Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Lexus ES300 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 41 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.
The 25 most recent of 41, in the owner's own words
MY 2002 LEXUS ES 200 WAS DYING OR NOT STARTING AT ALL. SUDDENLY, IT WAS WORKING FINE. 2 DAYS LATER, WHILE IDLING OR WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD AND START ACCELERATING AT SOMETIMES 40MPH. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES, THEN EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP, THEN AFTER I TURNED IT OFF, IT WOULD SHAKE FORWARD. *KB
LEXUS (2002 ES) HAS DRAMATIC TRANSMISSION STUTTER AT LOW OR HIGH SPEEDS, JERKING OCCUPANTS AND MAKING QUICK STARTS (TURNING ACROSS LANES) VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
2002 LEXUS ES300, CAR LUNGES AND JERKS DURING ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. CAR DROVE FINE UNTIL LEXUS UPGRADED SOFTWARE, AND THEN 100% NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO JM LEXUS APPROX 4-5 TIMES FOR PROBLEM, AND ONCE TO PALM BEACH LEXUS. CAR JERKED DURING TEST DRIVE WITH MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE CAR, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT. MECHANIC STATED HE HAS SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER CARS. PROBLEM HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 LEXUS ES300. MY CAR AT SLOWER SPEEDS HAS BEEN JERKING/SURGING AT LOWER SPEEDS AND LURCHES FORWARD WITHOUT NOTICE. IT IS A NIGHTMARE TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN TRAFFIC. I KEEP BEING TOLD ITS NORMAL, IT SEEMS HUNDREDS OF OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED, BUT I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP DID A SOFTWARE UPGRADE RECENTLY, IT ONLY MADE THE MATTER WORSE. I HATE DRIVING THIS CAR, EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY AVOIDS DRIVING IT, AS WE JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE WAY IT ACCELERATES AND SHIFTS GEARS. ITS A 2002 MODEL, WITH 49K MILES. I AVG 25K MILES A YEAR DRIVING, DO THE MATH, THIS CAR SUCKS, AND I AVOID USING IT OUT OF FEAR/ANNOYANCE. *TR
I PRESENT THIS AS INFORMATION TO COMPLEMENT THE PRESENT ISSUES WITH TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY AND ITS INSTITUTIONAL FAILURE TO RESPOND TO SAFETY RELATED INCIDENTS. I OWNED A 2002 LEXUS ES300. THE MECHANICAL/COMPUTER PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR INVOLVED THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION TO DOWNSHIFT EFFECTIVELY WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AT 40-50 MPH. THIS ISSUE WAS FIRST OBSERVED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MERGE INTO THE FREEWAY IN FRONT OF A FAST MOVING TRUCK. THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED BUT DID NOT ENGAGE IN 3RD GEAR, BUT SIMPLY DISENGAGED THE ENGINE FROM THE WHEELS; THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED, THE TACHOMETER WENT TO THE RED LINE AND THE COMPUTER SHUT OFF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. THUS THE CAR DECELERATED IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK. THIS WAS EASILY REPLICATED, AND MANY SIMILAR STORIES FILLED THE AUTO CHAT ROOMS AT THAT TIME. LEXUS RESPONSE AT THE DEALER LEVEL: " YOU USE THE WRONG FUEL; YOU HAVE DRIVEN INCORRECTLY AND PROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER TO RESPOND THIS WAY; THIS IS THE ONLY CAR BEHAVING LIKE THIS" THE SHOP FOREMAN DROVE WITH ME, OBSERVED THE PROBLEM AND WROTE AN INCIDENT REPORT TO TOYOTA. I DEMONSTRATED THE EFFECT ON A NEW LEXUS WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER, WHO STILL WAS NOT ABLE TO ADMIT THAT A SERIOUS PROBLEM EXISTED. LEXUS RESPONSE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL: "NO PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON A PROBLEM YOU DESCRIBE." FINALLY A SERVICE REP SHOWED ME A PRINT OUT FROM NATIONAL LEXUS SERVICE, "TELL THE CUSTOMERS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BEHAVING THE WAY THAT IT WAS DESIGNED! " OF COURSE, IT WAS INCORRECTLY DESIGNED AND IT BEHAVED THAT WAY. AFTER TWO YEARS, A PARTIAL COMPUTER UPGRADE WAS SENT TO THE DEALERS AND INSTALLED. MINE WAS THE SECOND CAR WITH THE FIX, THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP OWNER WAS THE FIRST. MY POINT IS THAT THE TOYOTA/LEXUS CORPORATE RESPONSE TO SAFETY ISSUES AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL HAS BEEN TO STONEWALL AND DENY THE EXISTENCE OF PROBLEMS EVEN WHEN THEY COULD PRODUCE POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. THIS HISTORICAL POLICY OF DENIAL EXISTED LONG BEFORE THE PRESENT ISSUES GAINED NOTORIETY. *TR
LEXUS 2002 ES 300 82,000 MILES TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY OUT WITH NO WARNING AND WAS SERVICED ON 02/28/2007 WITH 58995 MILES AS AN OIL CHANGE ATTENDANT NOTIFIED MY THAT MY TRANSMISSION FLUID LOOKED COMPLETELY WORN OUT. MY STARTER WAS REPLACED BY LEXUS OF TULSA ON 01/29/2008 THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ONE COMPLETELY WORN OUT AS THIS WITH SO FEW MILES. I WONDER IF I HAVE A LEMON. LEXUS OF TULSA HAS QUOTED A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT OF 4200-4600 DOLLARS THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE A NEW BABY AT HOME AND THIS IS OUR ONLY CAR THAT THE BABY'S CAR SEAT CAN TRAVEL IN. WE NEED HELP. *TR
CAR ACCELERATES WHEN NOT APPROPRIATE AND SHIFTS VERY POORLY ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ON. SEEMS TO BE STUCK IN GEAR WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. HESITATION. BUCKS AND SHIFTS REALLY HARD INTERMITTENTLY. *JB
DANGEROUS HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AFTER DECELERATING. NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. LEXUS HAS TRIED 2 TIMES TO FIX AND NOTHING HAS HELPED. *NM
THE FLAWS AND FAILURES OF THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 WERE NOTICEABLE WITHIN 500 MILES OF DRIVING THE NEW CAR OFF THE LOT. I NOW HAVE 47,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND LEXUS HAS PERFORMED RE-PROGRAMMING OF THE TRANSMISSION LOGIC. HOWEVER, THAT HAS NOT HELPED. IT SEEMS THAT AS I DRIVE MORE MILEAGE THE PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION NOT KNOWING WHAT GEAR TO BE IN IS BECOMING WORSE. THE RESULTING HESITATION IS DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF MY CAR AS IT RESULTS IN CLOSE-CALLS WITH OTHER VEHICLES HITTING ME FROM BEHIND DURING HESITATION. *JB
MY 2002 LEXUS 300 HAS A DANGEROUS AND SIGNIFICANT HESITATION AND SHIFTING PROBLEM. ACCELERATION IS SLUGGISH AND THEN SURGES FORWARD SUDDENLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A REPEATED SHIFTING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEEDS WHEREIN THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE, AGAIN WITH UNEXPECTED AND UNCONTROLLABLE RESULTS. THE DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS THE WAY THESE CARS WERE ENGINEERED AND DID AN FIRMWARE UPGRADE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY. *JB
UPON ACCELERATION IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, SEVERE HESITATION WITH BRAKE-LIKE EFFECT, ENGINE REVIVING, WITH DRIVER THROWN FORWARD, THEN LURCHING INTO GEAR. SAID WAS FIXED WITH INSTALLATION OF TSIB TC004-3. NARROWLY BEING MISSED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN CAR BASICALLY STALLED. TSIB NOT A FIX. NOW ENGINE LIGHT ON. DANGEROUS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. *NM
WHEN ACCELERATING IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300, I EXPERIENCE HESITATION OF A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO INCREASE IN SPEED. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE, BUT OVER TIME HAS BECOME EXTREMELY NOTICEABLE AND DANGEROUS SINCE I DRIVE ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. WHEN IT WAS REPORTED TO MY DEALER A FEW MONTHS AGO THEY EXPLAINED IT AWAY AND TOOK NO ACTION.*AK
MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS HAD CONTINUAL TRANSMISSION AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE UPDATE BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED AGAIN I WAS TOLD I ALREADY HAD THE UPDATE AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE DONE. I BELIEVE LEXUS NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX THIS ISSUE. OFTEN TIMES I WILL PRESS THE GAS PEDAL TO QUICKLY GET OUT OF THE WAY AND THE DELAY IS NOT ONLY ANNOYING, IT'S DANGEROUS.*JB
ROUGH SHIFTING/SLIPPING IN LOWER GEARS (1,2). WHEN ACCELERATING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC CAR SEEMS TO STALL BEFORE IT SUDDENLY BUMPS INTO GEAR. INTERMITTENTLY - WHEN ACCELERATED SUDDENLY (MOVING STEADY AT ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR) TRANSSMISION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, ENGINE RPM REACHED ABOUT 4000 RPM. IT ENGAGED IN GEAR AFTER I RELEASED ACCELERATOR. *AK
I OWN A 2002 LEXUS ES300, AND THE CAR IS DANGEROUS! I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED OUT, BECAUSE IT HESITATES IN TRAFFIC WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS.THEY JUST SAY SOME BABBLE ABOUT THE "TRANSMISSION JUST NEEDS TO GET USED TO THE DRIVER", IM SORRY BUT JUST BECAUSE WE CAN AFFORD AN EXPENSIVE CAR DOESNT MEAN THAT WE'RE STUPID. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR, AND I REALLY DON'T THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE ANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING VEHICLE SHIFTED VIOLENTLY. DEALER STATED THEY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT COULD NOT FIND A SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. *AK
2002 LEXUS ES300 WITH ABOUT 18,000 MILES HAS A PROBLEM WITH HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER SLOWING DOWN, ESPECIALLY AFTER COMPLETING A TURN. IT IS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T ADJUST WITH THE PRESSING OF THE GAS PEDAL. ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION. ALSO I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR DOWN SHIFTING AS I COME DOWN A HILL. ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT GEAR TO BE IN WHEN GOING AROUND 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR CHANGE GEAR. PASSENGERS EVEN HAVE ASKED WHAT WAS THAT? COMPLAINED TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WAY I DRIVE. I HAD THE SB-TC004-03 PERFORMED AFTER RECEIVING THE LETTER FROM LEXUS, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. MAY HAVE MADE IT WORSE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED,TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WHILE SHIFTING FROM THIRD TO FOURTH GEAR. ALSO, THERE WA S HESITATION, AND THE RPMS WENT WAY UP. DEALERSHIP REPLACED A CHIP AND CALIBRATED THE TRANSMISSION, AND PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
LACK OF RESPONSE BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENGINE.*MR THE CONSUME EXPLAINED THAT THERE IS A LAG TIME BETWEEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AN THE TRANSMISSION RESPONDING. THIS HESITATION WAS MOST PRONOUNCED WHEN BRAKING AND THEN NEEDING TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATE, SUCH AS WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER FEELS THE VEHICLE INABILITY TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER IS A HAZARD. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO INDICATED THAT HE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING WITH IN THEIR SPECIFICATIONS. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD THAT THE CONSUMER INTENDS TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE. *NM
2003 LEXUS HESITATES ON ACCELERATION WHEN SLOWING ( E.G., MAKING A TURN) AND THEN PROCEEDING TO FULL SPEED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN PRESS REVIEWS ON RELEASE OF THE CAR, AND TOOK 2 YEARS TO PROVIDE A SOFTWARE PATCH THAT WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE PATCH DOES NOT WORK, AND THE CONDITION IS A SAFETY PROBLEM.*AK
POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL. AR HESITATES ON ACCELERATION, LUNGES AT TIMES, SEARCHES FOR PROPER GEAR AND SHIFTS HARD. THE HEISTATION CAN BE QUITE DRAMATIC; ENOUGH TO LOSE CONFIDENCE IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS. THE CAR HAS BEEN "RE-PROGRAMMED" BY LEXUS, BUT PROBLEMS CONTINUE. LEXUS DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND SAYS THE CAR FUNCTIONS AS DESIGNED. PROBLEMS SURFACED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE AND CONTINUE.*AK
DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300, WHERE A SEVERE HESITATION EXISTS WHEN ACCELERATING AT SLOW ROLL (< 5MPH) AT INTERSECTION TURNS, EXITING DRIVEWAYS, AND GENERALLY ANYWHERE WHEN TRYING TO GET INTO FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHEN NEARLY STOPPED - ESPECIALLY WHEN A TURN IS INVOLVED ALONG WITH THE ACCELERATION. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WHEN TRYING TO ENTER LANE, OR MAKE A TURN, IN FRONT OF FAST-MOVING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS DOES NOT REGOGNIZE THE ACCELERATOR'S REQUEST FOR FUEL UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT COMPLAINT /CASE #100375515 LISTED AND I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER TWICE AND ANOTHER ONE SHEDULED FOR 5/21/2004. *AK
I HAVE A 2002 LEXUS ES300. IF YOU STOMP ON THE GAS WHILE DRIVING IN ORDER TO MERGE OR PASS THE ENGIN REVES BUT THE CAR DOES NOT PICK UP SPEED I.E THERE IS A BIG DEAD SPOT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALOR AND WAS TOLD THAT WAS HOW THE CARE WAS DESIGNED TO WORK. I FEEL THAT THE HESITATION IS A BIG SAFTY PROBLEM THAT COULD LEAD TO A ACCIDENT. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET LEXUS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM?*AK
2002 LEXUS ES300 EXHIBITS MOST OF THE PECULARITIES MENTIONED IN PE 04021 AND DP 04003 IN ADDITION TO INCONSISTENT 1/2 AND 2/3 SHIFTS AND MAJOR LAG TIME IN DOWNSHIFTS AT SPEED. A MAJOR DEFECT THAT HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS NEAR MISSES.
BRAKE ROTORS WERE REPLACED, ENTIRE NEW BRAKE KIT INSTALLED AND ALL FOUR TIRE WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO REACHING 20K MILES. *PH THE CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN PLEASED WITH THE SHIFTING PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DEMONSTRATE ERRATIC, ROUGH AND INCONSISTENT SHIFTING. THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED A SOFTWARE UPGRADE BUT IT ONLY SLIGHTLY IMPROVED THE PERFORMANCE. THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD A 2000 LEXUS GS 300 WHICH HAD A MORE DRAMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE LOCAL DEALER INSISTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *NM
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 .