NHTSA has received 35 owner complaints about the 2021 Lexus ES, or 6.2 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.15, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #14 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Lexus models its rate is 19% lower; against other Luxury sedans it is 22% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-03-15 and 2026-07-29. Median delay from incident to filing: 0 days.
35Complaints
6.2Complaints per year on the road
0.15Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls
5.7%Share involving a crash or fire
4Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 3.6 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 3.0 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 5 complaints, 92% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (74.3% of complaints), followed by Wheels, tires & suspension (5.7%) and Electrical (2.9%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 19.4 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Airbags & seat belts reports, owners most often mention “notification air”, “bags recall”, “air bags”, “tool confirms” and “amount recall”. 2 reports (5.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 44 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (66% of incidents). In the last 12 months 4 new complaints were filed, versus 19 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for this model year. 74% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.15
vs. other Lexus models0.81
vs. other 2021 models0.16
vs. other Luxury sedans1.22
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (5)0.08
On or July 28, 2026, I experienced a safety incident involving the driver’s side power window on my 2021 Lexus ES. The vehicle was running, and I reached through the driver’s side window to retrieve an item being handed to me.
Interior & equipment · 2026-07-29 · ODI 11753522
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES. While the contact's wife was driving at unknown speeds, the messages stating "vehicle notification system, a malfunction in the vehicle notification system has been detected, contact dealer", and "notification system…
Brakes · 2024-04-26 · ODI 11585513 · Crash
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES-300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted.
Airbags & seat belts · 2025-12-17 · ODI 11705688
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer for over a year for parts availability updates and was informed that parts were not yet available.
Airbags & seat belts · 2025-09-30 · ODI 11690558
Power steering malfunction with red steering wheel sign Car doesnot turn either side Power steering low Visit your dealer
Steering · 2023-08-08 · ODI 11537243
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION Campaign 23V865000 · 2023-12-20
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
DP22005 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
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 ele…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2021 Lexus ES?
35 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Lexus ES, or about 6.2 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2021 Lexus ES?
The most common category is Airbags & seat belts, accounting for 74.3% of complaints.
Does the 2021 Lexus ES have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall(s) for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2021 Lexus ES still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 4 new complaints were filed, versus 19 in the 12 months before — the pace is falling.
How does the 2021 Lexus ES compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 35 owner complaints about the 2021 Lexus ES, or 6.2 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.15, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #14 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Lexus models its rate is 19% lower; against other Luxury sedans it is 22% higher.