CarRecallWatchThe 2020 Lexus ES has 1 safety recall on file with NHTSA.
Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, including 3 crashes, 4 injuries.
The most-reported problem area is Air Bags (8 reports).
2020 Lexus ES recalls
Passenger Front Airbag May Fail to Deploy in a Crash
A short circuit can develop in the occupant classification sensor, which may stop the front passenger airbag from deploying in a crash.
Most common 2020 Lexus ES problems
Problem areas named in the 18 complaints owners filed with NHTSA.
| Problem area | Reports |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 |
| Service Brakes | 3 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 |
What owners report
Not sure if I have the right things checked. Starting about december 2022 i experienced the car "lunging" forward upon putting the car into drive, After having backed out of a parking space. It continued to do this off and on even through today. It seems to do it most after the car has been sitting for a good length of time.Perhaps overnight, or while i've been in a shopping mall 2-3 hours. I have four invoice tickets from the lexus dealer where I brought the car in specifically for this problem. They had someone to drive it with me in the car, and of course we were not able to duplicate it at that time. I left the car with them for 3 days on one occasion. And when I returned, they said they
The front timing chain cover on the engine was leaking at 53k miles. This is a 2GR-FKS engine. We have had the car for 19k miles, and bought it as a Certified Pre-Owned. We're looking at spending over 10% of the purchase price of the car on a repair, after barely having it for three years.
I was driving on a freeway. I had my adaptive cruise control turned on. The car in front of me slowed down. My adaptive cruise control did not slow me down so I applied the breaks. The breaks did not work. The breaks did not slow me down or stop me. My pre-collision system did not activate. I collided with the rear end of the car that was in front of me. I got displays on my car screen stating "Pre-Collision System Malfunction", "Breaking Power Low", and "Cruise Control Malfunction". The safety of ourselves and others definitely put the safety of ourselves and others at risk. We did not report this to the dealer. Our car was totaled. The vehicle components involved were not i
Car has been stalling, jerking and revving of the engine! Transmission service was done around 100,000 miles, about 30000 miles later, car was taken back to dealer and they were unable diagnose a problem. Issue got worse until it became undriveable. Car towed back to dealership only to be told I need a transmission on a pre owned certified car!
Paring brake has been bucking backwards and forward for most of 2026 and finally it failed facing downhill on Feb 4, 2026 and rolled downhill until it stopped after hitting a sign.
2020 Lexus ES questions
Does the 2020 Lexus ES have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for the 2020 Lexus ES: Passenger Front Airbag May Fail to Deploy in a Crash. Recall repairs are normally free at an authorized dealer.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Lexus ES?
Based on 18 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are Air Bags (8), Unknown Or Other (4), Forward Collision Avoidance (3).
How do I check if a recall on my 2020 Lexus ES has been fixed?
Enter your 17-character VIN in our VIN recall check. It shows open recalls that have not been repaired on your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are normally free at an authorized dealer.