Total Complaints
2 filings
LEXUS ES · model year
1997 LEXUS ES
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997LEXUSES carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 ES is seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler with 1 filings, followed by power train (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1997 ES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120902POWER TRAIN
REAR NOISE WHILE DRIVING MANY OTHER DRIVERS HAVE THE SAME QUESTION. WHEN THE CAR GOES OVER POT HOLES I MAKES A SOUND SIMILAR TO GOLF / BOWING BOWLN HITTING EACH OTHER. *TR
Mileage: 175,000
20070604SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LEXUS ES 300. HE STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HEATER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ON DECEMBER 28, 2001. APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS LATER HE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT HEATER GOT EXTREMELY HOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MINOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE HOWEVER; HE FELT THIS ISSUE WAS MORE SEVERE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN APPEARS TO BE INVALID. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR
Mileage: 20,000
Compare 1997LEXUSES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 LEXUS ES have?▼
The 1997 LEXUS ES has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LEXUS ES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 LEXUS ES is SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN.
Is the 1997 LEXUS ES safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.