2003 LEXUS ES Complaints

OWNER OF THE CAR WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON INTERSTATE, CROSSING A BRIDGE, TAPPED BRAKES WHEN APPROACHING SLUSH AND SNOW, LEXUS ES300 WENT INTO A SPIN, SPUN AROUND ONCE, SPUN ONTO THE SHOULDER AND ROLLING DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, ROLLING OVER TWICE AND LANDING UPSIDE DOWN IN DRAINAGE DITCH. DRIVER WAS SUSPENDED UPSIDE DOWN, HANGING IN SEAT BELT THAT HAD DEPLOYED THE FULL LENGTH OF THE BELT. SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD DRIVER IN THE SEAT, WINDSHIELD, BACK GLASS AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. NO FRONT OR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DURING CRASH OR ROLL OVER. DRIVER SUSTAINED CONCUSSION, NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES. CAR WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY INSURANCE CARRIER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE STRUCK THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 20,000. UPDATED 11/14/07.

THE CAR CHANGES GEAR WHEN BRAKING TO A STOP OR COASTING. WHEN I APPLY THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR MAY HESITATE AND THE SNAP INTO GEAR AND LUNGE FORWARD OR IT MAY QUICKLY GO BETWEEN TWO GEARS UNTIL IT FINALLY JERKS INTO GEAR AND LUNGES FORWARD. I TOOK THIS CERTIFIED CAR TO THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE UPDATED THE COMPUTER PROGRAM BUT IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS BEFORE. THE CAR HAS NOW STARTED TO HESITATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AS IF WAS CHANGING GEARS BUT DOESN'T NEED TOO. T HE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT I AM DISCOURAGED BY MY FIRST SERVICE EXPERIENCE. *JB

CLICKING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL; TOOK THE CAR TO WILKIE LEXUS DEALERSHIP IN ARDMORE, PA. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR NEEDS NEW STEERING SHAFT. CAR HAS 52000 MILES AND A PART LIKE THIS FAILING THIS EARLY IS NOT EXPLAINED. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS 300 ES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE STOPPED ONLY AFTER IT JUMPED A CURB. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE CONTACT HAS THE REPAIR INVOICE AND PICTURES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 50,313.*AK

A DISABLED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MINE WAS HOVERING OVER NARROW EXPRESS LANE SHOULDER AND RIGHT LANE. I SLOWED AND PUT MY SIGNAL ON PREPARING TO MERGE INTO THE LEFT LANE, BUT THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME DID NOT REACT SIMILARLY AND CONSEQUENTLY REAR-ENDED ME AT FULL SPEED (+). THE FORCE OF THIS IMPACT PUSHED MY CAR INTO THE DISABLED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON EITHER IMPACT, AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO PROTECT ME FROM A SERIOUS SPINAL FRACTURE. *JB

I OWN A LEXUS 2003 ES. THE TRANSMISSION IS PERFORMING UNSAFELY! 1. AT STOP LIGHTS, WHILE HOLDING THE CAR STOPPED WITH THE BRAKE, THE TRANS WANTS TO GO AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD. 2. AT LOW SPEEDS (20 -30 MPH) THE CAR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT GEAR TO BE IN. THE TRANS WILL JUMP DOWN CAUSING THE RPMS TO SUDDENLY INCREASE THEN SLAM INTO THE NEXT GEAR LUNGING THE CAR FORWARD. 3. MY BIGGEST CONCERN DRIVING DOWNHILL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED, THE TRANS JUMPS OUT OF OVERDRIVE INTO 4TH GEAR LUNGING THE CAR FORWARD! I AM AFRAID OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN WHEN THE ROAD IS WET! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING FROM A SIDE STREET ONTO A MAIN ROAD AND APPLYING THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ENGINE REVVED. THEN, WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 3 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND OVER A SMALL EMBANKMENT. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV FOR A SHORT TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER.

I HAVE A 2003 LEXUS ES300 WITH 41000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND ACTUALLY HESITATES THEN JERKS. I AM AFRAID THIS WILL LEAD TO A BREAK DOWN AT SOME POINT. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THERE ARE NO UPDATES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION. *JB

THE LEXUS ES300 HAS HAD A SERIOUS HESITATION PROBLEM SINCE DELIVERY IN MARCH 2003. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. ON MAY 8TH,2006, MY WIFE WAS TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AND UPON ACCELERATING THROUGH THE TURN THE CAR HESITATED/LAGGED AND WAS STRUCK BY AN ONCOMING AUTO. AFTER CONTACTING LEXUS DIRECT, THEY CAME OUT TO TEST DRIVE THE AUTO. I WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND WAS TOLD THAT MY LEXUS HAS NO PROBLEM. SINCE THIS PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN FOR SERVICE ON MAY 26TH, 2006 AND AGAIN WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR HAD ALREADY RECEIVED A TRANSMISSION COMPUTER UPDATE AND THEIR FINAL WORDS WERE "VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AT THIS TIME". THIS CAR STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. *NM