2000 Lexus ES Engine Problems

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENGINE DID SHUT OFF SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL , FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC. TRIED START ENGINE AGAIN AND IT SHOWED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND LOW OIL LIGHT. INSPECTED ENGINE OIL WITH DIP STICK AND SHOWED GOOD LEVEL. TOWED IT TO MECHANIC AND BEEN TOLD THE SLUDGE FORMATION CAUSED ENGINE SEIZE . REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE IS THE ONLY OPTION. FOUND A TSB ON NHTSA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 628655 BULLETIN DATE: 20-JAN-2002 ABOUT THE OIL SLUDGE ISSUE. I AM REQUESTING NHTSA TO HELP ME TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BY MANUFACTURER.

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, SUDDENLY ENGINE STOPPED WORKING. TOWED IT TO MECHANIC AND HE SAID ENGINE SEIZED. HE SUGGESTED ME TO REPLACE ENGINE WITH A NEWER ONE QUOTED 7500$ +LABOR. IT HAS ONLY 77000 MILES ON IT.

I JUST PAID $3,600 TO HAVE THE KNOCK SENSORS AND CONNECTING HARNESS REPLACED, AND A TRANSMISSION RE-BUILD, IN THIS CAR BECAUSE THE KNOCK SENSOR PROBLEM CAUSED THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM TO AUTOMATICALLY STOP WORKING ("TRAC OFF" LIGHT, NO OVERRIDE) AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO STAY ON. IT IS ALSO WHAT CAUSED MY TRANSMISSION TO NEED RE-BUILDING BECAUSE WHEN TRACTION CONTROL IS OFF, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE, AND THIS DESTROYS THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER REPLACING AND REPAIRING THESE, THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITHIN 2 WEEKS. AFTER TO SPEAKING TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY THE PROBLEM RECURRED, I WAS TOLD, AND YOU CAN FIND ALL OVER THE INTERNET, THAT 1998-2002 LEXUS ES300S AND TOYOTA CAMRYS WITH THE V-6 ENGINE HAVE THIS PROBLEM CONTINUOUSLY AND OWNERS ARE PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO TRY TO SOLVE IT WITH NO LUCK. ONE TOYOTA MECHANIC TOLD ME, OFF THE RECORD OF COURSE, THAT THE SENSORS IN THESE YEARS HAD SENSITIVITY ISSUES THAT WERE CORRECTED STARTING IN 2003. OF COURSE, DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, AND WANT TO CHARGE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN DIAGNOSTIC FEES TO TELL YOU IT WILL COST THOUSANDS TO FIX, AND THEN THE PROBLEM RECURS. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THESE SENSORS WITH A NEW SET THAT NO LONGER HAS THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM CAN OCCUR WHETHER THE CAR IS MOVING OR SITTING AT AN IDLE. TO ME, THE FACT THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM QUITS WORKING IS VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IN A CAR THAT THE DRIVER IS USED TO DRIVING WITH THAT FEATURE. SEARCH "ES300 KNOCK SENSORS" ON THE WEB AND YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF POSTINGS BY FRUSTRATED OWNERS.

I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD, AND MY 2000 LEXUS ES300 RPM WENT DOWN TO 0 AND SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY TRAFFIC. I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR PILEUP WITH INJURIES. I HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF TRAFFIIC CAR WOULDN'T START. AFTER, GETTING THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, IT IS COSTLY TO REPLACE AND A PROBLEM WITH THAT MAKE AND MODEL 2000 LEXUS ES300. THIS IS A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND I FOUND OUT A FAULTY IAC VALVE CAN CAUSE YOUR CAR TO STALL ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME. I AM THANKFUL NO ONE, AS WELL AS MYSELF WAS INJURED, BUT I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT PERSON THIS MAY HAPPEN TO. THE PART COST ABOUT 200 DOLLARS AND THE LABOR IS APPROXIMATELY 300 DOLLARS. THIS HAPPENED ON WED. 08/10/2011 AND THE PART HAS TO BE ORDERED DUE TO COST. AS A RESULT, NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE BECAUSE OF EXPENSE. THERE SHOULD REALLY BE A RECALL AND THIS A SAFETY HAZARD; ESPECIALLY IF THE DRIVER{S) BEHIND ME HAD BEEN SPEEDING OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. SHE ASSUMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND PULLED OVER TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE BODY SHOP DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER COULD NOT ASSIST AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER FURTHER STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS ONLY AN "ACCIDENT". THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 114,000.

ENGINE AND TRAC LIGHT HAS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY SINCE AROUND 40,OOO MI. HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR ON AT LEAST 6 OCCASSIONS. BOTH LIGHTS WILL GO OFF, BUT COME BACK ON AND NOT GO OFF UNTIL THE SHOP RESETS THE LIGHT. NOW THEY TELL ME THAT THE O2 SENSORS NEED REPLACING SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THAT THE CAR NEEDED EXPENSIVE REPAIRS BEFORE? IT HAS TAKEN TWO DAYS OF DIAGNOSTIC WORK TO COME UP WITH THE OXYGEN SENSOR DIAGNOSIS. HOW CAN I BE SURE THIS IS THE REAL PROBLEM? I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I QUESTION THE DIAGNOSIS AND DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR SINCE THIS AUTOMOBILE HAS BEEN IN SO MANY TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.

ENGINE FAILED THREE TIMES IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT NOTICE. CAR STALLS, ENGINE VIBRATES, WILL NOT ACCELERATE, HAS BEEN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP ON ONE OCCASION.