In-car Electronics
CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.
What Owners Say
"Often difficult to start and almost always ends up freezing after hour or so."
Anonymous, FL (2019 Lexus ES 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"Apple Car Play only functions with the Nav system if you connect the iPhone to the system via USB. WHY doesn't it connect via Bluetooth? Very frustrating."
Michael M., SC (2019 Lexus ES 350.0 3.5-L V6)"It’s somewhat awkward for us to hard wire the cell phone to the car. We are not young anymore!"
Anonymous, FL (2019 Lexus ES 350.0 3.5-L V6)"Player will not play through the entire CD, it stops and skips after several songs have played. Needs to be returned to dealer for replacement of the CD player."
Anonymous, MD (2019 Lexus ES 3.5-L V6)"more infrequent but has happened"
Anonymous, NJ (2019 Lexus ES 3.5-L V6)"The screen does not respond to the joy stick intermittently. I have not figured out how to unfreeze it, so I use my phone for navigation & calls when it freezes. Eventually, it starts responding again. The car did not need to be turned off for the screen to start working again."
Anonymous, CA (2019 Lexus ES 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"After an indeterminate time of operation, the screen freezes. Has to be turned off and then on again. Tech specialist at dealer says this is a software problem that will probably be resolved by Lexus and Apple over time."
Anonymous, FL (2019 Lexus ES 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"When I start up my car, I can drive about 2-3 minutes and my infotainment system (radio & navigation), completely restarts. About 2 minutes later, the same. This may repeat up to three times. This is a random occurrence and I need to bring this up at the dealer when I go in for the 6 month service appointment."
Anonymous, FL (2019 Lexus ES 350.0 3.5-L V6)"Poor design. Unreliable. Out of date maps"
C S., MD (2019 Lexus ES 300h 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"I hate it. The set-up is completely difficult to navigate, especially while driving. It's difficult to change channels while driving. Too many buttons and controls. mouse pad is difficult to control"
Anonymous, FL (2019 Lexus ES 3.5-L V6)"That "Premium 10 speaker audio system" is absolutely awful. All of the sound comes from the windshield with no sense of surrounding the driver. The speakers look like something out of a 3rd grade science project. Very disappointing in a $47K vehicle."
Anonymous, OH (2019 Lexus ES 3.5-L V6)"this radio problem is systemic to all es300h 2019 with the standard 10 speaker system, The fader does not allow the rear speakers to function. No fix from Lexus"
Anonymous, OR (2019 Lexus ES 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"Trackpad system and infotainment system is hard to use and the documentation sucks. Very bad interface design. Looks like it was designed by Japanese Engineers for use by Japanese Engineers."
Gene C., VA (2019 Lexus ES 350.0 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"See my answer on the stereo in general. Very cheaply made."
Anonymous, OH (2019 Lexus ES 3.5-L V6)"it is a 10 speaker system and yet only the front speakers function. Lexus has shown no interest in fixing the problem. I believe this problem exists in all similiar cars ES300 lexus"
Anonymous, OR (2019 Lexus ES 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"In their 2019 models Lexus has taken the auto sound system (including the Mark Levinson Systems) and attempted to design it on the pattern of a home theater system. This means dominant sound from front left & right and center speakers with the rear broadcasting smaller parts of the audio track of your movie for example. However we are not sitting in our living room or home media center we are in our car and should have an envelope of sound IMHO. Both of my Acuras had 5.1 sound and all speakers were evenly powered and the sound was phenomenal. Now I've made the change to Lexus (my wife already had an 2015 RX with a great sound system by the way) and I love everything about my new ES but this new thought in car audio design is half baked at best. I've spoken to my dealer and Lexus HQ Customer Service and they are sticking to the mantra It's that way by design. I will not by another Lexus with this type of audio design/performance. They will not repair since it was designed this way so now I'm stuck with paying money on top of what I paid for this car-just to get an audio system that sounds no better than my '59 Ford which had a huge speaker in front dash only."
Michael M., SC (2019 Lexus ES 350.0 3.5-L V6)"The voice control commands pick up the voice from the microphone in front of the driver. If I am turning while giving a command, the speaker only picks up part of the command. Very frustrating."
Anonymous, CA (2019 Lexus ES 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"Hard to train and if you have a southern accent it gets confused."
Gene C., VA (2019 Lexus ES 350.0 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)"Virtually worthless. Does not reliably recognize commands. More distracting then doing manually."
C S., MD (2019 Lexus ES 300h 2.5-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
"happens often have to unplug and replug"
Anonymous, NJ (2019 Lexus ES 3.5-L V6)