2001 Lexus ES300

CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF GRINDING BRAKE NOISE WHEN STOPPING. DEALER REPLACED FRONT ROTORS AND PADS WITH "UPDATED" VERSIONS AND REPLACED BRAKE FLUID. WHEN FIRST DRIVEN AFTER "UPDATE" BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO FLOOR AND CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STOP. PEDAL SOON BECAME LESS SPONGY, BUT REQUIRED MORE PRESSURE AND MORE PEDAL TRAVEL TO STOP CAR THAN IN THE PAST. DEALER SERVICE WRITER SAID PEDAL FELT NORMAL. AFTER TWO OR THREE CLOSE CALLS CONSUMER FIN REAR ENDED ANOTHER STOPPING CAR, CAUSING OVER $12,000 IN DAMAGE TO SUBJECT CAR AND CAR THAT IT HIT. NO INJURIES. AFTER COMPLETE REPAIRS OWNER TRADED IN THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS STILL TOO HARD TO STOP. SALESMAN NOTICED THE SAME THING WHEN HE DROVE CAR TO BACK LOT AFTER TRADE IN.*AK

2001 LEXUS ES 300 BRAKE PROBLEMS CAUSING SO FAR 4 ACCIDENTS- FAILURE TO STOP. SPONGY-LIKE BRAKES. DEALER SERVICED AND MADE AWARE. THESE HAVE BEEN COLLISIONS WHILE TRYING TO STOP AND OTHER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. THE LATEST ACCIDENT ON OCTOBER 1O, 2003 HIT A GROUP OF PUBLIC SUPERMARKET SHOPPING CARTS DAMAGING THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND EMBLEM FRONT PLASTIC COVER. THE CAR JUST DOES NOT STOP WELL WHEN ASKED TO. THE SERVICE DEALERSHIP JUST COMPLETED THE 30000 MILE CHECK UP AND SPECIFICALLY WAS TOLD ABOUT THE BRAKE PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT A FULL SEARCH WAS DONE AND THE VEHICLE RECEIVED NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS AS A RECOMMENDED ITEM TO IMPROVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT SUCCESS. I TESTED THE VEHICLE UPON DELIVERY AFTER THE SERVICE AND FOUND THAT THE CAR SPONGY FEELING CONTINUED. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. ON A PREVIOUS SERVICE THE CAR WAS CHECKED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WE HAD A PREVIOUS LEXUS ES 00 FROM 1997 AND THAT PROBLEM WAS NOT PRESENT. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED SINCE MY WIFE USES THIS CAR TO PICK UP OUR CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL AS WELL AS FOR HER TRANSPORTATION. I HAVE TESTED OTHER LEXUS VEHICLES AND THE BRAKES ARE VERY DIFFERENT (LEXUS LX470, LEXUS RX300, LEXUS RX330), I ALSO HAVE A MERCEDES C240 THAT SHOWS TO HAVE VERY SENSITIVE BRAKES AND YOU FEEL SECURE WHEN BRAKING EITHER WET OR DRY. I HAD A 1992 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT HAD ALSO VERY GOOD BRAKES. *LA

ON JANUARY , MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR TWO CHILDREN TO AN APPOINTMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 0845 HRS. WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS ON A TWO LANE ROAD, SHE STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THEN, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND STEERING CONTROL WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE CAR DID A 540 (A COMPLETE 360 AND A 180) AND ENDED UP OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 0 F. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY SEVERED FROM THE FRAME. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS. THE CAR WAS SERVICED IN 2002 DUE TO COMPLAINT ABOUT EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE. *NLM

WE HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH OUR RANGE OF FORWARD VISION WHILE USING HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLIGHTS IN LOW BEAM AT NIGHT. THE FIRST 60 TO 80 FEET BEYOND THE HEADLIGHTS ARE WELL LIGHTED, BUT WE CAN NOT SEE ADEQUATELY BEYOND THE LIGHTED AREA. WE HAVE CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM BY HAVING OTHER FRIENDS MAKE THE SAME OBSERVATIONS. WE ARE NOT SURE IF IT IS AN ILLUMINATION PROBLEM (I.E., ENOUGH LIGHT BEYOND THE WELL LIT PERIMETER) OR HUMAN EYE PROBLEMS (TOO MUCH LIGHT IN THE FOREGROUND CAUSING THE IRIS OF THE EYE TO NOT ADJUST FOR BEYOND THE LIGHTED PERIMETER). WE ARE VERY ANXIOUS ABOUT DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS AT NIGHT. WE SUGGEST YOU LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. DT