2003 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

2003 LEXUS ES300 WITH UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN JOLTED FORWARD. SHE STATES NO MATTER HOW HARD THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED IT KEPT ACCELERATING UNTIL IT HIT A BRICK COLUMN. *KB *JB

2003 LEXUS ES 300 WITH BRAKE FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED A FEW WEEKS AFTER HAVING THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES REPLACED. DEALER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED AND NO DEFECT WAS FOUND. *KB WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE CARPORT, WHICH REQUIRED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WHILE IN REVERSE BEGAN MOVING BACKWARD SLOWLY AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, BUT DID HIT A TREE, WHICH CAUSE A SLIGHT DENT TO THE TRUNK DOOR. THE EXPLANATION GIVEN TO THE CONSUMER WAS THAT THE FLOOR MAT MAY HAVE SLID UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL AND OVER THE GAS PEDAL. *JB

PULLING INTO PARKING SPOT ON LEFT ,ABOUT STOPPED AND THE CAR ACCELERATER VERY FAST FOR ABOUT 30 FEET. BEENING THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, I WAS AWARE OF WHERE MY FOOT WAS, ON THE BRAKE. LAST OCT. PULLING INTO PARKING SPOT TO LEFT THE SAME THING HAPPENED. JUST FELT LIKE A NUT. THIS TIME I AM SURE IT WAS THE CAR. *TR THE CONTACT WANTED TO ADD THAT THE DRIVERS FLOOR MAT WAS IN THE TRUNK.

WHEN MAKING AS LOW TURN, AT UNDER 5 MILES PER HOUR IF THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LAG BEFORE THE CAR REACTS AND MOVES. DEALER CLAIMS THAT IS THE WAY IT IS AN CAN'T FIX IT. ALSO HAPPENED WITH A 2007 LEXUS ES 350 AS A DEALER LOANER AND THIS TIME RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH $3,700 DAMAGE TO LEXUS. *TR

THE 2003 LEXUS ES300 SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COME OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, GO COMPLETELY ACROSS THE STREET, UP ONTO THE SIDEWALK, AND HIT POLES/FENCE, CAUSING SEVERE INJURIES. THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED DOWN HARD AT THE TIME, AND THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION FOR THE RAPID ACCELERATION. *TR

I WAS IN THE DRIVE THROUGH AT THE DUNKIN DONUTS IN GERMANTOWN, MD GIVING MY ORDER IN THE SPEAKER. I REMEMBER HEARING A ROARING SOUND LIKE A TRAIN AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR SHOT FORWARD AND HIT THE BACK OF THE CAR AT THE SERVICE WINDOW. IT WAS QUITE STRANGE. I AM CONVINCED I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE EMS AND POLICE SAID I MUST HAVE HIT THE ACCELERATOR BY MISTAKE. I AM NOT CONVINCED IN MY OWN MIND THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH WITH THE REAR DEFROSTER ACTIVATED, THE GLASS SHATTERED AND FELL ON THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT INSIDE SHELF BELOW THE WINDOW.. THE PASSENGER WAS UNHARMED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT COST WOULD BE $608. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A SMALL PIN HOLE THAT CAUSED THE GLASS TO SHATTER. THE MANUFACTURER WILL PAY $200 OF THE $608. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,068. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF

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

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

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH IN THE FAST LANE ON THE FREEWAY, MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GET MY CAR TO THE RIGHT AND GET OFF THE FREEWAY TO A GAS STATION. AS I WAS SLOWING TO A STOP, THE CAR WAS SHUDDERING BEFORE IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I CHECKED THE OWNERS MANUAL AND IT SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AT LOWER SPEED TO GET HOME AND THEN GET IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MORNING.*JB