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Your vehicleHome›Lexus›ES› 2020
Lexus · Midsize Sedan

2020 Lexus ES

Hybrid Gas
Midsize Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
79 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 3
Complaints6 crash · 8 injured reported 24
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 44 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2020 Lexus ES is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize sedan with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the ES 300h, is EPA-rated at 44 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 24 complaints, most often about the air bags. 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
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
ES 300hHybridFWD2.5L 4-cyl + 245V Ni-MH434444$1,500
ES 350GasFWD3.5L 6-cyl223226$2,600
ES 350 F SportGasFWD3.5L 6-cyl223125$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41913, 41911, 41912.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
ES 300h7 / 10California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
ES 350, ES 350 F Sport5 / 10California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70All 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 styleSedan/Saloon
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement2.5 L
Engine configurationIn-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower176 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain4x2
TransmissionContinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Optional: Blind-spot monitoring, Parking assist, Rear cross-traffic alert

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 Luxury, 300h Premium, 350 F Sport, 350 Luxury). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length196.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)73.6 in
Height57.1 in
Wheelbase113.0 in
Track, front63.8 in
Track, rear63.8 in
Curb weight3,649–3,704 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear59/41 to 60/40

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.

Also on file Beside the 2020 ES
Other years The 2026 ES Recalls Lexus recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Lexus ES is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

23TA15, 23LA03
999,901 vehicles 58% reported repaired
Problem 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. Risk An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury. Fix 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 with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 23V865000 reported Dec 20, 2023 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

20TA02, 20LA01
1,525,742 vehicles 92% reported repaired
Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, Risk If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an
Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V682000 reported Nov 4, 2020 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

See report
44,191 vehicles 99% reported repaired Hybrid only
Problem Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally. Risk A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire. Fix Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.
Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V064000 reported Feb 6, 2020 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 2020 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 2020 Lexus ES, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2020 Lexus ES

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this ES →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
24complaints filed

6 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 8 injuries · 0 deaths reported

6.3 per 10,000 built · Lexus reported 37,995 ES built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Air Bags 11
Forward Collision Avoidance 5
Unspecified 5
Service Brakes 4
Electrical System 3
Vehicle Speed Control 1

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.

There is an active recall for my vehicle involving the passenger airbag potentially not deploying. This is a huge safety risk and the remedy is still not available. The active recall was first initiated in December of 2023
Air Bags May 14, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11661006
• Frequent Battery Replacements: My vehicle is now on its third battery within a five-year lifespan. The previous owner replaced the battery two years ago when the vehicle was only two years old, and I recently had to replace it again.
Electrical System Feb 22, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11644276
Not sure if I have the right things checked. Starting about december 2022 i experienced the car "lunging" forward upon putting the car into drive, After having backed out of a parking space. It continued to do this off and on even through today. It seems to do it most after the car has been sitting for a good length of time.
Suspension Aug 1, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11754220
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
Engine Jul 8, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11749126
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.
Service Brakes Mar 14, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11724316
The contact owned a 2020 Lexus ES 350. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently pulled to the right. The contact's wife had no control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vehicle made a hard right turn.
Forward Collision Avoidance at 25,379 miles Nov 1, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11623187

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: 31 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 38 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 82 per 100,000 built. Every ES model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆10%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: lane departure warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 2 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Toyota warranty extension (10) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 281
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-22
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 267 service bulletins, 9 warranty extensions, 4 emissionss

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

  • L-SB-0026-26 Service bulletin
    2026-09-22 · Engine
  • This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year Repair Manual while performing the battery rescue charge. The GRX-5100 should be used wherever the Repair Manual references the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) charger. The charging instru
  • L-SB-0040-20 Rev2 Service bulletin
    2026-09-22 · Engine
  • OBSOLETE NOTICE September 22, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0026-26
  • 26LF01 Emissions
    2026-09-10 · Fuel/Propulsion System
  • Under certain conditions, debris can accumulate inside the fuel cap causing potential fuel vapor leaks that can cause increased evaporative emissions to exceed the regulated limits. This issue will not trigger the M.I.L. (Malfunction Indicator Lamp).
  • L-SB-0021-25 Service bulletin
    2026-03-10 · Engine
  • OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
  • L-SB-0021-25 Service bulletin
    2026-02-27 · Engine
  • OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
  • L-SB-0057-22 Rev2 Service bulletin
    2026-02-02 · Electrical System
  • OBSOLETE NOTICE February 2, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0004-26.
  • L-SB-0004-26 Service bulletin
    2026-01-23 · Electrical System
  • Some 2018 – 2025 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.
  • 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

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.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
B15FE
B15FE on Lexus →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment2 bulletins
P0087
P0087 on Lexus →		Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded.Electrical System · Fuel pump →2 bulletins
P0171
P0171 on Lexus →		The engine is running lean on bank 1: too much air, or not enough fuel, for the mixture the computer wants.Electrical System · Mass air flow sensor →2 bulletins
P0174
P0174 on Lexus →		The engine is running lean on bank 2.Electrical System · Mass air flow sensor →2 bulletins

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.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Lexus ES failed the emissions check on 0.72% of first inspections — lower than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.0% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%).

New York inspections 0.72%

failed emissions

1,249 initial inspections of 1,228 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2020 ESEvery 2020 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check0.72%2.2%1,244
Failed the safety inspection1.0%1.6%1,249
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.16%0.19%1,249
Miles driven a year7,3009,980odometer at inspection
Average odometer45,67362,630odometer 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 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 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 mi2025 A 1 5 44 mpg2024 A 2 9 44 mpg2023 A 2 12 44 mpg2022 A 1 16 44 mpg2021 A 1 35 44 mpg2020 this page C 3 24 44 mpg2019 C 4 40 44 mpg2018 B 2 15 40 mpg2017 A 1 26 40 mpg2016 A 1 37 40 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 ES

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Lexus ES have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2020 Lexus ES. The most serious on file is 23V865000, covering Air Bags. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Lexus ES?

NHTSA gave the 2020 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 C (79/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Lexus ES?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Lexus ES, the best EPA combined figure is 44 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Lexus ES?

Transport Canada measured it at 196.1 in long, 73.6 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.1 in tall, on a 113.0 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,649–3,704 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 2020 Lexus ES?

Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus ES, most often about air bags, forward collision avoidance, unspecified. Of those, 6 involved a crash, 8 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 2020 Lexus ES?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Lexus ES runs 5 to 7 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 — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Lexus ES?

The manufacturer has filed 281 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Lexus ES, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-22. 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 2020 Lexus ES do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Lexus ES failed the emissions check on 0.72% of first inspections — lower than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.0% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). 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.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations3 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates3 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls3NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints24NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings2 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins281NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations1NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationOpen and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No 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 NHTSA12 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe 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.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2026 ES The ES model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every Lexus recall on file All campaigns filed against Lexus vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this ES by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

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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