1998 Lexus ES300 Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 8%of 52 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 58,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Lexus ES300, 8% of the 52 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 58,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The day before the accident happened all the tail light were off and I found the fuse for tail light was blew. So I replaced the fuse. Next day,when I turned on headlight while driving on highway 680, the r indicator on the dashboard became on as well -- now both d and r were on. It puzzled me for awhile so I decided to turn off the headlight. As soon as the headlight was turned off , the car hesitated on freeway. I took the car to dealer for service who claimed they have never seen this before. …”
NHTSA complaint #10446065, filed 2012-01, 103,100 miles“Electricity discharges from ignition key area on steering column and door after turning off and exiting vehicle. I took car in to superior Lexus to determine the problem and they could not figure it out. I continue to get electrical shocks from my 1998 Lexus ES300 today.”
NHTSA complaint #10054664, filed 2004-01, 58,000 miles“Ignition key released, car parked in drive, rolled back and hit other vehicle. Key also released in reverse, drive, as well as in park . Should only release in park.”
NHTSA complaint #762980, filed 2002-06Related service bulletins
- 10111398Apr 10, 2015LSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many…
- 10111205Apr 10, 2015LSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many…
- 10205331Jul 7, 2014Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
- 10205330Jul 7, 2014Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
- 10205329Jul 4, 2014Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 10 | 9% |
| 2002 | 11 | 7% |
| 2001 | 2 | 7% |
| 2000 | 6 | 11% |
| 1999 | 2 | 7% |
| 1998 | 4 | 8% |
| 1997 | 5 | 11% |
| 1996 | 5 | 14% |
| 1995 | 9 | 24% |
| 1994 | 4 | 10% |
| 1993 | 9 | 21% |
| 1992 | 4 | 11% |
Other parts of the 1998 Lexus ES300
9 complaintsSeat belts
6 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsSeats
4 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Lexus ES300
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology