1996 Lexus ES300

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILLER NECK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,340. UPDATED 03/24/15*LJ UPDATED 10/19/2015*JS

CAR EXPLODED AND STARTED FIRE IN THE GARAGE AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. GOT HOME FROM WORK AND STOP AT GROCERY STORE. PARKED CAR IN GARAGE AND BROUGHT IN SOME GROCERIES. ABOUT 10 - 15 MINUTES LATER WENT OUT TO GET PAPER PRODUCTS (TP AND PAPER TOWELS) OUT OF TRUNK. THERE WAS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, NO SMOKE, NO FIRE, NO NOISE. WENT IN SIDE PUT AWAY EVERYTHING AND STARTED TO COOK. HEARD LOUD EXPLOSION NOISE. WENT TO THE GARAGE AND OPENED THE DOOR. HOT, HEAVY BLACK SMOKE AND CHEMICAL ODOR CAME POURING INTO THE HOUSE. I COULD SEE FLAMES TO THE LEFT. IT WAS VERY HOT AND THERE WAS SOME LIQUID MIXED IN, AND THE GARAGE WAS PITCH BLACK YET IT WAS A VERY SUNNY DAY WITH THE SUN POINTING AT THE GARAGE. BECAUSE IT WAS SO DARK, IT LOOKED LIKE THE GARAGE DOORS WERE CLOSED, BUT ACTUALLY, ONE SIDE WAS OPEN, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE IT WAS SO BLACK. COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING, AND MY ARM WAS SO HOT TRYING TO OPEN GARAGE DOOR AT WALL SWITCH, BURNED ALL THE HAIR OFF MY ARM. I THEN LEFT HOUSE, 911 WAS ON THE WAY. GARAGE CAUGHT ON FIRE, EVERYTHING IN GARAGE BURNED OR MELTED, INCLUDING MY CAR. INTERIOR HALL, ALL FIXTURES IN HALL AND BATH BURNT OR MELTED, EXTENSIVE SMOKE DAMAGE TO ENTIRE HOME. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND ALMOST 10 MONTHS IN A HOTEL. CARS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO EXPLODE OR START FIRE WHEN THEY ARE OFF, PARKED FOR 20 MINUTES IN YOUR GARAGE. *TR

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 LEXUS ES300. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE INCREASED ACCELERATION UNEXPECTEDLY. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. THERE WAS NO INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO AN ACCELERATION ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PANEL IN THE DASH FAILED AND NOTHING IN THE DASH COULD BE SEEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP WERE A DIAGNOSTICS TEST WAS PERFORMED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 3/9/2006 - *NM

1996 LEXUS ES300; SLUDGE BUILD-UP; EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION; WHITE SMOKE ON START-UP; DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AT A COST OF ABOUT $7000. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA/LEXUS HAS ACKNOWLEDGED FOR 1997 TO 2001 MODELS WITH THE V-6 ENGINE. WHY WON'T THEY HONOR THE REPAIR TO THE ENGINE FOR A 1996 MODEL? *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SERVICING DEALER REPLACED O2 SENSOR - BANK 2, SENSOR 1, PART NUMBER 89465-33080 - DEALER LISTED AS $183.30 FOR THE PART WHILE WARRANTY COMPANY LISTED AS $128.11 FOR THE SAME PART. WHEN CHECKING WARRANTY COVERAGE, WAS TOLD WARRANTY DID NOT EXIST - PAID $1,860.00 TO BREDEMANN LEXUS IN GLENVIEW FOR THE WARRANTY ON 6/14/03. *AK

ENGINE FAILED (SEIZED UP) DUE TO OIL SLUDGE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE CAR'S OIL HAD BEEN REGULARLY CHANGED. IN FACT, THE CAR'S OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 3-4,000 MILES, NOT EVERY 5,000 AS RECOMMENDED BY LEXUS. CAR WAS ALSO COMPLETELY SERVICED BY LEXUS AT 70,000 MILES AND THEY OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T LOOK AT THE ENGINE VERY WELL . . . THERE MUST HAVE BEEN EVIDENCE OF SLUDGE BY THAT TIME.

MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON IN MARCH. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LEXUS DEALER ON 141 IN NORCROSS BECAUSE I KNEW MY 3 YEAR WARRENTY RAN OUT IN MAY. THE LEXUS DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE OIL WAS NOT FLOWING PROPERLY. HE SUGGESTED THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT CHANGE THE OIL AND THE OIL BECAME CAKED TO THE ENGINE. THE OIL WAS THEN BRAKING UP IN PIECES AND CLOGGING THE ENGINE. HE SAID I NEEDED TO GET ANOTHER CAR. I STILL HAD PAYMENTS LEFT (AROUND 6K) AND COULD NOT AFFORD IT. IN OCTOBER, THE ENGINE BROKE. I CALLED LEXUS AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN'T TO ANYTHING FOR ME. THEY WANTED 11.5K FOR A NEW ENGINE. I HAD TO PAY $5,037.49 FOR A NEW ENGINE TO BARON'S GARAGE. I CHANGED MY OIL RELIGIOUSLY EVERY 3,000 MILES. PLEASE CALL ME AT 678-642-9913, I WANT MY MONEY REFUNDED