MODELYEARINDEX

Which Lexus ES years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2013 and 2019 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Lexus ES Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2013 vs model median 2.8×
Model median3× median
Speed Control 10
Lights & Visibility 7
Body & Interior 6
Avoid

2013 · 2019

Best

2018 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.07× 30 C
2011
1.40× 21 C
2012
0.78× 12 B
2013
2.78× 57 F
2014
1.06× 19 B
2015
0.83× 25 B
2016
0.98× 29 B
2017
1.02× 23 B
2018
0.55× 11 A
2019
2.48× 49 F
2020
0.56× 10 B
2021
0.98× 35 B
2022 P
0.68× 20 B
2023 P
0.70× 15 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 F 57 reports · median 22,000 mi

  1. Speed Control 10

    Ever since car was purchased @one year ago, there are occasional 1-3 second hesitations upon acceleration. These occur from dead stop or at low speeds. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 7

    I was driving on the freeway when all of a sudden the sunroof exploded. The noise was deafening. The glass clearly exploded up and then chipped the paint on the roof and the trunk. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 6

    The vehicle was in an accident as a result of another drive jetting out in front. Car impacted at the front driver side, causing damage to the front bumper mount, hood and driver side quarter panel. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

21 crash · 15 injuries

2019 F 49 reports · median 8,750 mi

  1. Fuel System 14

    Lexus 22019 es 350 has fuel pump recall issue. No solution. Poses a real hazard if driving with family and fuel supply shuts off and travelling 70 on interstate and car stops and vehicle (trailer truck ) can not stop… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 7

    Since I bought the car in oct 2019, this happens everytime I AM on local roads (speed <50mph), when I slowdown per the traffic flow, or taking turn (left or right) after yielding, the car hesitates to accelerate as if… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 4

    The contact owns a 2019 lexus es. While pulling into a parking spot, the contact attempted to depress the brake pedal and it traveled to the floorboard. The vehicle crashed into the side of a building. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

13 crash · 7 injuries

The best year for the ES

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring ES model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.3 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2018 0.55× 11 A
2020 0.56× 10 B
2015 0.83× 25 B

Recalls

4 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
25V744000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2023 1,024,407
23V865000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION 2020, 2021 999,901
24V124000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2023 18,616
19V288000 AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER 2019 564

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 22,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Lexus ES years should you avoid?
2013, 2019 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Lexus ES model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Lexus ES?
2018 is the best-scoring Lexus ES model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 86.3 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Lexus ES have?
4 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Lexus ES model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 ES
Complaints in window
57
Severity-weighted
124.5
Model median (weighted)
45
vs model median
2.78×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
0
Open investigations
0
Score 30.5 F