11 of the 194 complaints about the 2002 Lexus ES300 are about the electrical system — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 40,000 miles.
11
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
THE INSTRUMENTS CANNOT BE SEEN IF THERE IS ANY LIGHT COMING INTO THE CAR. THE RED POINTERS CANNOT BE SEEN. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I SEE THAT IT HAS BEEN KNOWN SINCE 2002 BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX IT. I WONDER JUST WHY?? I DON'T LIKE NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW JUST HOW FAST I AM GOING, FUEL QUANTITY ETC!!
NHTSA complaint #10258894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
LEXUS ES 300 YEAR 2002, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, TRAVELING AT SLOW SPEED, 5-8 MILES AN HOUR, WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP, DESPITE APPLYING THE BRAKE. THE CAR ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE A LOW HUM AND APPEARED TO BE IN OVERDRIVE. THE CAR JUMPED OVER A CONCRETE DIVIDER, OVER A SIDEWALK, THROUGH A BRICK WALL AND PLATE GLASS WINDOW. THE CAR WAS IN A FURNITURE STORE. THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. I ( THE DRIVER) HIT MY HEAD ( LEFT SIDE) AND THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY HIT THE SIDE OF THE CAR. THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO LEXUS. THEY HAD ACCESS TO EVALUATE THE CAR AND SAID THAT THE BRAKES WERE FINE. THIS TYPE OF ACCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER DRIVERS OF THIS MAKE AND YEAR OF CAR. I HOPE IT WILL BE EVALUATED CAREFULLY. I HAVE SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT. JUST BECAUSE LEXUS COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM , DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT DOES NOT EXIST. ARTICLES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRING IN 2002 LEXUS ES 300 AUTOS.
NHTSA complaint #10108001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE. CONSUMER TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *TC
NHTSA complaint #10089243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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
NHTSA complaint #10063168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
INSTRUMENT GAUGE INDICATORS ARE UNABLE TO READ WHILE DRIVING DURING DAY LIGHT HOURS. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #8017715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
IN CERTAIN LIGHT CONDITIONS INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE.
NHTSA complaint #8015694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
OPTITRON INSTRUMENTATION: NOT EASY TO READ IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. WHEN DRIVING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. UNDER NORMAL DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS, INSTRUMENT READINGS ARE VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE. CURRENT SPEED NECESSARY TO SET CRUISE CONTROL. POOR DESIGN: AT NIGHT, OR UNDER LOW AMBIENT LIGHT CONDITIONS (DUSK, HEAVY SHADE, RAIN, ETC.) INSTRUMENT LIGHTING IS EXCEPTIONAL: ALL ELEMENTS OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ARE VERY CLEAR, VERY VISIBLE. UNDER NORMAL DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS (WITH SUN OVERHEAD - NOT SHINING DIRECTLY ON THE PANEL) THE ILLUMINATION LEVEL WITHIN THE CLUSTER IS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE EASY VISIBILITY. (STARING INTENTLY WILL YIELD RESULTS - A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE IN A MOVING VEHICLE.) IN ORDER TO SET THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SPEED THE VEHICLE IS AT: VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. (THE MAUFACTURER ADVERTISES THEIR OPTITRON INSTRUMENTATION AS "ILLUMINATED FOR FASTER AND EASIER READING".)
NHTSA complaint #763404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
LIGHT ON DASHBOARD PANEL, AND CANNOT SEE READING OF SPEED. CONTROL PANEL WILL NOT SET BECAUSE SPEED READING CANNOT BE READ DUE THE LIGHT.
NHTSA complaint #8011320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE CAR STALLS AND PAUSES IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR HAS ROUGH VIBRATION WHEN THE GEARS SHIFT. THE DEALER SAID THE COMPUTER WAS DESIGNED TO OPERATE IN THAT MANNER AND THAT THERE IS PRESENTLY NO CORRECTION FOR THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO REPLACE THE CAR OR TO BUY ME OUT BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT RESULTED IN ANY FATALITIES.
NHTSA complaint #762166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES HAVE RED NEEDLES AGAINST A BLACK BACKGROUND WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY IN FULL SUNLIGHT AND ARE IMPOSSIBE TO SEE WEARING SUN GLASSES. THIS, IN MY OPINION, CONSTITUTES A SAFETY HAZARD, BEING UNABLE TO READ THE GAGES, ESPECIALLY THE SPEED.
NHTSA complaint #761849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
LIGHTS TO READ SPEED ODOMETER AND GAS, ARE HARD TO READ, CAUSING CONSUMER TO ONLY SEE IN DARK AREAS, AND NOT DURING DAY TIME.
NHTSA complaint #8007326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.