2003 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR, I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT A HESITATION AND STUTTERING WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A SLOW-DOWN OR A STOP. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG SEVERAL TIMES AND MORE RECENTLY HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE COMPUTER-CONTROLLED ACCELERATOR AND CANNOT BE FIXED. I HAVE SEVERAL TIMES HAD A CLOSE CALL ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I NEEDED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY AND THE CAR HESITATED BEFORE ACCELERATING. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT, BUT HAVE BEEN VERY FRIGHTENED BY THE DELAY IN PERFORMANCE. I HAVE HAD 2 PREVIOUS LEXUS ES 300'S THAT DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT AT NIGHT THERE WAS A TIME DELAY IN THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN BEING SHUT OFF. IF THE TRUNK WAS PROPPED OPEN ONLY 1/8 OF AN INCH THE LIGHTS STAYED ON UNTIL THE BATTERY IWASDEAD. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY UNHOOKED THE TIME DELAY. THE BATTERY DIED TWICE BECAUSE OF THIS ONLY IN THE NIGHTTIME.*AK

AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, MY 2003 LEXUS ES SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND WENT OVER THE CURB AND A SMALL GRASS EMBANKMENT. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED BRAKES AND IT DID START SLOWING DOWN. I FINALLY GOT THE CAR STOPPED. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS IN THAT PARKING LOT. DON'T KNOW WHAT DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE CAR. THIS IS FRIGHTENING BECAUSE THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM MY HOME. UPON ENTERING THE PARKING LOT, I HAD TO YEILD TO A SCHOOL BUS AND STOP. AFTER THE STOP I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH TO PARK THE CAR. I TURNED FOUR TIMES TO GET TO THE PARKING SPACE WITH FOOT ON THE BREAK OR JUST COASTING. AS I TURNED INTO THE PARKING SPACE WITH THE BRAKES PRESSED. THE CAR ACCERALATED AND WENT OVER THE CURB AND PROCEEDED ON THE GRASS. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE INCIDENT. I TRIED TO STOP THE CAR BY PUSHING THE BRAKES DOWN HARDER. SINCE THE BRAKEKS WERE NOT RESPOND, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND STOMPED/PUMPED THE BRAKES WITH NO AVAIL. THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING. THE CAR WAS ON THE GRASS AND LUCKILY SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS IN A LEFT HAND TURN POSTION I AVOIDED HITTING STUDENTS AND A HUGE TREE. USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FINALLY STOPPED THE CAR. 3. I CALLED 180025LEXUS AND HAD THEM PICK THE CAR UP AND TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (STERLING MC CALL LEXUS) THE SERVICER ADVISOR (LOPEZ) CALLED SAYING THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VECHILE AND IT WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP. WHEN THE CAR WAS PICKED UP MY HUSBAND MADE A NOTATION ON THE SERVIE SHEET SAYING HE DID NOT AGREE. HE ALSO WENT TO TALK TO THE SALES MANAGER (COOK) TO LET HIM KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HOW UNHAPPY WE WERE. HE ALSO LET HIM KNOW THAT WE HAD RESEARCHED LEXUS ON THE NHTSA SITE AND FOUND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND MANY ORTHER REPORTS HAVE BEEN FILED CONCERNING BRAKES NOT WORKING AND WITH HIGH ACCERATION. HE SAID TO REPORT IT TO 180025LEXUS AND HE WOUDL GET ON TO IT ONCE IT WAS REPORTED. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE AND SINCE LEXUS WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILTY THE CAR MUST BE REPLACED.

WHILE SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION HAD A TEN MINUTE DELAY BEFORE RESPONDING, AND THE TRANSMISSION JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *AK

FROM THE DAY I GOT THE CAR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN IN TROUBLE. THE PROBLEM IS THE SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND. UNDER LIGHT THROTTLE THERE IS FREE WHEELING AND ENGINE RUN-UP AND IT BUMPS INTO SECOND. I KNOW IT WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. LEXUS HAS PLAYED WITH THE COMPUTER CONTROL BUT CAN'T CORRECT THIS. THEY TELL ME THIS NORMAL, BUT I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR ANY NON- LEXUS TRANSMISSION.*AK

ON JAN 20, 2005 AT ABOUT 7:30PM I WAS RETURNING FROM WORK DRIVING MY LEXUS 2003. JUST BEFORE REACHING MY HOME, I TURNED RIGHT INTO NOTLEY ROAD FROM STONE GATE DRIVE AT SILVER SPRING, MD AFTER STOPPING AT THE STOP SIGN. BEFORE I REALIZED, THE CAR KNOCKED OVER THE MAIL BOX OF THE HOUSE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND STARTED RACING ON THE YARD OF THE HOUSE. NEXT THE CAR KNOCKED DOWN THE STREET LIGHT, CROSSED A ROAD AND RACED TOWARDS A TREE. ALTHOUGH I APPLIED, THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. ULTIMOTELY THE CAR CRASHED ON TO A TREE, TURNED OVER AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CRAWL OUT OF THE CAR WITH MUCH EFFORT. I WAS TAKEN TO THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE AND AFTER BEING EXAMINED BY THE PHYSICIAN AND XRAYS I WAS RELEASED. THE CAR WAS ULTIMATELY TOWED TO LEXUS BODY SHOP AND WAS PRONOUNCED A TOTAL LOSS I FEEL THAT THE LEXUS TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN WHEN I TURNED RIGHT FROM A STOP SIGN INTO THE NOTLEY ROAD DAMAGING PROPERY AND ULTIMOATELY CRASHING ON TO A TREE. BECAUSE THERE WAS SNOW ON THE YARD, I WAS ABLE TO VIDEOTAPE THE TRACK MARKS MADE BY THE CAR FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE CRASH. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND GIVE ME SOME REPORT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. THE DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES FROM HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

DEAR SIR, MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT TOYO TIRES. I HAVE A LEASED LEXUS ES300. THE LEASE STARTED IN DECEMBER OF 2002, FOR 39 MONTHS /36,000 MILES. WE HAVE 18,875 MILES ON THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE & THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE TIRES ARE BOLD. I TOOK IT TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP , SCANLON OF FT. MYERS & THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME FOR NEW TIRES. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIRES WEARING OUT AT 18,000 MILES. THE TOYO TIRES ARE CHEAP TIRES. THE TIRES CAME WITH THE CAR, & I HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY ARE MANUFACTURED SO POORLY. IS IT FAIR THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR NEW TIRES? THANK YOU, LEONARD MOJTA. *JB

LEXUS 300 HESITATION. STEPPED ON ACCELERATOR, CAR HESITATED AND HAD TO PUMP ACCELERATOR TO GO FORWARD. *BF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MANY TIMES. THE CONSUMER ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND THE CONSUMER PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR TO GO FORWARD. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. *SC