2003 Lexus ES Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ES years
- Far more complaints than other years 12th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Lexus ES. That ranks 12th out of 30 ES model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (6 complaints, 26%), typically at around 69,457 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 5 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
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- 23owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Lexus ES problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 26% | 69,457 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 22% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 17% | 260,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 13% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 13% | 235,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 13% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 13% | 260,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 13% | 260,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 9% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 4% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 4% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Lexus ES recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2003 Lexus ES.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Lexus ES 300. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 136,406. At the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 235,000.
Unknown
I was coming up my street like i do every day and all of a sudden it started accelerating and i was stuck staring wheel locked up and i hit a tree and got severely injured the car is totaled
I was driving in residential doing speed limit 30. The car started to exhilarate right before my turn on the my street. The brakes wouldn't work because the car just kept going faster the stearing wheel locked up. I couldn't stop and ran start into a tree and spun out, resulting in serious injuries…
1) passenger driver side dash air bag looks as if it is ready to burst. 2) transmission often has slight slip while driving. I notice at certain gear change while driving automatic vehicle.
Other Lexus ES years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 ES | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 ES | 9 | 2 |
| 2023 ES | 10 | 2 |
| 2022 ES | 11 | 0 |
| 2021 ES | 28 | 1 |
| 2020 ES | 18 | 1 |
| 2019 ES | 34 | 1 |
| 2018 ES | 5 | 0 |
| 2017 ES | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 ES | 9 | 0 |
| 2015 ES | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 ES | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 ES | 34 | 0 |
| 2012 ES | 31 | 0 |
| 2011 ES | 46 | 0 |
| 2010 ES | 41 | 0 |
| 2009 ES | 28 | 0 |
| 2008 ES | 68 | 0 |
| 2007 ES | 125 | 0 |
| 2006 ES | 12 | 0 |
| 2005 ES | 58 | 0 |
| 2004 ES | 16 | 0 |
| 2003 | 23 | 0 |
| 2002 ES | 27 | 0 |
| 2001 ES | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 ES | 6 | 0 |
| 1999 ES | 8 | 0 |
| 1998 ES | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 ES | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 ES | 1 | 0 |
See all Lexus ES problems by year, every Lexus model, or the Lexus VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Lexus ES?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, power train, service brakes problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 6 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Lexus ES?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2003 Lexus ES a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other ES model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.