2004 Lexus ES Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ES years
- More complaints than other years 14th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Lexus ES. That ranks 14th out of 30 ES model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (5 complaints, 31%), typically at around 22,500 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 2 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
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- 16owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Lexus ES problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 31% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 25% | 167,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 13% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 13% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 13% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 13% | 28,900 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 6% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 6% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 6% | 137,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Lexus ES recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2004 Lexus ES.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The passenger side airbag is shrinking and seems to be collapsing into the dashboard. There is an indicator light on the passenger side that is lit up noting that "airbag off," so apparently there is no airbag protection for passenger. Three days ago, the right side of the windshield - passenger…
Vehicle was parked overnight in garage. Though not noticed immediately, sometime during the morning i noticed my dashboard vinyl around the passenger side airbag looked swollen , and upon examination, it showed a split in the vinyl also. I took it to a reputable auto repair shop and was told it…
Intermediate wipers have never worked.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 lexus es. While operating the vehicle, the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 170,000.
I had a car accident approximately one month ago due to sudden unintended acceleration and loss of steering in a 2004 lexus es330. I am the only owner of the car and i had it serviced regularly over the past 13 years. The night of my accident i lost complete control of my car as i attempted to…
Other Lexus ES years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 ES | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 ES | 9 | 2 |
| 2023 ES | 10 | 2 |
| 2022 ES | 11 | 0 |
| 2021 ES | 28 | 1 |
| 2020 ES | 18 | 1 |
| 2019 ES | 34 | 1 |
| 2018 ES | 5 | 0 |
| 2017 ES | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 ES | 9 | 0 |
| 2015 ES | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 ES | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 ES | 34 | 0 |
| 2012 ES | 31 | 0 |
| 2011 ES | 46 | 0 |
| 2010 ES | 41 | 0 |
| 2009 ES | 28 | 0 |
| 2008 ES | 68 | 0 |
| 2007 ES | 125 | 0 |
| 2006 ES | 12 | 0 |
| 2005 ES | 58 | 0 |
| 2004 | 16 | 0 |
| 2003 ES | 23 | 0 |
| 2002 ES | 27 | 0 |
| 2001 ES | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 ES | 6 | 0 |
| 1999 ES | 8 | 0 |
| 1998 ES | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 ES | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 ES | 1 | 0 |
See all Lexus ES problems by year, every Lexus model, or the Lexus VIN decoder.
Similar Lexus models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Lexus ES?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, air bags, engine problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Lexus ES?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2004 Lexus ES a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other ES model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.