2022 Lexus ES: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the wheels and tires. The 6 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

2022

Owner complaints: 16
Recalls: 0
Crashes reported: 0
Reliability: Excellent; 88/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/6 checked

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1

01Ask for service records showing repeat dealer visits for tire pressure warnings that were never resolved.

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2

02Inspect all four tires closely for exposed belts or cords, even if the tread depth looks fine.
03Set every tire to 35 PSI, then drive and confirm the tire pressure warning light stays off.

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3

04Drive over speed bumps and back up slowly, listening for new noises from the wheels.
05At highway speed, feel for wobble or vibration from the rear wheels, especially after recent tire or wheel service.
06Drive on the highway and through traffic lights, watching for sudden automatic emergency braking with nothing ahead.

These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.

Reported on other ES years with the same design

These years share the 2022's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.

2023 ES

18 owner complaints

Brakes 2

Worth adding to your 2022 checks

Ease into a parking space several times with light brake taps and confirm the car stops without surging forward.
Watch the instrument panel for a "Parking Support Brake Malfunction" warning at startup and throughout the test drive.
Reverse slowly across a quiet lot with the radio off and listen for brake squeal.

Open the 2023 checklist

2020 ES

5 owner complaints

Airbags 2
Electrical 2

Worth adding to your 2022 checks

Run the VIN through federal recall records and confirm all open campaigns are completed.
Confirm the airbag warning light comes on at startup and then goes out.
Pull each seatbelt sharply and confirm it locks every time.

Open the 2020 checklist

2019 ES

33 owner complaints

Fuel system 10
Airbags 4
Engine 4

Worth adding to your 2022 checks

Run the VIN for open recalls and ask for dealer records showing completed fuel pump work.
Accelerate from a full stop several times and walk away if the car hesitates, revs without moving, or lunges.
Make several left and right turns from a yield and check for power loss or a hard downshift.

Open the 2019 checklist

Which ES is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Lexus ES. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

Version	Drive	EPA rating
2.5L 4-cylGas	AWD	28 mpg
3.5L 6-cylGas	FWD	26 mpg
2.5L 4-cylHybrid	FWD	44 mpg

The 2022 Lexus ES was sold in three versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A ES that averages well under the EPA 26 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Lexus ES, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

Wheels and tires4No crashes
Factory tires wear through until belts and cords show in several spots on all four tires, even while the tread looks like it has life left. In one report this surfaced at the 30,000 mile service, and the dealer warned that a blowout at highway speed was possible. The other complaint covers a tire pressure warning light that keeps coming on with the tires set to the required 35 PSI. Repeated dealer visits did not find whether the sensors or the tires were at fault. Only 2 complaints are on file.
Noise and wobble after routine service make up one pattern. Owners describe a car that rides rougher and louder than normal, with noise over speed bumps, in reverse, and in the driveway, and a rear wheel that felt wobbly at highway speed. The other complaint in this category is really about automatic emergency braking. The car stops suddenly on the highway and at lights for no reason, which creates a real collision risk. The behavior repeated at the dealer. Only 2 complaints are on file.

How the 2022 compares with other ES years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2022 ranks third for owner complaints among 7 ES years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2022 Average of other years

Wheels and tires40

Where the 2022 fits in the ES's history

Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.

The 2022 is the tenth model year of the ES's sixth generation (2013–2023).

It includes the 2016 update.

What changed for 2016

Updated styling with new front and rear fascias
Enhanced tech features including navigation and multimedia systems.

Also looking at these instead of a ES?

Cars shoppers compare with the Lexus ES, with their own 2022 checklists.

2022 owner complaints, side by side