35 of the 862 complaints filed about the Lexus ES300 are about the seat belts — 4% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1994.
35
Complaints
4%
Share of all complaints
13
Crashes
0
Fires
SEAT BELTS
I HAVE OWNED MY 2000 ES 300 LEXUS FOR 10 YEARS NEVER ANY CONCERNS OR PROBLEMS . IT HAD 93,204 WHEN I BOUGHT IT IT NOW HAS 238,452.
NHTSA complaint #11243949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
CAR HAS BRAKE PEDAL CHARACTERISTIC WHICH ALLOWS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO REACH FULL STOP OF THE END OF FULL MECHANICAL TRAVEL (VS. HYDRAULICALLY LIMITED BY BRAKE PRESSURE) AND THE BRAKES ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO APPLY MORE BRAKING FORCE. THIS CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS CAR MODEL IS DIRECTLY LINKED WITH THE CAUSATION OF THE COLLISION AND WAS CERTAINLY A MAJOR SURPRISE TO THE OWNER AS THIS EVENT WAS OCCURRING. NO SUCH WARNING PROVIDED TO CONSUMERS WITH THIS PARTICULAR BRAKING ISSUE IN LEXUS ES300H. CHARACTERISTIC IS ENDEMIC TO THE MODEL AS TESTED IN OTHER IDENTICAL MODELS BY THE OWNER. STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG (ONE OF SEVERAL THAT DEPLOYED IN THIS TOTAL LOSS ACCIDENT) DID NOT PREVENT OWNER FROM PHYSICALLY STRIKING THE STEERING WHEEL EVEN THOUGH HE WAS UTILIZING THE SEAT BELT. CHEST FORCEFULLY STRUCK STEERING WHEEL, WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AND SHOULD BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THIS SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THE OWNER WAS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED FROM IMPACTING THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH INFLICTED SERIOUS BODILY INJURY. FURTHERMORE, HE WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THE ENGINE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE FOLD UP DURING THE IMPACT AND SO NO VISUAL OBSTRUCTION OCCURRED IN THE MOMENTS OF IMPACT AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE AIR BAG DID NOT PROPERLY COVER THE STEERING WHEEL TO PREVENT STEERING WHEEL BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA. SEAT BELTS SHOULD HAVE RESTRAINED THE OWNER FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH IT DID NOT DO. THE OWNER ALWAYS HAD THE SEAT POSITIONED WELL AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE AIR BAG DESIGN, AND THE SEAT BELTS AND BRAKES NOT WORKING IN A MANNER THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DO SO, THE OWNER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE BRAKES ON THE CAR FEATURE TYPICAL ANTI LOCK CAPABILITY, WHICH WOULD MAKE THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSATE UPON ACTIVATION. NO SUCH PULSATION OCCURRED DURING THIS PRE-ACCIDENT AND ACCIDENT DECELERATION.
NHTSA complaint #10576579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES HAVE FAILED. I AM UNABLE TO INSERT BELTS INTO THE BUCKLE. CLEANING AND LUBE HAD NO AFFECT.
NHTSA complaint #10536938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELT RETRACTION FAILURE. THE SEAT BELT ON MY 1998 LEXUS HAD BEEN SLOW TO RETRACT, SOMETIMES NOT RETRACT AT ALL. IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO THIS MODEL OR YEAR. MANY OTHER VEHICLES MADE BY TOYOTA AND LEXUS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM (BASED ON SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET). THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO A DEFECT IN COMPONENTS OF THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY.
NHTSA complaint #10390066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RETRACT EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED DUE TO THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,708 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 03-09-09 *BF THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT WHEN IT WAS UNLOCKED. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS DIFFICULTIES FASTENING THE SEATBELT AT TIMES. UPDATED 03/10/09.
NHTSA complaint #10258505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
FRONT END COLLISION RESULTING IN HEAD INJURY OF RESTRAINED FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. INJURY RESULTED FROM IMPACT WITH RADIO. SEAT BELTS WERE NOT RETRACTED AFTER ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10155274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, IN WET CONDITIONS A VEHICLE TURNED IN FRONT OF HIM WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO BROADSIDE THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH HIS FRONT END. THE BRAKES WERE SUDDENLY APPLIED AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT THE SHOULDER STRAPS DID NOT CATCH, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. *JB UPDATED 3/9/2006 -
NHTSA complaint #10147989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SEATBELT ASSEMBLY REPEATEDLY UNLATCHES ARBITRARILY POSING SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. HAS OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. FLOW LEXUS OF KERNERSVILLE, NC, REFUSES TO MAKE COMPLIMENTARY REPAIR.
NHTSA complaint #10104842 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FRONT SEAT BELT MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY AND CAN UN-LATCH ITSELF. HAS OCCURRED OCCASIONALLY WITHOUT WARNING SINCE THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT DATE.
NHTSA complaint #10056255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL EXTEND OUTWARD, BUT WILL NOT RETRACT BACK IN PLACE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM.
NHTSA complaint #10051801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
NONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS HOLD THE CHILD SEAT FIRMLY. WHEN THE CAR TURNS OR SWERVES LIGHTLY THE CHILD SEAT TILTS ACCORDINGLY.
NHTSA complaint #10039306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT, CAUSING IT TO FAIL IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #8014154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
LEXUS ES300 LEFT ROAD AND FLIPPED ONE TIME. DRIVER'S DOOR CAME OPEN AND BUCKLED SEATBELT DID NOT HOLD DRIVER IN CAR. DRIVER'S HEAD ENDED UP UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE ROOF DOOR JAMMED AND KILLED INSTANTLY.
NHTSA complaint #763394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT UNLATCHES AT TIMES.ADDITIONALLY, THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT PLASTIC RETAINER HAS BROKEN AND HAS A SHARP PROTRUDING EDGE WHICH IN AN ACCIDENT MAY PROVE VERY DANGEROUS.
NHTSA complaint #755766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
CONSUMER WAS STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF STREET WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A TURN AND CONSUMER WAS HIT FROM BACK AT ABOUT 60 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. SEAT BELT FAILED DURING COLLISION, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. SENT A LETTER TO T MANUFACTURER.
NHTSA complaint #883140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT AUTOMATICALLY. AS A RESULT DOOR WAS CLOSED ON SEATBELT, AND DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.
NHTSA complaint #876671 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT DOESN'T RETRACT WHEN REMOVED AFTER CRASH REPAIR. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL WHEN CAR GETS OLD! BELT MUST BE MANUALLY PUSHED BACK INTO RETRACTOR AFTER EACH TIME IT'S USED. I'M AFRAID BELT MAY NOT WORK PROPERLY IN A SEVERE CRASH.
NHTSA complaint #733916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WOULD ARBITRARILY UNBUCKLE. IT WOULD HAPPEN WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONERY OR MOVING. IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE PROMPTED BY A SUDDEN STOP OR A BUMP. AFTER IT WOULD UNSNAP, I WOULD REBUCKLE AND TRY TO PULL THE BUCKLE UNDONE, BUT I COULD NOT PULL IT OPEN.
NHTSA complaint #726096 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER WAS PULLING ON THE STRAP TO RESTRAIN THE BUCKLE BROKE OFF STRAP. DEALER DIDN'T SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY. CONSUMER FELT THAT IF IN A CRASH IT WOULD BE VERY UNSAFE.
NHTSA complaint #868229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT HOLD CHILD'S SAFETY SEAT FIRMLY. YH
NHTSA complaint #550888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.