Best and worst Lexus ES years to buy
Every model year, judged against the others.
Gathering every model year from NHTSA. The first look at a model can take a little while.
Every model year, judged against the others.
Gathering every model year from NHTSA. The first look at a model can take a little while.
NHTSA did not answer for model years 1995, 1996, 2000 to 2013, 2022, 2026 and 2027, so any with records are missing here. For 1998, 1999, 2014 to 2018 and 2023 to 2025, NHTSA answered only in part, so some counts say “No answer”. The verdicts may change once NHTSA answers. Try again in a minute.
Skip 2021. Careful with 2020.
None of the judged years of the ES came out Worthy.
From owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Only years old enough to judge. Still have any car inspected.
Tap a year to open it. Bars are owner complaints filed with NHTSA: unverified, and not adjusted for how many were sold. The three small marks by a year show how sure its verdict is: three for high, one for low. How sure is the verdict?
SourceNHTSA’s complaint and recall datasets. Each year’s page links its own NHTSA record. NHTSA, checked Nov 1, 2026.
Worthy years with the fewest owner complaints against a typical year at the same age. A year with few sales can look the same.
None of the judged years of the ES came out Worthy.
Judged years with enough more complaints than a typical year to reach Maybe or Pass.
Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.
Each year’s owner complaints, held up against a typical year of the ES at the same age. Popular cars collect more complaints just by selling more, so a year is never compared with another model.
5.6× a typical year
28 vs 0 typical, counted as 5
Most named: Air bags
“Do not drive” and “park outside” are NHTSA’s own warnings on a recall, until it is fixed.
Scroll the table sideways to see more.
| Year | Verdict | Owner complaints | Recalls | Top problem area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Not judged | No answer | 1 | No answer |
| 2024 | Not judged | No answer | 2 | No answer |
| 2023 | Not judged | No answer | 2 | No answer |
| 2021 | Pass | 28 | 1 | Air bags |
| 2020 | Maybe | 18 | 1 | Air bags |
| 2019 | Not judged | 0 | 1 | None on file |
| 2018 | Not judged | 5 | No answer | Air bags |
| 2017 | Not judged | 3 | No answer | Engine |
| 2016 | Not judged | 9 | No answer | Brakes |
| 2015 | Not judged | 5 | No answer | Air bags |
| 2014 | Not judged | 4 | No answer | Brakes |
| 1999 | Not judged | No answer | 1 | No answer |
| 1998 | Not judged | No answer | 1 | No answer |
| 1997 | Not judged | 2 | 1 | Seats |
SourceNHTSA’s complaint and recall datasets. Each year’s page links its own NHTSA record. NHTSA, checked Nov 1, 2026.