IllustrationEVERY WINDOW HAS STOPPED WORKING.THE FIRST ONE STOPPED GOING UP D OWN TEN YEARS AGO NOW THEY HAVE ALL STOPPED.
2004 Lexus ES330
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all ES330 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 15 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
21 reportsAIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN IDLE AND WON'T GO OFF. CODE B1787. NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. UNPLUGGED AND RE-PLUGGED ALL CONNECTIONS; DISCONNECTED BATTERY FOR 15 MINUTES BUT DID NOT RESET LIGHT. DEALER CHECKED AND COULD NOT RESET SYSTEM. NO AIR BAG PROTECTION NOW. FIX REQUIRES NEW SEAT WITH SENSORS EST $4500. CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX.
B1650 CODE - OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CODE DISPLAYS. NEVER BEEN IN ACCIDENT AND WILL NOT GO AWAY. APPEARED AT START UP OVERNIGHT.
I WAS IN 3 ACCIDENTS AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOYED. 1 ACCIDENT I WAS HIT IN THE BACK, I WAS NOT MOVING WHEN THE CAR HIT ME FROM BEHIND (ON THE FWY), HE MUST OF BEEN DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 45 MPH. I T-BONED A CAR GOING AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 35 MPH.
AIRBAG HAS PARTIALLY OPENED AND I AM AFRAID IT WILL EXPLODE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
CRUISE CONTROL DOING 5-10MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR SURGED FOWARD AND EVEN BRAKING I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME
I CONTINUALLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE DISC BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. THE PADS DON'T WEAR DOWN VERY MUCH, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL GETS LOW AND SPONGY. THIS IS AFTER NORMAL DRIVING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS ES330. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INSPECTED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V539000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE REPAIR WAS NEVER PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRA…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS ES330. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INSPECTED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V539000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE REPAIR WAS NEVER PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FRACTURED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.
NO ONE HAS NOTIFIED ME OF THE RECALL OF MY TOYOTA LEXUS 2004 MODEL 330 TO LET US KNOW IF WE NEED THE AIRBAGS REPLACED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS ES330. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL, FUEL GAUGE, AND HORN FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL HOUSING SYSTEM OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLA…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 LEXUS ES330. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL, FUEL GAUGE, AND HORN FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL HOUSING SYSTEM OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.
Official recalls
111V539000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Nov 9, 2011
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.