Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 52 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Lexus ES300, most frequently naming the airbags, electrical and seat belts categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 50 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1998 | 1 | 1 |
| Jan 1999 | 1 | 2 |
| Feb 1999 | 13 | 15 |
| May 1999 | 1 | 16 |
| Sep 1999 | 4 | 20 |
| Nov 2001 | 1 | 21 |
| Feb 2002 | 1 | 22 |
| Jun 2002 | 1 | 23 |
| Jun 2003 | 1 | 24 |
| Aug 2003 | 1 | 25 |
| Nov 2003 | 1 | 26 |
| Jan 2004 | 3 | 29 |
| Apr 2004 | 2 | 31 |
| May 2004 | 1 | 32 |
| Jun 2004 | 1 | 33 |
| Jan 2006 | 1 | 34 |
| Jun 2006 | 1 | 35 |
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 36 |
| Jun 2008 | 1 | 37 |
| Oct 2008 | 1 | 38 |
| Dec 2009 | 1 | 39 |
| Jan 2010 | 1 | 40 |
| Feb 2010 | 1 | 41 |
| Mar 2010 | 1 | 42 |
| Jul 2010 | 1 | 43 |
| Oct 2010 | 1 | 44 |
| Jan 2011 | 2 | 46 |
| Mar 2011 | 2 | 48 |
| Jan 2012 | 1 | 49 |
| Jun 2013 | 1 | 50 |
| Aug 2013 | 1 | 51 |
| May 2014 | 1 | 52 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSTEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
ENGINE SEIZURE
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
MAY 17, 2014 TRAVELING ON FLORIDA TURNPIKE AFTER TWO HOURS HAD TWO TIRES SEPARATE. REPLACED TWO TIRES IN PALM BEACH GARDENS AND CONTINUED ANOTHER HOUR WHEN A THIRD TIRE SEPARATED. TIRES WERE ALL COOPER CS4 P205/65R15. IN KEY WEST REPLACED THE REMAINING FAILED TIRE AND THE SO FAR FOURTH REMAINING COOPER TIRE. WAS NOT ABLE TO RETAIN THE SEPARATED TIRES AS WAS 200 MILES FROM HOME WITH PACKED CAR. *TR
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES HAVE FAILED. I AM UNABLE TO INSERT BELTS INTO THE BUCKLE. CLEANING AND LUBE HAD NO AFFECT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE ENGINE EVAP CANISTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.
THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ALL THE TAIL LIGHT WERE OFF AND I FOUND THE FUSE FOR TAIL LIGHT WAS BLEW. SO I REPLACED THE FUSE. NEXT DAY,WHEN I TURNED ON HEADLIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 680, THE "R" INDICATOR ON THE DASHBOARD BECAME ON AS WELL -- NOW BOTH "D" AND "R" WERE ON. IT PUZZLED ME FOR AWHILE SO I DECIDED TO TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHT. AS SOON AS THE HEADLIGHT WAS TURNED OFF , THE CAR "HESITATED" ON FREEWAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER FOR SERVICE WHO CLAIMED THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. AFTER 3 DAYS OF SERVICES, THEY SAID SOME WIRES WERE CROSSED AND CHARGED $581 FOR REPLACING THOSE FAULTY WIRES AND ONE CONTROLLER. THE CAR IS ONLY 13 YEAR OLD AND ABOUT 100 K MILES. I WOULD DEFINITELY CLASSIFY THIS ACCIDENT AS A DEFECT BY MANUFACTURE. I WANT TO FILE THIS COMPLIANT TO SEE ANY OTHER ES300 OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH PROBLEM. *TT
FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR (DAMPER) FAILED ALLOWING FUEL TO FLOW INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FUMES THROUGH AIR INTAKE INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS FIRE IF NOT DETECTED IN TIME AND REPAIRED.
SEAT BELT RETRACTION FAILURE. THE SEAT BELT ON MY 1998 LEXUS HAD BEEN SLOW TO RETRACT, SOMETIMES NOT RETRACT AT ALL. IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO THIS MODEL OR YEAR. MANY OTHER VEHICLES MADE BY TOYOTA AND LEXUS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM (BASED ON SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET). THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO A DEFECT IN COMPONENTS OF THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SIDE SWIPED HIS VEHICLE, CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO A CEMENT WALL. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND SHOULDER AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTACT HIM. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000. UPDATED 09/19/11
MY 1998 LEXUS HIT A CEMENT WALL AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I CALLED AND WROTE TO LEXUS HEADQUARTERS THREE TIMES AND THEY NEVER RESPONDED. I WANT TO HEAR FROM LEXUS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
EQUIPMENT
Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
EQUIPMENT
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003 93, and PG002-90. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1990 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin.
EQUIPMENT
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
TSB: Replacement Certification Labels. OBSOLETE NOTICE November 28, 2017: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0179-17.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.