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SW17LS

Most hybrids are built in Japan still.

Wilson2000

I'm resurrecting this old thread as I was disappointed to discover today that the 2021 ES 300h is made in Kentucky. I went to the dealer looking for an end-of-year deal. They had an overstock of ES's to pick from, and thus, were offering steep discounts. However, I would have to hold my nose to close a deal on one, or at least say "hail Mary" multiple times before signing!

I would be interested in hearing from Kentucky ES owners about their experiences with the quality of their cars. I want to replace my wife's 2011 ES 350, which has had rock-solid reliability. The '97 Avalon she had before the ES was built in Kentucky, and it was nowhere near as reliable as her Japanese-built ES.

LexBob2

You might want to post this over on the 7th Gen ES Forum. Probably get a lot of input from ES owners over there.

Wilson2000

Good idea Bob...thanks!

UDel

What country a vehicle is made has almost no bearing on reliability. It is the design of the vehicle, tolerances/quality in the design, using solid mechanicals that make pretty much all the difference. When was the last time you heard of a car having a failure or issue simply because something wasn't screwed in enough or aligned enough, it is very easy to fix something that was not screwed in enough or snapped in fully. The LS460 is made in the Tahara Plant Japan and is basically the most unreliable Lexus with several trouble spots, it has many more issues then Camry's, Accords, Acura's built in the US.

mmarshall

With all due respect, I have to disagree with your reasoning. When you get into a brand-new BMW M3, sitting on the lot, (as I have done), and you can't adjust the front seat to your liking because the wiring to the seat-motors is not installed/connected properly, or (in the same vehicle) the entire arm-rest assembly in the rear seat falls down on the floor when you pull it out, because some employee or machine didn't install the retaining-hardware, that is not the design of the vehicle. That is people in the factory daydreaming too much instead of keeping their mind on their work, and the quality-inspectors simply taking too many coffee-breaks.

SW17LS

Comparing the LS460 to Camry’s and Accords made in the US and inferring that there is no reliability difference because of country makes no sense because the LS460 is dramatically more complex than those cars and has far more to go wrong. Apples and bowling *****.

In order to make that claim you’d have to look at similar cars made in Japan vs the US. I would agree there’s no reliability difference. Any difference would be in build quality.

mmarshall

All of the Camrys and Accords of the 1990s were superb, no matter there they were built. The only glitches I can remember were the bumpiness of the Accord's automatic transmission of that era and the Camry's 3.0L V6 oil-passages, which made petroleum-based oil run very hot and deteriorate quickly if you did not religiously keep it changed. Those were design-issues, not factory-assembly.

Toys4RJill

I totally agree. I have Japan made stuff and NA made stuff...they are both just as reliable. How they are designed I think is a good argument. Japan stuff is a designed a little better

As far as I know, all Lexus tech or chassis parts Are designed in Japan

AJT123

Ls, lx, gx.

Fizzboy7

The majority of today's cars are built in an automated fashion, not by people hand-assembling things. So the quality gap between countries is less now than what it was twenty years ago. But more importantly, you have to look at the hard facts. The current ESh is rated extremely high in reliability and quality by just about every professional. You need not worry about the Kentucky origins, they have their crap together. Lexus has a standard to live up to at all factories, and their ratings are the proof. Go get your ESh and enjoy it.

Wilson2000

I agree mostly, however, Lexus quality, including the ES, is slipping, based on my research. That said, they're still better than most!

Wilson2000

Again, I mostly agree, but I also believe Toyota's great reliability is partly due to the quality of their parts. Their rubber formulations and metallurgy is top-notch! That's why I mostly buy OEM unless I've been burned by a particular OEM part.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Fixed that for you.

honestly though, i think ALL lexus models will be extremely reliable used unless they have a ton of miles or were really abused.