Worst years for a Lexus ES300
Owners have filed 862 complaints about the Lexus ES300 with NHTSA across model years 1992 to 2013. More of them are about the acceleration & cruise control than anything else.
Avoid
2002 Lexus ES300194 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.
Every Lexus ES300 year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2,800 | Brakes |
| 2006 | — | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | Brakes |
| 2005 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | Acceleration & Cruise Control |
| 2003 | F | 147 | 52 | 6 | 31,000 | Acceleration & Cruise Control |
| 2002 | F | 194 | 50 | 6 | 32,005 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 2001 | C | 36 | 14 | 1 | 41,014 | Brakes |
| 2000 | C | 78 | 23 | 1 | 88,500 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1999 | C | 35 | 4 | 0 | 85,135 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1998 | C | 61 | 15 | 1 | 68,000 | Airbags |
| 1997 | C | 50 | 6 | 2 | 100,000 | Acceleration & Cruise Control |
| 1996 | C | 44 | 10 | 4 | 115,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1995 | C | 55 | 12 | 2 | 111,000 | Electrical System |
| 1994 | C | 50 | 9 | 0 | 110,000 | Seat Belts |
| 1993 | C | 53 | 5 | 4 | 105,000 | Electrical System |
| 1992 | — | 46 | 4 | 1 | 142,100 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
What breaks on a Lexus ES300
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Worst in 1993
Worst in 1994
Exactly what failed on a Lexus ES300
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Lexus ES300, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Lexus ES300 problems by state
Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.
Compare the Lexus ES300
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.