Most common 2005 Lexus ES problems
Share of the 58 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lexus ES complaints by model year
Best ES years: 2015, 2016, 2018. Years to avoid: 2021, 2019, 2011, 2020, 2010. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2005 Lexus ES:
Vehicle speed control
In a letter dated July 8, 2005, and after experiencing two incidents (and one crash) where he alleges his model year (my) 2002 camry accelerated without driver input, mr. Jordan ziprin petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration?s (NHTSA) office of defects investigation (odi) to commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect within the etc system in my 2002 to 2005 Toyota and Lexus…
What 2005 Lexus ES owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 24 →
Just bought car today. Had new tires installed and they told me they put the car in park but ir started rolling. Had to restart in neutral and put in park again. When I left went to auto parts store and parked and turned vehicle off. As I was getting out realized car was rolling. I put foot on brake and car restarted without putting in neutral. Shifted to drive and back to park and it stopped this time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lexus es350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact was concerned that the transmission was defective. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
Speed control & acceleration
I was driving slowly up an aisle in a parking lot and spotted a shady place on my left just next to a car already parked. I moved in slowly at 90degree angle to set the car into the parking space with my foot already on the brake. I pressed down the brake further as the car was about to be at the right place. Suddenly, the car accelerated at what seemed full throttle into a brick retaining wall 9-10 feet in front of me. The car backed down in the parking space where it immobilized. The acceleration was sudden and uncontrolable. The airbags didn't go out. The shock against the wall resulted in the front of the car being damaged and a passenger I had in the front seat (we both had our belts on) got a compression fracture to the lower spine and has been bedridden ever since.
While driving in heavy traffic and traveling at a low speed, the car lurched forward and hit the car that was 6 feet in front of me. The sound of the engine was that of a spontaneous acceleration just like the incident we had on April 30, 2013. There was little or no damage to the car in front of me but the Lexus sustained over $10,000. Worth of damage and has subsequently been considered a total loss. The incident on April 30 consisted of our crawling forward into a parking spot, suddenly the car spontaneously accelerated, went over the cement parking barrier and hit a car approximately 5 feet away. Lexus looked at the black box after the 4/30 accident and determined that the car was safe to drive.
Air bags
My wife entered an intersection and was struck by another vehicle in the drivers side door, by another vehicle traveling at 30 MPH. The driver's door window exploded on impact and she was hit with flying glass in the face. The driver's door was bent inward approximately 12 inches from the force. We believe she hit her head on the b pillar, because she suffered a concussion and a jagged cut above her left eye. She also suffered a broken left rib in the accident. The vehicle was repaired following the accident. The mechanic who performed the repair noted that there was intrusion on the drivers door, that the lower rocker had been pushed in, and that due to pressure on the b pillar the rear door did not open properly after the accident. This vehicle is equipped with side curtain airs bags which did not deploy during the accident. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus es330. The contact's wife blacked out while driving and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and his wife was injured. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. An investigation was performed by Lexus and he received a letter stating that they do not have to provide him with any of the crash information. The vehicle went 70 feet across five traffic lanes and landed perpendicularly to a pole. The current and failure mileages were 18,000. Updated 12-12-07.
2005 Lexus ES engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Lexus ES a good car?
Based on 58 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 ES rates avoid: 3.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the ES at the same age. It is one of the ES years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Lexus ES?
The transmission & drivetrain — 24 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the speed control & acceleration (15) and air bags (10).
How many recalls does the 2005 Lexus ES have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2005 Lexus ES. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lexus ES?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2016 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2021, 2019, 2011, 2020 and 2010. See the full Lexus ES years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Lexus ES problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 9,000 miles; 74% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.