2002 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL. AR HESITATES ON ACCELERATION, LUNGES AT TIMES, SEARCHES FOR PROPER GEAR AND SHIFTS HARD. THE HEISTATION CAN BE QUITE DRAMATIC; ENOUGH TO LOSE CONFIDENCE IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS. THE CAR HAS BEEN "RE-PROGRAMMED" BY LEXUS, BUT PROBLEMS CONTINUE. LEXUS DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND SAYS THE CAR FUNCTIONS AS DESIGNED. PROBLEMS SURFACED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE AND CONTINUE.*AK

DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300, WHERE A SEVERE HESITATION EXISTS WHEN ACCELERATING AT SLOW ROLL (< 5MPH) AT INTERSECTION TURNS, EXITING DRIVEWAYS, AND GENERALLY ANYWHERE WHEN TRYING TO GET INTO FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHEN NEARLY STOPPED - ESPECIALLY WHEN A TURN IS INVOLVED ALONG WITH THE ACCELERATION. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WHEN TRYING TO ENTER LANE, OR MAKE A TURN, IN FRONT OF FAST-MOVING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS DOES NOT REGOGNIZE THE ACCELERATOR'S REQUEST FOR FUEL UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT COMPLAINT /CASE #100375515 LISTED AND I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER TWICE AND ANOTHER ONE SHEDULED FOR 5/21/2004. *AK

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE AT WORK, THE CAR WENT AROUND A BEND AND CONTINUED TO THE STOP SIGN. APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET. I NEVER PUSHED ON THE ACCERALATOR AT ALL DURING THIS TIME. THE CAR WENT BY ITSELF. WHATEVER WAS HAPPENING, THE COMPUTER EVIDENTLY WAS TELLING THE CAR TO MOVE WITHOUT PUSHING THE ACCERALATOR.*AK

THERE WERE TWO SUCH INCIDENTS. UPON COMING BACK AT LUNCH TIME TO WORK, I TURNED TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE ANGLE OF THE CAR NECESSITATED ME TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL VERY TIGHT TO THE RIGHT. WITH THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE RELEASED BUT WITH FOOT IN BRAKE POSITION THE CAR SURGED ALMOST HITTING THE PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IT DEFINITELY A SURGE, A PERSON CAN FEEL THE SUDDEN ENERGY. IN BECOMING MORE AWARE OF THE CAR AFTER I HAD AN ACCIDENT DOING THIS SAME TYPE OF MANEVEUR, THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO MANEVEUR THE CAR FOR PARKING AND AT THE SAME TYPE OF THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED VERY TIGHT IN ONE DIRECTION. *AK

THE TIRES SHOWED SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE WEAR EVERY 18,000 MILES. DEALER HAD REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH BRIDGESTONE, TURANZA T, SIZE P215/60R16. THE BRIDGESTONE FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED AT 23, 000 MILES, REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED AT 30, 000 MILES. CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH TIRES. *AK *LA

WHILE HAVING 15,000 SERVICE WARRANTY PERFORMED, DEALERSHIP NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CUPPING ON THE OUTER PART OF THE TREAD. THE TIRES HAD DETERIORATED. PRIOR TO HAVING THE SERVICE WORK DONE THE TIRES WERE MAKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING THAT GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER. *AK *LA

WHILE ON THE WAY TO WORK AT APPROXIMTELY 8:45 AM, AND SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING HOME, I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION O MUNCASTER MILL ROAD AND BOWIE ROAD. WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED AHEAD WITHOUT PUSHING ON THE ACCERALATOR. I MISSED THE CAR AHEAD OF ME BY INCHES. THE BRAKE STOPPED THE CAR. THIS IS THE FOURTH INCIDENT WITH THIS CAR. OTHER INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED.*AK

MY 2002 LEXUS ES 300, WHEN DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT NIGHT TIME, THE HEADLIGHTS (HID'S) KEEP COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR OF DRIVING THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT IS ABOUT HALF THE LENGTH OF A SEMITRUCK TRAILER. IT IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE ON CORNERS ON THE FREEWAY AND I HAVE TO TURN THE HIGH BEAM ON. THE OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT IS TO TELL THAT I CAN SEE ONLY TWO DOTTED POINTS (THE DIVIDER LINE ON THE FREEWAY) AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME. MY ESTIMATION IS THAT THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT AT THAT TIME IS ABOUT 15-20 FEET AT THE MAX. THE LIGHT GETS SO CONCENTRATED CLOSE TO THE CAR THAT IF I TURN THE FOGLIGHTS ON (WHICH FALL VERY CLOSE TO THE CAR) I CAN'T EVEN SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE LIGHT INTESITY. ONCE I HIT THE BRAKES OF THE CAR, THE HEADLIGHTS GO BACK TO NORMAL FOR A FEW MILES AND THE DISTANCE COVERED IS DEFINITELY MORE THAN 100 FEET. I DID TAKE MY CAR TO LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHICH IS ABOUT 250 MILES FROM MY HOUSE TWICE, ONLY TO HEAR THAT THIS CAR HAS A SPECIAL SENSOR WHICH ADJUSTS THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT AND ALL THE SENSORS ARE WORKING CORRECTLY. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T TEST DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT TIME AS THEIR DEALERSHIP IS CLOSED AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT THEY CAN CONFIRM MY COMPLAINT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THESE SO CALLED SPECIAL LIGHTS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE ONLY OPTION FOR ME AT THAT TIME IS TO TURN THE HIGH BEAM ON WHICH IS AGAIN NOT SAFE FOR THE OTHER TRAFFIC AROUND. I AM PUTTING THE INCIDENT DATE AS AUG, 2003 AS I BOUGHT THE CAR SOMETIMES AT THAT TIME AND THIS COMPLAINT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I GO FOR A FREEWAY DRIVING AT NIGHTIME. PLEASE HELP ME DEAL WITH THIS MATTER AND OBLIGE.*AK

UPON PARKING IN A PARKING LOT VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE JUMPED THE CEMENT WHEEL BLOCK, AND WENT THROUGH A COMPLEX BEFORE STOPPING. CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *LA

2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS A LAG IN TIME BETWEEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AND THE TRANSMISSION RESPONDING TO PUT THE CAR IN MOTION. *MR THE HESITATION IS MOST PRONOUNCED WHEN BRAKING AND THEN NEEDING TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER FEELS THE INABILITY OF THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER IS HAZARDOUS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. *NM