2002 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, IN WET CONDITIONS A VEHICLE TURNED IN FRONT OF HIM WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO BROADSIDE THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH HIS FRONT END. THE BRAKES WERE SUDDENLY APPLIED AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT THE SHOULDER STRAPS DID NOT CATCH, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. *JB UPDATED 3/9/2006 - *NM

WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE CAR WENT INTO A HIGH ACCELERATION. I REAR ENDED TWO CARS THAT WERE DIRECTLY BEHIND ME. IF THERE WAS ANYONE WALKING BEHIND I WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM. I BELIEVE THERE IS A THROTTLE CONTROL PROBLEM. *LA *JB

THE FLAWS AND FAILURES OF THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 WERE NOTICEABLE WITHIN 500 MILES OF DRIVING THE NEW CAR OFF THE LOT. I NOW HAVE 47,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND LEXUS HAS PERFORMED RE-PROGRAMMING OF THE TRANSMISSION LOGIC. HOWEVER, THAT HAS NOT HELPED. IT SEEMS THAT AS I DRIVE MORE MILEAGE THE PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION NOT KNOWING WHAT GEAR TO BE IN IS BECOMING WORSE. THE RESULTING HESITATION IS DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF MY CAR AS IT RESULTS IN CLOSE-CALLS WITH OTHER VEHICLES HITTING ME FROM BEHIND DURING HESITATION. *JB

I HAD PULLED INTO MY GARAGE. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND LIFTED IT A LITTLE TO INCH FORWARD TO MY MARK ( TO ALLOW FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO CLOSE) WHEN THE CAR JUST SURGED FORWARD! FORTUNATELY I APPLIED THE BRAKE HARD, SINCE MY FOOT WAS BY THE BRAKE, BUT I BANGED INTO THE GARAGE WALL AND DID DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THE WALL. *JB

MY 2002 LEXUS 300 HAS A DANGEROUS AND SIGNIFICANT HESITATION AND SHIFTING PROBLEM. ACCELERATION IS SLUGGISH AND THEN SURGES FORWARD SUDDENLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A REPEATED SHIFTING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEEDS WHEREIN THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE, AGAIN WITH UNEXPECTED AND UNCONTROLLABLE RESULTS. THE DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS THE WAY THESE CARS WERE ENGINEERED AND DID AN FIRMWARE UPGRADE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY. *JB

DT: CONSUMER OWNED A 2002 ES 300. CONSUMER WAS GETTING INTO A PARKING PLACE WHEN HE WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP, HE STOPPED WITH VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THEN, PLACED THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, CONSUMER TRIED TO APPLY BRAKE AND BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, ENDED UP STRIKING A CONCRETE PILLAR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NO POLICE REPORT, BUT IT WAS REPORTED TO INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING FORWARD WITH GREAT FORCE AND BRAKES COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF AN INVESTIGATION THAT WAS IN PROGRESS ON THIS MATTER. ALTHOUGH INVESTIGATION WAS OFFICIALLY CLOSED, NHTSA SAID THAT THEY WOULD MONITOR THESE TYPE OF VEHICLES. CONSUMER SAID THAT INVESTIGATION WAS ON THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL.*AK

UPON ACCELERATION IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, SEVERE HESITATION WITH BRAKE-LIKE EFFECT, ENGINE REVIVING, WITH DRIVER THROWN FORWARD, THEN LURCHING INTO GEAR. SAID WAS FIXED WITH INSTALLATION OF TSIB TC004-3. NARROWLY BEING MISSED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN CAR BASICALLY STALLED. TSIB NOT A FIX. NOW ENGINE LIGHT ON. DANGEROUS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. *NM

NON DEPLOYAL OF SIDE AIRBAGS ON LEXUS ES 300. MODEL YEAR 2002. MY SON WAS HIT SQUARE IN THE DRIVERS DOOR AND INCURRED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE ONCOMING VEHICLE THAT HIT HIM HAD ITS AIRBAGS FULLY DEPLOY. THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS IN MY 2002 ES 300 SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AND FAILED TO DO SO. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY $8000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE WHOLE OF THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS COMPLETELY SMASHED. NEITHER,THE POLICE NOR THE BODY SHOP THAT REPAIRED THE CAR COULD NOT OFFER AN EXPLANATION AS TO THE FAILURE OF THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY.

DURING THE INITIAL WARRANTY 50K MILES, THE DEALERSHIP HAS RESURFACED AND REPLACED THE ROTORS 4 TIMES ON MY 2002 ES 300 LEXUS AND NOW THE ROTORS ARE WARPED FOR THE FIFTH TIME. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN BRAKING, THERE IS A VERY NOTICABLE VIBRATION IN THE WHEELS, WHICH IF NOT REPAIRED COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND CAUSE INJURY AND EVEN BE FATAL TO ME OR OTHERS. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF LEXUS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, THEY RESPONDED WITH, THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ROTORS FREE OF CHARGE, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACING BRAKE PADS AND LABOR, $300. THEY SAID THE PROBLEM IS ATTRIBUTED TO MY BRAKING PRACTICES, DRIVING IN THE CITY AND THE MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE. I DO NOT BELIEVE ONE WORD OF THAT, SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE WAY I BRAKE (WHICH IS NO DIFFERENT THAN A MILLION OTHER DRIVERS) IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE EITHER THEY HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACING THE ROTORS AS THEY STATED OR SOMETHING IS CAUSING THE ROTORS TO WARP, WHICH COULD BE A DEFECT. AT 67,533 MILES, WHICH IS WHEN I LAST TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE FIFTH TIME FOR VIBRATING, I WOULD BE SERVICING THE ROTORS ON AN AVERAGE OF EVERY 13,506 MILES.THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY BRAKING PRACTICES. THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD FOR OTHER DRIVERS AND MYSELF. I DON'T WANT THEM TO JUST REPAIR THE SYMPTOM I WANT THE CAUSE TO BE REPAIRED. I WAS TOLD BEFORE I COMPLAINED, THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST BETWEEN $600 AND $700. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MUCH THIS WOULD COST ME FOR ROTORS FOR THE LIFE OF THIS VEHICLE! AFTER I RECEIVED LEXUS'S DECISION FROM MR. DAN REYNOLDS, I ASKED HIM FOR THE NAME OF THE PERSON NEXT IN LINE FOR ME TO APPEAL THIS DECISION. HE TOLD ME HE WAS IT. THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE TO APPEAL TO. HE SAID HE HAD OFFERED ME A GOOD WILL EFFORT, AND NOTHING ELSE WOULD BE DONE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE HISTORY OF THE 2002 ES300 AND SEE HOW MANY VEHICLES HAVE NEEDED RESURFACED/REPLACED ROTORS 5 TIMES AT 67,533 MILES. I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION GIVEN TO MY SITUATION. THANK YOU.

WHEN ACCELERATING IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300, I EXPERIENCE HESITATION OF A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO INCREASE IN SPEED. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE, BUT OVER TIME HAS BECOME EXTREMELY NOTICEABLE AND DANGEROUS SINCE I DRIVE ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. WHEN IT WAS REPORTED TO MY DEALER A FEW MONTHS AGO THEY EXPLAINED IT AWAY AND TOOK NO ACTION.*AK