2002 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

2002 LEXUS ES300 HAD A MAJOR SURGING PROBLEM AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. AFTER A YEAR OF PROMISES, LEXUS CAME OUT WITH A COMPUTER UPGRADE THAT CHANGED THE PROBLEM FROM ANNOYING TO DANGEROUS. THE 1/2 AND 2/3 SHIFTS ARE WILDLY INCONSISTENT, SOMETIMES TAKING 2/3 SECONDS AND FEELING LIKE A SLIPPING TRANSMISSION. WHEN ACCELERATION, AS IN A PASSING OR AVOIDANCE SITUATION, IS CALLED FOR THE MOTOR REVS UP AND THE CAR GOES NOWHERE WHILE THE TRANSMISSION SEARCHES FOR A GEAR. THIS CAN TAKE 3/4 SECONDS AND HAS ALREADY ALMOST CAUSED A ACCIDENT. LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THE CAR IS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED AND NO FURTHER MODIFICATIONS ARE PLANNED. *LA

1. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, AT 2-4 MPH, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT FULL SPEED, JUMPING THE CURB AND HITTING A TREE WITH FULL FORCE. BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS CONCERNS WITH THROTTLE PROBLEMS NOTED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AT 1000 AND 5000 MILE CHECK, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. AFTER A CONFERENCE CALL WITH LEXUS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THE DEALERSHIP, MY CAR WAS FLAT BEDDED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FRONTAL CRASH RENDERED THE VEHICLE UN-DRIVABLE. RADIATOR DAMAGE WITH LEAKAGE OF FLUID COVERED A PORTION OF THE PARKING LOT. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SOMEBODY ELSE LIVE COULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. 2. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT INFLATE. 3. THE BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE CORRECTED AT 1500 MILES AND A "PART" WAS ORDERED AND PUT ON THE CARE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. 4. THE CAR WHEN DRIVING AT ABOVE 50 PULLS TO THE LEFT AND FROM THE BEGINNING IT FELT AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS UNEVEN EVEN WHEN NOT MOVING. AT THAT TIME I REQUESTED A WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD MY RECORD AT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD SUBSTANTIATE THIS. ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT I LEARNED BY REVIEWING COMPLAINTS FROM THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE THAT THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY THE CORPORATE OFFICE OF LEXUS FROM AS EARLY AS JANUARY, 2002 IN REGARDS TO ALL OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS. I ALSO FOUND OUT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE THAT I WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT. I WILL BE REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION WITH THE LEXUS EAST REGIONAL OFFICE AND DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE ROCKVILLE LEXUS OFFICE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I BROUGHT THE LEXUS VEHICLE EVEN WITH IT'S PRICE TAG BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION AND TO DRIVE MY 3 YEAR OLD GRANDSON AND 1 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE SAFEST MANNER I COULD FACILITATE. I AM SURE THAT MY SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WILL NOT ALLOW THIS AFTER THIS CRASH!!!!*AK UPDATED 7/3/12 *CN

TRANSMISSION IS UNRELIABLE. SINCE MARCH 2003, WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS. *AK *TS UPDATED 7/2/12 *CN

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH ON HIGHWAY. WHEN THE TRAFFIC SLOWED DOWN, I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO BRING DOWN THE SPEED OF THE CAR TO ABOUT 3-7 MPH. AFTER FOLLOWING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AT ABOUT 3/4 CAR DISTANCE, I SAW THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SPEEDED UP SLOWLY AND I DECIDED TO FOLLOW UP BY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR MODERATLY. THE CAR FIRST SHUDDERED, THEN PAUSED FOR ABOUT 1 SECOND, AND FINALLY ACCELERATED AT ALMOST MAXIMUM POWER. THIS WAS A NEAR MISS. BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, I BROUGHT OUR CAR TO LEXUS DEALER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SHUDDERING/PAUSING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LOW SPEED AFTER THE CAR WAS UPDATED WITH TSB-TC004-03; THE CHIEF TECHNICIAN DROVE THE CAR AND REPRODUCED THE KIND OF PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND WAS GOING TO WRITE A REPORT TO TOYOTA CORP BECAUSE IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RECEIPT FROM THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY ABNORMAL TRANSMISSION SHIFT DURING TEST DRIVING, BUT WOULD FILE A REPORT. WHAT A CONTRADICATION! THE DANGER OF THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS FURTHER MAGNIFIED BY THE FACT THAT 2002 ES300 RUNS VERY SMOOTHLY AT MOST TIMES (>98%). THIS SHUDDER/PAUSE/ACCELERATION OR PAUSE/ACCELERATION THAT ONLY OCCURS SPORADICALLY UNDER VERY SPECIAL CONDITIONS GIVES DRIVERS SURPRISE THAT IS THE LAST THING THEY WANT DURING DRIVING. FOR CURIOSITY, I TESTED DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 50 MINIUTES BY REPEATLY SLOWING DOWN TO ABOUT 5 - 10 MPH BY APPLYING BRAKE, THEN ALLOWING THE CAR TO ROLL FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS WITHOUT PRESSING GAS PADDLE, AND THEN ACCELERATING MODERATELY TO ABOUT 20 - 30 MPH. THE PROBOBILITY FOR THE SHUDDER/PAUSE/ACCELERATION IS ABOUT 5%, WHILE THAT FOR PAUSE/ACCELERATION ABOUT 15%. IT SEEMED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENDED MORE OFTEN ON DOWN/UP HILL.. *AK

DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300, WHERE A SEVERE HESITATION EXISTS WHEN ACCELERATING AT SLOW ROLL (< 5MPH) AT INTERSECTION TURNS, EXITING DRIVEWAYS, AND GENERALLY ANYWHERE WHEN TRYING TO GET INTO FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHEN NEARLY STOPPED - ESPECIALLY WHEN A TURN IS INVOLVED ALONG WITH THE ACCELERATION. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WHEN TRYING TO ENTER LANE, OR MAKE A TURN, IN FRONT OF FAST-MOVING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS DOES NOT REGOGNIZE THE ACCELERATOR'S REQUEST FOR FUEL UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. A PRIOR LEXUS TSB ADDRESSED TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, BUT SEEMS TO HAVE CREATED A NEW, AND POTENTIALLY MORE DANGEROUS CONDITION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH OR ABOVE VEHICLE WILL STRONGLY PULL TO THE LEFT. DEALER CHANGES WHEELS/TIRES, AND DONE AN ALIGNMENT, BUT SAME PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300 SEDAN. *MR THE BRAKE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE CORRECTED. (DUE TO VIBRATION WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED) THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO'S VEHICLE MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE DEFECT. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE WRONG BRAKE PADS WERE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE DURING ASSEMBLY. THEY WILL NOT HOLD UP TO THE PRESSURE AND HEAT. NEW BRAKE PADS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE INSTALLED IN REPLACE OF THE DEFECTIVE PADS. *SCC *JB

WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE TRAVELING AT LESS THEN 10 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, PROCEEDED FORWARD HITTING ANOTHER PARKED CAR HEAD ON. THE VEHICLE THEN JUMPED A CURB AND HIT A SECOND CAR. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE CAR USING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. IN ADDITION THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO TWO OTHER VEHICLES BESIDE MINE.*AK UPDATED 7/3/12 *CN

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES 300 STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.*MR THE ROTORS WARPED*TS *JB

THE TRANSMISSION HAD A JERK IN THE TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER IT WAS THE DESIGN THE OF THE VEHICLE. *TS *JB