Illustration2004 LEXUS ES330-CAR HESITATES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. VERY UNSAFE WHEN TRYING TO MERGE INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. ALMOST HAD SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. COMPUTER CHIP FOR TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX PROBLEM. USED PREMIUM GAS AS SUGGESTED BY MECHANIC- NOTHING HELPED. *TR
1994 Lexus ES300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Lexus ES300 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all ES300 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 39 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
39 reports1994 LEXUS ES300 INSTRUMENT PANEL (SPEEDOMETER,TACHOMETER,FUEL,AND TEMP),NEEDLES HAVE GONE OUT AND IMPOSSIBLE TO READ GAUGES AT NIGHT OR IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. *TR
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 …
Read full complaint
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 SERIOUS ABOUT THIS RACING OF THE ENGINE AND THE LUNGING FORWARD. *TR
1994 LEXUS ES300. ELECTROLUMINESCENT GAUGES FOR SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE (ESPECIALLY WITH GLARE OR AT NIGHT) TO DETERMINE RPM'S OR SPEED. A SEARCH ON THE WEB WILL SHOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1992 - 1996 ES300'S. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IS SOMETHING THAT S…
Read full complaint
1994 LEXUS ES300. ELECTROLUMINESCENT GAUGES FOR SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE (ESPECIALLY WITH GLARE OR AT NIGHT) TO DETERMINE RPM'S OR SPEED. A SEARCH ON THE WEB WILL SHOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1992 - 1996 ES300'S. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE REVIEWED. *TR
DRIVER'S SEATBELT ASSEMBLY REPEATEDLY UNLATCHES ARBITRARILY POSING SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. HAS OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. FLOW LEXUS OF KERNERSVILLE, NC, REFUSES TO MAKE COMPLIMENTARY REPAIR.*AK
FRONT SEAT BELT MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY AND CAN UN-LATCH ITSELF. HAS OCCURRED OCCASIONALLY WITHOUT WARNING SINCE THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT DATE. *JB
PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL EXTEND OUTWARD, BUT WILL NOT RETRACT BACK IN PLACE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BATTERY IS LEAKING ACID THROUGH POSITIVE POST. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE BACKING UP THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO A CHAIN FENCE THEN THE GEAR CHANGED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD INTO A WALL. *NLM *SCC
WHILE CAR WAS RUNNING BATTERY EXPLODED.*AK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE SAT FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. CONSUMER INSERTED THE KEY AND HWEN TURNING THE IGNITION THE BATTERY EXPLODED CREATING FUMES AND SMOKE. ALL THE ELECTRICAL POWER WAS …
Read full complaint
WHILE CAR WAS RUNNING BATTERY EXPLODED.*AK CONSUMER HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE SAT FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. CONSUMER INSERTED THE KEY AND HWEN TURNING THE IGNITION THE BATTERY EXPLODED CREATING FUMES AND SMOKE. ALL THE ELECTRICAL POWER WAS GONE. THE DEALER MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *JG
Official recalls
199V307000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
Nov 1, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.