2010 Lexus ES Problems, Recalls & Reliability

198 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Lexus ES, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 23/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.

198Complaints
23/100Trouble index
0Recalls
39,000Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2010 sits among all ES years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 129 complaints (65%) · typically ~70,000 miles
“Takata recall - lexus has not fixed our inflator. It has been a whole year since the recall. When?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 ES
Other 18 complaints (9%) · typically ~27,300 miles
Body & structure 13 complaints (7%) · typically ~44,500 miles
Visibility & wipers 8 complaints (4%)
Speed control 7 complaints (4%)
Brakes & stability 6 complaints (3%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 55 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 39,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 7,000 and 73,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls

No recall campaigns on file for the 2010 Lexus ES.

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…

Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Technical service bulletins

226 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2010 Lexus ES. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2010 ES TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2009peak 80 in 20172026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2010 Lexus ES reliable?

The 2010 Lexus ES drew 198 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 23/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).

What are the most common 2010 Lexus ES problems?

The top reported problems for the 2010 Lexus ES are airbags (129 complaints), other (18), and body & structure (13).

At what mileage do 2010 Lexus ES problems show up?

Owners most often report 2010 Lexus ES problems around 39,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 7,000 and 73,000 miles.

Does the 2010 Lexus ES have recalls?

No recall campaigns are on file for the 2010 Lexus ES. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check the VIN before buying.

← 2009 ES All ES years 2011 ES →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.