Research · complaint index
Lexus ES300 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 8 model years of the Lexus ES300 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2002, 2003 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 140 | 6 | 3.1 | 0 | 52 | Most complaints |
| 2002 | 185 | 7 | 3.9 | 2 | 45 | Most complaints |
| 2001 | 38 | 1 | 0.8 | 0 | 12 | Typical |
| 2000 | 63 | 2 | 1.2 | 0 | 17 | Typical |
| 1999 | 37 | 1 | 0.7 | 0 | 5 | Typical |
| 1998 | 55 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 13 | Typical |
| 1997 | 45 | 2 | 0.8 | 2 | 6 | Typical |
| 1996 | 40 | 1 | 0.7 | 1 | 9 | Typical |
- 2003140 complaints · 0 recallsMost complaints
- 2002185 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
- 200138 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 200063 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 199937 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 199855 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 199745 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 199640 complaints · 1 recallTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 11, 2026
About this comparison
What Lexus ES300 years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2002, 2003 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 8 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.