2020 Lexus ES Recalls & Complaints

Incident: December 22, 2022 · Filed: August 1, 2026

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.Perhaps overnight, or while i've been in a shopping mall 2-3 hours. I have four invoice tickets from the lexus dealer where I brought the car in specifically for this problem. They had someone to drive it with me in the car, and of course we were not able to duplicate it at that time. I left the car with them for 3 days on one occasion. And when I returned, they said they had driven it, and did not have the problem. The occurrence has become more and more often. When it started, it was like a few times a year.And now it is almost daily. My concern is that if I happen not to have my foot over the brake as I am coasting, after backing out of a parking space or my driveway heading down the street, and someone is in front of me that the "lunge", depending how close I might be on someone could cause me to ram into the back of their car. I also taken the car in on more than one occasion and have the invoices to support this to say that the car has a very rough Ride I call it "bumbling". Again, they did not feel it.However, two years ago, they said, oh, you just need new tires. I bought them. Less than year later, those tires were worn and they said, I needed new tires. I was able to get deal with the michelin company and only had to pay twenty five percent of what it costs For a new set of tires. So the bumbling is still going on.After purchasing new tires about a year ago. I conclude that there is something wrong with possibly The transmission that causes the lunging and the bumbling has something to do with the suspension. I am not a mechanic, and I have not had it looked at by another mechanic. I need some resolve for this.

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: July 8, 2026

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.

Incident: November 17, 2025 · Filed: March 14, 2026

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. I collided with the rear end of the car that was in front of me. I got displays on my car screen stating "Pre-Collision System Malfunction", "Breaking Power Low", and "Cruise Control Malfunction". The safety of ourselves and others definitely put the safety of ourselves and others at risk. We did not report this to the dealer. Our car was totaled. The vehicle components involved were not inspected to the best of our knowledge. The warning messages are described above. We do not know exactly when they appeared.

Incident: March 3, 2026 · Filed: March 6, 2026

Car has been stalling, jerking and revving of the engine! Transmission service was done around 100,000 miles, about 30000 miles later, car was taken back to dealer and they were unable diagnose a problem. Issue got worse until it became undriveable. Car towed back to dealership only to be told I need a transmission on a pre owned certified car!

Incident: February 4, 2026 · Filed: February 11, 2026

Paring brake has been bucking backwards and forward for most of 2026 and finally it failed facing downhill on Feb 4, 2026 and rolled downhill until it stopped after hitting a sign.

Incident: December 20, 2023 · Filed: September 27, 2025

There was a recall listed for my car in 2023, and now it is September 2025 and there is still no remedy available for the recall. Manufacturer Recall Number: 23LB03 NHTSA Recall Number: 23V865 Recall Status: Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary: The subject vehicles have Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensors in the front passenger seat, that could have been improperly manufactured. Safety Risk: This would not allow the airbag system to properly classify the occupant’s weight, and the airbag may not deploy as designed in certain crashes, increasing the risk of injury..

Incident: December 1, 2023 · Filed: May 14, 2025

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.

Incident: December 1, 2023 · Filed: May 4, 2025

LEXUS HAS OPEN RECALL ON 2020 LEXUS ES350 SINCE DEC 2023 WITH NO REMEDY PROVIDED. IT IS EXTREMELY NEGLIGENT OF THEM TO HAVE NO SOLUTION WHILE DRIVERS OF THEIR VEHICLES ARE PUTTING THEIR PASSENGERS IN EXTREME RISK OF THEIR SAFETY FOR AIR BAG SENSORS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.

Incident: December 23, 2023 · Filed: March 26, 2025

I am writing to formally express my deep concern and frustration regarding the prolonged recall of the passenger-side airbag in my 2020 Lexus ES350 (VIN #[XXX]). The recall numbers are (23LA03, 23LB03 and 23V865) these were issued in December of 2023, which has been more than a year. Lexus has provided a rental car for all this time, which demonstrates this recall is a safety issue. Despite repeated inquiries, to Lexus and Toyota leadership there has been no resolution or clear timeline for repair. This extended delay in addressing a critical safety issue is unacceptable. Airbags are a vital component of vehicle safety; I will not drive my car with a passenger in the front seat. and the continued inability to resolve this problem places both passengers and drivers at unnecessary risk. As a responsible vehicle owner, I find it deeply troubling that there has been no sense of urgency from Lexus or the involved regulatory bodies to ensure a prompt resolution. I urge the NHTSA to take immediate action in investigating this matter and compelling Lexus to provide a definitive solution to this prolonged recall. It is imperative that vehicle manufacturers are held accountable for addressing serious safety concerns within a reasonable timeframe. Additionally, I request that the NHTSA provide any available information on what steps are being taken to expedite these repairs and ensure consumer safety. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response and any assistance you can provide in resolving this ongoing safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: February 5, 2025 · Filed: February 22, 2025

• 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. • Unacceptable Battery Lifespan: No vehicle should require a new battery every two years under normal conditions. This strongly suggests an underlying defect in the battery, charging system, or electrical components. • Lack of Manufacturer Remedy: Despite dozens, if not hundreds, of complaints from other 2020 Lexus ES 350 owners online describing the exact same issue, Lexus has not issued a recall or service bulletin to investigate or resolve the problem. • Misleading Battery Warranty: Lexus advertises its 84-month battery warranty, but this is misleading. In reality, it only provides a full replacement for the first 24 months, while the remaining coverage period is prorated, meaning owners are still required to pay a portion of the cost after just two years. This is deceptive marketing that fails to reflect the true coverage provided. • Potential Safety Hazard: Frequent battery failures could leave drivers stranded unexpectedly, which poses a serious safety risk in various situations (e.g., extreme weather, remote locations, or high-traffic areas). • Lexus’ Partial Acknowledgment of the Issue: This battery issue appears to be somewhat acknowledged by Lexus because they replaced the original battery with a much larger Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) version than what comes standard in the ES 350. The factory-installed battery is rated at 640 CCA, but the replacement Lexus provides is 770 CCA. After researching, I found that this larger battery is typically used in the Lexus LS model, which is a much larger, more powerful vehicle requiring a bigger battery. Despite this upgrade, the replacement battery still fails within two years, indicating that there is an underlying issue causing premature battery failure beyond just battery capacity.