LEXUS ES300 · model year

1999 LEXUS ES300

35 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999LEXUSES300 carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 ES300 is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (3) and power train:automatic transmission (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1999 ES300. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

35
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

35 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY1
SUSPENSION:FRONT1
SEAT BELTS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:ROTOR1
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER1

Recent Complaints

20140822ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,135.

Mileage: 85,135

20140822STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,135.

Mileage: 85,135

20101022CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

1999 LEXUS ES300. CONSUMER REQUESTS INFORMATION ON TOYOTA DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS MOTHER WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT AND SUFFERED INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *JB

20100319CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS ES300. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN THE REVERSE POSITION. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AND CRASHED INTO A RESIDENTIAL HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE OTHER VEHICLE DRIVER SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

Mileage: 35,000

20100312ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

CALL 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

Mileage: 245,000

20100311VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT MY CONTROL AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO BRING IT TO A STOP BY USING THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS FUTILE. AFTER ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKES THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED. CAR WAS TOWED BY TRIPLE AAA TO NTB IN ALEXANDRIA VA. REPORT THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA /LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID NOT GET A FAVORABLE RESPONSE. *TR

Mileage: 245,000

20080426POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

COMPLAINED TO DEALER ABOUT IMPROPER SHIFTING OF TRANSMISSION WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER ADVISED THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE, BUT CHANGED THE FLUID ANYWAY. I STILL CONTINUED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BUT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER NOT TO COME BACK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURES RECOMMENDATIONS AND NOW AT 88,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. THIS IS AN U140E TRANSMISSION, WHICH HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. *TR

Mileage: 88,000

20071102ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

HAD 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

Mileage: 108,700

20070827ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

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

Mileage: 108,920

20070704WHEELS:RIM

ISSUE INVOLVE 1999 LEXUS ES300 CHROME WHEELS (RIMS). FAILURES TO MAINTAIN AIR PRESSURE. NUMEROUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS LEXUS KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT VEHICLE MANUFACTURE UNWILLING TO FIX THIS FAILURE, WHICH RESULT IN OWNERS PURCHASING NEW CHROME WHEELS AT $500 EACH.

20060613ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE BUCKLE HARNESSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED.

Mileage: 117,000

20060222CrashAIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING ON A RECENTLY OILED AND CHIPPED RURAL ROAD, I HAD TO VEER TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ONCOMING VEHICLE DRIVING IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. UPON SAID VEHICLE PASSING, I SLIGHTLY TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO FULLY RETURN TO THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO "FISH TAIL" TERRIBLY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL, AND EVENTUALLY TURNED HEAD ON TOWARD THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD, DIRECTLY TOWARD TREES LINING THE OPPOSITE SIDE. I MUST HAVE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS, AS THE NEXT THING I RECALL IS FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAT I WAS GOING, WITH THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE OF THE CAR RESTING AGAINST THE TREES LINING THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION I WAS TRAVELING. THE IMPACT HAD BEEN EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT, AS THE VEHICLE WAS ABSOLUTELY TOTALED, WITH THE FRONT AND PASSENGER SIDE BEING THE AREAS OF PRIMARY DAMAGE. THIS VEHICLE HAD SIX (6) AIRBAGS, NONE OF WHICH DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY LOOKED AT BY LEXUS REPR

Mileage: 100,000

20050331ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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

20040524ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

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

Mileage: 59,000

20040504ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

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

Mileage: 62,790

20040422UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE LEXUS SPECIALIST AT THE REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT HE HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER ES 300 MODELS AS WELL AS THE RL MODELS AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE. THE ONES WITH THE TOYOTA CAMRY ENGINES HAVEN\\\\\\'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. THERE IS A TSB ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT THERE.

Mileage: 80,000

20040422POWER TRAIN

THE LEXUS SPECIALIST AT THE REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT HE HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER ES 300 MODELS AS WELL AS THE RL MODELS AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE. THE ONES WITH THE TOYOTA CAMRY ENGINES HAVEN\\\\\\'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. THERE IS A TSB ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT THERE.

Mileage: 80,000

20030922SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

NONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS HOLD THE CHILD SEAT FIRMLY. WHEN THE CAR TURNS OR SWERVES LIGHTLY THE CHILD SEAT TILTS ACCORDINGLY. *JB

20030922CHILD SEAT

NONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS HOLD THE CHILD SEAT FIRMLY. WHEN THE CAR TURNS OR SWERVES LIGHTLY THE CHILD SEAT TILTS ACCORDINGLY. *JB

20030318POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

JUST BOUGHT A 1999 LEXUS ES 300, TOOK IT TO BE CHECKED OUT BECAUSE THE ENGINE SOUNDED ROUGH IN THE REVERSE GEAR. FOUND OUT THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING BADLY AND HAS TO BE REPLACED, THE LEXUS SPECIALIST SAYS HE HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS IN THE ES 300 MODELS AS WELL AS SOME OF THE RL MODELS BUT HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY RECALLS. INFORMATION IS FOUND REGARDING THIS PROBLEM IN THE TSB DATABASE. *JB

Mileage: 81,000

Compare 1999LEXUSES300 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 LEXUS ES300 have?
The 1999 LEXUS ES300 has 35 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 LEXUS ES300?
The most-complained component for the 1999 LEXUS ES300 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1999 LEXUS ES300 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.