MELTING DASHBOARD AND AROUND THE GEAR SHIFT AND LEXUS WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR A SO CALLED "LUXURY" BRAND. I HAD SOME PAPER ACTUALLY STICK TO THE PLASTIC AROUND THE GEAR SHIFT AND WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP I HAD TO PEEL IT OFF THEN I TRIED CLEAN IT OFF WITH JUST WATER AND A RAG AND IT LEFT MARKS. I WANT SOMETHING DONE BY LEXUS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM SO WHY ISN'T LEXUS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT? I WANT SOMETHING DONE! MY DASH AND PLASTIC AROUND THE GEAR SHIFT NEED TO BE REPLACED AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I JUST FOUND THIS SITE THAT'S WHY I'M JUST NOW REPORTING IT BUT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 2014. LEXUS SHOULD OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKES AND FIX THEM. I WILL KEEP CALLING AND KEEP GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE!
2002 Lexus IS 300
Owners filed 28 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Clutch Assembly | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsBRAKE,TRAC OFF,VSC,ABS LIGHT ARE ON
DASHBOARD IS MELTING ON MY 2002 IS300. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD CAUSING GLARE ON WINDSHIELD. ALSO THE STICKY BLACK DASH GETS ON OUR SKIN AND LIKELY HAS HARMFUL CHEMICALS THAT IS BEING ABSORBED IN OUR BODIES. LEXUS REFUSES TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN DEFECT AND MY VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I ALWAYS THOUGHT LEXUS WAS THE TOP BRAND FOR RELIABILITY AND QUALITY. MY VIEWPOINT OF LEXUS BRAND HAS CHANGED AFTER THIS AND I CAN NO LONGER CONSIDER BUYING LEXUS IN FUTURE. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THEIR POOR QUALITY CONTROL AND REFUSAL TO STAND BY THEIR BRAND.
LIKE MOST LEXUS IS300 OWNERS, MY CAR EXHIBITS THE "MELTING" DASHBOARD ISSUE. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE MELTING MATERIAL COULD BE RELEASING CHEMICALS THAT IS ORDERLESS/TOXIC. LEXUS IS REFUSING THE REPAIR THE ISSUE OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS IS 300. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, A GLARE APPEARED ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT AFFECTED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS MELTING AND A STICKY RESIDUE COVERED ITS SURFACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,500.
I PUT $3000 ON 2002 LEXUS AND HAD IT FOR THREE DAYS WHEN MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND MYSELF WAS HEADING ONTO COMMERCIAL TURNPIKE SOUTH. I WAS APPROACHING LIGHT ON CORNER OF 441 AND COMMERCIAL WHEN MY BRAKES JUST GAVE OUT ON ME COMPLETELY AND I QUICKLY RESPONDED AND PULLED UP EMERGENCY BRAKE AND TURNED INTO GAS STATION TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MECHANIC AND WHICH IT WAS PUT ON MACHINE AND DETAILED EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH CAR INCLUDING THE MALFUNCTION ON THE ABS SYSTEM WHICH CONTROLS BRAKES AND STEERING. I WAS SAVED BY NOT GETTING ONTO TURNPIKE AND MY QUICK MANEUVERING TO EMERGENCY BRAKES WHICH HELPED VERY LITTLE. MY PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. I CALLED AND TOLD MOSCHE WHICH WAS THE GUY I SIGNED CONTRACT WITH AND TOLD HIM TO COME AND GET THIS CAR AND I WANT MY MONEY BACK. HE TOLD ME NO REFUNDS AND I FOUND OUT WITHIN THREE DAYS I SHOULD OF GOTTEN MY REFUND BACK. THEY TOOK MY CAR BACK AFTER I FIXED IT AND PAID OVER $500 FOR AND WILL NOT GIVE ME ANOTHER CAR NOR MY MONEY BACK.. THEY ROBBED AND LIE AND SHOULD NOT BE SELLING DANGEROUS CARS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF NO BRAKES. I WAS TOLD TO COME GET THE CAR A WEEK AFTER BECAUSE OF THEM PUTTING BRAKES ON THEM SO THEY HAD KNOWLEDGE OF SOMETHING WRONG WITH BRAKE SYSTEM AND FAILED TO TELL ME.. *TR
ACCELERATOR FAILURE: TWICE THAT I CAN CLEARLY REMEMBER. FIRST TIME HAPPENED IN 2003 AFTER GENTLE DEPRESSION OF THE GAS PEDAL, IT SEEMED TO PUSH ITSELF FURTHER AND WAS STUCK INTO THE FLOOR RESULTING IN UNCONTROLLED, MAX ACCELERATION...THIS WAS MENTIONED TO THE DEALER WHEN I TOOK IT FOR SERVICE (RAY CATENA LEXUS, LARCHMONT, NY). AFTER THAT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE SPRING OF 2008 WHERE I WAS ON THE I95 ON MY WAY TO WORK, IN RUSH HOUR WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT FROM ABOUT 40MPH TO 70 OR 80. I MANAGED TO WEAVE AROUND TRAFFIC AND DROVE ON THE SHOULDER WHILE PRESSING FULL FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, PULLED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE CAR IN PARK. AFTER THAT OCCURRED, I WAS FOLLOWED OFF HE HIGHWAY BY THE HELP TRUCK, TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND NOTHING WAS FOUND...I IMMEDIATELY MADE AN APPT WITH THE DEALER BUT HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY FOR SERVICE. IN THE MEANTIME, IT HAPPENED TWICE MORE ON THE HIGHWAY BUT I WAS CAUTIOUS AND STAYED AWAY FROM CARS AND CLOSE TO THE SHOULDER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS CHARGED $100 TO LOOK AT IT (LEXUS OF GREENWICH, CT), WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE FLOOR MAT. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THIS HASN'T HAPPENED AGAIN AND I STILL HAVE THE CAR BUT I AM VERY WORRIED THAT IT MIGHT. *TR
ACCELERATOR FAILURE IN A LEXUS IS300 ABOUT TWO YEARS MY DAUGHTER GOT ON A CAR ACCIDENT AT THAT TIME SHE MENTIONED THAT HER ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK. THERE HAS BEE A FEW TIME THAT I FELT THAT THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ALSO. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THE LEXUS COMPANY FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS AND ALL THEY SAID IS THAT MY CAR IS NOT INVOLVE IN THE RECALL. THAT DON'T MEAN THAT MY CAR IS NOT DEFECTIVE, OR THERE NEED TO BE A FATAL ACCIDENT FOR THEM TO TAKE ACTION. *TR
I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A PROBLEM WITH THE LEXUS IS300 MODELS 2001-2005. THERE IS SOME TYPE OF DEFECT IN THE FRAME OR FRONT ARM BUSHINGS THAT CAUSE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE FRONT INNER TIRES. DESPITE THE CAR BEING REGULARLY ALIGNED, UNEVEN AND EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR CONTINUES TO OCCUR. TIRES WILL SOMETIMES LAST LESS THAN 8,000 MILES AND CAN WEAR DOWN TO THE STEEL IN THE INNER SIDES. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND COMPLAINT AMONG IS 300 OWNERS. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN NO FIX FROM LEXUS AND CAN LEAD TO POTENTIAL BLOWOUTS ON THE FREEWAY DUE TO TIRE FAILURES. PLEASE ALSO SEE THIS MESSAGE THREAD DOCUMENTING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS: HTTP://MY.IS/FORUMS/F89/ALIGNMENT-WOES-STOCK-SUSPENSION-NEED-INPUT-390629/. *JB
LEXUS IS300 2002 VEHICLE ROLLOVER ON FREEWAY. DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO ROLL WAS FROM THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL/RIM BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING. I WAS MERGING AND HEARD SOMETHING BREAK UNDER THE CAR. MY STEERING WHEEL TURNED A HARD RIGHT FORCEFUL AND WITHOUT MY CONTROL. I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL OUT FROM THIS INVOLUNTARY HARSH DIRECTION OF VEHICLE, IT WAS LOCKED UP. I TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND FACING TRAFFIC. ALL ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO DO SO (COMPLETELY LOCKED POSITION). THE VEHICLE SPUN AND I HEARD AND FELT THE BACK END HIT SOMETHING. THE CAR CATAPULTED OVER A 8 FT. FENCE THAT SEPARATES THE ACCESS ROAD. THE CAR LANDED ON ITS ROOF. MY AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED! IMPACT CRUSHED THE ROOF INTO THE GROUND I WAS SUSPENDED UPSIDE DOWN BY MY SEAT BELT. THE CAR ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I ATTEMPTED TO UNLATCH MY SEAT BELT, IT TOOK A FEW ATTEMPTS. I COULD NOT FIND A DOOR HANDLE, OR WINDOW TO GET OUT. I TRIED FORCING THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN. IT WOULD NOT MOVE, I WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE UPSIDE DOWN VEHICLE. IN A PANIC, I FEARED THE CAR WOULD SPILL GASOLINE AND CATCH FIRE. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. I THEN REALIZED NO ONE STOPPED TO HELP...I FORCED MY BODY TO HIT THE DOOR OVER AND OVER, TO BREAK IT OPEN. I GOT THE SIDE MIRROR TO BREAK ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN A FEW INCHES...JUST ENOUGH TO CRAWL OUT. I WENT BACK IN TO FIND MY PHONE AND CALL 911. AT THAT TIME A PERSON PULLED OVER. I FOUND MY PHONE AND FOR SOME REASON I DECIDED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF
ON 8/28/06, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:50 AM I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A TWO LANE, LEVEL, STRAIGHT PAVED COUNTY ROAD. I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 LEXUS IS 300 THAT HAD JUST REACHED 26,000 MILES. (THIS CAR HAS RECEIVED ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICES FROM LEXUS OF RENO AND HAS NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE) THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AND DRY. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN I ACCELERATED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS I PASSED, MY CAR KEPT ON ACCELERATING EVEN AS I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR. I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THE ENGINE ACCELERATION WAS SO POWERFUL, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND WELL TO MY ATTEMPT TO BRAKE, SO I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE SPEED ON THE DASHBOARD WAS 60 MPH AND ACCELERATING. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN WITH ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS RACING EVEN WHEN STOPPED. I MOVED THE SHIFT INTO PARK. EVEN IN PARK THE ENGINE WAS RACING. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. MY HUSBAND WAS FOLLOWING ME AND STOPPED. HE DROVE IT 1.5 MILES OUR OFFICE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THEN CALLED THE RENO, NV LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE HEAD OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED ME BACK AND SUGGESTED I HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS AWARE OF ANY OTHER RAPID ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES AND HE SAID NO. HE SAID THE 4 YEAR WARRANTY WAS UP IN 7/06 AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS. THAT AFTERNOON I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE RENO LEXUS
MY 2002, LEXUS IS300 HAD A CASE OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION THAT LED TO A CRASH CAUSING OVER $10,000 WORTH OF DAMAGES TO BOTH MY CAR AND THE OTHER PERSONS CAR. I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE WONDERING IF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE IS SUSPECT IN THESE CASES, HOWEVER I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS ONLY PARTLY TO BLAME ON THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. IN MY OPINION, THE PROBLEM IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE PEDAL GETTING STUCK UNDER FLOOR MATS IS TOO HIGH, COMBINED WITH THE RELATIVELY "LIGHT" SPRING FORCE ON THE GAS PEDAL BECAUSE IT IS A THROTTLE-BY-WIRE SYSTEM WHICH LEADS TO THE FLOOR MAT EASILY HOLDING THE PEDAL DOWN TO FULL THROTTLE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I SAY THAT THIS IS "NEGLIGENT PEDAL DESIGN ON THE PART OF THE CAR MANUFACTURER". I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THEY KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE BECAUSE THEY MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL ON: PG.76 WHERE THERE IS A CAUTION THAT STATES "MAKE SURE THE FLOOR MAT IS PROPERLY PLACED ON THE FLOOR CARPET. IF THE FLOOR MAT SLIPS AND INTERFERES WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE PEDALS DURING DRIVING, IT MAY CAUSE IN ACCIDENT." NO MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE THAT CAUTION AS A DISCLAIMER TO GET AWAY WITH NEGLIGENT PEDAL DESIGN. THEY, FULLY WELL KNOWING THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THOSE CAR MODELS WITH A PEDAL DESIGN THAT HAS A HIGH RISK OF GETTING JAMMED AND REDESIGNED THE PEDAL SO THAT IT CANNOT GET STUCK BY A FLOOR MAT. IN ALL THE CARS THAT I'VE OWNED IN THE PAST, IF A MAT SLIPS IT JUST PREVENTS
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS IS300. THE CONTACT STATES THE VEHICLE STALLS AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON EITHER ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON OFF ROADS. THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AT DECELERATING OR ACCELERATING. THE ONLY WARNING PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE IS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. THIS OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE ENGINE WILL RESTART USUALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 100-150 TIMES. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT 10 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THE TRANSMISSION IS AUTOMATIC. *AK
TRANSMISSIONG WAS REPLACED AND CLUTCH. NEW CLUTCH WORE IN IN 24,000 MILES. CLAIMED IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR. NEVER HAD A CLUTCH GO OUT THAT EARLY EVER!
THE INTIAL PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS A POPPING NOISE THAT IS COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS NORMAL, AND IS DUE TO BRAKE SHIFTING. A DAY LATER THE BRAKES STARTED TO SQUEAL. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE RESERFACED TWICE, AND THE PROBLEM NOW COMES AND GOES. I FEEL THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN THE LEXUS IS 300, AND THE NOISE IS NOT NORMAL. OUT OF THE 5 CARS I HAVE OWNED I NEVER HEARD THIS IN ANY OF THEM. *AK
I OWN A 5-SPEED MANUAL 2002 LEXUS IS300. CURRENTLY, MY CAR HAS 40,000 MILES. EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE IS STOCK, NO MODIFIED PARTS AND ACCESORIES. I DRIVE THIS CAR NORMAL LIKE ANY OTHER MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS. I REV MATCH WHEN I DOWNSHIFT, NEVER RIDE THE CLUTCH ETC...I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL CARS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. A FEW DAYS AGO, I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCHED BEGAN TO SLIP AS I WAS ACCELERATING ON-RAMP ONTO FREEWAY. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE BUT I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ACCELERATING AND PASSING OR ELSE, THE CLUTCH SLIPS AND CAR WON'T ACCELERATE. BECAUSE OF THIS PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE, I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE. I DRIVE IT REALLY SLOW. PAINFULLY SLOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE LEXUS (TOYOTA) WON'T WARRANTY THIS ITEM. MOST MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS' CLUTCHES HAVE A LIFETIME OF AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. AS AN ENGINEER, I SEE THIS AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, I WILL NEVER EVER PERSUADE POTENTIAL LEXUS BUYERS IN BUYING LEXUS VEHICLES.
LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM REAR OF TRUNK, ON MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD.*AK
TIRE WEAR AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS ON 2002 LEXUS IS300. *BF THE FRONT END MADE A LOUD SOUND OF ROLLING MARBLES. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS A NORMAL SOUND AND THE FACT THAT THE BRAKES HAD SETTLED THE NOISE WOULD BE HEARD. *SC *JB
PREMATURE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED IT STICKS. WHEN THIS OCCURS VEHICLE ACCELERATES AT A HIGH SPEED. THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILS TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. IGNITION HAS TO BE TURNED OFF TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES BY THE DEALERSHIP, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
20 of 28 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.