IllustrationCALL LEXUS AND MADE COMPLAIN ABOUT MY CAR AND THE PROBLEMS I AM HAVING GETTING RESOLUTION HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING. THEY ARE REQUESTING THAT I TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING TO FIX MY VEHICLE. *TR
1999 Lexus ES300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
Limited mileage data: 13 of 27 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 2 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 reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
10 reportsHAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND CHARCOAL CANISTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED IN TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES UP UNTIL AND INCLUDING 1998. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY THAT COVERED THE OLDER VEHICLES. *TR
HAD TO REPLACE EVAP CHARCOAL CANISTER ON MY LEXUS ES300, MY CO-WORKER ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THIS ON HIS RX300 ALONG WITH THE O2 SENSORS. *TR
THE IAC VALVE IN THE CONSUMER'S 1999 LEXUS ES300 FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING AFTER BEING DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. *NM *JB
I OWN A 1999 LEXUS ES-300 AUTOMOBILE THAT WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2002. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE ATLANTA AIRPORT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. JUST PRIOR TO STOPPING THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING NOISE AND THEN SIMPLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BY LEXUS MECHANICS I …
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I OWN A 1999 LEXUS ES-300 AUTOMOBILE THAT WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2002. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE ATLANTA AIRPORT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. JUST PRIOR TO STOPPING THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING NOISE AND THEN SIMPLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BY LEXUS MECHANICS I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS "OIL GEL" IN THE ENGINE AND THAT A NEW ENGINE WOULD BE REQUIRED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CONSUMER COULD TAKE THE BATTERY OUT AND REPLACE IT, AND THE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TWICE, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*A…
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WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CONSUMER COULD TAKE THE BATTERY OUT AND REPLACE IT, AND THE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TWICE, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK
ENGINE OIL GELLING DAMAGED ENGINE
THE VEHICLE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER SOON FOUND OUT THE CAR HAD A SLUDGE PROBLEM WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL, ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT. NLM
AT START UP AND ACCELERATION BLUE SMOKE COMES FROM TAIL PIPE.ALSO, THERE IS EXCESSIVE USE OF OIL, AND PCV VALVE IS CLOGGED UP. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE BASED ON NO EVIDENCE OF DEFECT
DURING EARLY MORNING STARTS WHEN ACCELERATING RPMS WERE AROUND 1700 TO 2300. CONSUMER HEARD A VERY LOUD PITCH., UNSURE OF THE LOCATION OF THE NOISE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.