2010 Lexus ES — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $7,000–$11,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.
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Kestrel Take
A fifth-generation ES 350 with the 3.5L V6 and six-speed automatic, and a record that is 72% one thing: the Takata passenger airbag. 129 of 179 complaints are airbag reports, most of them filed in 2016–2017 by owners waiting on parts for the recall, and there are two Takata campaigns on this car — so the first act of any purchase is the NHTSA VIN lookup, and an open Takata recall is a walk-away until it is done. Past that, the record is a sticky, glare-throwing dashboard, side mirrors that pop loose, and the 2009 floor-mat pedal recall. The car itself is a quiet, softly sprung Camry relative with a good engine, and at this price a well-kept one is worth having; check the airbags, look at the dash in sunlight, and have someone look for coolant and oil seepage at the front of the V6.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25
NHTSA holds 179 owner complaints for the 2010 Lexus ES, and 5 recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 72% of them are about one thing — airbags. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
5 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2010 Lexus ES
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
Recall 16V340 covers 2007–2011 ES 350s and recall 19V741 extends the Takata inflator replacement to 2007–2012 ES 350s: the front passenger inflator can explode on deployment, sending metal fragments into the cabin. Both are free replacements at a Lexus dealer. Most of the 129 airbag complaints are 2016–2017 filings from owners told no parts were available — so a car bought from someone who gave up waiting may still be open. Run the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup; if either campaign shows open, do not put anyone in the passenger seat and do not buy until the dealer has done it. Six of these complaints also report non-deployment in a crash, which no inspection can check.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (129); 5 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
The dash top on this generation degrades in sun: it goes tacky to the touch, collects dust, and turns shiny enough to reflect a bright band into the driver's eyes in low sun — most of the 13 structure complaints and several visibility ones are this. Lexus ran a customer-support programme that replaced dashboards free for a period; owners report finding out too late, and by now it has almost certainly expired, so ask whether this car's dash was replaced and look for the receipt. Press a fingertip on the dash top in the sun and look for the shine; a replacement dash is a big job.
Repair cost (estimate): $900–$1,800 for a replacement dash pad, or $150–$300 for a fitted cover
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the body and structure (13), glass, wipers and mirrors (8).
Recall 09V388 is the Toyota-wide floor-mat entrapment campaign and it includes the 2010 ES 350: an unsecured or wrong-size driver's mat can pin the accelerator open. The remedy was to modify the pedal and, on some cars, the floor shape, plus correct mats. Seven complaints under speed control on this car, three with crashes, sit alongside it. Confirm the campaign on the VIN, then look down: the driver's mat should be a Lexus mat clipped to the two floor anchors, with nothing stacked on top of it.
Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under throttle and cruise control (7); 5 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.
A handful of visibility and structure complaints describe the exterior mirror glass-and-housing letting go of its pivot with a pop, after which the mirror flops back and forth in the wind and cannot be aimed — one owner taped hers in place. A mirror housing on this car is not expensive, but it is a real lose-your-blind-spot moment if it happens at speed. Grab each mirror housing and push it firmly fore and aft; it should hold with some resistance and return to position, not rock or click.
Repair cost (estimate): $150–$450 per mirror
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under glass, wipers and mirrors (8).
Not in this year's NHTSA record, but the 2GR-FE V6 in this car is known for two front-of-engine leaks as it ages: the water pump weeps coolant from its bleed hole (a pink crust below the pump and a drip on the driveway) and the VVT-i oil supply line and timing cover can seep oil. Earlier ES 350s had a rubber section in the oil line that Lexus replaced under a campaign; we are not certain which 2010 builds carry the updated metal line, so ask a Lexus dealer to check this VIN. With the car on a lift, look at the front of the engine for wetness and check the coolant level.
Repair cost (estimate): $500–$1,200 for the water pump; $200–$600 for the oil line
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Either Takata campaign still open on the NHTSA VIN lookup
- ✗Dash top that is tacky to the touch or throws a shiny reflection in sun
- ✗Side mirror that rocks or clicks on its base when pushed
- ✗Aftermarket or stacked floor mats under the pedals
- ✗Pink coolant crust or wet oil at the front of the engine
Good Signs
- ✓Both Takata recalls and 09V388 shown closed on the VIN lookup
- ✓Dashboard replaced under the Lexus programme, with the dealer invoice
- ✓Water pump replaced with a receipt, coolant at the mark
- ✓Original Lexus floor mats clipped to both anchors
- ✓Transmission fluid changed with a record, smooth shifts through all six gears
Found a specific Lexus ES?
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Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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