2002 Lexus RX300 problems
NHTSA has received 106 complaints about the 2002 Lexus RX300, and 19% of them involve transmission. Next are drivetrain & axles (18%) and cruise control (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 106 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Transmission 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 22 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 16 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 94,000 miles 92 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 | 7 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 10 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 11 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 16 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 12 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 17 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 7 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 92 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 94,000 miles. For transmission specifically, the median reported mileage is about 100,000 miles (19 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 22 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 16 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 88% 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 2002 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the Lexus RX300 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.
Vehicle involved in collision and air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was struck on the left driver's side while traveling 65 MPH. The driver sustained injuries to his chest, left leg, back shoulder, etc. The passengers sustained minor cuts bruises and contusions.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 lexus rx 300. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash and none of the air bags deployed. The contact mentioned that he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the failure. As a result, he sustained a head injury after hitting the dashboard. The driver of the other vehicle suffered a neck injury. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 290,000.
The consumer was involved in a rear end collision of 25 MPH, and the air bags failed to deploy. The upper harness of the seat belt failed to hold the consumer in place. The consumers chest hit up against the steering wheel. The consumer was transported to the local hospital by ambulance. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified at this time.
While pulling into a parking space in my office parking lot, I had an unattended acceleration while my foot was on the brake. The car lunged over the curb, up a slight incline, hit a small tree which knocked down the perimeter fence. I called the lexus dealership and they gave me an 800 number to call. I reported what happened and they sent a tow truck to bring my car to the dealership because I was afraid to drive it.
Have gone through 4 batteries -- 3 within 3 months. Fletcher jones dealership in las vegas, nv keeps insisting nothing wrong with vehicle (lexus rx300-2002) + simply replaces the dead battery. Lexus regional service never seems able to reach the dealership. No one has any idea or explanation why batteries keep failing for no apparant reason.