2020 Lexus ES350 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Lexus ES350, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags225.0%
- Driver assistance225.0%
- Electrical225.0%
- Brakes112.5%
- Seat belts112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The safety features on my Lexus ES 350 2020 malfunctioned on 10/16/2022 •Cruise control with radar functionality to speed up, slow down or stop, based upon my speed setting did not work at that moment. It did work my entire trip, which was a drive to Tallahassee from our residence on Friday and our return trip home on Sunday, until the accident occurred just north of the Ft. Pierce exit. •The brake sensor, which causes your vehicle to stop with obstructions near the vehicle did not function. •Airbags did not deploy •Seatbelts did not “lock” at impact. When I realized that the safety features (radar and brake sensor) were not working, I slammed on the brakes, but nothing happened.
I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY 5 SOUTH, IN A CARPOOL LANE, ALL OF SUDDEN ANOTHER CAR SLAMMED TO MY REAR DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE, CAUSED MY CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, WENT ACCROSS THE FREEWAY AND SLAMMED TO THE LEFT REAR WHEELS OF THE INCOMING 18 WHEELERS BIG RIG, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS INSIDE THE BRAND NEW 2020 LEXUS ES 350 DEPLOYED TO PROTECT ACCUPANTS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The safety features on my Lexus ES 350 2020 malfunctioned on 10/16/2022 •Cruise control with radar functionality to speed up, slow down or stop, based upon my speed setting did not work at that moment. It did work my entire trip, which was a drive to Tallahassee from our residence on Friday and our return trip home on Sunday, until the accident occurred just north of the Ft. Pierce exit. •The brake sensor, which causes your vehicle to stop with obstructions near the vehicle did not function. •Airbags did not deploy •Seatbelts did not “lock” at impact. When I realized that the safety features (radar and brake sensor) were not working, I slammed on the brakes, but nothing happened.
I always use cruise control whenever i drive because this would always makes me put on a safety automatic brake whenever i get close to the car next to me. But it seems like my automatic emergency brake is defective which Lexus Dealership denies on the inspection when i complain. A lot of times the automatic emergency brake does not work when i use it even when im backing up it suppose to stop but a lot of times im almost at thr brink of hitting something so i have to manually brake. I also texted this to my Lexus Assistant Manager in Lexus Glendale California branch and had it inspected by them but they’ve sit my car in the dealership and at the end of the day told me that its normal. Is it normal to hit a car next to you when youre expecting your car to stop automatically and it does not stop? Why do i have this feature and it doesnt work? I hope you can help me becaus ethis car is very expensive and yet it does not guarantee safety!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
On Friday, June 03, 2022 as I was leaving the dealership in the 2020 Lexus ES 350 loaner vehicle, I put the car in reverse to back away from the wall, and then put the car from reverse into drive that resulted in it lurching forward momentarily. I did not hear the engine revving, probably because I wasn’t paying attention, but my partner who was seated next to me in the driver’s seat said he heard it. He suspected that the dealership loaned us the vehicle that had a similar issue that caused it to move forward. When I saw the definition of sudden unintended acceleration, I felt that it could be that. I didn’t think it was me. I drove the Lexus home, which was across the street from the dealership and no one drove it during the next few days. On Tuesday, June 07, 2022, we were scheduled for a medical appointment 80 miles away. My partner cancelled it but I decided to take the Lexus out to the store and there was no incident so the appointment was rescheduled for June 09. On Thursday, June 09, 2022 at about 11:30AM PDT, I brought the 2020 Lexus ES 350 loaner vehicle to a stop using the brake pedal. The car was about 12 feet from a landscaped island that separated two parking areas. I was looking to find a parking space that had tree shade. Without moving my foot off the brake, the engine began revving at the same time the Lexus sped forward on its own. I was fully cognizant of what I was doing and what was happening specifically because of what had occurred the Friday before. At the time that the vehicle moved forward, I was doing nothing but pressing my foot on the break. There was nothing obstructing the pedals on the floor as we had made sure of that during the preparation for the trip. The rate of speed that the vehicle was going when it jumped the curb of a landscaped island no more that 3 or 4 feet in diameter is something I would have never normally been able to achieve. The heavy metal pole on the other side bent when it hit. The front wheel
The DCM not working.. i did update and rest the DCM my Dealership and still not working
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I always use cruise control whenever i drive because this would always makes me put on a safety automatic brake whenever i get close to the car next to me. But it seems like my automatic emergency brake is defective which Lexus Dealership denies on the inspection when i complain. A lot of times the automatic emergency brake does not work when i use it even when im backing up it suppose to stop but a lot of times im almost at thr brink of hitting something so i have to manually brake. I also texted this to my Lexus Assistant Manager in Lexus Glendale California branch and had it inspected by them but they’ve sit my car in the dealership and at the end of the day told me that its normal. Is it normal to hit a car next to you when youre expecting your car to stop automatically and it does not stop? Why do i have this feature and it doesnt work? I hope you can help me becaus ethis car is very expensive and yet it does not guarantee safety!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The safety features on my Lexus ES 350 2020 malfunctioned on 10/16/2022 •Cruise control with radar functionality to speed up, slow down or stop, based upon my speed setting did not work at that moment. It did work my entire trip, which was a drive to Tallahassee from our residence on Friday and our return trip home on Sunday, until the accident occurred just north of the Ft. Pierce exit. •The brake sensor, which causes your vehicle to stop with obstructions near the vehicle did not function. •Airbags did not deploy •Seatbelts did not “lock” at impact. When I realized that the safety features (radar and brake sensor) were not working, I slammed on the brakes, but nothing happened.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .