2020 Lexus ES Review — Owner Opinions & Common Issues
See what owners say about the 2020 Lexus ES. Real reliability data and owner sentiment from Reddit discussions, updated daily.
The 2019+ ES features a completely new platform, sportier styling, and significantly improved dynamics.
Owner Scores — 2020 Lexus ES
85
Reliability
90
Comfort
66
Performance
89
Safety
78
Value
Available Trims
ES 250Gas203 hp29 MPG
ES 350Gas302 hp26 MPG
ES 300hHybrid215 hp44 MPG
Owner Reviews
r/LexusReddit
A leap of faith to the Lexus ES300H
Finally made the change to Lexus, after driving Toyotas for so many years. The level of quality and refinement far surpasses them by leaps and bounds.
r/LexusReddit
Saw a beautiful IS500 the other day! Felt like my ES350 was blessed.
Was coming out of work towards my car, and I’m like “did another Lexus park by me too?” (I love when other Lexus’s park by my car and i do the same 🤣🤣🤣) I see from the front it’s an...
Was coming out of work towards my car, and I’m like “did another Lexus park by me too?” (I love when other Lexus’s park by my car and i do the same 🤣🤣🤣) I see from the front it’s an IS and I start walking to its back praying I see Quad-Tips, or atleast 2 tips on one side. Lo and behold, 2 tips and I got awestruck lol 😂🤣🤣 couldn’t stop smiling and laughing as I started taking the photos! Met the owner in a bit when he came back! Really cool dude and even opened up the Hood before I even asked! And he revved it too! That sweet sound of the V8!
r/LexusReddit
pulling a trigger on this 2018 Lexus ES 350
Looking for advice on a 2018 Lexus ES 350 I'm considering buying. ($22,727 OTD) It's a 2-owner car with 97k miles, 18 service records. CARFAX shows two minor damage reports (2018 and 2024) but no acci...
Looking for advice on a 2018 Lexus ES 350 I'm considering buying. ($22,727 OTD) It's a 2-owner car with 97k miles, 18 service records. CARFAX shows two minor damage reports (2018 and 2024) but no accidents reported. The car was originally a personal lease and later privately owned. My priorities are reliability, low maintenance, decent speed, and long-term ownership. I don't commute much—usually under 30 minutes a day, mostly gym trips and errands. I don't drive aggressively and avoid snow/ice. I also never have driven any fast car so i do want to experience this but im not sure if specific one is worth it. thank you everyone How well do these ES 350s hold up past 150k–200k+ miles? Any common issues, maintenance costs, or things I should inspect before buying? Would you buy this one?
r/LexusReddit
Which one is better?
I am a university student, and I have a 250Km (155.3Mi) commute every day. I would like to buy a Lexus because it has good reliability and is comfortable. I am also a car enthusiast. I am in the UAE b...
I am a university student, and I have a 250Km (155.3Mi) commute every day. I would like to buy a Lexus because it has good reliability and is comfortable. I am also a car enthusiast. I am in the UAE btw (super hot during summer, rain for two weeks, and no snow) This is my first car, and what am looking for is reliability and good gas mileage (about 11.2kmpl / 26mpg). Am planning on getting a car from an auction or buying one used. The car will not be a GCC spec. I believe the 250 engines are not good for reliability because it does not have port injection and therefore cause carbon deposits. And I don't want a hybrid bcz of my budget. My budget will let me get a 2013-2016 model of these cars. And so I don't think having a hybrid is a good idea. I like GS, IS, and ES. Which one should I get? ES 350 - Good gas mileage and comfortable, but not as fun to drive. IS 350 - Good gas mileage and comfortable? But fun to drive. GS 350 - Good gas mileage? But comfortable and fun to drive. While drive train should I choose? Am guessing I don't need AWD since we don't have snow here. Also, should I look out for anything similar to rust which can be a red flag? Btw, I only need good gas mileage while I'm not doing spirited driving 🙂 Thanks for your replies and suggestions, guys
r/LexusReddit
Totaled my Honda got a Lexus
Totaled my 2014 Honda accord so I upgrade to a Lexus ES 350, this is my 2nd car ever couldn’t be happier
NHTSA Safety Complaints
NHTSA ComplaintNHTSA #11616708
2020 Lexus ES — AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2020 Lexus ES300 Hybrid. The contact stated that upon investigation, the contact became aware that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact had not received notification of...
The contact owns a 2020 Lexus ES300 Hybrid. The contact stated that upon investigation, the contact became aware that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact had not received notification of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA ComplaintNHTSA #11490257
2020 Lexus ES — AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The safety features on my Lexus ES 350 2020 malfunctioned on 10/16/2022 •Cruise control with radar functionality to speed up, slow down or stop, based upon my speed setting did not work at that moment. It did work my entire trip, which was a drive to Tallahassee from our residence on Friday and o...
The safety features on my Lexus ES 350 2020 malfunctioned on 10/16/2022 •Cruise control with radar functionality to speed up, slow down or stop, based upon my speed setting did not work at that moment. It did work my entire trip, which was a drive to Tallahassee from our residence on Friday and our return trip home on Sunday, until the accident occurred just north of the Ft. Pierce exit. •The brake sensor, which causes your vehicle to stop with obstructions near the vehicle did not function. •Airbags did not deploy •Seatbelts did not “lock” at impact. When I realized that the safety features (radar and brake sensor) were not working, I slammed on the brakes, but nothing happened.
NHTSA ComplaintNHTSA #11482490
2020 Lexus ES — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On Friday, June 03, 2022 as I was leaving the dealership in the 2020 Lexus ES 350 loaner vehicle, I put the car in reverse to back away from the wall, and then put the car from reverse into drive that resulted in it lurching forward momentarily. I did not hear the engine revving, probably because I...
On Friday, June 03, 2022 as I was leaving the dealership in the 2020 Lexus ES 350 loaner vehicle, I put the car in reverse to back away from the wall, and then put the car from reverse into drive that resulted in it lurching forward momentarily. I did not hear the engine revving, probably because I wasn’t paying attention, but my partner who was seated next to me in the driver’s seat said he heard it. He suspected that the dealership loaned us the vehicle that had a similar issue that caused it to move forward. When I saw the definition of sudden unintended acceleration, I felt that it could be that. I didn’t think it was me. I drove the Lexus home, which was across the street from the dealership and no one drove it during the next few days. On Tuesday, June 07, 2022, we were scheduled for a medical appointment 80 miles away. My partner cancelled it but I decided to take the Lexus out to the store and there was no incident so the appointment was rescheduled for June 09. On Thursday, June 09, 2022 at about 11:30AM PDT, I brought the 2020 Lexus ES 350 loaner vehicle to a stop using the brake pedal. The car was about 12 feet from a landscaped island that separated two parking areas. I was looking to find a parking space that had tree shade. Without moving my foot off the brake, the engine began revving at the same time the Lexus sped forward on its own. I was fully cognizant of what I was doing and what was happening specifically because of what had occurred the Friday before. At the time that the vehicle moved forward, I was doing nothing but pressing my foot on the break. There was nothing obstructing the pedals on the floor as we had made sure of that during the preparation for the trip. The rate of speed that the vehicle was going when it jumped the curb of a landscaped island no more that 3 or 4 feet in diameter is something I would have never normally been able to achieve. The heavy metal pole on the other side bent when it hit. The front wheel
NHTSA ComplaintNHTSA #11459820
2020 Lexus ES — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
I always use cruise control whenever i drive because this would always makes me put on a safety automatic brake whenever i get close to the car next to me. But it seems like my automatic emergency brake is defective which Lexus Dealership denies on the inspection when i complain. A lot of times the ...
I always use cruise control whenever i drive because this would always makes me put on a safety automatic brake whenever i get close to the car next to me. But it seems like my automatic emergency brake is defective which Lexus Dealership denies on the inspection when i complain. A lot of times the automatic emergency brake does not work when i use it even when im backing up it suppose to stop but a lot of times im almost at thr brink of hitting something so i have to manually brake. I also texted this to my Lexus Assistant Manager in Lexus Glendale California branch and had it inspected by them but they’ve sit my car in the dealership and at the end of the day told me that its normal. Is it normal to hit a car next to you when youre expecting your car to stop automatically and it does not stop? Why do i have this feature and it doesnt work? I hope you can help me becaus ethis car is very expensive and yet it does not guarantee safety!
NHTSA ComplaintNHTSA #11438783
2020 Lexus ES — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The DCM not working.. i did update and rest the DCM my Dealership and still not working
NHTSA ComplaintNHTSA #11373985
2020 Lexus ES — AIR BAGS
I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY 5 SOUTH, IN A CARPOOL LANE, ALL OF SUDDEN ANOTHER CAR SLAMMED TO MY REAR DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE, CAUSED MY CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, WENT ACCROSS THE FREEWAY AND SLAMMED TO THE LEFT REAR WHEELS OF THE INCOMING 18 WHEELERS BIG RIG, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS INSIDE THE BRAND...
I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY 5 SOUTH, IN A CARPOOL LANE, ALL OF SUDDEN ANOTHER CAR SLAMMED TO MY REAR DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE, CAUSED MY CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, WENT ACCROSS THE FREEWAY AND SLAMMED TO THE LEFT REAR WHEELS OF THE INCOMING 18 WHEELERS BIG RIG, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS INSIDE THE BRAND NEW 2020 LEXUS ES 350 DEPLOYED TO PROTECT ACCUPANTS.
Scores based on sentiment analysis of Reddit owner discussions. Updated daily.