RoadVitals

2014 Lexus ES Hybrid

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Jan 22, 2020
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 3, 2015
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2014 Lexus ES Hybrid, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and brakes categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 222 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical325.0%
  • Driver assistance325.0%
  • Brakes216.7%
  • Visibility18.3%
  • Body & structure18.3%
  • Engine18.3%
  • Fuel system18.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: CRASH IMMINENT BRAKING

Nov 3, 2015
30,812 units potentially affected
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. In these vehicles, the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.
The risk: A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.
Toyota Motor Engineering & ManufacturingManufacturer number F1V, F2EView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP22005ClosedDefect Petition

Pedestrian alert sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023
Closed Aug 7, 2023

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 matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEMLed to recall 22V063000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Jan 22, 2020

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, 60MPH. FRIDAY JAN 17TH, 2020. 5PM. COLD OUT. HEAR LOUD SOUND LIKE GUN SHOT. STARTLED ME. THOUGHT TIRE BLEW SO PULLED TO SHOULDER ON HIGHWAY. TIRES WERE FINE AND WAS LIKE WHAT THE HECK. GOT BACK IN CAR STARTED TO GET BACK ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD NOISE ABOVE MY HEAD. LOOKED UP SLIDING DOOR TO SUNROOF VIBRATING. SLIDE OPEN A BIT AND SUNROOF GLASS WAS GONE. PULLED BACK OVER AND GOT OUT AND LOOKED. GLASS JUST EXPLODED AND BIG HOLE, SEE PICS. NOTHING FELL ON IT OR HIT IT. NEXT DAY SHOPPED VAC THE GLASS AND NOW WAITING TO GET FIXED.

NHTSA ID
11301182
Incident
Jan 17, 2020
Mileage
117,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jul 9, 2019
Crash reported

THE CAR HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT A PARKING SPOT IT WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO PRESS DOWN THE BRAKE(LIKE THE ABS WAS FIGHTING ME) TO STOP BEFORE IT SHORTLY CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE PILLAR AND THEN WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE IT TOOK OFF ON ME AND CRASHED/STOPPED INTO A FENCE AGAIN WOULDN'T PRESS DOWN THE BRAKE TO ALLOW ME TO STOP IT BEFORE IT CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAILING/FENCE. I QUICKLY TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON BEFORE TRYING TO BACK OUT OF THE CRASH AND IT ACTED FINE AFTER THAT. MY DEDUCTIBLE SOME HOW WAS $2,500 SO I'VE YET TO FIX IT BECAUSE OF THE OUTRAGEOUS PRICE SINCE THE ACCIDENT THE END OF OCTOBER OF 2018(TODAY'S DATE 7-9-2019) SINCE LEXUS WOULDN'T FOLLOW UP ON THIS WHEN I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM WHEN THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DEFAULT ON THIS CAR SINCE IT'S JUST DEAD WEIGHT AND I CAN'T USE IT AS I ATTENDED IT TO BE MY RIDE SHARE CAR(LYFT, UBER, TURO) TO HELP MAKE ENDS MEET WITH MY SINGLE INCOME SINGLE PARENTHOOD HOUSEHOLD.

NHTSA ID
11230510
Incident
Oct 29, 2018
Electrical
Filed Jun 4, 2019
Crash reported

CPSC: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SMART RIDE DEVICE CAUSED THE LIGHTS ON HIS DASHBOARD TO MALFUNCTION (ABS LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, ETC.). WHICH CAUSED HIM TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT IN HIS CAR. *DT *JS

NHTSA ID
11217960
Incident
May 1, 2019
Body & structure
Filed Feb 12, 2019
1 injury reported

MY CAR HAS SPOILER BUILD ON ITS TRUNK LID WHICH CAUSED THE TRUNK LID TO COME DOWN DURING MINOR WIND CAUSING SERIOUS BODY INJURY RESULTING IN MULTIPLE STICHES. FROM THE EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS FOUND THAT LEXUS DID NOT LEAVE AIR VENT BETWEEN THE SPOILER AND SURFACE IF THE TRUNK LID CREATING AN AIR POCKET RESULTING IN SMASHING DOWN THE LID AT EXTREME HIGH SPEED. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT AND I WAS FILLING THE TRUNK WITH PURCHASED GROCERIES. FROM THE AIRFLOW TEST WE PERFORMED IT WAS CLEAR THAT LEXUS DID NOT LEAVE AIR VENT TO PURGE THE AIR OUT, PROVIDE TRUNK LID MORE STABILITY TO STAY OPEN. ITS ALSO VISIBLE THE TRUNK LID HAS WEAK HINGES THAT HOLD THE LID UP WHEN OPEN AND MISSING SAFETY BARS. THE LID ITS SELF HAS SHARP EDGES WITH NO PROTECTIVE LINING, HENCE ACT LIKE A BLADE WHEN LID HITS ANY PERSON. LEXUS HAS INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND NO REPORT HAS BEEN SHARED TO ME TILL I FILE THIS COMPLAIN. I FEEL ITS DESIGN DEFECT. THE SPOILER WAS INSTALLED FOR GOOD REASON, HOWEVER LEXUS MAY NOT HAVE PERFORMED SAFETY TESTED WHEN THE TRUNK LID IS IN OPEN CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ID
11176617
Incident
Jan 21, 2019
Mileage
52,200 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical+1 more
Filed Nov 1, 2018
Crash reported

WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT IN REVERSE THE BRAKE WAS FIGHTING ME SO IT KEPT GOING INTO A CONCRETE PILLAR THEN WHEN I SHIFTED IT INTO DRIVE IT DID IT AGAIN AND NOW MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED THE BRAKE IT COULDN'T OF STOPPED TILL IT RAN INTO A FENCE NOT FAR IN FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN IT HIT THE CONCRETE PILLAR. I QUICKLY TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON THEN IT RESPONDED ACCORDLY THEN. IT WAS LIKE THE ABS WAS FIGHTING ME WHEN I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE AND NOT ALLOWING ME BRAKE TO BE PRESSED TO SLOW/STOP THE CAR BOTH FIRST IN REVERSE THEN FORWARD TO PULL AWAY FROM THE CRASH.

NHTSA ID
11144604
Incident
Oct 29, 2018
Mileage
40,600 mi
Filed Sep 14, 2018

EVERY TIME I TURN ON THE AC SMELL STINKS . EVEN I REPLACED ALL AIR FILTERS. I HEARD TOYOTA CAMRY HAD SAME ISSUES

NHTSA ID
11129470
Incident
Jun 1, 2017
Filed Mar 14, 2018

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH DOWNTOWN ATLANTA (MODERATE SPEED), ON A SATURDAY (NO CONSTRUCTION), AND NOWHERE NEAR ANY OVERPASS (FALLING OBJECTS), OUR UNOPENED SUNROOF EXPLODED. WE HEARD A LOUD "BANG", AND THOUGHT WE HAD SUFFERED A TIRE BLOWOUT, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER LOUD NOISE A FEW SECONDS LATER AND COULD SEE SOMETHING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FLYING OFF THE BACK OF THE ROOF. WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND STOP, WE FOUND THE GLASS IN OUR SUNROOF HAD DISINTEGRATED.

NHTSA ID
11079085
Incident
Mar 3, 2018
Mileage
81,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 16, 2018

HYBRID ENGINE NOT FULLY WORKING , ESTIMATED MPG 40 MPG CAR IS ONLY GETTING NOW 22.5 AND IS GETTING WORSE. MY WIFE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER LEXUS HYBRID AND THE DEALER DENIED PROBLEM FOR 3 MONTHS UNTIL THEY SENT A SERVICEMAN FROM CALIFORNIA TO FIX PROBLEM .

NHTSA ID
11063115
Incident
Dec 27, 2017
Mileage
26,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

L-SB-0030-24 Rev2

STRUCTURE:BODY

Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This Service Bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

L-SB-0043-23 Rev1

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.

L-SB-0017-19 Rev1

STRUCTURE:BODY

Some 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard™. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard™. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especially on horizontal surfaces such as the hood, roof, and trunk.

L-SB-0017-19 Rev1

STRUCTURE:BODY

Some 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard™. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard™. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especially on horizontal surfaces such as the hood, roof, and trunk.

L-SB-0030-24 Rev1

STRUCTURE:BODY

Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This Service Bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

L-SB-0030-24 Rev1

STRUCTURE:BODY

Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This Service Bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Lexus ES Hybrid by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000
2025010
2024020
2023020
2022311
2021211
2020121
2019111
2018501
2017101
2016701
2015611
2014Viewing101155.1
2013811
2012000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.