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Lexus ES330Model year report

2004 Lexus ES330 Problems

Complaints
174filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
32,000miles, 127 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.3L 6-cyl FWD · 18 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Lexus ES330 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe unintended or unexpected acceleration, usually while parking, pulling into a space, or at low speed with the brake applied, and many mention that the dealer or manufacturer could not identify a cause. A second cluster of complaints concerns the front passenger airbag area: the cover lifting, warping or separating from the dash, and SRS warning lights that stay on. Transmission and speed-control complaints make up much of the volume in the wider file, but individual complaint text in this sample is comparatively thin.

  1. Air bags

    Front passenger airbag cover lifting or separating

    Mentioned in 6 of 18 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the passenger-side airbag cover on the dash warping, rising, or peeling away from the surrounding dashboard, sometimes progressively over months. Some say they avoid using the front passenger seat because they are concerned about the cover. Complaints also describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision, and one asks whether the vehicle is covered by a Takata-related campaign. Usually noted between roughly 60,000 and 80,000 miles, often first seen as a slight lift at the edges of the cover.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Look closely at the passenger airbag cover seam for lifting, gaps or uneven edges, and ask whether the vehicle has had any open airbag-related campaign or SRS repair completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was in 3 accidents and my air bags did not deployed. 1 accident I was hit in the back, I was not moving when the car hit me from behind (on the fwy), he must of been driving at a speed of 45 MPH. I t-boned a car going at a speed of approx. 35 MPH.”

    NHTSA complaint #11083868, filed 2018-04, 195,000 miles

    “Around january 2014 (but it could have started sooner) I noticed the front passenger airbag started looking like the edges are peeling away from rest of the dashboard. This has gotten progressively worse. The area around the airbag is pulling away and the airbag itself looks so stretched I fear the airbag is going to deploy. I am afraid to have anyone sit in the front passenger seat. I worry that any bump could cause airbag deployment injuring someone.”

    NHTSA complaint #10650570, filed 2014-10, 72,356 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Sudden unintended acceleration at low speed

    • 29 complaints (17%)
    • median 55,500 mi at 6.5 yrs old (20 state mileage)
    • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2017

    Complaints describe the car surging forward or accelerating on its own while the driver is parking, braking into a space, or moving slowly in a lot. Several say the vehicle went over a curb, through a wall or over a drop, and some report that a mechanic or the manufacturer could not find a cause afterward. One report notes that the floor mats were not secured and the retaining hooks were missing, and that the police report cited the mat as a possible factor. Reported across a wide mileage range, from roughly 70,000 to over 160,000 miles, typically during parking or low-speed maneuvers.

    What to check: Confirm the floor mats are the correct ones for the car and are held by the retaining hooks, and check that mats cannot slide under the pedals. Ask the seller whether any throttle or pedal work has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was parking my car in the parking lot of a garage when my car Lexus 330 suddenly picked up high speed (full throttle) unintentionally. The vehicle went forward and fell approximately about 5 feet to the other parking level and violently hit the back of a pickup truck which was parked. I had my seat belt on. My body went forward and backward violently. For the next few days I had experienced muscle pain, stiffness and poor night sleep. The accident was reported to the police.”

    NHTSA complaint #10627254, filed 2014-08, 102,000 miles

    “I was riding the brake into a parking space and was almost finished parking (my foot was still on the brake) when the car suddenly accelerated and traveled through a short wooded area then over a 12 foot drop to a road with traffic below. The front of the car crashed into a stone wall, crashed back into the stone wall that the car flew over, and came to a stop in the middle of a busy road approximately 100 feet from where it flew over the drop. Airbag deployed, seatbelt was on. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10632826, filed 2014-09, 87,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection look at the passenger airbag cover and SRS codes, the brake pedal feel, and the floor mat retention, since these are the items owners of this model year most often describe. Ask for service records showing whether any airbag-related campaign or SRS repair has already been completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 18 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 174 consumer complaints for the 2004 Lexus ES330. 127 of the complaints include a mileage, and 62% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 32,000 miles. Of all complaints, 35 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 22 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 68 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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: Body and structure (4), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Exterior lighting (3), Steering (3), Suspension (3), Equipment (2), Seats (2), Electronic stability control (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “My 2004 Lexus ES 330 sedan has a transmission shifting problem that I have described to the dealer as slipping . When the transmission is under load (going up a hill) and you accelerate or decelerate you feel and hear a definite abrupt shift in the vehicle. I have had this car to two separate dealers over the past 12 months and have been told that this behavior is typical .”

NHTSA complaint #10303511, filed 2010-02, 64,500 miles

Vehicle speed control: “I was driving at 9:30am cst on 7/27/16 when my car experience unintentional acceleration for about 1.5 miles. My car refused to slow down, even while I had the brakes applied. I have had my car sent to Lexus headquarters to be investigated.”

NHTSA complaint #10892284, filed 2016-08, 140,000 miles

Air bags: “I started my car and all of the sudden, air bag light came on. I never had an accident, airbags were never deployed, I checked all the wires and even unplugged the battery for good 10 minutes and the light will not go off. In case of an accident, my car will not deploy air bags and it creates a potential threat that it can be an insta-death, especially with a steering wheel in front of your face.”

NHTSA complaint #11109562, filed 2018-07, 88,000 miles

Brakes: “When I tried to stop and turned right on a side street the car's brake didn't work and the car even accelerated itself. It didn't stop even I pressed the brake until it hit a street sign and knocked the tree down on the sidewalk. The air bag didn't come out after the crash neither. The car was a total lost after this accident.”

NHTSA complaint #10319948, filed 2010-03, 46,600 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

62% of the 127 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 1,000 and 66,500 miles.

39%0–108%10–2516%25–5017%50–756%75–1005%100–15010%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (127 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 32,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

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

’0449’07’10’14’17’20
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2004 Lexus ES330. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
ES330 · sedan not rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2004 Lexus ES330 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
ES 330 FWD3.3L 6-cyl5-speed automatic182721$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2004 Lexus ES330 → · Check a 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. 68 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 68 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus ES330

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20066432,0000—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200514131,7502—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200417432,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Lexus ES330 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Lexus ES330?

Owners of this model year most often describe unintended or unexpected acceleration, usually while parking, pulling into a space, or at low speed with the brake applied, and many mention that the dealer or manufacturer could not identify a cause. The issues reported most often: Front passenger airbag cover lifting or separating; Sudden unintended acceleration at low speed.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Lexus ES330 have?

NHTSA recorded 174 consumer complaints for the 2004 Lexus ES330 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2004 Lexus ES330 is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 61 complaints (35% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 53.

Has the 2004 Lexus ES330 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Lexus ES330 get?

The EPA rates the 2004 Lexus ES330 (ES 330, 3.3L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Lexus ES330 reported?

Among the 127 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 32,000 miles and the middle half falls between 1,000 and 66,500 miles; 62% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

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.