2002 Lexus GS300 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Lexus GS300, 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
- Driver assistance533.3%
- Tires & wheels213.3%
- Electrical16.7%
- Fuel system16.7%
- Other / unspecified16.7%
- Seat belts16.7%
- Suspension16.7%
- Airbags16.7%
- Transmission16.7%
- Brakes16.7%
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
UNCONTROLLED EXCESSIVE ENGINE SPEED UP THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES ON TWO OCCASIONS THERE WAS HIGH WIND FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN COLD WEATHER. I WONDER IF THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL WAS FOOLED. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME IT MUST BE THAT I WAS NOT USED TO A ELECTRONIC GAS PEDAL!!! *TR
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED HESITATION WHILE DRIVING TO THE INTERSECTION, AND VEHICLE WILL NOT GO FORWARD WITH ANY POWER. CONSUMER PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE WITH ANY FORCE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TIRE: INNER SIDEWALL BLOWOUT WHILE PARKED. NO EXTERNAL CAUSE. TIRE IS 80,000 MILE TIRE WARRANTY, WITH 40,000 MILES USED AND HAS 6/32 TREAD DEPTH REMAINING. MAY BE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DEFECT. *TR
LEXUS GS300/2002. DUNLOP SPORT TIRES 5000 MILES ONLY. LEFT REAR TIRE.SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF TIRE, PLUS NEW WHEEL/DISC.INVESTIGATION BY LEXUS SHOWED LARGE PUNCTURE HOLE ON TIRE. BUT TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE IT EXPLODED APART?*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION HEADLIGHTS SHORT OUT, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
UNCONTROLLED EXCESSIVE ENGINE SPEED UP THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES ON TWO OCCASIONS THERE WAS HIGH WIND FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN COLD WEATHER. I WONDER IF THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL WAS FOOLED. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME IT MUST BE THAT I WAS NOT USED TO A ELECTRONIC GAS PEDAL!!! *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TIRE: INNER SIDEWALL BLOWOUT WHILE PARKED. NO EXTERNAL CAUSE. TIRE IS 80,000 MILE TIRE WARRANTY, WITH 40,000 MILES USED AND HAS 6/32 TREAD DEPTH REMAINING. MAY BE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DEFECT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FEED BROKEN LOOSE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
LOWER BALL JOINTS ON LEXUS GS300 ARE VERY WEAK AND SUBJECT TO BREAK AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DAMAGE TO THE CAR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER STATES WHILE HIS SON WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A POLE, FRONT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND DRIVER DIED, DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
SUDDEN ACCELERATION AFTER TURNING A CORNER. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN A CORNER TO APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH AND AFTER NEGOTIATING THE TURN ACCELERATED MODERATELY TO ABOUT 20-25 MPH. AT THAT INSTANT THE MOTOR STARTED TO RACE. THE CAR ACCELERATED RAPIDLY IN A FEW SECONDS TO APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND GOT THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN TO 20-25 MPH. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED THE ENGINE STARTED TO RACE AGAIN AT AN ACCELERATING RATE. I THE DECIDED TO ABORT THE ACCELERATION AND STOP THE CAR THIS TIME BY THROWING THE SHIFT INTO "PARK." WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DO THAT THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT WENT ONLY AS FAR AS NEUTRAL. I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT BEING IN NEUTRAL WAS OK AND APPLIED THE BRAKE AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER PICKED UP THE CAR. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS/MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE FLOORMAT SLIDING UNDER THE ACCELERATOR. I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THE FLOORMAT IF IT GOT UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD HAVE CAUSED A CONSTANT ACCELERATION. IN BOTH CASES THE CAR ACCELERATED AT AN ACCELERATING RATE. I ASKED THE DEALER TO CALL LEXUS TO SEE WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THIS. EVENTUALLY WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM THEY TOLD ME LEXUS CONFIRMED THEIR DIAGNOSIS. THEY KNEW OF NO OTHER CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKE PEDAL PULSATED AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE FAULTY BRAKES CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED. *AK *NM
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .