IllustrationBOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES HAVE FAILED. I AM UNABLE TO INSERT BELTS INTO THE BUCKLE. CLEANING AND LUBE HAD NO AFFECT. *TR
1998 Lexus ES300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Lexus ES300 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 38.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all ES300 years →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
00–25K
125–50K
1050–75K
475–100K
5100–150K
2150K+
22 reports with mileage · 30 unknown
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports1 fire reports8 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
6 reportsSEAT 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 COMPO…
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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. *TR
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT; VEHICLE WAS BROADSIDED ON PASSENGER'S SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH OR MORE. PASSENGER WAS FORCED OVER TO DRIVER'S SIDE BECAUSE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK PROPERLY, AND BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. VEHICLE AT DEALER AT THIS TIM.; SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG DURING VEHICLE COLLISION CAUSING INJURIES TO PASSENGERS ELBOW, CHEST, NECK AND BACK, PASSENGER IN THE REAR ALSO SUSTAIN INJURY TO THE CHEST, NECK AND BACK FROM THE SEATBELT. NLM
AFTER UNBUCKLING BELT, SEATBELT RETRACTOR FAILS TO OPERATE OR OPERATES SO SLOWLY THAT BELT LATCH INTERFERES WITH CLOSING OF DOOR. DOOR CLOSES ON UNRETRACTED CHROME LATCH DEVICE OF BELT, DAMAGING SEATBELT, LATCH, AND PLASTIC BUTTON EMBEDDED IN BELT. DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE BELT/RETRACTOR. EVERY ES300 I HAVE SEEN HAS THIS PROBLE…
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AFTER UNBUCKLING BELT, SEATBELT RETRACTOR FAILS TO OPERATE OR OPERATES SO SLOWLY THAT BELT LATCH INTERFERES WITH CLOSING OF DOOR. DOOR CLOSES ON UNRETRACTED CHROME LATCH DEVICE OF BELT, DAMAGING SEATBELT, LATCH, AND PLASTIC BUTTON EMBEDDED IN BELT. DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE BELT/RETRACTOR. EVERY ES300 I HAVE SEEN HAS THIS PROBLEM, AND EVIDENCE OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO INNER PADDED DOOR PANEL AND STEEL DOOR FRAME. (EVEN DEALER'S LOANER VEHICLE, WITH ONLY 11K MILES, HAD THE DAMAGE AND BELT'S PLASTIC BUTTON COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF. ALL 1997 AND 1998 LEXUS ES300 MODELS HAVE THE PROBLEM RETRACTORS. UNSURE WHETHER PROBLEM EXISTS IN 1999 MODELS. *AK
SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT WHEN YOU TAKE IT OFF, PREVENTS CLOSURE OF DOOR. *YC
Official recalls
199V307000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
Nov 1, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.
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
1DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.