1999 Lexus ES300

Routine

Owners filed 27 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine › gasoline. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline3
000
Vehicle Speed Control2
101
Unknown or Other2
101
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine2
000
Wheels › Rim1
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Suspension › Front1
000
Service Brakes, Air › Disc › Rotor1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Aug 22, 201485,135 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,135.

Unknown or OtherCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 22, 2010FL

1999 LEXUS ES300. CONSUMER REQUESTS INFORMATION ON TOYOTA DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS MOTHER WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT AND SUFFERED INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *JB

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Mar 19, 201035,000 milesGA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN THE REVERSE POSITION. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AND CRASHED INTO A RESIDENTIAL HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE OTHER VEHICLE DRIVER SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Mar 12, 2010245,000 milesDC

CALL LEXUS AND MADE COMPLAIN ABOUT MY CAR AND THE PROBLEMS I AM HAVING GETTING RESOLUTION HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING. THEY ARE REQUESTING THAT I TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING TO FIX MY VEHICLE. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Mar 11, 2010245,000 milesDC

MY CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT MY CONTROL AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO BRING IT TO A STOP BY USING THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS FUTILE. AFTER ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKES THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED. CAR WAS TOWED BY TRIPLE AAA TO NTB IN ALEXANDRIA VA. REPORT THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA /LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID NOT GET A FAVORABLE RESPONSE. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Apr 26, 200888,000 milesTN

COMPLAINED TO DEALER ABOUT IMPROPER SHIFTING OF TRANSMISSION WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER ADVISED THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE, BUT CHANGED THE FLUID ANYWAY. I STILL CONTINUED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BUT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER NOT TO COME BACK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURES RECOMMENDATIONS AND NOW AT 88,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. THIS IS AN U140E TRANSMISSION, WHICH HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Nov 2, 2007108,700 milesPA

HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND CHARCOAL CANISTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED IN TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES UP UNTIL AND INCLUDING 1998. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY THAT COVERED THE OLDER VEHICLES. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Aug 27, 2007108,920 milesPA

HAD TO REPLACE EVAP CHARCOAL CANISTER ON MY LEXUS ES300, MY CO-WORKER ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THIS ON HIS RX300 ALONG WITH THE O2 SENSORS. *TR

Wheels › Rim
Filed Jul 4, 2007CA

ISSUE INVOLVE 1999 LEXUS ES300 CHROME WHEELS (RIMS). FAILURES TO MAINTAIN AIR PRESSURE. NUMEROUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS LEXUS KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT VEHICLE MANUFACTURE UNWILLING TO FIX THIS FAILURE, WHICH RESULT IN OWNERS PURCHASING NEW CHROME WHEELS AT $500 EACH.

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jun 13, 2006117,000 milesCA

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE BUCKLE HARNESSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED.

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 22, 2006100,000 milesPA

WHILE DRIVING ON A RECENTLY OILED AND CHIPPED RURAL ROAD, I HAD TO VEER TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ONCOMING VEHICLE DRIVING IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. UPON SAID VEHICLE PASSING, I SLIGHTLY TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO FULLY RETURN TO THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO "FISH TAIL" TERRIBLY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL, AND EVENTUALLY TURNED HEAD ON TOWARD THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD, DIRECTLY TOWARD TREES LINING THE OPPOSITE SIDE. I MUST HAVE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS, AS THE NEXT THING I RECALL IS FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAT I WAS GOING, WITH THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE OF THE CAR RESTING AGAINST THE TREES LINING THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION I WAS TRAVELING. THE IMPACT HAD BEEN EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT, AS THE VEHICLE WAS ABSOLUTELY TOTALED, WITH THE FRONT AND PASSENGER SIDE BEING THE AREAS OF PRIMARY DAMAGE. THIS VEHICLE HAD SIX (6) AIRBAGS, NONE OF WHICH DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY LOOKED AT BY LEXUS REPRESENTATIVES, WHO ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO, I.E., THE AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED IN THIS ACCIDENT, WHICH I FIND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND CONSIDERING THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF SAID VEHICLE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT NHTSA TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT.*JB

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Mar 18, 2005CA

THE IAC VALVE IN THE CONSUMER'S 1999 LEXUS ES300 FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING AFTER BEING DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. *NM *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 24, 200459,000 milesGA

I OWN A 1999 LEXUS ES-300 AUTOMOBILE THAT WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2002. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE ATLANTA AIRPORT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. JUST PRIOR TO STOPPING THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING NOISE AND THEN SIMPLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BY LEXUS MECHANICS I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS "OIL GEL" IN THE ENGINE AND THAT A NEW ENGINE WOULD BE REQUIRED. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 4, 200462,790 milesTX

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CONSUMER COULD TAKE THE BATTERY OUT AND REPLACE IT, AND THE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TWICE, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 15, 200480,000 milesGA

THE LEXUS SPECIALIST AT THE REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT HE HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER ES 300 MODELS AS WELL AS THE RL MODELS AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE. THE ONES WITH THE TOYOTA CAMRY ENGINES HAVEN\\\\\\'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. THERE IS A TSB ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT THERE.

Seat Belts › Rear/Other
Filed Sep 22, 2003VA

NONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS HOLD THE CHILD SEAT FIRMLY. WHEN THE CAR TURNS OR SWERVES LIGHTLY THE CHILD SEAT TILTS ACCORDINGLY. *JB

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Mar 18, 200381,000 milesGA

JUST BOUGHT A 1999 LEXUS ES 300, TOOK IT TO BE CHECKED OUT BECAUSE THE ENGINE SOUNDED ROUGH IN THE REVERSE GEAR. FOUND OUT THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING BADLY AND HAS TO BE REPLACED, THE LEXUS SPECIALIST SAYS HE HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS IN THE ES 300 MODELS AS WELL AS SOME OF THE RL MODELS BUT HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY RECALLS. INFORMATION IS FOUND REGARDING THIS PROBLEM IN THE TSB DATABASE. *JB

Service Brakes, Air › Disc › Rotor
Filed Jan 9, 2003NY

MY BRAKES CONSTANTLY SQUEAKS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER HAD A FACTORY PERSON COME CHECK MY BRAKES LAST MONTH ON 12/12/02 AND DIDN'T DETECT A PROBLEM. MY BRAKES ARE SQUEAKING AND I FEEL THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAD THEIR LOANER SAME MODEL AND DIFFERENT YEAR-THE BRAKES DIDN'T SQUEAK AT ALL. I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PROBLEM. CAN THIS BE A POSSIBLE DEFECT OR MALFUNCTION. IS IT SAFE MY CAR TO SQUEAK CONSTANTLY WHENEVER I STEP ON THE BRAKES IN ANY KIND OF WEATHER.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jan 3, 2003MA

WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jun 8, 2002FL

ENGINE OIL GELLING DAMAGED ENGINE

20 of 27 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2002
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20135000Routine
20063000Routine
20051000Routine
2003116042Fatalities reported
2002153250Routine
200129010Routine
200056010Routine
1999 — this page27000Routine
199852110Routine
199745221Fatalities reported
199637133Fatalities reported
199538120Routine
199439100Routine
199343041Fatalities reported
199237110Routine

Compare every ES300 year →

Reading this record

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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.