There are 16 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2002 Lexus ESin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
During a trip on the highway the accelerator was to low and take harder to accelerate the car. When we arrived home close to parking end the car suddenly accelerated while I was using the brakes pedal. I was lucky to stop on time. Thanks for your attention.
TL* THE CONTACT'S MOM OWNED A 2002 LEXUS ES 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EMIT A THICK WHITE, YELLOWISH SMOKE FROM THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER,THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AS A BYSTANDER ALTERED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THE AUTHORITIES WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. DUE TO THE FIRE, THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. NO INJURIES WERE SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER HAVE YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 173,000.
THIS IS THE 2ND 2002 LEXUS ES300 IVE OWNED WITH HALF THE MILES OF THE 1ST ONE...YET BOTH CARS CATALYTIC CONVERTORS FAILED!! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE AT ONLY 136K MILES THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED!! THE 1ST CAR HAD ALMOST 268K MILES WHICH I FELT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILURE WASNT AS SURPRISING...BUT BETWEEN MY BOYFRIEND AND I WE HAVE OWNED 4 LEXUS VEHICLES: 1997 ES300 1999 RX300 AND 2 ES300 AND ALL OF THEM HAD CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILURES!!! I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC AS LONG AS YOU PUT IN THE CORRECT FUEL AND CORRECT OIL THE CONVERTORS SHOULD LAST FOREVER!! SO WHY IS IT THAT LEXUS CARS CONVERTORS FAIL AS LOW AS 136K MILES!! THATS REDICULOUS!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THERE WERE FLAMES AND A BLACK SUBSTANCE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY REPAIR CENTER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
LARGE CLOUD OF WHITE/GRAY SMOKE WHEN CAR SITS OVERNIGHT FROM PREVIOUS NIGHT DRIVING. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. THERE WAS A LAWSUIT FILED BECAUSE OF THIS. WHY NOT A RECALL????
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
I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP LIGHT AFTER IT TURNED GREEN. ABOUT 25 FEET THRU THE LIGHT I HEARD THE CAR BEHIND ME BLOWING THEIR HORN CONSTANTLY. I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING IN. THEN I THOUGHT I NOTICE LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM MY TAILPIPE. I APPLIED MY RIGHT TURN BLINKER AND PULLED TO THE CURVE. AS SOON AS I PARKED, I COULD SEE ORANGE COLORED FIRE AROUND THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND ALONG THE SIDE OF MY DRIVER/PASSENGER DOORS. I FELT THAT ME AND MY PASSENGER WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR WITHOUT BE BURNT, BUT I KNEW WE NEEDED TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. I TRIED TO CALMLY GET MY PASSENGER TO EXIT WHICH WE DID MAINLY BECAUSE SHE HADN'T SEEN THE FLAMES. WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT AND I IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 AND PROCEEDED TO CLEARING PEOPLE FROM NEAR MY CAR. THE FIRE DEPT AND POLICE ARRIVED ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES LATER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE CAR THEN LEFT. A POLICE OFFICER STAYED UNTIL THE TOW CO ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY AND I WAS GIVEN A RIDE TO MY RESIDENCE. *TR
I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY TOWN'S TRANSFER STATION. AS I CAME TO A STOP, I BEGAN TO SHIFT INTO PARK WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE VEHICLE SMASHED INTO A THREE FOOT CONCRETE WALL COMING TO A STOP. THE CAR SUFFERED EXTENSIVE BACK END DAMAGE. I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR XRAYS OF MY NECK AND SPINE. THANKFULLY I AM NOT INJURED. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER MY CONTROL. IT WAS AS IF IT HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I AM A CLEAR HEADED, FORTY EIGHT YEAR OLD FEMALE. I HAVE A PERFECT DRIVING RECORD. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF SOMETHING OUT OF MY CONTROL. I BELIEVE THIS 2002 LEXUS ES 300 IS A DANGEROUS CAR. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWO YEARS. IT WAS PURCHASED AS A SECOND CAR FOR MY HUSBAND. THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE FLOOR MATS NOR DID I CONFUSE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE. *TR
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT APPROXIMATELY 3-4 FT. BEHIND A UTILITY TRUCK. SUDDENLY THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AND HIT THE REAR END OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR ACCELERATION WAS LIMITED. ERROR CODES P2121 AND P2128 INDICATED FAULTY "THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR" THE PART RETAILS FOR AROUND $100. LEXUS INSISTED THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPLETE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. LEXUS CHARGED ME $764 TO REPLACE BOTH ASSEMBLIES. I BELIEVE LEXUS SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE COST OF ALL OF THE COST OF REPLACING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY. MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 LEXUS ES300. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 LEXUS ES300. IT STOPPED WHILE DRIVING RECENTLY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT THE CAR WAS NOT MOVING. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD I FOUND THE SMALL PIPE CONNECTING THE AIR INTAKE TO THE ENGINE HAD COME OFF. I WAS LUCKY AS THE DRIVER BEHIND ME SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED. HOWEVER IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY, I POSSIBLE WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS COMPLAINT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND THE CONTACT SMELLED FUEL. HE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED SMOKED UNDER THE HOOD. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, FLAMES APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE PALM BEACH COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT FILED REPORT NUMBER 09-092367 AND FIRE REPORT NUMBER 09-50737. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 44,000.
UPON ACCELERATION IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, SEVERE HESITATION WITH BRAKE-LIKE EFFECT, ENGINE REVIVING, WITH DRIVER THROWN FORWARD, THEN LURCHING INTO GEAR. SAID WAS FIXED WITH INSTALLATION OF TSIB TC004-3. NARROWLY BEING MISSED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN CAR BASICALLY STALLED. TSIB NOT A FIX. NOW ENGINE LIGHT ON. DANGEROUS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. *NM
IN DAY LIGHT HOURS WHEN SUN IS OUT CONSUMER CAN'T SEE DIALS ON SPEEDOMETER, UNABLE TO TELL HOW FAST VEHICLE WAS GOING. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE. *AK CONSUMER ALSO CAN NOT SEE THE FUEL GAUGE, ENGINE SPEED AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE. *TT
ON MANY OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300. I INFORMED THE DEALER AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO UNSCREW THE GAS CAP AND RE-SCREW IT AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME TO REPLACE AN OXYGEN SENSOR AFTER THE DEALERS INSPECTION AND FINDING A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE. THE CAR HAD THE PROBLEM WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT IT WOULD BE A COSTLY PROBLEM LATER. *JB
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2002 LEXUS ES 300 AND NOT MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE INSIDE ETC. THE ACCELERATION AND THROTTLE THOUGH ARE A MAJOR PROBLEM. I ALMOST GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT GETTING ONTO 95 TRYING TO PASS A SEMI BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR " PAUSES" WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL. AFTER THE PAUSE IT STARTS TO ACCELERATE SO I BARELY MADE IT WITHOUT HITTING THE SEMI. THIS REALLY CONCERNS ME AND WANT LEXUS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. ITS JUST PLAIN UNSAFE. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026