Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Lexus ES330 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. The contact stated that while driving at 45mph, without a warning the vehicle accelerated on its own while depressing the brakes. The vehicle crashed into a median and when he put pressure on the brakes the vehicle stopped. The contact was then able to drive off normally. There were only damages to the rims. The dealer was contacted and they stated that they could not assist him with the issue that the vehicle had.this acceleration problem had occurred three times at the time of the complaint. There have been no repairs to the vehicle to- date. The failure mileage was 16000 and current mileage was 25003.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle continued to accelerate. Due to the failure the contact crashed into the proceeding vehicle. There were no personal injuries. A police report was not filed for the incident. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the failure was contributed to the interference of the floor mat that was not properly installed and secured by the designed hooks. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 108,575. Updated 5/27/14 consumer handwriting is illegible. Updated 06/12/14 updated 8/15/17
On August 6, 2008, I was driving home, when I was maybe a few minutes from my house, coming to a complete stop,when attempting to make a right turn, the car accelerated on its own to almost 100mph, where the steering wheel locked and the braking system stopped, the result was that the vehicle crossed over four lanes jumped a curb and I ended up crashing into a nearby house. I spent days in the hospital, and now I have a fractured knee, broken thumb, and May cuts and bruises. This was the most frightening experience of my life, and after doing some research, I am not the only one, something must be done about this, people's lives are at risk!!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. The contact was driving approximately between 10-15 MPH in a parking lot. The vehicle began to surge forward and accelerated rapidly. When pressure was applied to the brake pedal there was no power response which resulted to the vehicle crashing into three parked vehicles. The contact suffered minor pain in the right side of the body. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was towed to a storage evidence facility with major body damages. The cause of failure had not been determined at the time of the compliant. The failure mileage was 64,000. Updated 11/16/10 updated 11/16/10
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the contact took her foot off the accelerator pedal and the vehicle suddenly surged forward crashing into a curb. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where an investigator sent from the manufacturer stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were approximately 33,000. Updated 01/14/11 the consumer stated his/her foot was still on the brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. Updated 04/19/11
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. While attempting to make a right turn at 20 MPH, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 90 MPH across four lanes of traffic. The vehicle crashed into a metal pole. The police, ambulance, and fire departments arrived at the scene. The contact suffered multiple injuries and was transported to the hospital. Approximately one year ago, the vehicle speed control failed and caused a crash while driving in reverse. The powertrain was unknown. The approximate current and failure mileages were 50,000. *updated 12/12/07 updated 12/12/07
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lexus es300. The contact stated that while reversing into a garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed through the rear of the garage. The contact sustained injuries to the back. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed by the contact's insurance agency, who deemed the vehicle as destroyed. The manufacturer was notified and ruled that the contact had erroneously engaged the accelerator as opposed to the brake pedal, causing the acceleration failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 12,000.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus ES330. The contact stated that on April 2, 2010 while driving approximately 2 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, struck a curb and then crashed into a cinder block wall. The air bags did not deploy but there were no injuries or police report filed. The contact called the manufacturer who requested that she not have the vehicle repaired until their investigators inspected it. The vehicle was at a local body shop when the complaint was filed. The current and failure mileages were approximately 42,000.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Acceleration complaints in other ES330 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Lexus ES330?
NHTSA has 51 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Lexus ES330, 36% of the model year's 141 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Lexus ES330 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 Lexus ES330, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Lexus ES330 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 24,000 miles, and 54% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 23 crashes, 1 fire and 9 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.