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1992 Lexus ES300

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1992 Lexus ES300 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 8 of 37 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

4 reports
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106,775 miles · Feb 11, 2007
Electrical System

WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ACTING A LITTLE FUNNY. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER GAVE AN ACCURATE READING AND ALSO NOTICED THAT THE MILEAGE WAS SLOW. I COMPARED A FEW DISTANCES AND THE CAR'S SPEEDOMETER ONLY RECORDED HALF OF THE ACTUAL MILEAGE TRAVELED. THE LIGHTS ON THE NE…

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WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ACTING A LITTLE FUNNY. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER GAVE AN ACCURATE READING AND ALSO NOTICED THAT THE MILEAGE WAS SLOW. I COMPARED A FEW DISTANCES AND THE CAR'S SPEEDOMETER ONLY RECORDED HALF OF THE ACTUAL MILEAGE TRAVELED. THE LIGHTS ON THE NEEDLES ARE FLICKERING AND THE GAS LIGHT NEEDLE IS COMPLETELY OUT. IT IS VERY HARD TO KNOW AT WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELING, AS WELL AS EVEN KNOW IF I HAVE ENOUGH FUEL, WITHOUT TURNING ON THE CABIN LIGHT. THIS SPEEDOMETER ISSUE HAS BECOME A REAL PROBLEM, I CAN'T CONTROL MY SPEED AND I AM CONSTANTLY DISTRACTED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10182240

Mileage unknown · Aug 6, 2000
Electrical SystemFire

THE ELECTROCHROMIC DISPLAY LIGHTING THAT LIGHTS UP THE SPEEDOMETER HAVE FAILED, THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING AT NIGHT. ALSO THE ODOMETER HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT @82,500 MILES, SMOKE FROM THE ODOMETER SHORT CAUSED DRIVER TO PANIC, AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL …

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THE ELECTROCHROMIC DISPLAY LIGHTING THAT LIGHTS UP THE SPEEDOMETER HAVE FAILED, THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING AT NIGHT. ALSO THE ODOMETER HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT @82,500 MILES, SMOKE FROM THE ODOMETER SHORT CAUSED DRIVER TO PANIC, AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, BUT TO REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER WOULD COST AT LEAST $2,000. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, AND THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ABSORB ALL OF THIS COST. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO NHTSA ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH... CHRIS HALL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #726841

Mileage unknown · Mar 14, 2000
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER CALLED THE LEXUS DEALER, AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN TO THE NEAREST LEXUS DEALER. CONSUMER GOT ON THE FREEWAY AND THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO COAST DOWN THE RAMP AND WAS PUSHED A BLOCK AWAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BECAU…

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CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER CALLED THE LEXUS DEALER, AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN TO THE NEAREST LEXUS DEALER. CONSUMER GOT ON THE FREEWAY AND THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO COAST DOWN THE RAMP AND WAS PUSHED A BLOCK AWAY. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM IT. CONSUMER WASN'T SURE IF VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT AFTER REACHING SO MANY MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO OTHER ES300'S . ALSO, RADIATOR CAP BLEW OUT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #858483

Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 1997
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

REPLACE INSTRUMENT OF THE COMBINATION METER, INVOLVING SPEEDO/TACH, TEMPERATURE GAUGE UNIT, GAS GAUGE, WHEN ON THE INDICATOR NEEDLE MALFUNCTION, CAUSING LIGHT INDICATOR NEEDLES TO BLINK OR REMAIN OFF FOR EXTENDED PERIOD.

NHTSA ODI #522834

Official recalls

1

94V039000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch

Feb 23, 1994

THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH MECHANISM HAS A NARROW CLEARANCE BETWEEN INTERNAL PARTS WHICH, OVER TIME, ACCUMULATE DUST OR OTHER FOREIGN MATTER AND CAUSE THE LATCH TO NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS AND THE PRIMARY LATCH IS NOT PROPERLY ENGAGED, THE HOOD COULD OPEN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING, BLOCKING THE VISION OF THE DRIVER, WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy: LEXUS DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.