2001 Lexus ES300 problems
The 2001 Lexus ES300 has 36 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (22%) concerns brakes. After that come cruise control (22%) and transmission (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 36 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 14 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 6 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 41,000 miles 17 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 8 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 17 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 41,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 14 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 6 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 97% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2001 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Lexus ES300 with enough data (23 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Front end collision resulting in head injury of restrained front seat passenger. Injury resulted from impact with radio. Seat belts were not retracted after accident.
Airbags did not deploy during accident of frontal damage and vehicle was totaled out by insurance company and wife chest was bruised by steering wheel because airbags did not come out.
On 2 recent occasions (nov 13, 2006 and may 5, 2007) my wife was pulling into a parking space and shifting the car into park when the car accelerated rapidly and slammed into a wall. Both incidents were almost identical. Extensive damage was done to the front sheet metal (about $9,000 on each incident). It's possible that my wife stepped on the accelerator when she thought she was stepping on the brake but she swears that this did not happen. Also, it is unlikely that this have happened twice.
2001 lexus es 300 brake problems causing so far 4 accidents- failure to stop. Spongy-like brakes. Dealer serviced and made aware. These have been collisions while trying to stop and other vehicles have been rear ended. The latest accident on october 1o, 2003 hit a group of public supermarket shopping carts damaging the hood of the car and emblem front plastic cover. The car just does not stop well when asked to.
Consumer complained of grinding brake noise when stopping. Dealer replaced front rotors and pads with "updated" versions and replaced brake fluid. When first driven after "update" brake peddle went to floor and car became difficult to stop. Pedal soon became less spongy, but required more pressure and more pedal travel to stop car than in the past. Dealer service writer said pedal felt normal.