2000 Lexus ES300

MY 2000 LEXUS ES300 WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE RPM RAMPING UP HIGH WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM UP ESPECIALLY WHEN I ACCELERATE AT A DEAD STOP. AS OF TODAY THE ACCELERATOR STICK WHEN I WAS CRUISING 55 ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD A HARD TIME STOPPING MY CAR. I HAD TO PULL OVER INTO A GRAVEL ROAD WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE HARD AND PUTTING IT ON PARK. FINALLY MY CAR SKIDDED AND STOP. I'M AFRAID IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN AND NEXT TIME I WON'T BE SO FORTUNATE TO STOP MY VEHICLE LIKE I DID TODAY. I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO AS FOR MY VEHICLE GOES. IS THERE A RECALL ON THE MODEL OF MY CAR OR ANY LEXUS OR TOYOTAS WITH THE SAME ISSUE? IF THERE IS WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION I SHOULD DO TO GET MY VEHICLE FIX. *TR

TRAC OFF AND CK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE DURING DRIVING. VEHICLE WILL THEN OPERATE IN A ROUGH MANNER AND WILL NOT STEADILY IDLE, RPM'S DRASTICALLY DROP AND VEHICLE FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO STALL OUT ON THE ROAD DURING OPERATION. ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT LEXUS OF WILMINGTON IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE FOR THIS SAME ISSUE: 8/25/04 - CODE 440 PO AND RESET LIGHTS (WARRANTY) NO REPAIRS; 11/03/2005 - CODES P0046, P0441 & P0440 CLAIMED LOOSE GAS CAP & DIDN'T MAKE ANY REPAIRS; 11/16/05 - CANISTER SWITCHING VALVE SHORTED OUT, REPLACED & CLEARED LIGHTS, CHARGE 45.00 FOR VALVE; 02/16/2006 NOW OUT OF WARRANTY; AGAIN THE CHARCOAL CANISTER SHORTED OUT AND WAS REPLACED $362.52; 08/30/2006 BANK 1 SENSOR 1 OXYGEN SENSOR SHORTED OUT, REPLACED SENSOR $280.56; 10/29/09 DIAGNOSTICS SHOWED CODE P0420 CATALYST SYSTEM BELOW THRESHOLD ON BANK 1, NEED TO REPLACE..$124.95 FOR DIAGNOSTICS CHECK; REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER 1,831.19; 05/13/10 CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTION $434.25. MALFUNCTION FIRST OCCURRED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND DEALER DID NOT SUGGEST REPLACEMENT PART DURING THAT TIME. NOT UNTIL AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED, DID LEXUS EXPRESS CONCERN FOR REPLACE OF PARTS. NOW THE ISSUE HAS AROSE AGAIN AND I DON'T FELL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THE DEALER FOR ANY ADDITIONAL ISSUES ARISING FROM THE SAME MALFUNCTION. I HAVE ALL SERVICE REPORTS FROM THE DEALER TO DOCUMENT ALL OF THESE OCCASIONS AND MY SERVICE HISTORY FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE RELATED TO THE TRAC OFF & CK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATING. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW FROM LEXUS OF WILMINGTON AND FEEL THEY SHOULD NOW TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS THAT, MOST LIKELY, SHOULD HAVE COMMENCED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD.

HAVE A 2000 ES300. RECENTLY, THE CHECK ENGINE/TRAC LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND AFTER A QUICK SCAN CODE PO446 WAS DISCOVERED. I STARTED BY TIGHTENING THE GAS CAP AND DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY; THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AFTER A WEEK. I HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT THE VACUUM LINES AT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER AND UP UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COVER. EVERYTHING LOOKS OK. I DO ALL MY OWN WORK, AND I HATE BEING A 'PARTS REPLACER'. I'D RATHER SOURCE THE EXACT PROBLEM AND FIX JUST THAT PARTICULAR PART. HAVING SAID THIS, MY RESEARCH ON THIS SITE HAS INDICATED THAT THE PO446 CODE COULD BE ONE OF MANY THINGS, INCLUDING THE CHARCOAL CANISTER ITSELF, THE VSV ATTACHED TO THE CANISTER, OR THE VACUUM VALVE UP UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COVER. FIRST QUESTION: I WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER AT EXPENSIVE WAY? DOES ANYONE HERE KNOW IF THE ISSUE BEING RECALL AND THEY CAN REPLACE NEW OEM CHARCOAL CANISTER INCLUDES THE VSV VALVE? IF IT DOES, HOW CAN I GET THIS DONE. SECOND QUESTION: DO YOU THINK I AM WAY OFF BASE WITH MY INTENTION TO REPLACE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER NEXT? IF SO, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? OBVIOUSLY, I AM TRYING TO AVOID MY DEALER AT ALL COSTS. PERHAPS SOMEONE HERE COULD HELP IN MY QUEST TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH; PROCEEDING TO A STOP SIGN. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THERE WAS AN INCREASED ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND REAR ENDED A VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT AND THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS ES300. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A WALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CONTACT SUFFERD MINOR INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED FOR THE CRASH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40000. UPDATED 3/16/10 *CN UPDATED 09/30/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. SHE ASSUMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND PULLED OVER TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE BODY SHOP DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER COULD NOT ASSIST AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER FURTHER STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS ONLY AN "ACCIDENT". THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 114,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND APPROACHING A STOP, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY FAILED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THERE WERE NO FAILURES PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $3,700. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 1/6/09 *CN UPDATED 01/14/09. *JB