2007 Lexus ES 350 Life Expectancy – How Long Will It Survive?

The fifth generation of the Lexus ES was a very popular vehicle that is still quite up-to-date and wanted by Lexus lovers. The ES 350 model is thought to be quite reliable, it actually offers a lot of wonderful things to make your driving marvelous. But the fact that it's fun to drive will not make you buy a used 2007 Lexus ES 350. You will want to know more about its life expectancy.

Today, we'll be speaking about the longevity of the Lexus ES 350 2006-2012 (the fifth generation). We'll tell you about its main problems and also other things you should know. We'll talk about the maintenance schedule and other important factors that will allow you to drive your Lexus for more years and miles.

Here are our topics for today:

1. Some facts about the Lexus ES 350 5th generation.
2. How long can the ES 350 go?
3. What are the main problems and issues with the Lexus ES 350?
4. How to prolong the lifetime of your Lexus sedan?

Let's get started!

The 2007 Lexus ES 350 - why is it so cool?

The 2007 model year of the ES model is thought to be one of the most successful. The Japanese company presented a really wonderful alternative to a Toyota Camry with great design, absolutely insane equipment, luxury options, and extremely comfortable driving. Yes, it cost much more than a Camry, but people agreed to pay that much.

The ES 350 was equipped with a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine (2GR-FE). This is one of the legendary V6 engines made by Toyota. The engine is powerful, durable, and not very demanding in terms of maintenance. It can go for a long time and cause no problems.

Also, you should know some other things:

• the sedan was also offered with a 4-cylinder engine which was much less popular among American buyers;
• the only variant of a transmission is a 6-speed automatic transmission which is hard to blame for being bad or unreliable;
• the vehicle was built on the Toyota K-platform - the same platform was used for the Camry and the Avalon;
• the car was only made and assembled in Japan, and this is a really important thing to say here;
• the ES 350 became one of the most wanted luxury sedans on the market - in 2007, over 82,000 vehicles were sold in the US.

This is a luxury sedan and the vehicle of this class aren't sold well because they are usually made for a restricted audience. But the ES could sell much more than any competitors with similar prices. Lexus managed to make this expensive sedan one of the most popular in the class.

Interestingly, only 120,000 cars were sold globally in 2007, and 82,000 of them were sold in the USA. You may now understand that this car was extremely popular and some of them even now are in a good condition. Want to find one for you? Read our next sections before!

What's the longevity of the Lexus ES 350?

The 2007-year model wasn't the most durable car in the world. Specialists say that the vehicle can go around 220,000 miles. It's less than a Camry of the same year. For example, the Camry can for 250,000 miles with the same engine and up to 300,000 miles with some other engines. Why? Because Lexus changed a lot in its vehicle to make it special.

Unfortunately, these special features weren't good for longevity. But 220,000 miles is not bad at all compared to some other competitors like the Teana or the BMW 7-Series. You will get this mileage easily if you follow some tips on maintenance and repair.

Is it expensive to maintain and own a 2007 Lexus ES 350?

This is not the cheapest vehicle to own. All factors are not economical at all, starting with fuel consumption and finishing with the prices for parts. Lexus has never been a cheap car to have, so you should be ready for some expenses. Talking about a used Lexus, expenses will be your second hobby.

Here are some important things you should remember:

• the annual average repair costs are about $700 for a 2007 Lexus ES 350 given the mileage is up to 200,000 miles;
• the fuel consumption is not the best in the class - 19 mpg in the city is still not bad for a big sedan;
• also, the ES 350 will need some expensive maintenance every 10,000 miles - oil, filters, diagnostics, etc.;
• the engine is reliable, but you should invest money in it from time to time, for example, the timing system needs revision regularly;
• interior parts will require renovation or replacement because the 2007 ES 350 are not new cars anymore.

Depending on the quality of maintenance, you can expect the ES 350 to last longer. For example, we know a couple of Lexus owners who have already driven their ES 350 cars for more than 300,000 miles. They bought them new and still drive them with no major problems.

Also, the Lexus ES 350 can fail much earlier. You can check how many cars are sold in the salvage vehicles auctions with engine damage or transmission damage and less than 150,000 miles on the clock. The main reason for this is bad maintenance and cheap aftermarket parts.

What are the main problems with the 2007 ES 350?

We can't say that this is a very problematic vehicle. This car is equipped with a very long-lasting transmission. Whereas other cars in this class often have problems with the automatic transmission, Lexus will not make you spend thousands of dollars for repair.

Also, the engine usually has minor problems that are not so hard to detect and deal with. But sometimes, bad maintenance or careless using lead to problems. And they shorten the longevity of the vehicle.

Here are some of the most popular problems of the 2007 ES 350:

1. Leaks. Both antifreeze and oil leak like crazy in all engines up until the 2010 model year. After that, Toyota made a couple of changes to its V6 engine and it became much better.
2. The timing chain is durable but sometimes it doesn't live as long as the other parts of the engine. If you hear some metal noise when the engine works, better check the chain. It should be replaced at approximately 160,000 miles, but better make it sooner.
3. The coolant pump is not going to last long. And it may cause problems. It may be broken at just 30,000 miles and you will have to replace it immediately. Otherwise, the engine will overheat and you may get problems with the cylinder heads.
4. VVTi valves. This is a traditional problem of all Toyota engines of that epoch. The VVTi system makes these engines more efficient but needs more attention during maintenance. If it shows problems, better repair it right there and then.
5. Also, this engine can have problems with the throttle body. It gets clogged often and needs special cleaning. The clogging will result in bad idling and loss of power. But this is not a problem that affects longevity.

Basically, all problems of the 2GR-FE engine and other parts in your Lexus ES 350 are not fatal and you can deal with them easily. Overall, the engine is reliable and all other units don't tend to fail all the time.

Of course, you should understand that the 2007 Lexus ES 350 is now over 15 years old and it's not going to be there for another 15 years. But if the mileage is still not very high, you can drive this car with no major problems and no high expenses.

How much should a 2007 Lexus ES 350 cost?

You can buy a good 2007 Lexus ES 350 for $5,000 if you find a private seller. At a dealer's shop, such a Lexus will cost you about $7,000. We are talking about the ES with less than 150,000 miles on the clock and in a good condition.

You can also go to auctions and try to get a decent Lexus for $3,000-$4,000 which will be huge luck for you. With this vehicle, you'll get a lot of good driving emotions for a little money.

But of course, if you decide to buy an old Lexus sedan, you should check it thoroughly and be sure that this vehicle won't fall apart the next day in your garage. Because in this case, you will pay a lot of money for repairs.

Final words

Are you thinking about buying a fifth-gen Lexus ES 350? It's possible to find it in a relatively good condition, but you should be careful with some factors. If you buy a high-mileage Lexus, you are going to have a lot of problems. So, it may only be a very cheap purchase to make some sense.

The longevity of the 2007 ES 350 should be at 220,000 miles. Everything over this is thought to be above average and is very risky.