Lexus ES300 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 102 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Lexus ES300 across 8 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (52). The words owners use most often: “stop traffic” (6% of reports).
- 102power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 19%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Stop traffic: mentioned in 6 of 102 complaints (6%)
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 6 of 102 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 60 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 102 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Lexus ES300 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 ES300 | 27 | 23% | 3,725 |
| 2002 ES300 | 52 | 34% | 4,108 |
| 2001 ES300 | 5 | 17% | 101,000 |
| 2000 ES300 | 10 | 18% | 115,000 |
| 1999 ES300 | 3 | 11% | 81,000 |
| 1998 ES300 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1997 ES300 | 2 | 4% | 113,000 |
| 1995 ES300 | 2 | 5% | 111,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the Lexus ES300. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I purchased a used 2003 lexus es30from used car dealer. After a couple days of driving it i noticed it was shifting gears innormally. It would surge up to 4000rmp before shifting to 2nd gear and at one point wasn't moving while i hit the gas the acceleration very fast out of nowhere. My mother also…
I was driving and the vehicle started to stall and then jolt increasing and decreasing in acceleration by itself i have already had the transmission serviced and rebuilt a couple years ago and now it seems to be doing the same thing. *tr
Dealer and finance company claim clean title but documents reflect otherwise. *tr
When the transmission shifts between first and second gears at a slow steady speed(approx 20mph) the car will frequently violently jerk. My car has 75000 miles and has done it since day one. *tr
I purchased my vehicle from carmax about 2.5 months ago with an extended warranty. After driving my vehicle daily back and forth to work, i noticed the hesitation while coming to complete stop or a traffic light. The rpm would increase while the transmission would hesitate when i pushed the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Lexus ES300s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 102 owner complaints about power train for the Lexus ES300. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Lexus ES300 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Lexus ES300?
The most frequent phrase is “stop traffic”, in 6 of 102 complaints, followed by “transmission failed” (6).
Other Lexus ES300 problems
See all Lexus ES300 problems.