Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 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 reports2 fire reports7 injury reports

What owners actually said

45 reports

113,000 miles · Mar 1, 2005

Power Train

THE TRANSMISSION ON THE LEXUS ES300 WHICH I DROVE FAILED SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. HAD IT HAPPENED A TWENTY MINUTES EARLIER WHILE I WAS ON THE BALTIMORE BELTWAY (I-695) I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN KILLED . IN THE SPIRIT OF FULL DISCLOSURE, THE CAR IS EIGHT YEARS OLD, IS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN 113,000 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10112335

Mileage unknown · Sep 7, 2004

Electrical System

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE P…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10091510

Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER NOTICED BLUE SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAIL PIPE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10066898

42,000 miles · Jan 15, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

Read full complaint

PROBLEM HSA NOT BEEN FIXED YET. DEALER IS OFFERING 50% OF THE TOTAL COSTS WHICH PROBABLY INCLUDEDS THEIR PROFIT. OIL GELLING IS THE PROBLEM. I HAVE 4 RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS WORTH OF SERVICE. THE BALANCE WERE DONE AT AN STABLISHMENT THAT PURGED ITS OLDER RECORDS AND ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. I ALSO CHANGED THE OIL NUMEROUS TIMES MYSELF BUT DID NOT KEEP RECEIPTS FOR THE OIL AND FILTER. THEY SAY I CAN NOT PROVE THAT I PROPERLY MAINTAINED THE CAR. TOO MANY INSTANCES OF PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET WHO COULD PROVIDE THE PROOF BUT STILL HAD GELLED OIL FOR ME TO THINK THAT THE ENGINE IS NOT TO BLAME. ESPECIALLY BEING THAT I KNOW WE PROPERLY MAINTAINED THE CAR. ANY HELP?

NHTSA ODI #10069435

Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

THEY WANT 1/2 OF 6246.96 TO REPLACE THE SHORT BLOCK. I HAVEN'T DECIDED WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED (NOT FROM LEXUS). I HAVE ALL MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM THE DATE I PURCHASED THE CAR, BUT LEXUS SAYS THEY WILL ONLY PAY 1/2 OF THE COST.

NHTSA ODI #10068797

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 2003

Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

Read full complaint

CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO GET VEHICLE REPAIRED PROPERLY. ENGINE CONTINUED KNOCKING, AND HAD BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL REASONS BY DEALER WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING. CONSUMER SPENT APPROXIMATELY $3000.00 TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE, BUT THE REPAIRS HAD NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE PROPERLY. HAD TO HAVE THE NEW FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM REPLACED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. ALSO, CONSUMER SPOKE TO THE LEXUS MANUFACTURER BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SUPPORT. HE FELT THAT HE WAS BEING RIPPED OFF. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10048348

59,000 miles · Aug 11, 2003

Vehicle Speed Control

LEXUS ES300 WHEN I WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT ANY GAS PRESSED DOWN, THE CAR PROCEEDED FORWARD KNOCKING INTO MY SIDE OF MY HOUSE CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO MY HOUSE. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT THERE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN. *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10032534

Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 2003

Tires

WHILE TRAVEING ABOUT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING ONE OF PASSENGER'S TIRES TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. IT WAS A FIRESTONE, BRIDGESTONE TIRE, P20565/R15 . *AK

NHTSA ODI #10030200

Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2002

Visibility

ALL FOUR SIDE DOOR WINDOWS LEAK IN HEAVY RAINS AND IN A CAR WASH. SEALS WERE REPLACED BY DEALER ONCE, WHILE SIDE WINDOWS WERE ADJUSTED BY DEALER TWICE; ALL TO NO AVAIL. IN ADDITION, THE WINDOWS LEAK AIR AT SPEEDS ABOVE 65 MPH.

NHTSA ODI #767425

Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 2002

Electrical SystemFire

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. POLICE INVESTIGATOR STATED FIRE STARTED FROM THE ENGINE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8016719

Official recalls

99V307000 · 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.

97V156000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

Sep 17, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MICHIGAN,MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NOTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. A CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHERE ACCUMULATED MOISTURE CAN TEMPORARILY FREEZE IN THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSE IF THE VEHICLE IS USED IN EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF VACUUM ASSIST TO THE BRAKES THAT CAN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.

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

DP02004 · Engine Seizure

Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

No summary supplied.