2002 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

WHILE PULLING INTO PARK WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKES, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HIT A TREE. ALSO WHILE DRIVING IN CRUISE CONTROL, TAPPED ON BRAKES TO DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED.*AK DEALER CHECKED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. *SLC

INDICATOR NEEDLE ON INSTRUMENT PANEL ARE NOT VISIBLE DURING DAY LIGHT HOURS. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE.*JB

CAN'T READ SPEEDOMETER IN BRIGHT DAYLIGHT WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AND DRIVER WEARING SUN GLASSES.*AK

CAR HAS VERY POOR SHIFTING CHARACTERISTICS. IT IS ALWAYS ANNOYING AND SOMETIMES UNSAFE. TWICE I HAVE STARTED TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE FROM A STOP TO TURN LEFT AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION START TO DOWNSHIFT THEN WAIT THROUGH A DELAY AS IF THE SOFTWARE WAS CONFUSED. THE RESULT WAS THE CAR SITTING IN THE INTERSECTION WITH THE ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS FOR AROUND 1 OR 2 SECONDS. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES "SHIFTING COMFORT" ISSUES ARE THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT FOR THE CAR BUT SAYS NO FIX IS AVAILABLE. I HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER ON THIS ISSUE FOR OVER 8 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD NO HELP.*AK

WE HAVE A SURGE OR SKIP ON DEACCELERATION.THIS WILL HAPPEN FROM 40 TO 60 MPH. THE DEALER WILL ONLY TELL US THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO CURE. I FEEL THAT AFTER 7 MONTHS THEY SHOULD HAVE A FIX.*AK

VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE SPEEDOMOTER - DARK BACKGROUND WITH DARK NEEDLE REQUIRES TOO MUCH TIME TO SEE SPEED. *AK

CANNOT SEE SPEED READING ON DASHBOARD IN SUNLIGHT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE CHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THIS MODEL HAS THE SAME LIGHTING. RIGHT FRONT DOOR HARD TO CLOSE DUE TO BEING MISALIGNED, DEALER ADJUSTED DOOR STRIKER, SPEEDOMETER NEEDLES DIFFICULT TO SEE. *SCC

OPTITRON INSTRUMENTATION: NOT EASY TO READ IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. WHEN DRIVING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. UNDER NORMAL DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS, INSTRUMENT READINGS ARE VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE. CURRENT SPEED NECESSARY TO SET CRUISE CONTROL. POOR DESIGN: AT NIGHT, OR UNDER LOW AMBIENT LIGHT CONDITIONS (DUSK, HEAVY SHADE, RAIN, ETC.) INSTRUMENT LIGHTING IS EXCEPTIONAL: ALL ELEMENTS OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ARE VERY CLEAR, VERY VISIBLE. UNDER NORMAL DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS (WITH SUN OVERHEAD - NOT SHINING DIRECTLY ON THE PANEL) THE ILLUMINATION LEVEL WITHIN THE CLUSTER IS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE EASY VISIBILITY. (STARING INTENTLY WILL YIELD RESULTS - A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE IN A MOVING VEHICLE.) IN ORDER TO SET THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SPEED THE VEHICLE IS AT: VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. (THE MAUFACTURER ADVERTISES THEIR OPTITRON INSTRUMENTATION AS "ILLUMINATED FOR FASTER AND EASIER READING".)*AK

LIGHT ON DASHBOARD PANEL, AND CANNOT SEE READING OF SPEED. CONTROL PANEL WILL NOT SET BECAUSE SPEED READING CANNOT BE READ DUE THE LIGHT.*AK

IN DAY LIGHT HOURS WHEN SUN IS OUT CONSUMER CAN'T SEE DIALS ON SPEEDOMETER, UNABLE TO TELL HOW FAST VEHICLE WAS GOING. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE. *AK CONSUMER ALSO CAN NOT SEE THE FUEL GAUGE, ENGINE SPEED AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE. *TT