- The problem
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
- The risk
- An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Vehicle safety record
2021 Lexus ES Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2021 Lexus ES with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (25) and the steering (2). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 1 injury. It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in December 2023 for the occupant classification. For comparison, the 2020 has 18.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical ES year, for its age
#107 most complained-about 2021 vehicle
- Complaints
- 28
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2021 Lexus ES problems
Share of all 28 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2021 Lexus ES recalls 1
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
What owners say
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28 complaints about the 2021 Lexus ES
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.
On or July 28, 2026, I experienced a safety incident involving the driver's side power window on my 2021 Lexus ES. The vehicle was running, and I reached through the driver's side window to retrieve an item being handed to me. Without me pressing or activating the window switch, the driver's window unexpectedly quickly closed on my arm. It trapped my right forearm. I could not get my arm out for several minutes and attempted to open the window with both the switch and manually using all my force from my upper body...
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to try to free my right arm. The associate also tried to push the window back open but it would not budge. I had also tried opened the driver's door to see if that would cause the window to release. Nothing I could do would budge the window open for me to pull free and the force was very strong against my arm. I finally freed my arm and the window closed quickly on both hands at my knuckles before I could pull them out. Which I also had to struggle against with great force.That's how fast the window was going. I did think I was going to loose my hand. The incident resulted in injury to my right arm. Based on my understanding, the power window did not stop or reverse as I would have expected from the vehicle's anti-pinch safety feature. This unexpected window movement created a risk of serious injury. I am concerned that this may indicate a defect in the power window system or its safety features. I am submitting this report so the incident can be documented and investigated to determine whether other vehicles may have the same issue.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES-300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Still no parts for fix
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer for over a year for parts availability updates and was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Recall on my vehicle has been out for 1.5 years. Dealer states no parts yet & that I should be fine. But I don't feel safe if my passenger air bag won't deploy in any emergency.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Air bag recall in december 2023 still no remedy available !
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was 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.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I received a DMV notice of Vehicle Safety Recall, I contacted the Dealer and they notify me that as of now there is no repair for it. That it is on "Interim notice". That if you need a documentation from the that they can provide it for me. Please let me know how to go about it asap. I like to renew my vehicle registration and I can't do it because of the Recall on my car. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
front seat passenger air bag recall and it has been over a year and they are still waiting for the parts. The recall says that the air bag may not deploy when it is supposed to and could cause injury to the occupant. I would think this would be a high priority for Lexus to fix the problem. Can you help us get this taken care of?
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
This vehicle has a recall for the passenger side airbag OCS sensors NHTSA 23V865 as of December 2023 and there is still no remedy available per NHTSA. This is not being remedied in a timely manner.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts unavailable.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES 350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bag) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES300H. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I called into my local dealer to schedule an appointment to have this issue resolved and was told there has been no remedy for this situation as of right now. I have a 12 year old daughter and I am now concerned about her safety.
The contact owns a 2021 Lexus ES. While the contact's wife was driving at unknown speeds, the messages stating "vehicle notification system, a malfunction in the vehicle notification system has been detected, contact dealer", and "notification system malfunction visit your dealer" were displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel automatically maneuvered to the left side of the lane and the contact's wife avoided a crash, however, the failure recurred and the contact's wife crashed into the rear bumper of...
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a vehicle with the front bumper of the contact's vehicle. The contact stated that while the wife was depressing the brake pedal, it failed to respond and the contact's wife crashed into the vehicle a second time. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Lexus ES: every year compared
All ES years2021 Lexus ES vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Lexus ES | 28 | 1 | F | |
| 2021 Acura TLX | 75 | 5 | D | Compare |
| 2021 BMW 3 Series | 33 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2021 Cadillac CT5 | 30 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2021 BMW 5 Series | 28 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2021 Audi A6 | 18 | 11 | D | Compare |
| 2021 Audi A4 | 11 | 4 | A | Compare |
| 2021 Genesis G80 | 9 | 4 | B | Compare |
| 2021 Cadillac CT4 | 7 | 4 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2021 Lexus ES
Does the 2021 Lexus ES have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2021 Lexus ES: occupant classification (December 2023). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Lexus ES?
How many complaints has the 2021 Lexus ES had?
28 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on August 8, 2023 and the latest on July 29, 2026. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Is the 2021 Lexus ES a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 10 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Lexus ES year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Lexus ES years have the most complaints?
2021 (28), 2020 (18), 2016 (9). See every Lexus ES year compared.
What should I do if my 2021 Lexus ES has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data