2002 LEXUS ES Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS ES 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED HEAD ON INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK, NECK, FACE, AND SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP LIGHT AFTER IT TURNED GREEN. ABOUT 25 FEET THRU THE LIGHT I HEARD THE CAR BEHIND ME BLOWING THEIR HORN CONSTANTLY. I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING IN. THEN I THOUGHT I NOTICE LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM MY TAILPIPE. I APPLIED MY RIGHT TURN BLINKER AND PULLED TO THE CURVE. AS SOON AS I PARKED, I COULD SEE ORANGE COLORED FIRE AROUND THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND ALONG THE SIDE OF MY DRIVER/PASSENGER DOORS. I FELT THAT ME AND MY PASSENGER WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR WITHOUT BE BURNT, BUT I KNEW WE NEEDED TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. I TRIED TO CALMLY GET MY PASSENGER TO EXIT WHICH WE DID MAINLY BECAUSE SHE HADN'T SEEN THE FLAMES. WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT AND I IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 AND PROCEEDED TO CLEARING PEOPLE FROM NEAR MY CAR. THE FIRE DEPT AND POLICE ARRIVED ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES LATER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE CAR THEN LEFT. A POLICE OFFICER STAYED UNTIL THE TOW CO ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY AND I WAS GIVEN A RIDE TO MY RESIDENCE. *TR

I OWN A 2002 LEXUS ES300 AND AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I HAVE ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE OF DRIVING THE CAR TO AROUND 175K MILES IN NEARLY 12 YEARS. SO FAR, I DID NOT HAVE ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR UNTIL RECENTLY. LAST FRIDAY, AUG 8, 2014, MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR TO A FRIEND'S PLACE AND WAS PARKED IN A PARALLEL PARKING AREA. THERE WERE 3 CARS IN THAT PARKING AREA INCLUDING MY CAR IN 5 CAR PARKING AREA. THE TWO PARKING SPOTS BEHIND MY CAR WERE VACANT. MY WIFE WAS TRYING TO BACK UP TO A SPOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER CAR WHICH WAS PARKED THERE. WHILE TRYING TO BACKUP, THERE WAS A SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF THE ENGINE AND HIT THE CAR RIGHT BEHIND AND THAT CAR WENT AND HIT ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS BEHIND THAT CAR. THE IMPACT WAS SO MUCH THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS RIGHT BEHIND AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE THIRD CAR. NOT ONLY THE DAMAGE TO ONE CAR RIGHT BEHIND BUT DISPLACED ITS POSITION AND DIRECTION THAT IT WAS PARKED. THE THIRD CAR WAS PUSHED OVER TO THE CURB AND WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE PEDESTRIANS THAT WERE NEARBY. THERE WERE EYE WITNESSES AND POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT. AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, I WAS LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY ISSUES WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF THE CARS AND ANY SAFETY RECALLS. I DID NOTICE THAT THERE WERE QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND SAFETY ISSUES ON 2002 LEXUS ES300. I AM KIND OF DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT NHTSA IS DOING ABOUT IT AND HOW IT CAN HELP VICTIMS LIKE ME. THANKS AND APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE. *TR

DEALER AND FINANCE COMPANY CLAIM CLEAN TITLE BUT DOCUMENTS REFLECT OTHERWISE. *TR

WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS AT A SLOW STEADY SPEED(APPROX 20MPH) THE CAR WILL FREQUENTLY VIOLENTLY JERK. MY CAR HAS 75000 MILES AND HAS DONE IT SINCE DAY ONE. *TR

I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR (LEXUS ES 300 2002 SEDAN) FOR MY DAUGHTER LESS THAN A WEEK AGO ON 4/11/2014 FROM A PRIVATE OWNER, WITH 267,000 MILES AND IT RAN WELL FOR A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE, SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WELL CARED FOR MECHANICALLY, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND WAS CHECKED OUT MY FRIEND A LONGTIME MECHANIC. MY DAUGHTER HAD JUST LEFT THE DMV WHICH WAS CLOSED TODAY 4/18/2014 AND STREET DRIVING BACK HOME. THE CAR MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND, SMOKE STARTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND SOON FLAMES AND SHE HAD TO PULL OVER AND DITCH THE CAR. SOON IT BLAZED AND THE WHOLE FRONT END, ENGINE, WINDSHIELD THE FRONT TIRES ALL BURNED. FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHOWED UP, EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DID TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE FIRE DAMAGE WAS CONTROL TO THE FRONT AND ENGINE, THE FIREWALL DID IT'S JOB. ALL THE INTERIORS, DASH AND CONSOLE ARE ALL IN TACT AND IN GOOD CONDITION NO SMOKE DAMAGE. VIN:[XXX] LEXUS ES 2002 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY WIFE, WHO DRIVES THE LEXUS ALL THE TIME, WAS PREPARING TO DRIVE THE CAR FROM THE GARAGE TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN. SHE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL (AS IS NECESSARY TO MOVE THE TRANSMISSION TO REVERSE). THE MOMENT IT WAS ENGAGED THE CAR LEAPED BACKWARD, LEAVING TIRE MARKS ON THE CEMENT OF THE GARAGE AND ALSO THE DRIVEWAY ITSELF. HER EFFORTS TO STOP THE CAR BY STOMPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. SHE GRAZED THE HOUSE, MOVED THROUGH A FLOWER BED, LEAVING A TIRE MARK THE WHOLE DISTANCE, STRUCK THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE AND CONTINUED UP A SMALL INCLINE IN THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD, LUCKILY MISSING A LARGE TREE THERE AND CAME TO A STOP. THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE REMOVED WAS ABOUT 3-4 FEET ON EACH SIDE OF THE CORNER JUNCTURE ITSELF. THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES ACROSS THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, BOTH OF WHOM IMMEDIATELY CAME TO HER AID AND VOICED THE OPINION THAT THE CAR WAS TRULY MOVING AT A HIGH SPEED. MY WIFE HAD NO INJURIES OTHER THAN BEING VERY SHOOK-UP AND THANKFUL THAT NEITHER SHE OR OTHERS WERE INJURED. OF COURSE, THE CAR IS A MESS: BRICKS FROM THE HOUSE IMPACT FELL ON THE HOOD, TOP, AND TRUNK LID. A THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR IS SCRAPED, ONE REAR WINDOW IS BROKEN, THE LARGE REAR WINDOW IS GONE, THE TRUNK LID IS IN BAD SHAPE AS IS THE REAR BUMPER. THE TOP HAS SEVERAL DENTS AND WINDOW TRIM ALSO. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER THE EXTERNAL REPAIRS ARE MADE. I BELIEVE ONLY LEXUS CAN TELL ME, IF THEY WILL. *TR

MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS BEEN JERKING AND SHIFTING VERY HARD ON ACCELERATION. IT SEEMS TO HAVE MORE OF A PROBLEM WHEN I ACCELERATE SLOWLY IN THE LOWER GEARS. IT JERKS VERY NOTICEABLY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST THE NATURE OF THE CAR, BUT IT HAS BEEN GETTING MUCH WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR. IT ALSO HESITATES WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AFTER DECELERATION. *TR

I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY TOWN'S TRANSFER STATION. AS I CAME TO A STOP, I BEGAN TO SHIFT INTO PARK WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE VEHICLE SMASHED INTO A THREE FOOT CONCRETE WALL COMING TO A STOP. THE CAR SUFFERED EXTENSIVE BACK END DAMAGE. I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR XRAYS OF MY NECK AND SPINE. THANKFULLY I AM NOT INJURED. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER MY CONTROL. IT WAS AS IF IT HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I AM A CLEAR HEADED, FORTY EIGHT YEAR OLD FEMALE. I HAVE A PERFECT DRIVING RECORD. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF SOMETHING OUT OF MY CONTROL. I BELIEVE THIS 2002 LEXUS ES 300 IS A DANGEROUS CAR. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO YEARS. IT WAS PURCHASED AS A SECOND CAR FOR MY HUSBAND. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE FLOOR MATS NOR DID I CONFUSE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE. *TR

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