2000 Lexus GS300

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS GS300. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY A PASSERSBY WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

THE LOWER BALL JOINT IS MAKING SQUEAKING NOISES. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE FACED BY OWNERS OF LEXUS GS300 MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 1998-2002. THERE MIGHT BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR IMPROPER LUBRICATION CAUSING THE BALL JOINT TO BREAK. THERE ARE SEVERAL LIFE THREATENING INCIDENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE SO FAR: HTTP://WWW.CHRISANDNAT.COM/PROJECTS/LEXUSBALLJOINT/BALLJOINT.HTM HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/SUSPENSION-AND-BRAKES/340101-LOWER-BALL-JOINT-FAILED-TODAY-WITH-PICS-9.HTML HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/SUSPENSION-AND-BRAKES/340101-LOWER-BALL-JOINT-FAILED-TODAY-WITH-PICS-8.HTML HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/SUSPENSION-AND-BRAKES/340101-LOWER-BALL-JOINT-FAILED-TODAY-WITH-PICS-7.HTML HTTP://WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM/FORUMS/SUSPENSION-AND-BRAKES/340101-LOWER-BALL-JOINT-FAILED-TODAY-WITH-PICS.HTML I REQUEST NHTSA LOOK INTO THIS AND REQUEST LEXUS TO REPLACE ALL BALL JOINTS FOR ALL LEXUS GS 300 THAT HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES. *TR

WHILE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE IT WAS TRYING TO START UP ON IT'S OWN WITH NO KEYS. THE DASH LIGHTS WERE BLINKING AND THE CAR WAS MAKING A LOUD CRANKING, BANGING NOISE AND WE COULD SMELL THE SMOKE. AFTER LIFTING UP THE HOOD WE COULD SEE THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND IT WAS STILL TRYING TO CRANK UP. SMOKE BEGIN TO FILL THE GARAGE AND IT WAS GETTING WORSE. WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH THE EXTINGUISHER AND WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE BATTERY TO GET THE CAR TO STOP TRYING TO START UP. WHAT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A DANGEROUS THING TO HAPPEN. CAR IS STILL IN THE GARAGE AT THIS TIME NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE OF THE ENGINE DAMAGE THE FIRE CAUSED. IS THIS SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION? *TR

REGARDING MY 2000 GS 300 LEXUS. BRAKE, ABS, VSC, VSC OFF LIGHTS ALONG WITH LOUD ALARM DISPLAYED. ALSO HAS HAD AN ANNOYING ON AND OFF CHIRPING NOISE BEFORE THIS ALARM SOUNDED. THE BREAKS APPEAR TO BE WORKING WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE CHIRPING NOISE IS HEARD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER WHETHER CAR IS MOVING OR DRIVING AND SOMETIMES IS NOT HEARD AT ALL AND THE CAR DRIVES FINE WITHOUT ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. BUT WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON IT WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH A SHRILL ALARM THAT SOUNDED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND WENT OFF. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT WAS THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP AND WOULD COST $3700 TO FIX. THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY AND I AM AFRAID THE BRAKES WILL GO OUT AND AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SINCE MY BRAKES MAY SUDDENLY GO OUT. *TR

BOUGHT A 2000 CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED IN 2005 FROM LEXUS DEALER. IN 2007 ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, A DRIVER WAS DRIVING VERY SLOW AND STARTED TO PULL OVER. I QUICKLY WENT AROUND HER TO PASS, AT ABOUT 35 MPH, BUT AFTER RELEASING THE GAS PEDAL, CAR SPED UP INSTEAD. TRIED TO SLOW DOWN WITH THE BRAKES, BUT IT SPED UP MORE. THEN SLAMMED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET AND PUT IT ON PARK TO AVOID HITTING STOPPED CARS AHEAD. IT STOPPED IN "PARK" BUT WAS STILL REVVING HIGH. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS STILL REVVING OVER 6 RPM! I BENT UNDER THE DASH AND TRIED TO LOOSEN THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY HAND THINKING IT WAS STUCK BUT IT WOULDN'T STOP REVVING SO I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. BEFORE TURNING ENGINE ON AGAIN, I MADE SURE NO CARS WERE AHEAD OF ME AND PREPARED TO PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL/PARK IMMEDIATELY THIS TIME. DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. TOOK IT TO LEXUS (SEE INVOICE). THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE PROBLEM; CLAIMED PEDAL GOT STUCK IN RUBBER FLOOR MAT. I TOLD THEM I PULLED GAS PEDAL WITH MY HAND WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND REVVING ON ITS OWN, AND PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK MAT. IN 2009 (NOW WITH 117K MILES) ON 60 MPH HIGHWAY WHEN MY DAUGHTER DROVE IT AND FLOORED THE PEDAL TO PASS SOMEONE. AFTER RELEASING PEDAL, IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO 95 MPH. FORTUNATELY HER LANE WAS EMPTY AS SHE TRIED TO SLOW DOWN WITH THE BRAKES, BUT THIS DIDN'T WORK. THEN SHE STOMPED ON GAS PEDAL TO DISENGAGE IT. AFTER A MINUTE THE ACCELERATION STOPPED. I CALLED DEALER TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE GS300 WAS NOT NOTED FOR THIS AND DIDN'T HAVE RECALL. I STILL HAVE CAR BUT NOW NEVER FLOOR THE PEDAL AND I'M ON GUARD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I CANNOT GET RID OF IT BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT KNOWING THIS PROBLEM, AND I CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR. *TR

I WAS TURNING ONTO THE FREEWAY (UPHILL ONRAMP) I STEPPED ON THE GAS GOING ABOUT 20 MILES AN HR WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR WOULDN'T STOP. ACCELERATED SO QUICKLY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY FOOT WAS TOUCHING THE GAS ACCIDENTLY SO I MOVED AND APPLIED THE BRAKE WHICH WAS NO HELP, AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE IT ACCELERATED FASTER I WAS TERRIFIED. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH MY FEET AND THE CAR SLOWED ENOUGH THAT I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT OFF. EVEN WHILE I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO PULL FORWARD AS I TURNED IT OFF THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THIS WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD AFRAID TO DRIVE IT I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I'M HOPING THAT THEY WILL FIND THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS TO EVER HAPPEN AGAIN. THANKFULLY IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND THE FREEWAY WASN'T THAT CROWDED. I HAVE A 2000 LEXUS GS300. *JS

WHILE DRIVING MY LEXUS GS 300, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING! THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING NORMALLY AND ALL OF SUDDEN IT STALLED OUT (ENGINE STILL RUNNING) BUT NO ACCELERATION AT ALL, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GET HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLES VSC AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THIS HAPPENED.. I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND NOTHING HAPPENED, AFTER A MINUTE OR SO, IT BEGIN TO ACCELERATE BUT ONLY ABOUT 20-30 MPH. AFTER CONSTANTLY HOLDING THE PEDAL TO THE FLOORBOARD, THE CAR BEGIN TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY AGAIN FOR A FEW MILES. IT DOES THIS CONTINUOUSLY WHILE DRIVING NOW. AT TIMES I HAVE HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR AWHILE AND THEN IT WILL RETURN TO FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE CODES THAT THE MECHANIC PULLED UP FROM THE ENGINE AND VSC LIGHTS WERE FOR THE THROTTLE BODY SENSOR TO BE CHANGED. THIS WAS DONE AND THE CAR DROVE PERFECT FOR ABOUT 15 MILES, NO PROBLEMS, NO ENGINE LIGHT ETC... THEN OUT OF NOWHERE, EVERYTHING STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING, NO ACCELERATION AND THE VSC AND ENGINE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I HAVE LOOKED ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE AND THE OUTCOME WAS BASICALLY THE SAME RESULTS,SOME SENSOR (NOT DEFINITE) WITH A RETURN TO THE INITIAL PROBLEM. THE CODE DOES NOT PULL UP THE ACTUAL PROBLEM CAUSING CONSUMERS TO CONSTANTLY HAVE DIFFERENT SENSORS REPLACED, THROTTLE BODY, ETC. I HAVE ALSO READ WHERE A RECALL WAS ON 1998 VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT FULLY "FIXED." SOME CONSUMERS HAVE BATTLED WITH LEXUS TO INCLUDE THEIR LATER MODEL VEHICLES IN THE RECALL TO BE FIXED BECAUSE IT IS THE VERY SAME PROBLEM!!! AFTER READING OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND REVIEWING THE PREVIOUS RECALL, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS DEFAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER WHICH IS UNDOUBTEDLY PUTTING CONSUMERS IN TERRIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. THESE INCIDENTS HAPPEN WITH NO WARNING! YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS GS300. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ORDER TO STOP THE ACCELERATION THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 98,000. UPDATED 8/2/10 *CN UPDATED 08/09/10*JB