1998 Lexus ES300 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ES300 years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Lexus ES300. That ranks 4th out of 12 ES300 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (9 complaints, 17%), typically at around 82,330 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 1 fire, 11 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 52owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Lexus ES300 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 9 | 17% | 82,330 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 12% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 10% | 115,254 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 10% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 8% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 8% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 8% | 51,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 6% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 6% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Lexus ES300 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel set nut may not have been sufficiently tightened causing steering vibration and looseness.
Risk: This can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the steering wheel set nut.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine seizure (DP02004) — opened Apr 30, 2002, closed Jun 20, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
May 17, 2014 traveling on florida turnpike after two hours had two tires separate. Replaced two tires in palm beach gardens and continued another hour when a third tire separated. Tires were all cooper cs4 p205/65r15. In key west replaced the remaining failed tire and the so far fourth remaining…
Both left and right rear seat belt buckles have failed. I am unable to insert belts into the buckle. Cleaning and lube had no affect. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lexus es300. The contact stated that the engine failed with the illumination of the check engine warning light. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the engine evap canister. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
The day before the accident happened all the tail light were off and i found the fuse for tail light was blew. So i replaced the fuse. Next day,when i turned on headlight while driving on highway 680, the "r" indicator on the dashboard became on as well -- now both "d" and "r" were on. It puzzled…
Fuel pressure regulator (damper) failed allowing fuel to flow into engine compartment and fumes through air intake into passenger compartment. Could have been a serious fire if not detected in time and repaired.
Other Lexus ES300 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 ES300 | 5 | 0 |
| 2006 ES300 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 ES300 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 ES300 | 116 | 0 |
| 2002 ES300 | 153 | 2 |
| 2001 ES300 | 29 | 0 |
| 2000 ES300 | 56 | 0 |
| 1999 ES300 | 27 | 0 |
| 1998 | 52 | 1 |
| 1997 ES300 | 45 | 2 |
| 1996 ES300 | 37 | 1 |
| 1995 ES300 | 38 | 1 |
See all Lexus ES300 problems by year, every Lexus model, or the Lexus VIN decoder.
Similar Lexus models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Lexus ES300?
Owners most often report air bags, seat belts, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Lexus ES300?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Lexus ES300 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other ES300 model years, the 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.