2020 Lexus ES Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ES years
- More complaints than other years 13th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus ES. That ranks 13th out of 30 ES model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (8 complaints, 44%). Complaints mention 3 crashes, 4 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
_Auto_Zuerich_2025_DSC_3061.jpg){kind=link}
- 18owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 44% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 17% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 11% | 25,379 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Lexus ES recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
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.
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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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.
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 | 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 ES | 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
Embed this 2020 Lexus ES badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Lexus ES?
Owners most often report air bags, unknown or other, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Lexus ES?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 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 2020 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.