1999 Lexus RX300 Brakes Problems

The contact owns a 1999 Lexus RX300. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the brakes failed and could not be depressed to stop the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the side of the road and stopped by shifting into neutral. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where it was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 99V012000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 249,000.

NHTSA ID

11457845

Incident

Mar 21, 2022

Mileage

249,000 mi

1999 LEXUS RX 300. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE FAILURE AND ACCELERATION ISSUES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 60MPH. *LD *JS

NHTSA ID

11119048

Incident

Feb 14, 2018

THIS WEEK I GOT A FLAT TIRE, A SCREW IN TIRE. ONE TIRE SHOP WOULDN'T REPAIR IT, SO I PARKED THE CAR A FEW DAYS AFTER THEY PUT THE FULL-SIZE SPARE ON IT. THEN I DROVE IT 20 MILES WITH THE SPARE, AND IT STARTED ACTIVATING THE ABS WHEN I BRAKE AT GENTLE/NORMAL SPEEDS. SO I HAD THE FLAT TIRE REPAIRED AND THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY. THERE IS NO CHANGE WITH THE FIXED TIRED PUT BACK ON/BALANCED. THE CAR ACTIVATES ABS EVERY TIME I BRAKE PRETTY MUCH NOW. I DO HAVE AWD, BUT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO USED & HAD IT THOROUGHLY INSPECTED PRIOR TO PURCHASING IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE!

NHTSA ID

11043963

Incident

Nov 6, 2017

Mileage

177,512 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS RX300. THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V011000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), WHICH WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 184,000.

NHTSA ID

10870291

Incident

Mar 1, 2016

Mileage

184,000 mi

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED FOR THE SECOND TIME WITHIN 30 DAYS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS AN OIL PROBLEM. THE LIGHT WENT OFF AS I WAS LEAVING THE PLACE. A COUPLE DAYS LATER THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHEN I MADE TURNS, BLINK, THEN GO BACK OFF. A FEW DAYS LATER, IT CAME BACK ON STEADY, AND THE CAR STARTED TO JERK WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. IT WOULD JERK, THEN SLOWLY INCREASE SPEED. LAST SATURDAY, I APPLIED BRAKES, AND THE CAR ROLLED ANOTHER FEW FEET. HAD TO SWERVE LEFT TO KEEP FROM REAR ENDING A VEHICLE. TODAY, UPON SLOWING DOWN TO ENTER MY DRIVEWAY, IT DID IT AGAIN, AND I NEARLY HIT A BRICK COLUMN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DRIVEWAY. IT DOESN'T JERK FREQUENTLY, BUT IT SEEMS TO DO IT MORE OFTEN WHEN I AM ON CRUISE CONTROL. I LOVE MY SUV AND AM ALWAYS BRAGGING ABOUT WHAT A RELIABLE CAR IT IS. I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE IT, RETIRED AND ON DISABILITY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10501468

Incident

Feb 28, 2013

Mileage

228,000 mi

MY 1999 -- LEXUS RX300 HAS ABOUT 140K MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED SO I DON'T KILL MYSELF OR MY FAMILY WHILE DRIVING. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, MY CAR JUST STARTED JERKING AS IF IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WORK OFF A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND I WAS REALLY SCARED. MY CAR SPEED WOULD BE 50-55MPH BUT THE RPMS WOULD BE AS HIGH AS 6. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. I WENT TO THE CAR REPAIR SHOP - I HAD SOME MIS-FIRES AND THEY WERE FIXED FOR $150, NO PROBLEM. THE CAR REPAIR RECOMMENDED I GET MY FRONT BRAKES DONE BECAUSE MY MILES PER GALLON HAD SLIPPED TO 15 IN THE CITY. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, I GOT MY FRONT BRAKES DONE, NO PROBLEMS UNTIL ONE EVENING, I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN...THIS TIME I WAS AT THE STOP LIGHT AND MY CAR STARTED IDLING/JERKING LIKE I NEEDED TO GIVE IT SOME GAS OR IT WAS GOING TO DIE. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW BLINKING ON MY DASH BOARD. MY HUSBAND TOOK MY CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP THEY SAY 2-COIL IGNITIONS HAVE FAILED. AND THAT MY SPARK PLUGS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BUT IN ORDER TO GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO STOP BLINKING I HAVE TO FIX, THE COIL IGNITION PROBLEM WHICH COST BETWEEN $515 TO $775. THEN THEY CAN RUN MORE TEST TO SEE THERE IS ANY MORE PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS PARKED FOR NOW. THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF RECALL SINCE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL '99 LEXUS RX300. THIS IS CRAZY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10331462

Incident

May 12, 2010

Mileage

145,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE ABS STARTED ACTIVATING WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND ONCE THE CAR SPEED WAS LESS THAN 20-25 MPH OR SO. THIS NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND AS SOON AS THE SPEED DROPS BELOW 20-25MPH. THE LOCAL LEXUS SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A "CRACKED ACTIVATOR" WHICH COULD BE REPLACED FOR $1200.00 PARTS AND $800.00 LABOR. ARE THERE OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE? *TR

NHTSA ID

10330020

Incident

Apr 2, 2009

Mileage

100,000 mi

ABS ENGAGES EVERY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED, INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE, AND CAUSING A POTENTIAL HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10313993

Incident

Jan 1, 2010

Mileage

114,000 mi

THE WHEELS OF A 1999 RX300 LOCKED UP AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN 220 DEGREES AND CRASH INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH. TRANSFER CASE WAS REPLACED BY DEALER/INSURANCE CO. ABS SENSORS ARE RUSTING AT THE WHEELS AND REQUIRE REPAIR AFTER ONLY 23 MONTHS/27K MILES SINCE THE LAST ABS SENSOR OVERHAUL. LEXUS HAS THE TRANSFER CASE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10219569

Incident

Dec 24, 2007

Mileage

51,915 mi

AUTOMOBILE WAS A PERFECTLY FUNCTIONING 1999 CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED LEXUS RX300 UNDER A BUMPER TO BUMPER 'NEW CAR WARRANTY'. AUTO WAS CONSISTENTLY SERVICED BY LEXUS OF PALM BEACH. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS CONSUMED BY 20 FT. FLAMES IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE GARAGE WAS ABOUT 6 FT. AWAY AND CAUGHT FIRE. FORTUNATELY A NEIGHBORS DOG AWOKE THEM AND THE FIREMEN ARRIVED TO PUT THE FINAL CAR FLAMES OUT AND STOP THE FIRE ON THE GARAGE. WE SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE INCIDENT AND WERE AWOKEN BY A FIREMAN. THE EXACT CAUSE IS STILL A MYSTERY. THE ARSON INVESTIGATOR RULED OUT ARSON, THE RESPONDING FIRE CHIEF RULED OUT WEATHER RELATED CAUSES. BOTH THE ARSON AND THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED THE IGNITION POINT AT THE REAR LEFT TIRE. BOTH CONCLUDED THAT POSSIBLY AN OVER HEATED BRAKE WAS TO BLAME. I AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AT TOYOTA MOTOR SALES AGREE THAT THIS EXPLANATION IS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN TWO DAYS AND IT RAINED HEAVILY DURING THOSE TWO DAYS. I HAVE ENCOURAGED THEM TO DO THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION. TO DATE NO RESPONSE. THREE MONTHS HAVE ELAPSED AND LEXUS HAS SHOWN NO INTEREST IN THIS MATTER. I AM ESPECIALLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF SMALL CHILDREN WHEN FLAMES CAN ERUPT SO UNEXPECTEDLY AND CONSUME A CAR SO QUICKLY. ON OUR STREET OF 34 HOUSES THERE ARE AT LEAST 10 OTHER LEXUS OWNERS. ONE HAS CONFIDED THAT HE PARKS HIS CAR FURTHER FROM THE GARAGE NOW AS A RESULT OF WHAT HE WITNESSED. HE ALSO IS THE FATHER OF AN 18 MONTH OLD SON WHO WOULD BE BUCKLED INTO A CAR SEAT JUST ABOVE THAT IGNITION POINT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10199576

Incident

May 17, 2007

Mileage

85,000 mi

1999 LEXUS RX300. FIVE DAYS AFTER DISCS, CALIPERS, PADS REPLACED, THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER FELL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 80 AT 65 MPH. THE CAR BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE AND VEER TO THE RIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE LEXUS DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE CALIPER FELL OFF AND WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE RIM OF THE WHEEL AND THE DISC. THE BOLTS WERE MISSING. THE SERVICE MANAGER DID NOT KNOW IF THE BOLTS BROKE FROM A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR A SERVICE DEFECT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066324

Incident

Apr 3, 2004

Mileage

59,790 mi

UPON BACKING UP THE FRONT BRAKES MAKE A HORRIBLE SQUEALING NOISE. DEALER STATED CANNOT FIX PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

540563