2003 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) [XXX]I OWN A 2003 LEXUS ES 300. THE CAR HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR BUT THE ENGINE HAS INTERMITTENTLY SURGED. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BUT IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 20-30 TIMES TO ME AND HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES TO MY GIRLFRIEND WHEN SHE HAS BORROWED MY CAR. IT'S LIKE THE ENGINE WILL REV UP FOR JUST A SECOND OR 2 AND THEN REV DOWN. THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD DURING THE REV UP. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW. MY ADDRESS IS BELOW IN CASE YOU NEED TO REACH ME. [XXX] *TR

RE: 2003 LEXUS ES300. THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL WHEN I STOPPED THE VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC CONDUCTED COMPUTER TESTS. NO ERRORS REGISTERED. MECHANIC STATED HE THOUGHT PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM. THIS OCCURRED BEFORE THE MEDIA BLITZ OF TOYOTA'S ELECTRONICS. MECHANIC TOOK SOME OF THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM APART CLEANING THE PARTS WITH AN AIRHOSE. CONSEQUENTLY THE STALLING STOPPED. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE AND "REPAIR." *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE DRIVER WAS SHIFTING INTO REVERSE GEAR, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HE LOST CONTROL OF IT. THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A TREE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS ACCELERATION FAILURES. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT THEY COULD SEE NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD HER THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST HER BECAUSE THEY HAD NO RELATED REPORTS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,094. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,916. UPDATED 04/19/10. *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING SLOWLY IN TRAFFIC WHEN THERE WAS A SMALL SURGE IN ENGINE RPMS, SHE LIFTED HER FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR RETURN TO NORMAL. *TR

ON JANUARY 13, 2010 WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR LEXUS ES 300, THE CAR ACCELERATED AS SHE WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPACE, CAUSING THE CAR TO COLLIDE WITH A POLE IN THE PARKING LOT. THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE (LEXUS OF LOUISVILLE) WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT CLAIMED THE CAR WAS NOT ONE OF THE MODELS RECALLED. WE REPAIRED DAMAGE TO THE BODY AT A COST OF $2500, BUT ARE NOW CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

OUR 2003 LEXUS ES 300 ENGINE AREA CAUGHT IN FIRE WHEN MY WIFE PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, PARKING LOT SECURITY, HE SAW THE SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE ENGINE AREA FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND THEN FIRE. HE SAID IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING IS SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL/ENGINE AND CAUGHT THE FIRE. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WHICH DAMAGED AND BURNED HALF OF THE CAR, A LEAD FIRE MAN COMMENTED THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL INCIDENTS THAT THE LEXUS SEDANS WERE SUDDENLY CAUGHT IN FIRE WHILE PARKING. WITH THIS UNFORTUNATE TRAGEDY OCCURRED TO OUR LEXUS CAR, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY FOR ALL LEXUS SEDAN ESPECIALLY ES 300 DRIVING BY CONSUMERS OUT THERE. FORTUNATELY, MY WIFE LEFT THE CAR FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR CAUGHT IN FIRE, BUT MENTALLY SHE WAS STILL IN SHOCK WITH IT. WE DID CONTACT LEXUS TO FILE A COMPLAIN, AND THEY SAID AN ADJUSTER WILL CONTACT US NEXT 10 DAYS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE CASE. IT'S MORE THAN 3 WEEKS AND WE STILL HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM LEXUS. OF COURSE, OUR LEXUS ES 300 IS A TOTAL LOSS NOW, BUT WE REQUEST NHTSA INVESTIGATING AND LOOKING INTO THIS CASE FOR THE SAFETY OF CONSUMERS AND DEMAND LEXUS TO INVESTIGATE AND ANSWER US AND THE PUBLIC THE CAUSE FOR A SUDDEN CAUGHT IN FIRE. THANK YOU! *TR

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY, LESS THAN 10 MPH, APPROACHING A RED LIGHT BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED BY BRAKING. I COLLIDED WITH THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT BOTH CARS HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. *CN

ON JUNE 12 MY WIFE WAS ENTERING A PARKING SPOT WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE 2003 LEXUS ES 300 SUDDENLY WITH A ROAR SURGED FORWARD JUMPED A PARKING BUMPER AND A HIGH SIDEWALK CURB WENT FORWARD ABOUT 6 FEET AND HIT A CONCRETE AND STEEL GIRDER STAIR CASE. THE CRASH DID OVER 5000.00 DOLLARS DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND OVER 5000.00 DOLLARS TOTHE STAIRS.MY WIFE WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELT AND HAD A SORE COLLAR BONE. *TR

MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2003 LEXUS IN TOWN. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PREVIOUS SIMILAR INCIDENTS, AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING SINCE. SHE HAD STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, BUT WAS TOO FAR BACK, SO SHE WANTED TO PULL UP A LITTLE. SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND THE CAR MOVED FORWARD. SHE REPEATEDLY PUSHED THE BRAKE, BUT THEY DID NOT WORK. THE CAR STOPPED WHEN SHE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING OBVIOUS. HOWEVER, SHE, AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS, HAVE VERIFIED THAT SHE REPEATEDLY PUSHED THE BRAKE TO NO AVAIL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FROM OUTSIDE OR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE LOCK ON THE DOOR FROZE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER ANY RECALL AND THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,602 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,402.