2003 Lexus ES300 problems
The 2003 Lexus ES300 has 147 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (33%) concerns cruise control. After that come transmission (14%) and engine (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 147 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Cruise control 33% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 52 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 20 and 2
- Typical mileage
- 31,000 miles 105 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 | 44 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 17 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 10 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 7 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 105 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 31,000 miles. For cruise control specifically, the median reported mileage is about 35,000 miles (37 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 52 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 20 injuries reported; 2 deaths 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 2003 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Lexus ES300 with enough data (101 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.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 lexus es300. The driver was traveling 45 MPH and lost control of the vehicle. The driver crashed into a row of bushes and then struck a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The cause of the crash was undetermined. The driver and a passenger were killed. A police report was filed and the vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 100,000.
On 9/4/2011 at approx. 1: 41 pm, I was pulling my 2003 lexus es300 (with my foot on the brake) into a shopping center parking space when it suddenly surged, then accelerated over the curb and onto a sidewalk where people were dining at tables. As the car accelerated over the curb, I pushed harder on the brake and tried to steer the car away from the diners.
When pulling into a parking spot driver depressed the brake pedal and vehicle suddenly accelerated. Vehicle went over the curb, and hit a light pole. Front left side of the vehicle was damaged. Upon impact, front air bags did not deploy. Driver sustained minor bruises.
The vehicle lunged upon parking. As a result the consumer lost control and hit a wall. The front end repairs cost $2,275.00. (sudden acceleration)
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 lexus es300. The contact stated that when the driver was shifting into reverse gear, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and he lost control of it. The driver crashed into another vehicle and a tree. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. There were no previous acceleration failures. She took the vehicle to the dealership and the dealer told her that they could see nothing mechanically wrong.