Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 43 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1993 Lexus ES300. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 43 · page 1 of 2
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BATTERY TWICE, STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED FOR A WHILE, AND THEN FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 293,095. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT 1993 ES300 LEXUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45MPH AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE BEGIN TO SMOKE. UPON PULLING OVER THE CONTACT NOTICED FIRE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE LOCAL MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND HE STATED THAT THE STEERING FLUID CAUGHT ON FIRE AND THE FIRE STARTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED OVER TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACT STILL HAS NOT HEARD BACK FROM THE DEALER AS OF THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT . THE CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE WERE IN SHOCK BUT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
DD. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 84,400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000. THE NEEDLES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAVE ALL BURNED OUT. UPDATED 09/05/07. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER GAUGE FAILED. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THE CONSUMER STATED THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. UPDATED 12/05/06. *JB
MALFUNCTION IN DESIGN OF DASHBOARD INSTRUMENTS. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LOW ON GAS, THE NEEDLES CEASE TO LIGHT AND IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE HOW JUST HOW MUCH GAS IS LEFT. THE CONSUMER HAS TO FILL THE GAS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE TO SEE MUCH GAS IS LEFT, NOT ONLY CAN THE CONSUMER NOT SEE THE GAS, BUT THIS ALSO AFFECTED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND SPEED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE DESIGN OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS UNSOUNDED AND PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD. *JB
AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM GETTING AN OIL LEAK REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD.DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK
I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE "SURGING" THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE MEDIA ON MY 1993 LEXUS ES300 MANY TIMES. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 1995. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED (AT IDLE). I HAVE THE BRAKE DEPRESSED AND THE CAR ENGINE INCREASES IN RPM'S. SOMETIMES IT IS A POWERFUL SURGE THAT CAUSES THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD. USUALLY, I NOTICE THIS OCCURRING AND PRESS HARDER ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM MOVING FORWARD.
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL OVERHEAT AND SHUT DOWN . *AK CONSUMER ADDED THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S AIR CONDITIONER, AND A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN BECAUSE OF POOR MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF A RADIATOR ALTHOUGH THE LEAKS WERE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE WATER PUMP *LA THE OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED. *JB
INSTRUMENT GAUGE CLUSTER: SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE DOES NOT LIGHT UP. IT STARTS FLICKERING WITH FULL LIGHT INTENSITY, WHICH MAKES ME USE LOWER LIGHT INTENSITY TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDLES. WITH LOW LIGHT INTENSITY IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE INSTRUMENT GAUGE CLUSTER, SPEED, TEMP, FUEL WHEN SUN IS IN FRONT OR ON THE SIDE OF CAR. THE ONLY WAY TO SEE INSTRUMENT IS TO TURN THE LIGHT TO FULL INTENSITY, AND THEN THE NEEDLES START FLICKERING. THIS CREATES A LOT OF DISTRACTION AND PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING, MAY RESULT INTO AN ACCIDENT. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN EARLY MODELS OF LEXUS AND IT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST EVEN THOUGH IT CAUSE PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED BY LEXUS DEARLER IN 1996 @ 40,000 MILES NOW IT IS AGAIN GIVING PROBLEMS. *LA
A CLOUD OF BLUE SMOKE COMES OUT WHEN I FIRST START MY CAR IN THE MORNING. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE 3.0 LITER ENGINES HAVE SLUDGE PROBLEMS AND NEED TO BE REPLACED.
INSTRUMENT BACKGROUND LIGHTING OF THE NEEDLES BLACKED OUT, CREATES DRIVING HAZARD.*AK
ENGINE OIL IS JELLING WHICH PREVENTS THE OIL FROM CIRCULATING THROUGH ENGINE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECT WITHIN THE ENGINE. *SLC
ENGINE OIL IS JELLING WHICH PREVENTS OIL FROM CIRCULATING THROUGH THE ENGINE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK FIRST THERE WAS OIL FILTER GASKET LEAK AT BLOCK. DEALER REPLACED OIL FILTER HOUSING O-RING. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE OIL LIGHT WAS ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. LASTLY, THE ENGINE SEIZED. DEALER REPLACED ENGINE AND FOUND OIL GELLING IN ENGINE. AFTER NEW ENGINE, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER OF AN OIL GELLING CONDITION THAT MAY OCCUR. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FROM EXPENSES INCURRED FOR OIL GELLING CONDITION. *TT
CONSUMER STATES THAT DASHBOARD AREA IS DIM CAUSING LOSS OF ILLUMINATION TO THE NEEDLES ON THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER AND GAS GAUGE. *TT
INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS HAVE FAILED, AND DRIVER COULD NOT SEE GAUGES DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND INFORMED CONSUMER REPAIRS COULD BE MADE AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE, $600 - $1,000. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT UNLATCHES AT TIMES.ADDITIONALLY, THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT PLASTIC RETAINER HAS BROKEN AND HAS A SHARP PROTRUDING EDGE WHICH IN AN ACCIDENT MAY PROVE VERY DANGEROUS. *AK
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BACKGROUND LIGHTING AND ILLUMINATION OF THE NEEDLE INDICATORS BLACKED OUT AND CREATES POOR VISIBILITY, DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR WITHOUT PAYMENT BECAUSE THE WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY. *MJS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AT HIGH SPEED WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. *AK THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM INDICATE THAT DEFECTIVE WIRE ON A SENSOR IS THE CAUSE. *YH
DEFECTIVE TREAD TIRE BY GOODYEAR ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED CAUSED TERRIBLE TIRE PULLS SO LONG UNABLE TO ROTATE TIRES.LEXUS REFUSES TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE WITH A CORRECT TIRE WITH NO CHARGE. IT IS RISKY TO KEEP DRIVING ES300 WITH DEFECTIVE TIRE, CAUSING SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS A GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER WARNED ME.PLEASE TREAT THIS AS A SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM AND ASK LEXUS/GOODYEAR TO REPLACE IT FREE AS THEY COVERED UP THE DEFECT WHEN I BOUGHT ES300. IT WILL BE TOO LATE AFTER AN ACCIDENT. APPRECIATING YOUR QUICK REMEDY! HARRY( DOT NUMBER: )
IF THIS FAULTY TIRE MANUFACTURING DESIGN WAS THE GOODYEAR TIRE'S PRACTISE THAT COULD CAUSE THE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, INSTEAD OF COVERING UP THE DEFECTIVE FACT, IT SHOULD BE BRIEFED TO FEDERAL AUTORITIES UNDER TODAY'S POLITICAL CLIMATE. AS THE LEXUS WAS THE COLLABORATED SELLER OF THE TIRES, YOU SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE ILLEGAL TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: N/A )
WHILE DRIVING A FUSE BLEW, CONSUMER STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER DASHBOARD, SMELLED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. *AK
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON. CONSUMER WILL COMPLETE COMPLAINT FORM.*AK THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON DUE TO SPIRAL CABLE AND AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILURE. *YH
HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND HAVE BEEN QUOTED A REPAIR COST OF NEARLY $1500. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
I BELIEVE THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND IGNITION FAILED BECAUSE OF A Y2K FAILURE. THE CAR WILL NOT START WAS WORKING PROPERLY AT LEAST 4 HOURS PRIOR TO TRYING TO START AFTER 1200 MIDNIGHT ON THE 1 JAN 2000. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .