2002 Lexus ES300 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 2%of 153 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 145,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the engine of the 2002 Lexus ES300, 2% of the 153 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 145,000 miles. 1 a fire, 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.
“Large cloud of white/gray smoke when car sits overnight from previous night driving. After researching online this seems to be a common problem. There was a lawsuit filed because of this. Why not a recall????”
NHTSA complaint #10864819, filed 2016-05, 145,000 miles“The contact owns a 2002 Lexus ES300. While driving 30 MPH, there were flames and a black substance coming from the engine compartment of the vehicle. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair center, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000. The VIN was unavailable.”
NHTSA complaint #10822093, filed 2016-01, 130,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10179601Aug 5, 2020TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2002 Lexus ES300
52 complaintsVehicle speed control
50 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsEngine cooling
9 complaintsOther or unknown
8 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsTires
7 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 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