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.
1
Latest May 29, 2013
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.
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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.
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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.
0
Overview
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1996 Lexus ES, most frequently naming the engine and fuel system categories. 8 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Engine150.0%
Fuel system150.0%
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
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
EngineFuel system
Filed May 29, 2013
I SMELLED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID OR ANTI-FREEZE. THE NEXT DAY MY WIFE SMELLED GAS AND SOME FRIENDS CALLED MY CELL TO TELL ME GAS WAS RUNNING OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR. I COULD NOT FIND A LEAK UNDER THE CAR. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND FOUND GAS RUNNING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. AFTER TAKING THE LEXUS COVER OFF THE ENGINE, I FOUND GAS SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP INTO THE AIR. IT WAS COMING FROM A VACUUM LINE THAT HAD POPPED OFF. I RE-ATTACHED THE LINE AND STARTED THE ENGINE. THE LINE POPPED OFF AND GAS AGAIN SHOT STRAIGHT INTO THE AIR. I REPLACED THE VACUUM LINE. IT STAYED ON BUT THE GAS RAN THROUGH A NEARBY SWITCH AND ONTO THE ENGINE. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT THE GAS SHOULD NOT BE GOING THROUGH THE VACUUM LINE. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR HAD MAL FUNCTIONED AND ALLOWED THE GAS TO GO THROUGH THE VACUUM SIDE OF THE REGULATOR. WHILE DRIVING THE REGULATOR HAD ALLOWED OVER 10 GALLONS OF GAS TO POUR DIRECTLY OVER MY ENGINE. IT BOTHERS ME HOW EASY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE CAR, MY WIFE AND ME TO GO UP IN FLAMES. I WOULD HATE TO HAVE SOMEONE DIE BECAUSE I FAILED TO WARN PEOPLE OF THIS DEFECT. I DO HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PART. *TR
NHTSA ID
10514170
Incident
May 28, 2013
Mileage
235,600 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
Safety Recall 22
EQUIPMENT
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
Lexus Safety Re
EQUIPMENT
Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
L-SB-0179-17 Obs
EQUIPMENT
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
L-SB-0008-20
EQUIPMENT
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003 93, and PG002-90. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1990 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin.
L-SB-0179-17
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes SB Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, and PG002-90. Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, and PG002-90 are obsolete and any printed versions should be discarded. Be sure to review the entire content of this bulletin before proceeding. Vehicle replacement certification labels (vinyl label installed on driver door or door post) and VIN lates (metal plate riveted to dashboard) may be available from Lexus, provided the request meets one of the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin.
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
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.