crash.
Consequence:
In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the knee air bag does not deploy properly.
Remedy:
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.
Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Lexus ES questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Lexus ES have?

NHTSA lists 4 vehicle recall campaigns for the Lexus ES, covering model years 1996 to 2025. The most recent, 25V744000, was reported on October 30, 2025 and is filed under “Back over prevention”. The 2023 and 2024 model years are covered by the most campaigns (2 each).

Which Lexus ES model year has the most complaints?

The 2007 model year, with 125 of the 666 complaints in NHTSA’s file (18.8%). The next are 2008 (68) and 2005 (58). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Lexus ES complaint?

Air Bags is the component named most often: 227 complaints, or 34.1% of all 666. Structure (74) and Electrical System (58) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Lexus ES?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Lexus dealer.

How many Lexus ES complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 666 complaints, 95 report a crash, 14 a fire, 58 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Lexus models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Lexus VIN decoder with every Lexus model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Lexus ES 350 2007–2023 · 11 recalls · 1,451 complaints
Lexus RX 1999–2026 · 10 recalls · 947 complaints
Lexus RX 350 2004–2023 · 13 recalls · 838 complaints
Lexus RX 300 1998–2003 · 2 recalls · 722 complaints
Lexus IS 250 2006–2016 · 8 recalls · 719 complaints
Lexus IS 1999–2026 · 8 recalls · 595 complaints
Lexus ES 300 1995–2013 · 4 recalls · 562 complaints
Lexus RX 330 2004–2011 · 5 recalls · 526 complaints

All Lexus models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.