Total Complaints
3 filings
LEXUS ES · model year
1998 LEXUS ES
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998LEXUSES carries 3 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 1998 ES is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by engine (1) and 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 1998 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.
3
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20200116ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SINCE MAY OF 2019 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THE OBD READER KEEPS DETECTING A TROUBLE CODE. WHEN MOVING BACK TO CALIFORNIA, I HAD TO REREGISTERED FOR CALIFORNIA LICENSE PLATES, TAGS, AND GET MY CAR SMOGGED WITH MY SMOG CERTIFICATION IN ORDER FOR ME TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY INTO MY CAR THAT IT'S AFFECTING ME FROM GETTING TO WORK/ SCHOOL AND TAKING DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AS WELL. EVERY TIME I GET SOMETHING FIXED AND DRIVE THE MILES I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING, THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON WITH A TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS AFFECTING ME BECAUSE I'M UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT STILL WON'T PASS SMOG. IT'S BEEN GOING ON QUITE FOR SOME TIME.
20200116ENGINE
SINCE MAY OF 2019 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THE OBD READER KEEPS DETECTING A TROUBLE CODE. WHEN MOVING BACK TO CALIFORNIA, I HAD TO REREGISTERED FOR CALIFORNIA LICENSE PLATES, TAGS, AND GET MY CAR SMOGGED WITH MY SMOG CERTIFICATION IN ORDER FOR ME TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY INTO MY CAR THAT IT'S AFFECTING ME FROM GETTING TO WORK/ SCHOOL AND TAKING DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AS WELL. EVERY TIME I GET SOMETHING FIXED AND DRIVE THE MILES I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING, THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON WITH A TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS AFFECTING ME BECAUSE I'M UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT STILL WON'T PASS SMOG. IT'S BEEN GOING ON QUITE FOR SOME TIME.
20200116POWER TRAIN
SINCE MAY OF 2019 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THE OBD READER KEEPS DETECTING A TROUBLE CODE. WHEN MOVING BACK TO CALIFORNIA, I HAD TO REREGISTERED FOR CALIFORNIA LICENSE PLATES, TAGS, AND GET MY CAR SMOGGED WITH MY SMOG CERTIFICATION IN ORDER FOR ME TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION. I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY INTO MY CAR THAT IT'S AFFECTING ME FROM GETTING TO WORK/ SCHOOL AND TAKING DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL AS WELL. EVERY TIME I GET SOMETHING FIXED AND DRIVE THE MILES I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING, THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON WITH A TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS AFFECTING ME BECAUSE I'M UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT STILL WON'T PASS SMOG. IT'S BEEN GOING ON QUITE FOR SOME TIME.
Compare 1998LEXUSES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 LEXUS ES have?▼
The 1998 LEXUS ES has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 LEXUS ES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 LEXUS ES is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 1998 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.