Is the Tesla Model 3 more reliable than the Lexus ES?

No. The Lexus ES comes out well ahead. It has far fewer recalls and a short list of owner complaints. The Model 3 has a mixed standing, with thousands of complaints about phantom braking, unintended acceleration, electrical failures, and front suspension wear.

Which has more recalls, the Model 3 or the ES?

The Model 3 has many more. Federal recall records show 113 recalls across nine Model 3 model years. The ES has 15 across eight model years. Recall counts grow with time on the road, but this gap is far too wide to explain that way.

What goes wrong most often on the Lexus ES?

Stalling and weak throttle response lead the ES complaints. Drivers press the gas at a stop or while merging and get no response. Most of these reports blame a low-pressure fuel pump, and owners describe waiting months for a remedy. Automatic braking that fires on its own is the next concern.

Does the Tesla Model 3 have a phantom braking problem?

Yes, it is the most common complaint in its two biggest problem areas. Owners describe hard stops on open highway, near overpasses, and at hill crests with nothing ahead. Some say it happened several times on one trip and service found nothing wrong. One stop caused whiplash.

Which Model 3 and ES years should I avoid?

Avoid 2018 and 2021 for the Model 3. Early 2018 cars also have reports of rusted brake lines. For the ES, avoid 2018 and 2019, and look at 2021 or 2022 instead. Newer Tesla years rank well but have had less time to collect complaints.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Lexus ES

Excellent

Tesla Model 3

Mixed

The Lexus ES is clearly more reliable than the Tesla Model 3. Federal recall records show 15 recalls for the ES across eight model years and 113 for the Model 3 across nine. Tesla owners also report far more serious braking, acceleration, and steering problems.

How Do the Lexus ES and Tesla Model 3 Generations Compare?

Most used shoppers will land on first generation Model 3 cars, which run from the 2018 through 2023 model years and include the weak 2018 and 2021 years. A styling update came in 2021. The second generation began in 2024 with a refresh, and those cars have had little time to collect complaints. On the Lexus side, the seventh generation began in 2019, and a facelift followed in 2021. The 2018 ES belongs to the earlier sixth generation. That puts the two weakest ES years around the changeover, while 2021 and 2022 are later cars from the updated seventh generation.

Verdict

The Lexus ES is more reliable than the Tesla Model 3, scoring 83/100 vs 55/100.

The more reliable car is the Lexus ES, and the gap is large. Federal recall records show 15 recalls across eight ES model years, against 113 across nine for the Model 3. Tesla owner complaints also pile up in serious areas: phantom braking, unintended acceleration while parking, and steering wear. The ES complaint list is short and spread thin. Its main weak spot is stalling that owners tie to a low-pressure fuel pump.

Key Differences

1Lexus ES has 98 fewer total recalls
2Lexus ES scores 28 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2Lexus ES

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0Tesla Model 3

Reliability ScoreTotal Recalls

Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3: Which Is More Reliable?

Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Lexus ES	Tesla Model 3
Reliability Score	83/100	55/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	15	113
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	95	3948
Year Wins	8	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Lexus ES and Tesla Model 3?

Tesla owners report phantom braking on open highway, surging into garages and storefronts with a foot on the brake, failed charging, blank touchscreens, and control arm wear that brings clunking and pulling. Lexus owners mostly report stalling and weak throttle response, which they link to a fuel pump, plus automatic braking that fires on its own. Both have crash-linked brake complaints. Only the Tesla list has large crash-linked groups in vehicle speed control and steering. Lexus also has airbag non-deployment reports, which is serious but rare.

Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3 common problem areas comparison
Component	Lexus ES	Tesla Model 3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—	841
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2	511
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	6	427
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	4	411
STEERING	—	356
SERVICE BRAKES	5	290
AIR BAGS	8	230
SUSPENSION	—	216
STRUCTURE	2	90
POWER TRAIN	3	50
LANE DEPARTURE	2	48
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—	22
SEATS	—	11
WHEELS	2	7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	7	—
ENGINE	6	—
FUEL SYSTEM	3	—
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—	3
TIRES	2	—

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

How Does Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3 Reliability Compare by Year?

Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Lexus ES	Tesla Model 3	Edge
2025	83/1001R / 4C	67/1003R / 87C	Lexus ES
2024	80/1004R / 9C	62/1004R / 183C	Lexus ES
2023	80/1004R / 18C	57/10010R / 386C	Lexus ES
2022	88/1000R / 16C	50/10016R / 729C	Lexus ES
2021	88/1000R / 0C	48/10020R / 626C	Lexus ES
2020	83/1001R / 5C	54/10020R / 416C	Lexus ES
2019	78/1003R / 33C	49/10021R / 569C	Lexus ES
2018	80/1002R / 10C	46/10018R / 951C	Lexus ES

Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Lexus ES scored 88/100 and the 2024 Tesla Model 3 scored 62/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Lexus ES vs the Tesla Model 3?

Pick the Lexus ES if you want the lowest chance of trouble. Target 2021 and 2022, the strongest years in the data. Avoid 2018 and 2019, the weakest. Before you buy, ask whether any fuel pump work is done, because owners describe stalls at lights and long waits for parts. Test the pre-collision braking in a parking lot too. Pick the Model 3 only if you want the car itself and can accept the risk. Newer years such as 2024 and 2025 rank strongest, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as a clean bill of health. Skip 2018 and 2021, the weakest years. On early 2018 cars, check the brake lines for rust. On any year, test the car for phantom braking on a highway drive, and inspect the front suspension for clunks. Control arm repairs show up at roughly 29,000 to 55,000 miles.

Lexus ES vs Tesla Model 3: Common Questions

Is the Tesla Model 3 more reliable than the Lexus ES?: No. The Lexus ES comes out well ahead. It has far fewer recalls and a short list of owner complaints. The Model 3 has a mixed standing, with thousands of complaints about phantom braking, unintended acceleration, electrical failures, and front suspension wear.
Which has more recalls, the Model 3 or the ES?: The Model 3 has many more. Federal recall records show 113 recalls across nine Model 3 model years. The ES has 15 across eight model years. Recall counts grow with time on the road, but this gap is far too wide to explain that way.
What goes wrong most often on the Lexus ES?: Stalling and weak throttle response lead the ES complaints. Drivers press the gas at a stop or while merging and get no response. Most of these reports blame a low-pressure fuel pump, and owners describe waiting months for a remedy. Automatic braking that fires on its own is the next concern.
Does the Tesla Model 3 have a phantom braking problem?: Yes, it is the most common complaint in its two biggest problem areas. Owners describe hard stops on open highway, near overpasses, and at hill crests with nothing ahead. Some say it happened several times on one trip and service found nothing wrong. One stop caused whiplash.
Which Model 3 and ES years should I avoid?: Avoid 2018 and 2021 for the Model 3. Early 2018 cars also have reports of rusted brake lines. For the ES, avoid 2018 and 2019, and look at 2021 or 2022 instead. Newer Tesla years rank well but have had less time to collect complaints.

More Lexus ES comparisons

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More Tesla Model 3 comparisons

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How we score the Lexus ES and Tesla Model 3

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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