Lexus ES Safety Ratings (2012-2025)
NHTSA has crash-tested the Lexus ES across 14 model years from 2012 to 2025. Its overall safety rating averages 4.9 out of 5 stars, a top five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Lexus ES scored by model year.
Lexus ES NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 Lexus ES 250 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Lexus ES 250 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Lexus ES 250 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Lexus ES 250 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Lexus ES 250 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Lexus ES 300h 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Lexus ES 350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Lexus ES300H 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Lexus ES300H 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Lexus ES300H 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Lexus ES300H 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Lexus ES300H 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Lexus ES300H 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Lexus ES350 4 DR FWD | 3/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Lexus ES recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about Lexus ES safety
- Is the Lexus ES a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the Lexus ES averages 4.9 out of 5 stars overall across the 2012 to 2025 model years, a top five-star result. 31 of the 32 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the Lexus ES crash test rating?
- The most recently rated Lexus ES (2025) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 4 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 4 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.