The 2021 Lexus ES is associated with 35 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Air Bags, accounting for 25 reports (71% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 4 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2.5L 4-Cyl hybrid, 2.5l 4-cyl, and 3.5l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 25 to 44 MPG combined. The 2021 Lexus ES belongs to the 7th generation (XZ10) ES platform spanning model years 2019–2026.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 35 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Air Bags (25 / 71%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 2 crash / 0 fire / 1 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 25–44 MPG (4 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
25–44MPG
4 EPA certified variants (2.5L 4-Cyl hybrid, 2.5l 4-cyl, and 3.5l 6-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
35
35 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2021 Lexus ES?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
ES 300h Hybrid 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AV-S6) 43 MPG 44 MPG 44 MPG — $1,400 / yr
ES 250 AWD 2.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 25 MPG 34 MPG 28 MPG — $2,200 / yr
ES 350 3.5L 6-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 22 MPG 32 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
ES 350 F Sport 3.5L 6-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 22 MPG 31 MPG 25 MPG — $2,450 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2021 Lexus ES?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
300h 4 DR FWD 10.5%
350 4 DR FWD 10.5%
250 4 DR AWD 10.5%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Standard in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Lexus ES models.
View complete 2021 Lexus ES crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2021 Lexus ES?

Summary of 35 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
35
Crash Reports
2
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
1
Total Injuries
1

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Air Bags 25 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 complaint
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 complaint
Forward Collision Avoidance 1 complaint
Seat Belts 1 complaint

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2021 Lexus ES problems & component breakdown (11 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2021 Lexus ES?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #23V865000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Defect 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2021 Lexus ES recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.