Lexus ES300 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
596 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
60,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1992 to 2013 model years. Data snapshot: . 312 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 119 of 596 complaints (20.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 120 | 20.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 77 | 12.9% |
| Steering behavior | 27 | 4.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 26 | 4.4% |
| Engine operation | 21 | 3.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 0.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 119 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 70 |
| Power Train | 27 |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal | 27 |
| Air Bags | 26 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 24 |
| Electrical System | 24 |
| Unknown Or Other | 22 |
Vehicle Speed Control: 119; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 70; Power Train: 27; Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal: 27; Air Bags: 26; Air Bags:Frontal: 24; Electrical System: 24; Unknown Or Other: 22
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 86 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 48 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 46 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 50 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 54 |
| 150,000 and above | 28 |
Under 25,000: 86; 25,000 to 49,999: 48; 50,000 to 74,999: 46; 75,000 to 99,999: 50; 100,000 to 149,999: 54; 150,000 and above: 28
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (86). 284 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 19 |
| 1996 | 6 |
| 2000 | 40 |
| 2001 | 31 |
| 2002 | 71 |
| 2003 | 70 |
| 2004 | 114 |
| 2005 | 28 |
| 2006 | 17 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 20 |
| 2009 | 16 |
| 2010 | 71 |
| 2011 | 20 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 11 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 6 |
1995: 19; 1996: 6; 2000: 40; 2001: 31; 2002: 71; 2003: 70; 2004: 114; 2005: 28; 2006: 17; 2007: 9; 2008: 20; 2009: 16; 2010: 71; 2011: 20; 2012: 7; 2013: 11; 2014: 11; 2015: 12; 2016: 10; 2017: 3; 2018: 4; 2019: 6
Pattern summary
Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 120 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 77 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 27 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10060842 · 2004-03-09 (March 9, 2004)
I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE "SURGING" THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE MEDIA ON MY 1993 LEXUS ES300 MANY TIMES. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 1995. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED (AT IDLE). I HAVE THE BRAKE DEPRESSED AND THE CAR ENGINE INCREASES IN RPM'S. SOMETIMES IT IS A POWERFUL SURGE THAT CAUSES THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD. USUALLY, I NOTICE THIS OCCURRING AND PRESS HARDER ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM MOVING FORWARD.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10060842 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10304767 · 2010-02-03 (February 3, 2010)
BOUGHT LEXUS ES300 IN 1994. KEPT FOR CAR FOR 5 YEARS. EVEN BRAND NEW IT WOULD OCCASIONALLY LUNGE FORWARD WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP OVER AND OVER; WROTE LETTERS; KEPT COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS SPORADIC LUNGING FORWARD OF THE CAR BUT I WAS NOT EVEN TAKEN SERIOUSLY. AT A STOP LIGHT I WOULD HAVE TO STAY 10+ FEET BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT JUST IN CASE MY LEXUS LUNGED FORWARD EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I FINALLY GOT RID OF THIS CAR SINCE I FELT IT WAS A NOT SAFE AND THE DEALERSHIP NOR THE COMPANY TOOK ME…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10304767 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10096210 · 2004-10-22 (October 22, 2004)
BOUGHT THIS CAR USED, AND WHAT SEEMED TO BE VERY GOOD CONDITION WITH UP TO DATE MAINTENANCE RECORDS. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR THREE MONTHS. ALL BUT ABOUT 1 WEEK HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP.. THE INSTRAMENT LIGHTS WENT OUT COMPLETELY $1000 TO FIX,,, JOKE... THE POWER STEERING PUMP AMD SENSORS WENT OUT CAUSING THE RADIATOR TO FAIL CAUSED THE CAR TO SEVERLY OVERHEAT,, CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL AND THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS FAILED TO THE FUEL INJECTOR CONTROLS CAUSING CARBON BUILDUP IN THE FUEL INJECTORS, IN MY OPINION THIS IS THE BIGGEST PEICE OF JUNK I HA…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10096210 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 768748 · 2002-10-23 (October 23, 2002)
THE LIGHTS , CHECK ENGINE AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGES I FELT DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE ENGINE WAS GETTING HOT AND OVERHEATING, CUTTING OUT DYING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. THEN THE TEMP GUAGE NEVER BOBBLED OR MOVED UNTIL THE CAR TRIED TO DIE AT 45 MPH. THEN IT BOBBLED, JUST SLIGHTLY THEN WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THE RADIATOR WAS FRIED DRIED. AND THE PISTON RINGS ARE FRIED AND TOAST AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SHOP, THEY CHANGED THE RADIATOR AND ADVISED ME OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHICH I KNEW NOTHI…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 768748 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 487715 · 1995-11-08 (November 8, 1995)
INNER PART OF POWER STEERING PUMP BROKE, ALLOWING DEBRIS TO ENTER POWER STEERING RACK, CAUSING RESISTANCE IN STEERING. *DSH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 487715 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 726841 · 2000-08-06 (August 6, 2000)
THE ELECTROCHROMIC DISPLAY LIGHTING THAT LIGHTS UP THE SPEEDOMETER HAVE FAILED, THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING AT NIGHT. ALSO THE ODOMETER HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT @82,500 MILES, SMOKE FROM THE ODOMETER SHORT CAUSED DRIVER TO PANIC, AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, BUT TO REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER WOULD COST AT LEAST $2,000. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, AND THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ABSORB ALL OF THIS…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 726841 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 885859 · 2001-04-13 (April 13, 2001)
VEHICLE STALLS WHENEVER CONSUMER DECELERATES WHILE GOING DOWN A HILL. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 885859 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 763561 · 2002-06-27 (June 27, 2002)
TRIED TO VEER SLIGHTLY LEFT. CAR WENT OVER 3 LANES OF EXPRESSWAY.TRIED R THEN L 4 TIMES AND BRAKED, BUT EACH TIME WENT OVER ALL LANES AND IDN'T STOP. WOUND UP 180 DEGREES FACING THE WRONG WAY STALLED. MIRACULOUSLY ALL THE DRIVCERS BEHIND HAD JUST STOPPED. THOUGHT IT WAS MY DRIVING TECHNIQUE. 2 DAYS LATER WHEEL HARD TO TURN. SENT FOR SERVICE AND STEERING PUMP LEAKING, POWER STEERING RACK BROKEN. *AK TRANSMISSISON GASKET FLUID DEFECTIVE,VANE PUMP DEFECTIVE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 763561 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10026659 · 2003-11-24 (November 24, 2003)
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL OVERHEAT AND SHUT DOWN . *AK CONSUMER ADDED THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S AIR CONDITIONER, AND A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN BECAUSE OF POOR MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF A RADIATOR ALTHOUGH THE LEAKS WERE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE WATER PUMP *LA THE OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 132,495 miles reported. Look up ODI 10026659 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 2 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
1997: 2; 1998: 1; 1999: 0; 2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2002: 2; 2003: 0; 2005: 0; 2006: 0; 2013: 0