2002 LEXUS ES300 Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

DT: CONSUMER OWNED A 2002 ES 300. CONSUMER WAS GETTING INTO A PARKING PLACE WHEN HE WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP, HE STOPPED WITH VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THEN, PLACED THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, CONSUMER TRIED TO APPLY BRAKE AND BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, ENDED UP STRIKING A CONCRETE PILLAR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NO POLICE REPORT, BUT IT WAS REPORTED TO INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING FORWARD WITH GREAT FORCE AND BRAKES COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF AN INVESTIGATION THAT WAS IN PROGRESS ON THIS MATTER. ALTHOUGH INVESTIGATION WAS OFFICIALLY CLOSED, NHTSA SAID THAT THEY WOULD MONITOR THESE TYPE OF VEHICLES. CONSUMER SAID THAT INVESTIGATION WAS ON THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL.*AK

THE FRONT ROTORS EXPERIENCED PERMATURE WEAR. THE FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHIN 5,000 TO 6,000 MILES OF WEAR. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE WHEN BRAKING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS, AND INSTALLED AN UPGRADED BRAKING KIT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE OR REPAIRS THE ROTORS. *AK

Mileage: 5,000

STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS STARTED TO OCCUR APPROX AT 22000 MILES. THE CARE NOW HAS APPROX 26000 MILES. FOUND 2 OTHER COMPLAINTS WHILE RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM. ODI #S 10034592 AND 10037938. IS THIS SOMETHING LEXUS CORP IS VOLUNTEERING TO FIX FOR THEIR CONSUMERS.*AK

Mileage: 22,000

STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS STARTED TO OCCUR APPROX AT 22000 MILES. THE CARE NOW HAS APPROX 26000 MILES. FOUND 2 OTHER COMPLAINTS WHILE RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM. ODI #S 10034592 AND 10037938. IS THIS SOMETHING LEXUS CORP IS VOLUNTEERING TO FIX FOR THEIR CONSUMERS.*AK

Mileage: 22,000

WHEN DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED*AK THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE SITUATION BUT DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. THERE WAS EXCESSIVE BELT SQUEALING IN THE MORNING, THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSATED AND THE KEY WOULD NO TURN IN THE IGNITION. *SC *JB

BRAKE ROTORS WERE REPLACED, ENTIRE NEW BRAKE KIT INSTALLED AND ALL FOUR TIRE WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO REACHING 20K MILES. *PH THE CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN PLEASED WITH THE SHIFTING PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DEMONSTRATE ERRATIC, ROUGH AND INCONSISTENT SHIFTING. THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED A SOFTWARE UPGRADE BUT IT ONLY SLIGHTLY IMPROVED THE PERFORMANCE. THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD A 2000 LEXUS GS 300 WHICH HAD A MORE DRAMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE LOCAL DEALER INSISTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *NM

1. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, AT 2-4 MPH, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT FULL SPEED, JUMPING THE CURB AND HITTING A TREE WITH FULL FORCE. BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS CONCERNS WITH THROTTLE PROBLEMS NOTED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AT 1000 AND 5000 MILE CHECK, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP. AFTER A CONFERENCE CALL WITH LEXUS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THE DEALERSHIP, MY CAR WAS FLAT BEDDED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FRONTAL CRASH RENDERED THE VEHICLE UN-DRIVABLE. RADIATOR DAMAGE WITH LEAKAGE OF FLUID COVERED A PORTION OF THE PARKING LOT. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SOMEBODY ELSE LIVE COULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. 2. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT INFLATE. 3. THE BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE CORRECTED AT 1500 MILES AND A "PART" WAS ORDERED AND PUT ON THE CARE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. 4. THE CAR WHEN DRIVING AT ABOVE 50 PULLS TO THE LEFT AND FROM THE BEGINNING IT FELT AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS UNEVEN EVEN WHEN NOT MOVING. AT THAT TIME I REQUESTED A WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD MY RECORD AT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD SUBSTANTIATE THIS. ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT I LEARNED BY REVIEWING COMPLAINTS FROM THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE THAT THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY THE CORPORATE OFFICE OF LEXUS FROM AS EARLY AS JANUARY, 2002 IN REGARDS TO ALL OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS. I ALSO FOUND OUT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE THAT I WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT. I WILL BE REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION WITH THE LEXUS EAST REGIONAL OFFICE AND DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE ROCKVILLE LEXUS OFFICE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I BROUGHT THE LEXUS VEHICLE EVEN WITH IT'S PRICE TAG BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION AND TO DRIVE MY 3 YEAR OLD GRANDSON AND 1 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE SAFEST MANNER I COULD FACILITATE. I AM SURE THAT MY SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WILL NOT ALLOW THIS AFTER THIS CRASH!!!!*AK UPDATED 7/3/12 *CN

Mileage: 12

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300 SEDAN. *MR THE BRAKE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE CORRECTED. (DUE TO VIBRATION WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED) THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO'S VEHICLE MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE DEFECT. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE WRONG BRAKE PADS WERE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE DURING ASSEMBLY. THEY WILL NOT HOLD UP TO THE PRESSURE AND HEAT. NEW BRAKE PADS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE INSTALLED IN REPLACE OF THE DEFECTIVE PADS. *SCC *JB

WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE TRAVELING AT LESS THEN 10 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, PROCEEDED FORWARD HITTING ANOTHER PARKED CAR HEAD ON. THE VEHICLE THEN JUMPED A CURB AND HIT A SECOND CAR. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE CAR USING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. IN ADDITION THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO TWO OTHER VEHICLES BESIDE MINE.*AK UPDATED 7/3/12 *CN

Mileage: 17,000

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES 300 STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.*MR THE ROTORS WARPED*TS *JB

THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WORN WHICH CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN BRAKING. *NLM

THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING 2-3MPH PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STRICK A CONCRETE BUMPER DAMAGING THE FRAME AND RADIATOR, THE CONSUMER BELIEVE THAT UPON DEPRESING THE BRAKLE HE ALSO PRESSED TH ACCELERATOR WHICH CAUSED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER. *JB *MJ