2002 Lexus ES300 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other ES300 years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 153 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Lexus ES300. That is the most of any ES300 model year in the database (12 years). The most reported problem area is power train (52 complaints, 34%), typically at around 4,108 miles. Complaints mention 37 crashes, 5 fires, 24 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 153owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 37complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 52 | 34% | 4,108 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 50 | 33% | 36,003 | “parking space” (22%) | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 7% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 7% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 6% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 6% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 5% | 196,371 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 5% | 17,523 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 3% | 58,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 2% | 19,006 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 159,804 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 155,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Lexus ES300 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The left front brake tube may have been deformed prior to vehicle delivery due to improper installation of a coil spring spacer that was installed to prevent damage to the vehicle during transportation.
Risk: If the brake tube is deformed significantly, it could contact the inner fender panel, and eventually cause damage to the tube due to vibration during driving. Brake tube damage could also lead to brake fluid leakage after extended use of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front brake line and, if necessary, replace the line. Owner notification began january 1, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact lexus at 1-888-333-9376.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a three-spoke style steering wheel. During air bag deployment, it is possible that the bottom seam of the front driver's side air bag module cover (horn pad) could be torn away allowing the bottom portion of the cover to completely detach from the air bag module.
Risk: If this should occur, there is a possibility that the detached bottom portion may strike the driver causing personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side air bag module. Owner notification began december 28, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or lexus at 1-888-333-9376.
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
- Unwanted and unintended acceleration (DP09001) — opened Apr 8, 2009, closed Oct 29, 2009.
- Vehicle speed control (DP05002) — opened Aug 5, 2005, closed Jan 5, 2006.
- Throttle control system (PE04021) — opened Mar 3, 2004, closed Jul 22, 2004.
- Throttle control system (DP04003) — opened Feb 17, 2004, closed Mar 5, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 lexus es300. While the contact was stopped in traffic, the vehicle was rear ended at 45 mph by another vehicle. Both the front driver and passenger seats collapsed. As a result, the rear passengers sustained traumatic brain injuries that required medical attention. The…
I replaced the battery on my lexus and it would no longer idle you take your foot off the accelerator and the engine dies.. The computer lost the idle parameters this is dangerous as i turned left off one road to another took my foot from accelarator to brake engine died and i lost power steering…
2002 lexus excelerated on it's own.i was getting on freeway i stepped on gas to go with flow of traffic , then traffic started backing up so i went to use brakes to slow down but car kept excelerating. I had to use both feet to try to stop ,then i felt a pop from gas pedal at that time it stopped…
While driving on a freeway the car made a sudden & brief shutter immediately followed by loss of response by the accelerator pedal. I immediately began to move off the freeway knowing that something was wrong with my car. Upon getting o the off ramp i saw flames coming from around the front left…
Side airbags near windshield are leaking when it rains. At first it was a slow leak, but really pours in now
Other Lexus ES300 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 ES300 | 5 | 0 |
| 2006 ES300 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 ES300 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 ES300 | 116 | 0 |
| 2002 | 153 | 2 |
| 2001 ES300 | 29 | 0 |
| 2000 ES300 | 56 | 0 |
| 1999 ES300 | 27 | 0 |
| 1998 ES300 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Lexus ES300?
Owners most often report power train, vehicle speed control, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 52 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Lexus ES300?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.