Lexus ES300 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 677 consumer complaints across the 13 model years of the Lexus ES300 (1992–2013) that have at least 5 complaints. 2002 has the most, with 153. Across all years, the part named most often is vehicle speed control (147 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All ES300 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5 | 3,500 | 0 | 38 | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 116 | 34,950 | 0 | 54 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 153 | 30,000 | 2 | 53 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 29 | 60,000 | 0 | 50 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 56 | 77,000 | 0 | 42 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 27 | 88,000 | 0 | 33 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 52 | 78,564 | 1 | 31 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 45 | 100,000 | 2 | 29 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 37 | 109,000 | 1 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 38 | 103,283 | 1 | 23 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 39 | 110,000 | 1 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 43 | 96,000 | 0 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 37 | 141,818 | 1 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Vehicle speed control147 25%
- Transmission and drivetrain116 19%
- Air bags72 12%
- Engine cooling71 12%
- Electrical system71 12%
- Brakes56 9.3%
- Seat belts33 5.5%
- Other or unknown33 5.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “I replaced the battery on my Lexus and it would no longer idle you take your foot off the accelerator and the engine dies.. The computer lost the idle parameters this is dangerous as I turned left off one road to another took my foot from accelarator to brake engine died and I lost power steering almost wrecked most mechanics are aware of this defect Lexus refused to admit it google it all over internet”
NHTSA complaint #11055236, filed 2017-12, 100,000 miles1995: “Accelerated around a vehicle that had pulled out in front of me. My vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Cruise control engaged itself. I pumped breaks. Tried to deactivate cruise control unsuccessfully. While heavily pumping breaks, vehicle returned to normal and cruise control light went out.”
NHTSA complaint #10744515, filed 2015-07, 103,283 miles2000: “Was driving vehicle at approximately 25mph and when I accelerated I felt friction/vibration in the gas pedal and heard a loud grinding noise. The noise could be heard each time I pressed the gas pedal to accelerate. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership and they could not find any malfunction. After that incident, it has not occurred in the past four days.”
NHTSA complaint #10471296, filed 2012-08, 112,000 milesOther Lexus models
1,448 complaintsLexus RX
962 complaintsLexus RX350
833 complaintsLexus RX300
719 complaintsLexus IS 250
718 complaintsLexus ES
658 complaintsLexus IS
579 complaintsLexus RX330
524 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology