Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 1 time.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical System
2
0
2
0
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
1
0
1
0
Vehicle Speed Control
1
0
0
0
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Arm
1
1
0
0
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module
1
0
0
0
1 safety recall
Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting09E012000
Filed Apr 7, 200916,270 vehiclesSabersport
Defect. SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy. SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical SystemFire
Filed Oct 26, 2020175,000 milesNJ
WIFE DROVE LEXUS 2 MILES TO BAKERY, CRUST N'CRUMBS AT 1370 N MAIN ROAD, VINELAND, NJ. WHEN SHE CAME OUT OF BAKERY, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE CALLED ME. I DROVE THERE AND RAISED THE HOOD. 2 COIL PACKS WERE ON FIRE (ABOUT A 2 INCH FLAME) AND THE HOOD INSULATION WAS SMOULDERING. I BLEW OUT THE TWO FIRES AND PUT WATER ON THE COILS AND HOOD INSULATION. THEN CALLED A TOW TRUCK. WAS NOT REPORTED TO POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Oct 26, 200748,000 milesNY
ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 22, 2007 THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ON 1999 LEXUS ES300 WOULD NOT BUCKLE AS THE FEMALE(CONSOLE SIDE)PART OF THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETURN ALL THE WAY UP -THE RED BUTTON REMAINED PART WAY DOWN. IT WAS REPLACED WITH A LEXUS PART NO. 73240-33010-A0, BELT ASSY, FRT ST ,BY THE COMPLAINANT AND UPON EXAMINATION OF THE REMOVED PART , A BROKEN OFF PIECE OF RED PLASTIC SIMILAR IN NATURE TO THAT OF THE BUCKLE RELEASE WAS CAUGHT IN THE ASSEMBLY. WHEN THE PIECE OF RED PLASTIC WAS REMOVED FROM THE ASSEMBLY, THE LATCH(BUCKLE) AGAIN APPEARED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY. THIS FAILURE RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL IT COULD BE REPLACED. *TR
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower ArmCrash
Filed Jun 11, 200785,000 milesTX
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS ES 300. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT AND THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ROD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.
Equipment
Filed Nov 25, 2006CA
AUDIO DISPLAY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY FADED OUT. THIS PROBLEM IS HAVING TO A LOT OF 98-99 LEXUS ES300 MODELS. CONTACTED DEALER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THIS PROBLEM FOR CONSUMERS EVEN THEY KNOW THIS IS A FAILURE TO MANY VEHICLE OWNERS. *JB
Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jul 12, 200631,000 milesIN
DURING A DRIVE HOME, THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED COMING TO AN ALMOST COMPLETE STOP. THE PANEL LIGHT CAME ON WITH THE ABS. IT THEN RETURNED TO RUNNING SMOOTHLY> I RETURNED HOME WITHIN I MILE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS, NO ODOR OR PANEL SIGNS SHOWING. THE CAR WAS PUT INTO OUR GARAGE AND TURNED OFF, WITHIN MINUTES MY HUSBAND SAW THE CAR ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT PUT OUT THE FIRE AND THE CAR BECAME A TOTAL LOSS. CALLS TO LEXUS AND FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA WERE NOT ANSWERED AT ALL, NO COMMENT. HAS THERE BEEN A PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS WITH THAT MODEL CAR? THANK YOU. *JB
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 27, 2006113,000 milesSC
SUDDEN ACCELERATION - CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED, IT WOULD NOT TURN-OFF BUT INSTEAD THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN FROM 55 TO 90 MPH. *NM
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise ControlFire
Filed May 11, 2006113,000 milesSC
THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO LEXUS & THEY DENIED FAULT OR OBLIGATION TO ASSIST ME: I SPOKE WITH HEATHER STAFFORD WHO ASKED ME TO CALL 800-348-2788 TO GET MY CAR INSPECTED BY A LEXUS IN CHARLESTON SC. I WAS TOLD NOTHING COULD BE DONE SINCE THE CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SERVICE MNGR: DARYL WOULD CALL ME BACK BUT I NEVER HEARD FROM ANYONE. LIFE-THREATENING EXPERIENCE INVOLVED THE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONING ON MY 1999 LEXUS ES300, THURSDAY, 3/9/06. I HAD SET MY CRUISE ON 50 MPH AND IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN UP TO 88 MPH. I DEPRESSED THE CRUISE TO TURN IT OFF WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND HELD THE BRAKES DOWN, THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH AND THE CAR STILL WOULDN'T STOP. FEARING FOR MY LIFE AND LOOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR, I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND HEARD THE ENGINE MAKE A LOUD, DISTRESSING NOISE. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND WOULDN'T RESTART, SO I CALLED THE ONLY TOW TRUCK IN THE AREA. TOWED TO CONWAY, BUMPER TO BUMPER IMPORT AUTOS AND THE MECHANIC: DALE SAID I HAD BLOWN THE MOTOR. I ASKED HIM, WHAT CAUSED IT, HE SAID IT'S OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO THE OVER-STRESSED ENGINE BEING STOPPED SO ABRUPTLY WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. HE MENTIONED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT AND HE ADDED HIS STATEMENT ON THE INVOICE: CRUISE CONTROL WIRING CAUSED STICKING THROTTLE. LEXUS VEHICLES HAD REPORTED PROBLEMS IN NY TIMES FOR RECALLS FOR THE SAME MALFUNCTION, SO MY CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. THEREFORE, I EX
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module
Filed Apr 17, 200635,000 milesNY
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON , AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, DEALER ATTRIBUTES THE LIGHT COMING ON TO A LOOSE WIRE LOCATED UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 2003 AT ABOUT 35,000 MILES . THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 70,000 MILES AND THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON , I FEEL MY SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY EVERY TIME THIS LIGHT COMES. AFTER REPEATED VISITS TO THE DEALER THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES. *JB
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Apr 7, 2009. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.