2021 Lexus ES
Hybrid Gas Midsize car
The 2021 Lexus ES is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize car 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 air bags. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES 300h | Hybrid | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl + 259V Li-Ion | 43 | 44 | 44 | $1,400 |
| ES 250 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 25 | 34 | 28 | $2,250 |
| ES 350 | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 22 | 32 | 26 | $2,400 |
| ES 350 F Sport | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 22 | 31 | 25 | $2,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2021 Lexus ES is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (1)
Air Bags
highProblem: 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.
NHTSA 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 matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
35 complaints filed
2 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by 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
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.
Crash ratings
| 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.
Other ES model years
2026 ES
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2025 ES
1 recalls · 4 complaints
A2024 ES
2 recalls · 9 complaints
A2023 ES
2 recalls · 12 complaints
A2022 ES
1 recalls · 14 complaints
D2020 ES
3 recalls · 24 complaints
D2019 ES
4 recalls · 40 complaints
B2018 ES
2 recalls · 15 complaints
A2017 ES
1 recalls · 25 complaints
A2016 ES
1 recalls · 37 complaints
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 43078, 43079, 43076, 43077). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.