YearToAvoid

2016 Lexus ES Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

20/100

#13 most-complained of 16 ES years

The 2016 Lexus ES has 9 owner complaints and 0 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 20 out of 100 — #13 highest of 16 ES model years (verdict: Best). The most reported problem area is brakes (2 complaints, 22% of the total). Complaints report 2 crashes and 1 injury.

Complaints
9
Recalls
0
Crashes / fires
2 / 0
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
40
40 city / 39 hwy

Top 2016 Lexus ES problems

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

  1. Other5 (56%)
  2. Brakes2 (22%)
  3. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (22%)
  4. Airbags1 (11%)
  5. Engine1 (11%)
  6. Steering1 (11%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain1 (11%)
2016 Lexus ES complaints: complaints filed per month3Jul 2023Jun 2024Aug 2024Jan 2025Apr 2025Feb 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026
13 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jul 2023 to Jul 2026; peak Apr 2025 (3).

2016 Lexus ES recalls

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

2016 Lexus ES fuel economy and fuel cost

City
40 MPG
Highway
39 MPG
Combined
40 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,600
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2016 compared with other ES years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2014No verdict74040
2015Good335040
2016Best209040
2017No verdict02040
2018Good275040

All Lexus ES years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Lexus ES a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2016 Lexus ES ranks #13 of 16 among ES model years (Complaint Index 20/100, verdict: Best). It has 9 complaints and 0 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Lexus ES?
The most reported problem areas are brakes (2 complaints), suspension, wheels & tires (2 complaints), and airbags (1 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 115,500 miles.
Does the 2016 Lexus ES have any recalls?
No safety recall campaigns list the 2016 Lexus ES in NHTSA’s recall database at the time of the last data update.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Lexus ES?
EPA rates the 2016 Lexus ES at 40 MPG combined (40 city / 39 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,600. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

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.