Reliable Auto DB

2020 Lexus ES reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus ES over 7 years — 0 per year. The other ES years sit at about the same rate: their median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Occupant classification.

2019 Lexus ES 350
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

18

Per year

0

Recalls

1

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (8 of 18), then Service brakes (3) and Forward collision avoidance (2). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 ES has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 28 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Lexus ES. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2023-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 23V865000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (18 total)

Air bags
8
Service brakes
3
Forward collision avoidance
2
Electrical system
1
Engine
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Suspension
1
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

720246202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Suspension, Service brakes, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-01
  • "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…"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-08
  • "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…"
    Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-03-14
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-03-06
  • "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."
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-02-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
ES 300h 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) Front-wheel drive 43 44 44 MPG $1450
ES 350 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $2500
ES 350 F Sport 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $2600

Specs and fitment

7th generation, 2019–2025
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (ES 350); 0W-16 (ES 250) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17, 235/45R18, 235/40R19

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V-288 covers certain 2019 ES vehicles whose driver knee air bag assembly may have been improperly installed, which can affect knee air bag deployment in a crash; dealers inspect and replace the assembly if necessary. Recall 20V-012 and its expansion 20V-682 cover certain 2019-2020 ES 350 vehicles, among many other Toyota and Lexus models, where the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail and stall the engine while driving; dealers replace the fuel pump, with 20V-682 specifying an improved assembly. Recall 23V-865 covers certain 2020-2021 ES 350 and ES 250 and 2020-2022 ES 300h vehicles (among many other Toyota and Lexus models) where a short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying; dealers inspect and replace the sensor as necessary. Recall 24V-124 covers certain 2023-2024 ES 250, ES 300h, and ES 350 vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor, along with 2023 Toyota Mirai and Lexus LS 500 and LS 500h and 2024 Lexus LC 500 and LC 500h vehicles, where incorrect parking-assist ECU programming can keep the rearview camera image from displaying within a couple of seconds of shifting into reverse; dealers update that software.

Compare

Next year 2021 Lexus ES See every Lexus ES model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Lexus ES reliable?

Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus ES over 7 years — 0 per year. The other ES years sit at about the same rate: their median is 0 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2020 Lexus ES?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (8 of 18), then Service brakes (3) and Forward collision avoidance (2). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 Lexus ES more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 ES has 0 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2021 has 28 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Lexus ES been recalled?

The 2020 Lexus ES has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Lexus ES?

Owners have filed 18 complaints about the 2020 Lexus ES with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Lexus ES get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Lexus ES is 31.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Lexus ES?

7th generation (2019-2025).

What oil does a 7th-generation Lexus ES take?

0W-20 for ES 350 (~5.7 qt with filter); 0W-16 for ES 250 (~4.8 qt). Confirm your engine in the owner’s manual.

Is the 2026 Lexus ES a new generation?

Yes. Lexus launched the eighth-generation ES for 2026 with hybrid and battery-electric models in the U.S.