Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Lexus ES300, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control48
- Power train27
- Air bags13
- Engine and engine cooling11
- Electrical system10
- Service brakes, hydraulic7
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Engine5
- Unknown or other4
- Structure3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 18 injuries and 2 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
In New Zealand
87 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 60% arrived as used imports, 40% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2003 Lexus ES300.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Lexus told its dealers about the 2003 Lexus ES300: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635748 | ON SOME VEHICLES, THE GAS CAP MAY STICK AND CONSEQUENTLY BECOME DIFFICULT TO REMOVE. *TT |
| 11003643 | Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, |
| 11003642 | Lexus vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure in this bulletin to remove the RapgardTM protective film within 90 days from initial application. SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin No. L-PG004-94. The entire bulletin has been updated. |
| 11003641 | Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surface. These particles are often difficult to see on dark color paints but can be easily felt when brushing a hand across horizontal body surfaces such as the hood, roof, or deck lid. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to clean vehicles that may have been subjected to contamination by airborn |
| 11003588 | Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, |
| 11003587 | Lexus vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure in this bulletin to remove the RapgardTM protective film within 90 days from initial application. SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin No. L-PG004-94. The entire bulletin has been updated. |
| 11003586 | Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surface. These particles are often difficult to see on dark color paints but can be easily felt when brushing a hand across horizontal body surfaces such as the hood, roof, or deck lid. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to clean vehicles that may have been subjected to contamination by airborn |
| 10214355 | Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022 |
| 10207945 | POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well. |
| 10205383 | Spots in Window Glass - vehicle exterior |
| 10205352 | Windshield Wiper Blade Maintenance and cleaning |
| 10205346 | Auto matic Transmission Replacement kPrecautions |
| 10205331 | Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset |
| 10205330 | Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset |
| 10205329 | Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset. |
| 10205327 | Techstream ECU Flash Reprogramming Procedure. |
| 10205319 | Brake Pedal Force Gauge SST for Parking Brake Inspection. |
| 10179697 | TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a fluid seep. Cases that are determined to be a ?leak? should be repaired accordingly and will be covered under warranty if applicable. Cases that are determined to be a ?seep? should be documented on the repair order and inspected at the next service interval. Follow the Repair Information in this bulletin to determine if the concern in question is a fluid leak or fluid seep and review the Repair Procedure sectio |
| 10179601 | TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a fluid seep. Cases that are determined to be a ?leak? should be repaired accordingly and will be covered under warranty if applicable. Cases that are determined to be a ?seep? should be documented on the repair order and inspected at the next service interval. Follow the Repair Information in this bulletin to determine if the concern in question is a fluid leak or fluid seep and review the Repair Procedure sectio |
| 10177783 | TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE June 23, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0023-20. |
| 10177780 | TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. ST004-01, SU001-08, and L-SB-0174-08. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Be sure to review the entire content of this service bulletin before proceeding. This Service Bulletin provides best practice procedures for vehicle pulling complaint, diagnosis, and repair for 2002 ? 2021 model year Lexus vehicles. This information supplements Repair Manual procedures when the symptoms are: ?Vehicle Pulling: The vehicle moves to the right o |
| 10176283 | Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements |
| 10174889 | TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates |
| 10174888 | TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003 93, and PG002-90. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1990 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the r |
| 10133926 | In the recent Bi-annual Floor Mat reminder letter distributed November, 2012, Lexus indicated that we were developing support materials that will help remind dealership customers and associates of the importance of proper floor mat usage. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
DP09001 · Vehicle speed controlopened 8 Apr 2009 · closed 29 Oct 2009
UNWANTED AND UNINTENDED ACCELERATION
DP05002 · Vehicle speed controlopened 5 Aug 2005 · closed 5 Jan 2006
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
PE04021 · Vehicle speed controlopened 3 Mar 2004 · closed 22 Jul 2004
THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM
DP04003 · Vehicle speed controlopened 17 Feb 2004 · closed 5 Mar 2004
THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation