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Lexus ESModel year report

2009 Lexus ES Problems

Compared with other Lexus ES years

Typical for this model

36/100 0.7× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
28filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
79,000miles, 14 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Lexus ES (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 28 consumer complaints for the 2009 Lexus ES. The part named most often is air bags, with 14 complaints (50% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control (3) and electrical system (2). 14 of the complaints include a mileage, and 29% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 79,000 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 43 technical service bulletins for this model year. Air bags complaints overlap with 3 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 7 Lexus ES model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 36 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata recall Lexus does not feel the urgency of developing a response to this deadly situation their response seems to be that it is takata's problem what can be done to make my car safe to carry a passenger?”

NHTSA complaint #10929579, filed 2016-12, 88,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “The contact owns a 2009 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently accelerated upon releasing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that recently upon entering the garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated after releasing the brake pedal, almost causing the vehicle to crash into the residence. The struck other materials inside the garage, causing front-end damages to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

NHTSA complaint #11633738, filed 2025-01, 25,000 miles

Electrical system: “On Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 at approximately 11:50 am, my vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. I was pulling into a parking spot and suddenly accelerated and jump the barrier into a ditch. Luckly there were bushes to stop me. I was standing on the brake. There were no prior indications there was an issue.”

NHTSA complaint #11695936, filed 2025-10

Other or unknown: “Dashboard is sticky, shiny, and melting from the heat. All lint, dust and cloth sticks to the sticky dashboard. Shiny dashboards can pose safety hazards that affect visibility with a glare bouncing off the windshield, and overall health issues since melted dashboards can emit harmful odors. Lexus is saying their Customer Support Program ZLZ expired in 2021. I never received any mail from them about this program even though they claim they mailed it to me in 2018. …”

NHTSA complaint #11529640, filed 2023-06

Mileage when problems were reported

29% of the 14 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 27,000 and 105,000 miles.

0%0–107%10–2521%25–5021%50–7521%75–10029%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (14 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 79,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

20132016662018202020232025
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2009 Lexus ES in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 43 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 43 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus ES

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20255—1525—Too new
2024910,1002526—Too new
20231050,0902544—Too new
2022116,8320528—Not enough data
20212838,000152848 · TypicalRising
20201827,6901544—Rising
20193411,0001544100 · MoreFalling
201852000—40—Not enough data
20169115,5000—40—Not enough data
20155115,0000—40—Not enough data
20133445,0000—4054 · TypicalStable
20123166,3160——36 · TypicalStable
20114647,0000——82 · MoreRising
20104170,0000——11 · FewerStable
20092879,0000——36 · TypicalRising
20086862,0000——52 · TypicalRising
200712580,1230——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200612115,0000———Not enough data
2005598,8500——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20041689,0000———Falling
20032368,0000———Rising
20022796,1500——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20006140,0000———Not enough data
1999885,0000———Not enough data

All Lexus ES model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Lexus ES have?

NHTSA recorded 28 consumer complaints for the 2009 Lexus ES as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Lexus ES is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 14 complaints (50% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 3.

Has the 2009 Lexus ES been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Lexus ES reported?

Among the 14 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 79,000 miles and the middle half falls between 27,000 and 105,000 miles; 29% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.