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2021 Lexus ES

Hybrid Gas

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

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints2 crash · 1 injured reported 35

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 44 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2021 Lexus ES is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize sedan with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the ES 300h, is EPA-rated at 44 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 35 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

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
ES 300h	Hybrid	FWD	2.5L 4-cyl + 259V Li-Ion	43	44	44	$1,500
ES 250 AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	25	34	28	$2,400
ES 350	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	22	32	26	$2,600
ES 350 F Sport	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	22	31	25	$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43078, 43079, 43076, 43077.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
ES 300h	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
ES 250 AWD	6 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV50 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 50	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
ES 350, ES 350 F Sport	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	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	4
Displacement	2.5 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

176 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4x2
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, 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 Base, 300h Luxury, 300h Premium, 350 F Sport). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	196.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	73.6 in
Height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	113.0 in
Track, front	63.8 in
Track, rear	63.8 in
Curb weight	3,649–3,737 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41 to 60/40

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: ES250 4-door Sedan AWD, 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

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 →

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 2021 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 2021 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

35complaints filed

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

7.5 per 10,000 built · Lexus reported 46,782 ES built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 13 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Air Bags 25

Forward Collision Avoidance 3

Wheels 2

Steering 2

Structure 1

Exterior Lighting 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.

The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer for over a year for parts availability updates and was informed that parts were not yet available.

Air Bags Sep 30, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11690558

The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES. While the contact's wife was driving at unknown speeds, the messages stating "vehicle notification system, a malfunction in the vehicle notification system has been detected, contact dealer", and "notification system malfunction visit your dealer" were displayed.

Steering at 38,000 miles Apr 26, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11585513

While driving my 2021 Lexus ES 350 on a Interstate Highway 495 known as the Long Island Expressway my vehicle went over a small pot hole in the road way and the tires side wall was punctured resulting in a flat tire. I replaced the tire having only 4,555 miles on this new vehicle.

Wheels Dec 13, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11497278

The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 300H. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and attempting to stop, the front driver’s side seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.

Seat Belts at 60,000 miles Sep 26, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11616651

On Nov 9, 2022 I first noticed the problem. When I drove back to home Vancouver, WA from California I used cruise control all the way. I was driving at 70 and ahead of me was traffic.

Electrical System Jan 24, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11503312

The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES350. The contact stated while accelerating from a stop, the brakes inadvertently was activated. The automatic braking system engaged and the vehicle had to be shifted to park, turned off, and restarted to operate correctly. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated.

Forward Collision Avoidance at 8,000 miles Jun 1, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11466993

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: 43 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 57 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 92 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

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	10%
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

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Lexus warranty extension 24LE02The specific condition covered by this program is for a small engine coolant leak that can occur from the flow shut-off valve that can allow coolant to drip on other parts of the vehicle.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Lexus warranty extension 24LE01Frequently Asked Questions CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 24LE01 Certain 2019 -2021 Model Year ES300H Certain 2021 Model Year ES250 Certain 2019 -2020 Model Year UX200 Coverage for Flow Shut-off Valve…

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 283

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-22

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 259 service bulletins, 18 warranty extensions, 4 emissionss

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Structure, Wheels.

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.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B15FE B15FE on Lexus →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 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.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 1.1%

failed emissions

1,581 initial inspections of 1,539 vehicles.

Measure	The 2021 ES	Every 2021 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	1.1%	1.9%	1,580
Failed the safety inspection	1.4%	1.5%	1,581
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.13%	0.19%	1,581
Miles driven a year	7,914	10,343	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	41,772	54,681	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 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 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 this page 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 A 1 37 40 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 ES

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 Lexus ES have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2021 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 2021 Lexus ES?

NHTSA gave the 2021 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 2021 Lexus ES?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 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 2021 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: 3,649–3,737 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 2021 Lexus ES?

Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Lexus ES, most often about air bags, forward collision avoidance, wheels. Of those, 2 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 2021 Lexus ES?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 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 ULEV50, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Lexus ES?

The manufacturer has filed 283 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 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 2021 Lexus ES do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Lexus ES failed the emissions check on 1.1% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). 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	4 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	4 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	35	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	3 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	283	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	13 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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