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2016 Lexus ES

Hybrid Gas

Midsize Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints5 crash · 1 injured reported 37

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 40 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Lexus ES is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize sedan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the ES 300h, is EPA-rated at 40 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 37 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Lexus ES — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Lexus ES · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
ES 300h	Hybrid	FWD	2.5L 4-cyl + 245V Ni-MH	40	39	40	$1,700
ES 350	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	21	31	24	$2,800

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36749, 36750.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
ES 300h	7–9 / 10	Bin 3 / California LEV-III SULEV30/PZEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
ES 350	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3.5 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

268 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain

4x2

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 300h, 350). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	192.9 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	71.7 in
Height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	111.0 in
Track, front	62.6 in
Track, rear	62.2 in
Curb weight	3,549–3,660 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41 to 61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: ES300H Hybrid 4-door Sedan, ES350 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

G0I, GLC

16,656 vehicles 91% reported repaired built Sep 1, 2015 – Feb 29, 2016

Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems." Risk Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

NHTSA campaign 16V198000 reported Apr 7, 2016 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific ES

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Lexus publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Lexus’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Lexus ES, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

37complaints filed

5 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 7 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Unspecified 15

Service Brakes 9

Air Bags 4

Electrical System 3

Engine 3

Power Train 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The brake actuator and/or brake booster pump assembly failed on my 2016 Lexus ES300h. This is a known issues for this vehicle's braking system and results in a sudden loss of power braking assistance.

Service Brakes Apr 28, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11734232

On May 13, 2026, while traveling at approximately 31 mph under normal driving conditions, a critical right-front suspension or steering component suddenly suffered a catastrophic structural failure on its own.

Air Bags Jul 10, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11749483

In April 2022, the timing cover seal on my 2016 Lexus ES 350 was replaced due to a leak. This was completed under warranty at approximately 84,785 miles. In February 2025, less than three years and roughly 56,000 miles later, I was informed by the same Lexus dealership during a routine service that the exact same issue—leaking from the…

Engine Apr 1, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11652155

The contact owns a 2016 Lexus ES350 equipped with General Tires, Tire Line: ReliaTrek, Tire Size: 225/45/R18, DOT Number: VY4FWJ85. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The contact pulled over and called Roadside Assistance.

Tires at 100,000 miles Aug 28, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11611327

Steering wheel vibrations after 65 MPH is reach, more noticeable when vehicle has reached the speed and cruising. Had tires rebalanced and rotated and issue still persists. The vibration feels like when a wheel lock is loose or missing

Steering May 4, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11463348

2016 Lexus ES350 with the 2nd row sunroof. While driving the car the front sunroof shattered without cause, sending glass pieces into the cabin creating a very dangerous situation. This appears to be a problem that has happened many times before as there are many people that have talked about this issue. Lexus denied fault

Structure Apr 7, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11460004

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Lexus itself: 67 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 84 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every ES model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 24k

miles, typically

Half the 19 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 5,000 and 52,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 19 on file: 7 under 10k, 2 10k–20k, 2 20k–30k, 3 30k–40k, 2 50k–60k, 1 60k–70k, 2 100k–150k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 308

Most recentmanufacturer date 2025-12-15

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 308 service bulletins

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Structure, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility, Wheels.

L-SB-0030-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2025-12-15 · Structure — Body
Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interio
L-SB-0043-23 Rev1 Service bulletin
2025-06-13 · Electrical System
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
L-SB-0017-19 Rev1 Service bulletin
2025-02-07 · Structure — Body
Some 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard™. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard™. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especially on horizontal surfaces such as the hood, roof, and trunk.
L-SB-0030-24 Rev1 Service bulletin
2024-07-29 · Structure — Body
Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interio
L-SB-0030-24 Service bulletin
2024-06-21 · Structure — Body
Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interi
L-SB-0023-24 Service bulletin
2024-04-19 · Structure — Body
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.
L-SB-0024-24 Service bulletin
2024-04-19 · Structure — Body
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage can occur. This damage is the result of actual etching of the paint
L-SB-0022-24 Service bulletin
2024-04-19 · Structure — Body
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0A7A	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	1 bulletin

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 1.5%

failed emissions

1,327 initial inspections of 1,290 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 ES	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	1.5%	4.2%	1,324
Failed the safety inspection	0.98%	2.2%	1,327
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.30%	0.27%	1,327
Miles driven a year	7,775	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	79,777	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

ES by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 0 1 307 mi 2025 A 1 5 44 mpg 2024 A 2 9 44 mpg 2023 A 2 12 44 mpg 2022 A 1 16 44 mpg 2021 A 1 35 44 mpg 2020 C 3 24 44 mpg 2019 C 4 40 44 mpg 2018 B 2 15 40 mpg 2017 A 1 26 40 mpg 2016 this page A 1 37 40 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 ES

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Lexus ES have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2016 Lexus ES. The most serious on file is 16V198000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Lexus ES?

NHTSA gave the 2016 Lexus ES 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Lexus ES?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Lexus ES, the best EPA combined figure is 40 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Lexus ES?

Transport Canada measured it at 192.9 in long, 71.7 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.1 in tall, on a 111.0 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,549–3,660 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Lexus ES?

Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Lexus ES, most often about unspecified, service brakes, air bags. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Lexus ES?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Lexus ES runs 5 to 9 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 3, Bin 5, California LEV-III SULEV30/PZEV, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Lexus ES?

The manufacturer has filed 308 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Lexus ES, most often covering equipment, electrical system, structure. The most recent is dated 2025-12-15. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Lexus ES do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Lexus ES failed the emissions check on 1.5% of first inspections — lower than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.98% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	37	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	308	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	9 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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