Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Lexus ES submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
During a trip on the highway the accelerator was to low and take harder to accelerate the car. When we arrived home close to parking end the car suddenly accelerated while I was using the brakes pedal. I was lucky to stop on time. Thanks for your attention.
I TRIED TO START MY CAR OUT OF NO WHERE IT WOULDN'T START NO WARNING OR ANYTHING I CHECKED THE STARTER THAT WASN'T IT I'M NOT SURE OFF IT'S THE ENGINE OR AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
TL* THE CONTACT'S MOM OWNED A 2002 LEXUS ES 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EMIT A THICK WHITE, YELLOWISH SMOKE FROM THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER,THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AS A BYSTANDER ALTERED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THE AUTHORITIES WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. DUE TO THE FIRE, THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. NO INJURIES WERE SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER HAVE YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 173,000.
I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM ALL AUTO SALES. THE SAME DAY, LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND IT BROKE DOWN IN FRONT OF A RED LIGHT. THE SALESMAN REASSURED ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. I TRIED TO START IT BACK UP AND IT WOULDN'T START SO I HAD TO PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHILE PREGNANT AND TWO KIDS PRESENT. IT WAS SOLD TO ME "AS IS" AND I HAVE NO TEMP TAGS AND I'M EXPECTED TO PAY A BI WEEKLY CAR NOTE. I HAD TO PAYOUT OF POCKET FOR A TOW TRUCK AND AT THIS POINT I JUST WANT MY MONEY BACK IT'S ONLY BEEN TWO DAYS AND I'M ALREADY EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP.
THIS IS THE 2ND 2002 LEXUS ES300 IVE OWNED WITH HALF THE MILES OF THE 1ST ONE...YET BOTH CARS CATALYTIC CONVERTORS FAILED!! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE AT ONLY 136K MILES THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED!! THE 1ST CAR HAD ALMOST 268K MILES WHICH I FELT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILURE WASNT AS SURPRISING...BUT BETWEEN MY BOYFRIEND AND I WE HAVE OWNED 4 LEXUS VEHICLES: 1997 ES300 1999 RX300 AND 2 ES300 AND ALL OF THEM HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILURES!!! I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC AS LONG AS YOU PUT IN THE CORRECT FUEL AND CORRECT OIL THE CONVERTORS SHOULD LAST FOREVER!! SO WHY IS IT THAT LEXUS CARS CONVERTORS FAIL AS LOW AS 136K MILES!! THATS REDICULOUS!!
ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 20, 2019, AT 9:45, I PARKED MY LEXUS ES 300 AND WENT INSIDE THE LOCAL ACME. ACME IS APPROX MILES FROM HOME. I ENTERED THE STORE AND HEARD OVER THE INTERCOM ALL SHOPPERS HAD 12 MIN BEFORE CLOSING. I QUICKLY SHOPPED, AND UPON EXITING THE STORE, MY CAR HAD A SIGNIFICANT FIRE, AND THE FIRE COMPANY THAT WAS ACROSS THE STREET HAD TO RESPOND AND PUT IT OUT. MY CAR HAD NO POWER, AND IT MYSTERIOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE. I WAS GIVEN THE DIRECTIVE TO HAVE IT TOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE POLICE AND FIRE CO WHO WAS ON THE SCENE. I QUICKLY GRABBED ANY SALVAGEABLE PERSONALS AND HAD TO GET A RIDE HOME BY THE POLICE OFFICER. THE FOLLOWING DAY AUGUST 21, 2019, AAA TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY HOME. I HAD TO ATTACH THE BATTERY CABLE TO HAVE POWER FOR WINDOWS AND LOCKS ALONG WITH THE TRUNK. I GATHERED ALL MY BELONGINGS AND REMOVED THE WIRE. I CALLED THE FIRE MARSHALL FOR A REPORT, AND HE SAID HE COULDN'T GIVE ME A REPORT. IT WAS COMPROMISED BY BEING TOWED. COMPROMISED FOR TOWING WHEN I WAS TOLD OR RATHER DEMANDED TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE OF THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY. I GOOGLED THE WORDS LEXUS AND FIRE AND NOTICED BY A FEW POSTS MY ISSUE WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THEREFORE, I CONTACTED LEXUS, WHO HAD ME TOW MY VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE CAR SAT AND IS STILL SITTING FOR ALMOST THREE WEEKS BEFORE AN INSPECTOR LOOKED AT IT ON SEPTEMBER 10. 2019. I WENT TO CHECK THE ONLY CAR AFTER AND TOOK A VIDEO OF WHAT I SAW. I WAITED THE 30 DAYS FOR A REPLY IF THEY'D ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY. I GOT MY LETTER ON THE 31ST DAY AND THEY CAN NOT IDENTIFY HOW THE FIRE STARTED AND ASSUME NO LIABILITY. HOW DOES A CAR MYSTERIOUSLY CATCH FIRE PARKED? BECAUSE THIS ISSUE ISN'T ISOLATED, IS THERE ANY RECOURSE ACTION AGAINST LEXUS FOR DAMAGES? I HAVE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE AFTER THE FIRE AND AFTER THE INSPECTION.
I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP LIGHT AFTER IT TURNED GREEN. ABOUT 25 FEET THRU THE LIGHT I HEARD THE CAR BEHIND ME BLOWING THEIR HORN CONSTANTLY. I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING IN. THEN I THOUGHT I NOTICE LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM MY TAILPIPE. I APPLIED MY RIGHT TURN BLINKER AND PULLED TO THE CURVE. AS SOON AS I PARKED, I COULD SEE ORANGE COLORED FIRE AROUND THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND ALONG THE SIDE OF MY DRIVER/PASSENGER DOORS. I FELT THAT ME AND MY PASSENGER WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR WITHOUT BE BURNT, BUT I KNEW WE NEEDED TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. I TRIED TO CALMLY GET MY PASSENGER TO EXIT WHICH WE DID MAINLY BECAUSE SHE HADN'T SEEN THE FLAMES. WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT AND I IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 AND PROCEEDED TO CLEARING PEOPLE FROM NEAR MY CAR. THE FIRE DEPT AND POLICE ARRIVED ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES LATER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE CAR THEN LEFT. A POLICE OFFICER STAYED UNTIL THE TOW CO ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY AND I WAS GIVEN A RIDE TO MY RESIDENCE. *TR
I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR (LEXUS ES 300 2002 SEDAN) FOR MY DAUGHTER LESS THAN A WEEK AGO ON 4/11/2014 FROM A PRIVATE OWNER, WITH 267,000 MILES AND IT RAN WELL FOR A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE, SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WELL CARED FOR MECHANICALLY, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND WAS CHECKED OUT MY FRIEND A LONGTIME MECHANIC. MY DAUGHTER HAD JUST LEFT THE DMV WHICH WAS CLOSED TODAY 4/18/2014 AND STREET DRIVING BACK HOME. THE CAR MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND, SMOKE STARTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND SOON FLAMES AND SHE HAD TO PULL OVER AND DITCH THE CAR. SOON IT BLAZED AND THE WHOLE FRONT END, ENGINE, WINDSHIELD THE FRONT TIRES ALL BURNED. FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHOWED UP, EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DID TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE FIRE DAMAGE WAS CONTROL TO THE FRONT AND ENGINE, THE FIREWALL DID IT'S JOB. ALL THE INTERIORS, DASH AND CONSOLE ARE ALL IN TACT AND IN GOOD CONDITION NO SMOKE DAMAGE. VIN:[XXX] LEXUS ES 2002 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY TOWN'S TRANSFER STATION. AS I CAME TO A STOP, I BEGAN TO SHIFT INTO PARK WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE VEHICLE SMASHED INTO A THREE FOOT CONCRETE WALL COMING TO A STOP. THE CAR SUFFERED EXTENSIVE BACK END DAMAGE. I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR XRAYS OF MY NECK AND SPINE. THANKFULLY I AM NOT INJURED. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER MY CONTROL. IT WAS AS IF IT HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I AM A CLEAR HEADED, FORTY EIGHT YEAR OLD FEMALE. I HAVE A PERFECT DRIVING RECORD. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF SOMETHING OUT OF MY CONTROL. I BELIEVE THIS 2002 LEXUS ES 300 IS A DANGEROUS CAR. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO YEARS. IT WAS PURCHASED AS A SECOND CAR FOR MY HUSBAND. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE FLOOR MATS NOR DID I CONFUSE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE. *TR
ON MANY OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300. I INFORMED THE DEALER AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO UNSCREW THE GAS CAP AND RE-SCREW IT AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME TO REPLACE AN OXYGEN SENSOR AFTER THE DEALERS INSPECTION AND FINDING A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE. THE CAR HAD THE PROBLEM WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT IT WOULD BE A COSTLY PROBLEM LATER. *JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .