RoadVitals

1996 Lexus ES250 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Apr 30, 2002
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 Lexus ES250, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

MY CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE EXHAUST AREA WHEN I STARTED IT EVERY MORNING AND IN THE EVENING AFTER THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE IN THE OFFICE GARAGE. I TOOK IT TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT NEEDED THE 90,000 MILE MAINTENANCE. I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS SMOKING AND THE ENGINE JUMPED HEAVILY WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I ALSO TOLD THEM THE CAR MADE A STRANGE NOISE WHEN IT WOULD GO UP HILL, ESPECIALLY EXCELLERATING UP-HILL. THEY CHARGED ME APPROX. $1500.00. I TOOK THE CAR BACK A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE MAINTENANCE AND TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS STILL SMOKING WHEN IT STARTS AND MAKING THE NOISE WHEN IT WENT UP HILL. THEY KEPT IT OVERNIGHT AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME THE NEXT DAY, SAYING THEY DIDN'T SEE SMOKE WHEN THEY STARTED IT. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN IN FEB 2002 AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN BECAUSE IT SMOKES REALLY BAD. THEY TOLD ME IT HAD SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD COST UP TO $14,000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT I COULD TRY TO HAVE IT FIXED FOR $2500.00 BUT THE CHANCES WAS ONLY 10% THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR WEEKS TO SEE IF THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. I JUST HAPPENED TO SEE THE ARTICLE IN APRIL'S ISSUE OF AUTOMOTIVE NEWS AND THE PROBLEM MENTIONED WAS THE SAME AS WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH MY CAR. THE ARTICLE SAYS TOYOTA HAS AGREED TO REPAIR 1997-2002 CARS WITH SLUDGE. MY CAR IS 1996 BUT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS WHAT THE OTHERS HAVE STATED.*AK

NHTSA ID 761373 · filed Apr 30, 2002

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .