Most common 2005 Lexus ES330 problems
Share of the 141 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lexus ES330 complaints by model year
Best ES330 years: 2004, 2006. Years to avoid: 2005. Compare all years →
2005 Lexus ES330 recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 camry, camry solara, highlander, and sienna vehicles, 2006 highlander hybrid; 2004 and 2005 Lexus es330 and rx330; and 2006 Lexus rx400h vehicles manufactured from June 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005, equipped with the 1mz-fe or 3mz-fe engine.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the U.S. Supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a front passenger power seat, when installing certain rear-facing infant child seat bases onto the seat with an excessively high seatbelt tension, it May be possible to unseat a component called the buckle status switch from the seat belt buckle.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front passenger seatbelt buckle status switch. This safety improvement campaign (ssc 40m) began on December 20, 2004. Owners should contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987..
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2005 Lexus ES330:
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 ES330 owners say
Speed control & acceleration all 51 →
As car in front of me slammed on brakes to avoid two teenagers running across in front of her, I slammed on my brakes and the car accelerated from 20-30. The air bag did not deploy nor did the seat belt engage and lock to prevent me from slamming into the steering wheel. The ABS brakes were slammed and it felt like the brakes did not work like there was an air bubble in the system. I crashed into the Hyundai. Totaled my car and the front of the car frame was bent. Called the police, but did not take a report since no one was taken by ambulance. Went do my doctor and reported this to Lexus-incident number 150922-00272 on 9/22/15. Lexus will inspect the car on 10/9/15...updated 10/15/15 ...updated 12/03/15, updated 4/9/18
Contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. The contact was driving approximately 10 to 15 MPH two blocks away from home. While approaching and preparing to stop at a stop sign, noticed the inability of the brake system when applied pressure to the brake paddle, vehicle would not stop. At this point, vehicle began to accelerate unintended (without input on accelerator), causing to rapidly surge and launch straight ahead uncontrollable at a high speed of approximately 55 to 60 MPH, which resulted the contact to crash though a cul-de-sac block (brick) wall, bricks exploded and landed on top of another party?s parked vehicle, causing damage to fender. Airbag was deployed. Contact was taken via ambulance to local hospital for examination of injuries, released same day. A police report was filed on the incident. For vehicle was towed to a storage facility. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 43 →
Did not have a car accident, or experience any injuries or car damage, but this car, like numerous other cars of the same make, model, and year has some serious transmission/computer software issues at times. It hesitates and lurches often. I drove on the highway yesterday and the car acted up in the worst way ever.but it seems to me that with information on these same transmission issues plastered all over the internet, your organization would make Toyota engineer a permanent fix for this problem, and recall and fix these cars.
(1) car was nearly new, only 100 miles, no abnormal behavior up to that point. (2) while shifting into park as part of the process of parking, and with no pressure on accellerator, car suddenly lurched forward, striking concrete stancheon of parking lot light pole. This resulted in damage to the front bumper, frame, right quarter-panel, right headlight assembly, causing over $4,000 in repair costs. (3) above problems were repaired by a dealer-approved auto body shop.
Air bags
As car in front of me slammed on brakes to avoid two teenagers running across in front of her, I slammed on my brakes and the car accelerated from 20-30. The air bag did not deploy nor did the seat belt engage and lock to prevent me from slamming into the steering wheel. The ABS brakes were slammed and it felt like the brakes did not work like there was an air bubble in the system. I crashed into the Hyundai. Totaled my car and the front of the car frame was bent. Called the police, but did not take a report since no one was taken by ambulance. Went do my doctor and reported this to Lexus-incident number 150922-00272 on 9/22/15. Lexus will inspect the car on 10/9/15...updated 10/15/15 ...updated 12/03/15, updated 4/9/18
We were going on a two way street, (old annapolis road, ellicott city, md-21042) another car crossed the two yellow lanes (median) and hit our car head- on. The front portion of our car and that car hit us was completely damaged. The car behind us could not stop and hit our car from the rear. We noted that both the driver side and passenger side air bags in our 2005 Lexus 330 did not deploy. We were going about 30 miles and the person came in to our lane May be 35 to 40 miles. I tried to apply the horn and stop my vehicle but could not come to a complete stop. The other driver probably dozed out, but the air bags in his car deployed. Why the air bags in our car did not deploy? .. Updated 03/31/15
2005 Lexus ES330 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 ES330 a good car?
Based on 141 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 ES330 rates avoid: 4.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the ES330 at the same age. It is one of the ES330 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 ES330?
The speed control & acceleration — 51 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about accelerator pedal. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (43) and air bags (17).
How many recalls does the 2005 Lexus ES330 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2005 Lexus ES330, the most recent from November 9, 2011 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lexus ES330?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005. See the full Lexus ES330 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Lexus ES330 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 33,000 miles; 59% 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.