Total Complaints
1 filings
LEXUS ES250 · model year
1996 LEXUS ES250
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996LEXUSES250 carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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 1996 ES250 is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe with 1 filings. 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 1996 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.
1
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020508ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MY CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE EXHAUST AREA WHEN I STARTED IT EVERY MORNING AND IN THE EVENING AFTER THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE IN THE OFFICE GARAGE. I TOOK IT TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT NEEDED THE 90,000 MILE MAINTENANCE. I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS SMOKING AND THE ENGINE JUMPED HEAVILY WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I ALSO TOLD THEM THE CAR MADE A STRANGE NOISE WHEN IT WOULD GO UP HILL, ESPECIALLY EXCELLERATING UP-HILL. THEY CHARGED ME APPROX. $1500.00. I TOOK THE CAR BACK A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE MAINTENANCE AND TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS STILL SMOKING WHEN IT STARTS AND MAKING THE NOISE WHEN IT WENT UP HILL. THEY KEPT IT OVERNIGHT AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME THE NEXT DAY, SAYING THEY DIDN'T SEE SMOKE WHEN THEY STARTED IT. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN IN FEB 2002 AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT SMOKES REALLY BAD. THEY TOLD ME IT HAD SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD COST UP TO $14,000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT I COULD TRY TO HAVE IT FIXED FOR $2500.00 B
Compare 1996LEXUSES250 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 LEXUS ES250 have?▼
The 1996 LEXUS ES250 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 LEXUS ES250?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 LEXUS ES250 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1996 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.