Total Complaints
12 filings
LEXUS ES250 · model year
1990 LEXUS ES250
12 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990LEXUSES250 carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 1 fire, 7 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 1990 ES250 is air bags:frontal with 4 filings, followed by air bags (2) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (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 1990 ES250. 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.
12
Complaints
9
Crashes
1
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
9 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140425SUSPENSION
THEY WONT HONOR THE RECALL THE PHONE NUMBER GIVEN IS A BUSY SIGNAL AND THE CAR CANT DRIVE CAUSE THE STRUTS ARE REALLY BAD. WHAT CAN I DO? *TR
Mileage: 160,000
20040503CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE PULLING INSIDE A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO A BRICK WALL. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP REQUESTED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK *SC *JB
Mileage: 74,000
20040503CrashAIR BAGS
WHILE PULLING INSIDE A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO A BRICK WALL. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP REQUESTED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK *SC *JB
Mileage: 74,000
19980724AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY ABOUT 60 MPH, HER AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A REASON. SHE GOT OUT OF VEHICLE TO SEE IF SHE HAD HIT ANY THING, BUT DID NOT FIND ANY POTHOLES, NOR ANY OBSTACLES AND NO DAMAGES ON HER VEHICLE. *AK
19970828CrashAIR BAGS
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION CAUSED CERVICAL SPINE DAMAGE. DUP OF 812606, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98. *AK
19970828CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT SHOULDER STRAP FAILED IN ACCIDENT BECAUSE STRAP WAS NOT ADJUSTABLE.
19970530CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH THERE WAS A SMALL COLLISION AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER SEVERE DAMAGE TO HER UPPER BODY. DRIVER IS NOW DISABLED FOR LIFE BECAUSE OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING. SHE HAS HAD SEVERAL OPERATIONS ON HER NECK. DEALER WAS A WARE OF THE AIR BAG PROBLEM, AND DID NOT WARN ANY OWNERS OF THE DEFECT OF THE AIR BAG. *AK
19970318CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
OWNER WAS DRIVING CAR WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, RESULTING IN AN INJURY. *AK
19970221CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
VEHICLE'S ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED WHILE DRIVING 15-20MPH, DRIVER CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR .THE MASTER CYLNDER IS LEAKING AIR INTO BRAKE LINE AND CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID. *AK
19970221CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
VEHICLE'S ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED WHILE DRIVING 15-20MPH, DRIVER CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR .THE MASTER CYLNDER IS LEAKING AIR INTO BRAKE LINE AND CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID. *AK
19960909CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAG DID NOT INFLATE FULLY IN FRONT END COLLISION.
19950526FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. TT
Compare 1990LEXUSES250 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 LEXUS ES250 have?▼
The 1990 LEXUS ES250 has 12 NHTSA complaints, 9 crashes, 1 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 LEXUS ES250?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 LEXUS ES250 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
Is the 1990 LEXUS ES250 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.