Lexus ES Hybrid Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 36 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Lexus ES Hybrid (2013–2018) that have at least 5 complaints. 2014 has the most, with 10. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (9 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All ES Hybrid model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5 | 790 | 0 | 81 | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 7 | 12,950 | 0 | 154 | — | Not enough data |
| 2015 | 6 | 8,000 | 1 | 191 | — | Not enough data |
| 2014 | 10 | 52,200 | 1 | 222 | — | Not enough data |
| 2013 | 8 | 45,700 | 1 | 266 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes9 21%
- Other or unknown8 19%
- Vehicle speed control6 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain5 12%
- Fuel system4 9.3%
- Engine4 9.3%
- Electrical system4 9.3%
- Body and structure3 7.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2018: “When driving the low beams on my Lexus es 300h illuminate a maximum 4 dividing lines on a road and that's equal to 120 feet. My auto high beams come on frequently as the low beam lights at night are very limited . I have a 2019 camry and those lights which are similar illuminate at least 200 feet and at least 8 dividing lines. My dealer checked and stated they are correct.”
NHTSA complaint #11153497, filed 2018-11, 1,500 miles2016: “A delay/slippage is occurring not from brakes but within the pedal inside the car when apply hard stop., changed brakes and rotors but noise still occurring I believe its from the brake booster or the electronic brake pump. No recalls found for 2016 but same issue and recall found in 2019 es300h. I've been experiencing this since I bought the car but didn't think much of it until my certified master tech looked at it. And the look on his face was scary.”
NHTSA complaint #11327197, filed 2020-06, 18,000 miles2013: “The vehicle was parked facing uphill in my driveway. I started the car and set the gear shift/selector (automatic transmission) to drive position while checking that the backup camera was not engaged. I released the emergency break with my foot on the break and confirmed that the gear shift was in drive and that the backup camera had not engaged. I released the break and accelerated to go up the hill. The car accelerated in reverse. …”
NHTSA complaint #11110641, filed 2018-07, 45,700 milesOther Lexus models
1,448 complaintsLexus RX
962 complaintsLexus RX350
833 complaintsLexus RX300
719 complaintsLexus IS 250
718 complaintsLexus ES300
677 complaintsLexus ES
658 complaintsLexus IS
579 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology