1992 Lexus ES300
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Lexus › ES300 › 1992
These records cover every 1992 Lexus ES300. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 1992 Lexus ES300. Newest first.
The secondary hood latch mechanism has a narrow clearance between internal parts which, over time, accumulate dust or other foreign matter and cause the latch to not engage properly.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If this occurs and the primary latch IS not properly engaged, the hood could open suddenly without warning, blocking the vision of the driver, which could cause an accident.
Remedy
Lexus dealers will replace the secondary hood latch.
Owner complaints
37 complaints4 involved a crash1 involved a fire9 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Air bags
Car was going 35 mph on a straight, dry, paved, flat street when the airbag spontaneously deployed without warning resulting in facial abrasions and sudden hearing loss in both ears which continues to this day. Toyota maintains car was old and out of warranty. Car was initially taken to a lexus…
Car was going 35 mph on a straight, dry, paved, flat street when the airbag spontaneously deployed without warning resulting in facial abrasions and sudden hearing loss in both ears which continues to this day. Toyota maintains car was old and out of warranty. Car was initially taken to a lexus specialist who began to investigate moisture on floor of backseat. I advised him to stop and so vehicle was partially disassembled at time of subsequent field technical specialist's inspection. Lexus has remained unresponsive in light of above explanation. car cannot be repaired and we are forced to drive car without an airbag. Hearing loss remains in spite of expensive new hearing aids.
- Air bags
Airbag deployed without cause while going approx 30 mph on a flat dry paved road. *tr
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 1992 lexus es300. While driving at 35 mph, the driver swerved and the air bags deployed and exploded, emitting a smokey substance. As a result, the driver sustained face and ear injuries that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,800.
- Structure › Body
Driving northbound from gilroy on the 101 freeway, I was in the second lane from the right shoulder when the hood sprung open blinding my view and scaring the crap out of passengers and i. I started to immediately pull to the left shoulder of the freeway even though I had no visual of what was in…
Driving northbound from gilroy on the 101 freeway, I was in the second lane from the right shoulder when the hood sprung open blinding my view and scaring the crap out of passengers and i. I started to immediately pull to the left shoulder of the freeway even though I had no visual of what was in from of my view, the surrounding cars immediately took notice of my fully extended white hood due to it was standing straight up in the air, the windshield instantly shattered outwards and the car had to be towed home, windshield replaced, the hood was a used hood that in not safe for use if accident the hood would slice my head off. A lot of parts are still damaged from the incident. *tr
- Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch · Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Tl*the contact owns a 1992 lexus ES 300. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph, the front hood released in an open position without warning. Immediately, the sun roof glass shattered. There was no personal injury. The vehicle has not been diagnosed for the malfunction at this time. The failure mileage was 142366.
- Latches/locks/linkages · Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and attachments
Driving down the road at about 55-60 mph when the hood suddenly popped open damaging the hood and windshield. *Tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
When I purchased my vehicle I noticed that the speedometer was acting a little funny. After about two weeks the speedometer no longer gave an accurate reading and also noticed that the mileage was slow. I compared a few distances and the car's speedometer only recorded half of the actual mileage…
When I purchased my vehicle I noticed that the speedometer was acting a little funny. After about two weeks the speedometer no longer gave an accurate reading and also noticed that the mileage was slow. I compared a few distances and the car's speedometer only recorded half of the actual mileage traveled. the lights on the needles are flickering and the gas light needle IS completely out. It IS very hard to know at what speed I am traveling, as well as even know if I have enough fuel, without turning on the cabin light. This speedometer issue has become a real problem, I can't control my speed and I am constantly distracted. *Jb
- Structure › Body › Hood
Nhtsa recall campaign 04v039000 concerning hood latch. Consumer was driving at 60 mph on the highway when the hood flew up, broke the windshield. vehicle was drivable. consumer was later advised by the insurance company that there was a recall for the hood latch. consumer made contact with the manufacturer, and was told there was no recall for the vehicle. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system · Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system · Interior lighting · Power train › Automatic transmission
Bought this car used, and what seemed to be very good condition with up to date maintenance records. I have had this car three months. All but about 1 week has been in the shop.. The instrament lights went out completely $1000 to fix,,, joke... The power steering pump amd sensors went out causing…
Bought this car used, and what seemed to be very good condition with up to date maintenance records. I have had this car three months. All but about 1 week has been in the shop.. The instrament lights went out completely $1000 to fix,,, joke... The power steering pump amd sensors went out causing the radiator to fail caused the car to severly overheat,, caused the transmission to fail and the electrical harness failed to the fuel injector controls causing carbon buildup in the fuel injectors, in my opinion this IS the biggest peice of junk I have ever owned.*ak
- Exterior lighting › Headlights › High/low beam dimmer switch
The needles on the vehicle's tachometer and speedometer are beginning to fade. Dealership only offered to pay 20% of the repair cost. *mr *cb there was a 90 car accident due to fog/clouds, and trucks. *scc
- Vehicle speed control
Illumination of the speedometer needle has failed. consumer can not discern vehicle's speed when driving.*ak
- Structure
The consumer was unable to read the speedometer, because of the color in the back ground. *jb the consumer stated the fluorescent material dried out the instrument panel*ts *jb
- Power train › Automatic transmission · Unknown or other
The lights , check engine and the temperature gauges I felt do not work properly. The engine was getting hot and overheating, cutting out dying and the check engine light never came on. Then the temp guage never bobbled or moved until the car tried to die at 45 mph. Then it bobbled, just slightly…
The lights , check engine and the temperature gauges I felt do not work properly. The engine was getting hot and overheating, cutting out dying and the check engine light never came on. Then the temp guage never bobbled or moved until the car tried to die at 45 mph. Then it bobbled, just slightly then went back to normal. the radiator was fried dried. And the piston rings are fried and toast and I had absolutely no warning. I had the car towed to the shop, they changed the radiator and advised me of the transmission problem which I knew nothing of and the piston rings. if I just replace the piston rings, in about a 3 months I will have to do the bottom half of the engine. I can not afford to do that. the idiot lights and gauges should have been recalled. dt
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle stalls whenever consumer decelerates while going down a hill. Contacted dealer. *ak
- Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
During oil change mechanic noticed hood latch was failing, there IS a recall but this vehicle not affected due to vin. *Ak
- Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Consumer was stopped in middle of street while trying to make a turn and consumer was hit from back at about 60 mph. vehicle was totaled. seat belt failed during collision, and driver sustained injuries. sent a letter to t manufacturer. *Ak
- Power train
This IS a safty issue and a recall should be issued for the speedo assy.
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
The electrochromic display lighting that lights up the speedometer have failed, there IS no way to know what speed you are traveling at night. Also the odometer had an electrical short @82,500 miles, smoke from the odometer short caused driver to panic, and could have resulted in a serious…
The electrochromic display lighting that lights up the speedometer have failed, there IS no way to know what speed you are traveling at night. Also the odometer had an electrical short @82,500 miles, smoke from the odometer short caused driver to panic, and could have resulted in a serious accident. The car was taken to a local mechanic, and I was told there were no other electrical problems, but to replace the speedometer and odometer would cost at least $2,000. I think this IS a safety problem, and that I should not have to absorb all of this cost. I would like to make a formal complaint to nhtsa about this. thank you very much... Chris hall. *ak
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood · Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Radiator assembly
Consumer was driving at 20 mph and vehicle started smoking under the hood. consumer called the lexus dealer, and was told to bring it in to the nearest lexus dealer. consumer got on the freeway and the vehicle broke down. consumer was able to coast down the ramp and was pushed a block away.…
Consumer was driving at 20 mph and vehicle started smoking under the hood. consumer called the lexus dealer, and was told to bring it in to the nearest lexus dealer. consumer got on the freeway and the vehicle broke down. consumer was able to coast down the ramp and was pushed a block away. fire department was called because of the amount of smoke coming from it. Consumer wasn't sure if vehicle was on fire. dealer told consumer that after reaching so many miles the same thing happened to other es300's . Also, radiator cap blew out. *ak
- Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Recall 94v039 000/hood assembly:latches: hood unlatched while traveling on the highway at 45 mph, causing hood to fly over windshield and damage windshield, also, damages was done to the roof and fender. Dealer notifed, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. *ak
- Power train
Speedometer IS unreadable at night and barely readable in the daytime due to failure of the speedometer (and tachometer) lights and backlights *ak
- Unknown or other
The instrumentation cluster on the es300, which includes the speedometer and odometer, uses lighted needles and gauges. the lighting for the needles and the gauges intermittently dims or goes out. this can be a bit frightening and somewhat dangerous when operating the vehicle - especially at…
The instrumentation cluster on the es300, which includes the speedometer and odometer, uses lighted needles and gauges. the lighting for the needles and the gauges intermittently dims or goes out. this can be a bit frightening and somewhat dangerous when operating the vehicle - especially at night. while the vehicle was still under warranty we contacted the lexus warranty company and a dealer. they said they would not cover the part and that it would cost just under $1000.00 to replace. we have done some research on this problem and it appears (even via this web site) that this IS a common safety problem amoung the lexus es300 models. please let us know what else we can do to get lexus to fix what IS clearly a defect in craftmanship and design and certainly poses a safety hazard. thank you.
- Engine and engine cooling · Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Was driving vehicle & noticed temperature gauge indicating hot. Took vehicle in for service. Had no indication a problem with engine head gaskets. Had no leaking nor was vehicle overheating. Took to dealer & was informed the engine head gasket was cracked. ak
- Power train
Lexus uses electroluminescent needles on dashboards. These needles indicate speed and other functions. When the needles fail, the speedometer and other gauges cannot be read. Lexus indicated this IS not an infrequent occurence. No accident resulted, but the system IS unsafe in that the vehicle…
Lexus uses electroluminescent needles on dashboards. These needles indicate speed and other functions. When the needles fail, the speedometer and other gauges cannot be read. Lexus indicated this IS not an infrequent occurence. No accident resulted, but the system IS unsafe in that the vehicle operator cannot read the instrument panel. This IS an instrument panel failure, and IS not related to maintenance of the vehicle.
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash · Unknown or other
The lighted indicator needles on the instruments have a number of led's that funtion intermittently.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10214355Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
- 10207945POL: 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.
- 10205352Windshield Wiper Blade Maintenance and cleaning
- 10205346Auto matic Transmission Replacement kPrecautions
- 10205319Brake Pedal Force Gauge SST for Parking Brake Inspection.
- 10176283Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
- 10174889TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
- 10174888TSB: 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 requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin.
- 10133926In 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.
- 10133923Lexus vehicles are equipped with SRS, including various airbags and in some models, seat belt pre-tensioners, to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision. If a customer expresses any concerns that the SRS airbags or pretensioner devices did not per
- 10133849A new Special Service Tool (SST 09709-00002) has been introduced to aid in the inspection procedure for certain vehicles equipped with a floor pedal-type parking brake system. This bulletin references the correct method for installing the Brake Pedal Force Gauge. Refer to the appropriate Repair Manual for parking brake pedal travel inspection and adjustment specification.
- 10132108This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0082-14.
- 10132083Adhesive & sealant cross reference Information
- 10132006This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0092-13.
- 10132004The following procedures are recommended during routine maintenance or in the event of a customer concern for wiper performance.
- 10131964Lexus vehicles are equipped with Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), including various airbags and in some models, seat belt pre-tensioners, to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision. If a customer expresses any concerns that the SRS airbags or pre-tensioner devices did not perform as expected (including an unintended deployment event), please follow the steps in the recommendations section below.
- 10131653TSB: Replacement Certification Labels. OBSOLETE NOTICE November 28, 2017: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0179-17.
- 10111398LSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals contain silicone or other compounds that may contaminate electrical contacts, and therefore increase electrical resistance and decrease switch performance. The use of any cleaners or fluids may increase the risk of further damage to electrical components.
- 10111205LSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals contain silicone or other compounds that may contaminate electrical contacts, and therefore increase electrical resistance and decrease switch performance. The use of any cleaners or fluids may increase the risk of further damage to electrical components.
- 10109447TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE-October 16, 2014: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0082-14.
- 10109445TSB: The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide information regarding the installation of the correct torque converter bolts during automatic transmission/transaxle assembly replacement. Incorrect torque converter bolts or missing washers can cause damage to the torque converter assembly. Use the information in this bulletin when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly.
- 10109444TSB: The purpose of this bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly to avoid MIL "ON" shifting issues and/or transmission damage. Use the information in this bulletin when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly.
- 10000251Suspension ball joint inspection method.
- 619119Subject regarding new seat belt tongue plate stopper service parts.
- 619113Subject regarding retro-fit internal trunk release kits.
- 602274New front brake pads are available to reduce front brake groan noise, grinding noise, squeak or vibration.
Every Lexus ES300 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.