2005 Lexus ES330: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 141 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (32% of complaints); the 2004 and 2006 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Nov 2011
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 141 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“This is similar to the complain another car owner has filed. My car was purchased new from the lexus of pleasonton,ca dealership. I have had no major accident or no airbag deployment. Car has been lightly used with 80k miles on the odometer currently. The airbag container on the passenger dash has progressively cracked at the topical seams over time. I have been told an airbag should not look like this. I am concerned about an untimely deployment and if the container will get worse. At no time has the airbag been manipulated, repaired, etc since my ownership.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2019
“Tamara recall on my airbags,never repaired. I got into an accident and airbags didn't come out. Have to replace brakes every few months on this car also”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2017
“Front passenger airbag cover appears to be separated along the seam near windshield on dashboard and there is a wider gap on that side vs the side closest passenger. I've not seen this before in any of my other lexus vehicles and it's cause for concern of safety as a result.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2017
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. The contact noticed that the front passenger air bag cover was bulging and had separated along the seam nearest the windshield on the dashboard. The passenger air bag and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to butler lexus of south atlanta (located at 4025 jonesboro rd, union city, ga 30291, (678) 783-2703) where it was diagnosed that the passenger air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 212,000. *tt *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to restart on the first attempt and was driven home. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering pump and alternator failed and needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact needed to replace her key with another key chip. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage and VIN were unknown.”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2017
“Tl* the contact owned a 2005 lexus es330. While reversing into a parking space at a low rate of speed, the vehicle surged backwards at a high rate of speed, drove over a curb, and then accelerated. The vehicle crashed into a restaurant and three parked vehicles. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow yard. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Mar 2016
“Passenger side air bag is protruding. The vehicle has never been in an accident but I am now concerned that if one were to ocut, the airbag would not work. *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. While driving between 15 to 20 mph in inclement weather, the brakes were depressed and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact mentioned that the vehicle swerved into a different lane and the contact had to apply extreme force on the brake pedal in order to stop the vehicle. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 1/7/15*cn updated 9/7/2017*cn”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2014
“Tl*the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 mph, and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to stop. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear brakes needed to be realigned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 04/03/15*lj updated 9?19/2017*cn”Owner report · Service Brakes · Oct 2014
“1. Headlights: before purchasing the vehicle, I noticed the blinking caution light on the dashboard. Service manager said the automatic headlight adjustment was working fine and to ignore the blinking caution light. Nothing could be done. I later researched and found there are lots of complaints about this. 2. Transmission lags at low speeds. This is incredibly dangerous especially when driving through traffic circles and going through busy intersections. Service manager said this is normal operating and to use a higher octane gas. I am returning vehicle to lexus. *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2014
When filing, owners marked a crash in 34 of these complaints and injuries in 18 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
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. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
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. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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..
How other years compare
Check your exact ES330 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Lexus ES330 reliable?
NHTSA has 141 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2005 Lexus ES330. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (32% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2005 Lexus ES330 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 44,559 miles or less.
Does the 2005 Lexus ES330 have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning engine and engine cooling. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.