YearToAvoid

2007 Lexus ES Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 21 ES years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2007 Lexus ES logs 125 complaints and a complaint index of 100, the highest of any ES model year, ranking worst overall (1 of 21 years). No recalls are on file, but owners report frequent airbag and structural issues plus sudden acceleration and window failures.

Complaints
125
Recalls
0
Crashes / fires
9 / 1
Injuries / deaths
8 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
—

Top 2007 Lexus ES problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags34 (27%)
  2. Other31 (25%)
  3. Structure & Body31 (25%)
  4. Visibility & Wipers19 (15%)
  5. Engine13 (10%)
  6. Electrical System12 (10%)
  7. Brakes7 (6%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain4 (3%)
  9. Fuel System3 (2%)
  10. Steering3 (2%)

What owners report

  • Front and rear passenger windows suddenly drop into the door and won't go back up, sometimes while driving in cold weather.
  • Owners describe unintended acceleration where the car surges forward or fails to stop despite braking, in some cases leading to a crash.
  • Brakes reportedly went hard and unresponsive while parking, resulting in a collision.
  • Airbags failed to deploy after a crash despite a jerking sensation and loss of braking and acceleration control beforehand.
  • An oil line leak was linked by an owner to a known recall-related engine part, discovered near 234,475 miles.
  • Window regulator mounting tabs reportedly disintegrated, causing the glass to crash down unexpectedly.
2007 Lexus ES complaints: complaints filed per quarter142009 Q42013 Q32015 Q32017 Q42020 Q12021 Q42024 Q2
160 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q4 to 2026 Q2; peak 2014 Q3 (14).

2007 Lexus ES recalls

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

2007 compared with other ES years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid85580—
2006Good5120—
2007Avoid1001250—
2008Avoid90680—
2009Caution55280—

All Lexus ES years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Lexus ES reliable?
Among 21 model years of the ES, 2007 has the highest complaint index (100) and ranks worst overall, with 125 complaints filed with NHTSA, so it is rated Avoid relative to other ES years.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Lexus ES?
Airbags account for 27% of complaints, Structure & Body 25%, and Visibility & Wipers 15%, based on NHTSA data. Engine and Electrical System issues each make up 10%.
Does the 2007 Lexus ES have any recalls?
NHTSA lists zero recalls for the 2007 Lexus ES.
At what mileage do 2007 Lexus ES problems typically show up?
Median mileage at failure varies by system: Airbags at 140,000 miles, Electrical System at 150,000 miles, and Structure & Body issues much earlier at 67,500 miles.
Which Lexus ES years are better than 2007?
Several years score much lower on the complaint index, including 2006 (5), 2018 (20, rated Best), and 2022 (15, rated Best), all far below the 2007 model's index of 100.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.