KnownCarProblems2003 Lexus ES300 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 116 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Lexus ES300, most often about the speed control (41% of complaints, typically around 35,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about ES300 model year since 2000.
Most common 2003 Lexus ES300 problems
Speed control
48 complaints · 41%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
The consumer stated at any time the vehicle accelerated without warning. No impact reported. Please provide additional information. The vehicle sticks in gear.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Lexus ES300. The driver was driving in a parking lot approximately 10 MPH when the vehicle began to accelerate on it's own. The vehicle accelerated above 80 MPH which caused the driver to crash into 6 vehicles. The driver was injured and was taken to the emergency room. The police confirmed that…
Transmission
27 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 3,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Hesitation upon acceleration. I notice the vehicle lacks the ability to pick up speed from a slow down or dead stop. I feel this in 1st-3rd gears when accelerating from a deceleration speed or stop. This is very serious and is cause for safety concerns. I just bought this vehicle and I have another problem with a…
Ltr fm brett woody (tx) re dangerous defective transmission software problems in the 2002-2003 Lexus ES300, reply attn jan crow/ houston ofc. Consumer would apply more and more pressure to the brake pedal but the vehicle wouldn't accelerate. The transmission failed twice. Lexus had given the consumer a new vehicle and…
Engine
16 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 40,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
2003 es 300 - transmission issues: I have been experiencing hesitation upon acceleration almost every time, along with hard shifting 50% of the time. The acceleration hesitation can be scary if I'm trying to enter the highway, or turning left. The hard shifting feels like I got hit from behind. Both problems have been…
On march 26, 2010 my husband and I were stopped at a traffic signal, (with my foot on the brake as you would expect), when the car suddenly accelerated at full throttle. In the brief but terrifying moments that the car was out of control I unfortunately collided with another vehicle as I threw the gear selector into…
Air bags
13 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 55,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
While driving 40 MPH the vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. The dual airbags did not deploy. The driver sustained head injuries from hitting his head on the steering wheel. Please provide additional information.
Owner of the car was traveling approximately 50 MPH on interstate, crossing a bridge, tapped brakes when approaching slush and snow, Lexus ES300 went into a spin, spun around once, spun onto the shoulder and rolling down an embankment, rolling over twice and landing upside down in drainage ditch. Driver was suspended…
Electrical
10 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 19,000 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery, ignition.
Our 2003 Lexus es 300 engine area caught in fire when my wife parked in the parking lot. According to the witness, parking lot security, he saw the smoke came out from the engine area for about a minute and then fire. He said it looks like something is short in the electrical/engine and caught the fire. When the fire…
Upon stopping, and when consumer removed foot from the gas pedal vehicle surged forward before the brake pedal was depressed. This occurred numerous times. Once, resulting in consumer's vehicle crashing into a concrete pole while pulling into a parking lot. Also, starting at 5000 miles battery had to be replaced 3…
Brakes
7 complaints · 6%Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components.
My 17 year old daughter was driving my 2003 Lexus in town. We have never had any previous similar incidents, and have not experienced the same thing since. She had stopped at a stop light, but was too far back, so she wanted to pull up a little. She took her foot off the brake, and the car moved forward. She…
I noticed when I would pull out of my driveway I would hear a knock when I put the car in reverse also; I was driving home from work one evening and it was raining I was on a busy freeway, I was beginning to slow down and the brakes went all the way to the floor and a loud rubbing noise occurred I slid for about a…
Fuel system
6 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: fuel injection system.
On june 12 my wife was entering a parking spot with her foot on the brake pedal when the 2003 Lexus es 300 suddenly with a roar surged forward jumped a parking bumper and a high sidewalk curb went forward about 6 feet and hit a concrete and steel girder stair case. The crash did over 5000.00 dollars damage to the car…
My wife was driving slowly in traffic when there was a small surge in engine rpms, she lifted her foot off the gas pedal and the car return to normal.
Other or unspecified
4 complaints · 3%We have experienced on several occassions that vehicle hesitates when trying to accelerate at stop sign or when initialy in start to drive at about 20-30 miles per hour at times for few seconds & at times it rattles 3-4 times. This car was purchased as certified pre-owned from Lexus dealer in excellent condition in…
Unwanted acceleration while applying the break while slowing down the RPM gauge pins itself to about 3000. The car will not down shift until it jolts forward just a little and the you can feel the lower gears engage. I bought it as a used vehical about 3 weeks ago with 80,336 miles . I see lots of complaints for the…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Lexus ES300 recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Unwanted and unintended acceleration
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened dp09-001 on april 8, 2009, to evaluate a defect petition requesting additional investigation of potential throttle control system defects unrelated to floor mat interference with accelerator pedals in model year (my) 2007 lexus es 350 vehicles.the petitioner referenced an earlier odi investigation concerning floor mat interference with accelerator pedal return (pe07-016/ea07-010), which he stated was too narrow in scope as it did not include all incidents of unwanted acceleration and consider all potential causes of vehicle speed control concerns.the petition also requested an investigation of my 2002-2003 lexus es300 for those 'longer duratio
Vehicle speed control
Summary
In a letter dated july 8, 2005, and after experiencing two incidents (and one crash) where he alleges his model year (my) 2002 camry accelerated without driver input, mr. Jordan ziprin petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration?s (NHTSA) office of defects investigation (odi) to commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect within the etc system in my 2002 to 2005 toyota and lexus vehicles, or to reopen a prior investigation preliminary evaluation (pe) 04-021.in a letter dated august 18, 2005, mr. Ziprin amended his petition to include allegations of interrelated brake and acceleration problems that allegedly result in inappropriate and uncontrollable vehicle
Throttle control system
Summary
The lexus models were the subject of defect petition (dp) 04-003.twelve odi complaints are duplicative to toyota reports, including the two minor crashes.the v6 equipped solara models have been excluded because they do not contain the subject throttle control system.toyota introduced electronic throttle control (etc) on the subject vehicles beginning in model year (my) 2002.odi opened the investigation to determine if the system could be the cause of complaints alleging the engine speed increased, or failed to decrease, (for a short duration) when the accelerator pedal was not depressed (the alleged defect).during the course of the investigation, odi analyzed agency data and reviewed vehicle
Throttle control system
Summary
The population number noted above is estimated.in the january 15th, 2004 petition request letter to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA), the petitioner identified 37 voq complaints as related to vehicle speed control issues similar to those the petitioner allegedly experienced in their own vehicle on multiple occasions (as described in the petition request letter).during it's consideration of the request, the office of defects investigation (odi) reviewed the 37 complaints and concluded that 34 of the complaints did not involve a throttle control issue as described and alleged by the petitioner; three voqs (one of which is the petitioner's) do allege a throttle control
Questions about the 2003 Lexus ES300
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Lexus ES300?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: speed control (48 complaints, typically around 35,000 miles); transmission (27 complaints, typically around 3,500 miles); engine (16 complaints, typically around 40,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Lexus ES300 have?
- NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2003 Lexus ES300. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls in case one is issued later.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Lexus ES300?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about ES300 model year since 2000, with 116 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.