2003 LEXUS ES Complaints

DRIVERS DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK. CAN'T OPEN DRIVERS DOOR. HAD TO CLIMB OVER TO PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT. NO MANUAL OVER RIDE TO OPEN DOOR. I'M 82 YEARS OLD AND COULD NOT FINE A WAY TO OPEN MY DOOR WITH THE DOOR SWITCH OR THE REMOTE CONTROL. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN . *TR

BACKING UP INTO MY DRIVEWAY MAKING TURN TO STRAIGHTEN CAR OUT AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE CAR JUST SPEED UP IN REVERSE. CAUSING CRASH INTO SIDE OF MY HOUSE. AFTER THAT I TRIED TO BACK CAR INTO DRIVEWAY BUT DUE TO DAMAGE WAS UNABLE TO. I PULLED CAR OVER TO STREET PARKING. WHEN I PULLED CAR ONTO STREET THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. RIGHT AFTER INCIDENT I CHECKED TO SEE IF GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK I DONT BELIEVE IT WAS. I WAS STARTLED AND IN SHOCK. REPORTED INCIDENT TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS THAT VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AT STOP SIGN OR WHEN INITIALY IN START TO DRIVE AT ABOUT 20-30 MILES PER HOUR AT TIMES FOR FEW SECONDS & AT TIMES IT RATTLES 3-4 TIMES. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM LEXUS DEALER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION IN 2006 THAT CAME WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY UPTO 75000 MILES BUT THIS PROBLEM STARTED WITH SLIGHT & SMOOTH JERK ABOUT 3 YEARS BACK, TOOK IT TO DEALER AFTER NOTICED FOR FEW TIMES TO DIAGNOSIS. AT FIRST INSTANCE THEY COULD NOT FEEL IT SINCE IT WAS NOT CONSISTENT BUT WHEN AGAIN COMPLAINED FOR SECOND TIME WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE FUEL INJECTORS CLOGED FOLLOWED BY OTHER LIST OF POTENTIAL SERVICE ITEMS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT $1000+ EXPENSE WHICH WE DENIED IT SINCE WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED OUR CAR GOOD & ALWAYS USE 93 OR 89 OCTAINE GAS WITH MAINTENANCE SERVICE AS RECOMMENDED. THIS ONE IS MY WIFE'S VEHICLE & USED TO COMMUTE TO WORK MOSTLY ON EXPRESS WAY. WE DO HAVE COUPLE OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS CAR BUT NOT AS IMPORTANT. NOW, LATELY THIS HESITATION FREQUENCY HAVE INCREASED & FROM WHAT I HEAR IS THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH SOME OTHER ES300 OWNERS AS WELL. *TT

1. THE VEHICLE HESITATES WITH INITIAL ACCELERATION (SLOW OR QUICK ACCELERATION). 2. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ALSO HESITATES. I SUSPECT THAT OUNCE THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM IS FIXED THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED. 3. I HAVE GONE TO THE LEXUS DEALER TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER WITH A NEW CHIP TO HELP RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS WITH NO SUCCESS. 4. I HAVE DISCOVERED ON THE INTERNET THAT HUNDREDS OF LEXUS OWNERS HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT. IN SOME CASES THE DEALERS HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SUGGEST THATS THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED! WHY ISN'T LEXUS LISTENING TO ALL THE COMPLAINTS? THANKS *TR

ON 9/4/2011 AT APPROX. 1: 41 PM, I WAS PULLING MY 2003 LEXUS ES300 (WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE) INTO A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING SPACE WHEN IT SUDDENLY SURGED, THEN ACCELERATED OVER THE CURB AND ONTO A SIDEWALK WHERE PEOPLE WERE DINING AT TABLES. AS THE CAR ACCELERATED OVER THE CURB, I PUSHED HARDER ON THE BRAKE AND TRIED TO STEER THE CAR AWAY FROM THE DINERS. AS THE LEXUS GOES OVER THE CURB AND ONTO THE SIDEWALK, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE LIKE IT WAS BEING PULLED, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE BUMPER HIT A TABLE OF DINERS. THREE PEOPLE ARE INJURED; ONE WITH COMPOUND FRACTURE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AS I CONTINUED TO PUSH ON THE BRAKE, TRYING TO WILL THIS CAR TO STOP. IT HIT TABLES AND CHAIRS AS PEOPLE JUMPED OUT OF THE WAY OF THIS RUNAWAY CAR! THE CAR DEFLECTED OFF A BUILDING AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE SIDEWALK. MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. TIRE MARKS FROM THE BRAKING WERE VISIBLE ON THE CURB AND SIDEWALK AS LOCAL NEWS STATIONS RECORDED AND AIRED. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE WEATHER AND VISIBILITY WERE CLEAR. AROUND 10/4/2011, ONE MONTH AFTER THE WRECK, A TOYOTA INVESTIGATOR INSPECTED THE CAR'S ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND FOUND IT "OPERATED SMOOTHLY AND RETURNED TO ITS IDLE POSITION WITHOUTANY BINDING OR STICKING...[IT WAS] CORRECTLY ALIGNED...NO DAMAGE OBSERVED. THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS IN PLACE AND SECURE....A DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM CHECK SHOWED THAT THERE WERE NO TROUBLE CODES RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE." BUT MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. AS OF 3/12/2012: PROPERTY DAMAGE: $20,000. LEXUS BODY DAMAGE:$9000. PERSONAL INJURIES: ONE SETTLED, ONE COUNTERED, ONE TALKING WITH A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER. I NO LONGER OWN THE CAR. I WAS TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT. *TR

VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHEN IT WAS PUT IN REVERSE, CAUSING IT TO HIT A PARKED CAR IN BACK OF IT. THE ACCELERATION WAS INSTANTANEOUS AND VERY FAST. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER DID NOT HAVE TIME TO REACT BEFORE THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO THE PARKED CAR. *TT

FUEL LINE RUPTURED (PART NUMBER 23801-20150 PIPE SUB ASSEMBLY). FUEL WAS SPLASHING ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FUMES WERE POURING INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN CAUSING NAUSEA. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A WORK SHOP WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AND WE COULD SEE FUEL SPLASHING WHEN THE ENGINE WAS ON. I CONTACTED THE LEXUS DEALER WHO DOESN'T KEEP THE PART IN STOCK AND WOULDN'T COMMENT ON THE PROBLEM NOR PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE TO DIAGNOSE OR ADVISE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

2003 ES 300 - AIR BAG SENSOR ISSUES: THIS ISSUE IS ONGOING AS OF NOV 2011 AND STARTED BACK IN 2005. WHY DOESN'T LEXUS OFFER A WAY FOR CONSUMERS TO FIX ERROR CODES ON THEIR OWN VEHICLES? I KNOW WHAT MY ERROR CODE IS - B1186 - THOUGH, LEXUS WOULDN'T TELL ME THIS. I HAD TO FIND OUT BY DOING MY OWN DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. DEPENDING ON WHO I SPOKE WITH, THEY TOLD ME DIFFERENT THINGS FROM NEEDING A DRIVER SENSOR REPLACED, TO THE PASSENGER SENSOR, TO THE CENTER SENSOR, TO THE DRIVER AIRBAG, TO NEEDING ALL OF IT REPLACED. EACH PERSON I SPOKE WITH WAS EXTREMELY RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE ME WITH ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND SAID THAT I NEEDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK FOR THEM TO FIX. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN, THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ABOUT $700 (2008). LAST MONTH, THEY SAID IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM $1500-$3500. I HAVE DONE MY SHARE OF RESEARCH, READING ALL I CAN ONLINE, INCLUDING CONSUMER FORUMS. I HAVE READ 100S OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT AIRBAGS - SENSOR ISSUES, LACK OF DEPLOYMENT, CHECK LIGHT ON, ETC.. IT APPEARS THAT LEXUS HAS HAD ISSUES WITH AIRBAGS FOR YEARS. YET, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY RECALLS OR EVEN CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS. I CAN'T SELL IT WITH THE LIGHT ON AND ITS NOT WORTH PUTTING THAT MUCH MONEY INTO IT. BUT, LEXUS WON'T OFFER ME ANOTHER SOLUTION EXCEPT TO FORK OVER ALL MY SAVINGS. *KB

2003 ES 300 - TRANSMISSION ISSUES: I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION ALMOST EVERY TIME, ALONG WITH HARD SHIFTING 50% OF THE TIME. THE ACCELERATION HESITATION CAN BE SCARY IF I'M TRYING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY, OR TURNING LEFT. THE HARD SHIFTING FEELS LIKE I GOT HIT FROM BEHIND. BOTH PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN GOING ONGOING FOR YEARS AND LEXUS DEALER HAS NEVER BEEN ANY HELP. I READ MANY OF THE ONLINE FORUMS AND FOUND THAT BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE VERY COMMON AS ARE THEIR RESULTS FOR GETTING THESE ISSUES FIXED - NOT MUCH LUCK FROM THE DEALER - "IT WORKS AS IT IS DESIGNED". REALLY? LEXUS NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MANY COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ (100S) AND THEIR HASN'T BEEN A RECALL. HOW DOES A CONSUMER GO ABOUT PUSHING FOR A RECALL, OR CLASS ACTION OR WILL THE LEMON LAW WORK? *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 LEXUS ES300. THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING 45 MPH AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO A ROW OF BUSHES AND THEN STRUCK A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS UNDETERMINED. THE DRIVER AND A PASSENGER WERE KILLED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.