2006 Lexus ES330

Typical pattern

9.7% of complaints about the 2006 Lexus ES330 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2006 vehicle — around the middle of the 250 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.1 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (19 complaints), typically at 9.6 yr or about 60,000 miles.

Complaints: 62
Median age at failure: 6.1 yr
Median mileage: 60,000 n=47
Crash / fire / tow: 30.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Air bags 64,000 mi 4.6 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS ES 330. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE OPENING RELEASE OF THE AIR BAG. THE DEALER ADVISED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT YET IS WAS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Air bags 60,000 mi 6.1 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS ES 330. THE CONTACT SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE PILLAR IN THE PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AFTER THE CRASH AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MODERATE INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED11/29/11 *BF UPDATED 12/14/11

Air bags 48,705 mi 9.0 yr in service

THE SEAL AROUND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG HAS DETERIORATED, WITH A BULGE FORMING IN THE DASHBOARD. *TR

Other ES330 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2006 Lexus ES330

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other ES330 model years

How to read this