CONSUMER REQUESTING INFORMATION REGARDING OXYGEN SENSORS ON LEXUS RX300.*MR THE OXYGEN SENOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE FRONT CALIPERS, ROTORS AND WASHER PUMP WERE REPLACED. *JB
2001 Lexus RX300 complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →
VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. CONSUMER WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ACCELERATION BEGAN. VEHICLE HIT A BRICK PILLAR. *AK
I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I COLLIDED WITH A PICKUP TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. WE WERE TRAVELING ABOUT 40 MPH, WHEN WE BOTH BRAKED WHEN A THIRD CAR IN FRONT SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES TO MAKE A SUDDEN LEFT TURN WITHOUT SIGNALING. I'M CONCERNED MY AIRBAGS ARE DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DONE TO THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. IT'S A GOOD THING THE SEAT BELT WORKED AS IT SHOULD, OR I WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED INJURIES.*AK
CONSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON AUGUST 3, 2004 AT 25 MPH UPHILL WHEN SUDDENLY THE ACCELERATOR STUCK. VEHICLE RED LINED UP THE HILL, AND WHEN IT REACHED THE TOP OF THE HILL, THE MOTOR WAS STILL RACING. CONSUMER'S SON MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND CUT THE VEHICLE OFF. IT WAS WITNESSED BY POLICE OFFICER,WHO WAS AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. THEN POLICE OFFICER ASKED CONSUMER'S SON TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND THE MOTOR IMMEDIATELY BEGUN TO RACE, RED LINING AGAIN. HE WAS THEN ASKED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, ALLOWING IT TO COOL DOWN. THEN, THE TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED BY THE POLICE OFFICER. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED ON THE SCENE CONSUMER'S SON WAS AGAIN ASKED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE REPEATED THE SAME THING, IT RED LINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, AND TOWED TO A LEXUS DEALER. *AK
THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN FOLLOWING ROUTINE ACCELERATION GOING UP HILL. ENGINE CONTINUED AT HIGH REVS. CONTROL AND BRAKING WERE DIFFICULT AS ENGINE RACED UNCONTROLLABLY. VEHICLE STOPPED BY EXITING INTO PARKING LOT AND BEING PUT IN PARK.*AK AFTER 1 HOUR WHEN VEHICLE RESTARTED ENGINE IMMEDIATELY RED LINED. IT DID THE SAME THE FOLLOWING DAY AND AT DEALER AFTER BEING TOWED IN. DIAGNOSIS FROM DEALER- THROTTLE CONTROL BODY STUCK. FORTUNATELY DRIVER DEALT WITH POTENTIALLY FATAL SITUATION WITHOUT INJURY OR DAMAGE. MANUFACTURER UNWILLING TO DISCLOSE SIMILAR EPISODES.
ENGINE OIL SLUDGE. *AK
TWO (2) INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION BY THE VEHICLE - THE DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SIMILAR ISSUES. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT NHTSA WAS CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO SIMILAR OCCURRENCES WITH OTHER TOYOTA/LEXUS VEHICLES.*AK
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A BUILDING HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *JB
OIL SLUDGE IN 3.0L ENGINE CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE.
FRONT BRAKE DISC ROTORS ARE WARPED AT ONLY 28000 MILES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO SEVERE DAMAGE FROM THE FIRE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS.*AK
THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, AND THE KEYS WERE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION, WHICH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JB
2001 LEXUS RX300, 30DEGREE OUTSIDE TEMP, VEHICLE WARMED UP UNTIL HEATED SEATS WORKED, DROVE VEHICLE ABOUT 80 YARDS FORWARD, VEHICLE PUT INTO REVERSE, SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURED AT FULL THROTTLE, BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION, UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE POSITION WITH VEHICLE IN MOTION, RPM NEEDLE AT REDLINE 8000RPM, VEHICLE FINALLY BROUGHT TO SCREECHING AND SHAKING STOP WHEN SHIFTED INTO PARK. ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF, WHEN STARTED AGAIN, RMP NEEDLE JUMPED UP TO REDLINE AGAIN AND STAYED THERE. THIS REPEATED ABOUT 5 TIMES. ACCELERATION WAS STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE. NO COLLISION. VEHICLE MALFUNCTION REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP, VEHICLE TOWED FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. NOTICED TICKING SOUND COMING FROM DRIVERS SIDE.
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HIT A PIECE OF RUBBER TIRE THAT HAD FLEW OFF A TRUCK, MINUTES LATER THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING GAS, CONSUMER THEN PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED A HOLE APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER ON THE SIDE OF THE GAS TANK, CONSUMER STATED THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED JUST FROM HITTING A PIECE OF RUBBER.*JB
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AFTER VEHICLE HAS STOPPED AWHILE BRAKES SQUEAKED VERY LOUDLY. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
VEHICLE WAS AT A FULL STOP AND PUT INTO PARK. PAVEMENT WAS LEVEL. PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT ENGAGED. BOTH DRIVER SIDE DOORS WERE OPEN AND REAR DOOR LIFTED. I WAS LOADING VEHICLE FOR FULL 5 MINUTES. AS I TURNED, SAW VEHICLE BEGIN TO MOVE IN REVERSE AT A VERY FAST PACE. ROLLED INTO EXTERIOR STUCCO WALL OF GARAGE. DAMAGED BUMPER AND LIFT GATE. NO INJURIES. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PUT INTO PARK WHILE RUNNING, WHEN AUTO IS PUT IN REVERSE AND FOOT IS TAKEN OFF BRAKE THE VEHICLE MOVES BACKWARD VERY QUICKLY WITH NO GAS APPLIED. WHEN PUT IN FORWARD, IT CREEPS AT A SLOWER SPEED THAN REVERSE. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO POSSIBILITY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT IN REVERSE WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE CAR WOULD HAVE KNOCKED ME OVER BEFORE I COULD HAVE CLEARED IT BECAUSE IT MOVES SO FAST IN REVERSE. *AK
WHILE CHANGING A FLAT TIRE: AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING RAISED, THE SREW ROD (PUSHES THE VEHICLE UP AND DOWN), ON THE JACK BEGAN TO BEND. THE OPERATOR OF THE JACK QUICKLY LOWERED THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS UNDER THE VEHICLE AND NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT CRASH DOWN.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 15MPH AFTER STARTING OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR THE PAST 26 HOURS AND WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN OPERATION FOR ONLY ABOUT 10 MINUTES, AND WAS ABOUT 4-5 MILES FROM MY RESIDENCE. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ODOR JUST PRIOR TO OBSERVING THE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER BOTH SIDES OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE BUT DID NOT INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OR ORIGIN OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND IS A TOTAL LOSS. MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT I HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE DEALER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ME BY EITHER PHONE OR E-MAIL.*AK
FOOT SOLELY ON BRAKE AS VEHICLE COMING TO A STOP IN PARKING SPOT SUDDENLY WITH NO REASON ACCELERATED OVER-RIDING THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE--JUMPING THE CONCRETE STOP-KNOCKING OVER PARKING POST AND SIGN AND COMING TO A STOP JUST HITTING THE OPPOSING VEHICLE'S LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL DOING DAMAGE TO IT AND TO MY CAR.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2001 Lexus RX300 → · Every RX300 year → · How the figures are calculated →