Lexus ES300 Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the Lexus ES300 across 12 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (50). The words owners use most often: “suddenly accelerated” (16% of reports).
- 141vehicle speed control complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 79mention a crash
- 27mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 21%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.
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 22 of 141 complaints (16%)
- Parking space: mentioned in 19 of 141 complaints (13%)
- Foot brake: mentioned in 14 of 141 complaints (10%)
- Sudden acceleration: mentioned in 13 of 141 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 96 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 141 complaints, 79 mention a crash, 27 an injury.
Lexus ES300 vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 ES300 | 1 | 20% | 10,991 |
| 2006 ES300 | 1 | 33% | 17,000 |
| 2005 ES300 | 1 | 100% | 111,000 |
| 2003 ES300 | 48 | 41% | 34,950 |
| 2002 ES300 | 50 | 33% | 36,003 |
| 2001 ES300 | 8 | 28% | 41,014 |
| 2000 ES300 | 9 | 16% | 90,000 |
| 1999 ES300 | 2 | 7% | 140,000 |
| 1998 ES300 | 5 | 10% | 68,000 |
| 1997 ES300 | 8 | 18% | 96,500 |
| 1996 ES300 | 2 | 5% | — |
| 1995 ES300 | 6 | 16% | 107,142 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists vehicle speed control 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.
Sudden acceleration, in motion in reverse
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…
Accelerated around a vehicle that had pulled out in front of me. My vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. Cruise control engaged itself. I pumped breaks. Tried to deactivate cruise control unsuccessfully. While heavily pumping breaks, vehicle returned to normal and cruise control light went out.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 lexus es300. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was towed but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Lexus ES300s have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 141 owner complaints about vehicle speed control 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 vehicle speed control?
No recall currently lists vehicle speed control for this vehicle.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the Lexus ES300?
The most frequent phrase is “suddenly accelerated”, in 22 of 141 complaints, followed by “parking space” (19).
Other Lexus ES300 problems
- Power Train problems (102)
See all Lexus ES300 problems.