2013 Lexus ES300

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Service brakes2
2. Visibility/wiper2
3. Air bags1
4. Exterior lighting1
5. Seat belts1
6. Vehicle speed control1

Latest complaints

• Jul 10, 2014CA10,991 miCrash
  Service brakes · Vehicle speed control
  The lexus ES 300H 2013 model car while parking on the flat drive-way (no slope), having the brake pedal depressed and moving the gear lever from d to park, the car suddenly accelerated within a fraction of a second and hit the garage door, completely breaking the garage door. The front of the car…

  The lexus ES 300H 2013 model car while parking on the flat drive-way (no slope), having the brake pedal depressed and moving the gear lever from d to park, the car suddenly accelerated within a fraction of a second and hit the garage door, completely breaking the garage door. The front of the car got damaged and a car parked inside the garage also got damaged. The air bags did not deploy. The car stopped after the gear lever was moved to park. This experience was frightening and IS a very serious and dangerous safety hazard. This happened around 6:30pm in northern california, cupertino city, on a bright sunny day. *tr

• Apr 1, 2014CA2,100 miCrash2 injuries
  Air bags · Seat belts · Service brakes
  Car has brake pedal characteristic which allows the brake pedal to reach full stop of the end of full mechanical travel (vs. Hydraulically limited by brake pressure) and the brakes are no longer able to apply more braking force. This characteristic of this car model IS directly linked with the…

  Car has brake pedal characteristic which allows the brake pedal to reach full stop of the end of full mechanical travel (vs. Hydraulically limited by brake pressure) and the brakes are no longer able to apply more braking force. This characteristic of this car model IS directly linked with the causation of the collision and was certainly a major surprise to the owner as this event was occurring. no such warning provided to consumers with this particular braking issue in lexus es300h. characteristic IS endemic to the model as tested in other identical models by the owner. steering wheel airbag (one of several that deployed in this total loss accident) did not prevent owner from physically striking the steering wheel even though he was utilizing the seat belt. Chest forcefully struck steering wheel, which should not have occurred and should be accounted for in the design and manufacture of this safety restraint system. the owner was not properly restrained from impacting the steering wheel which inflicted serious bodily injury. Furthermore, he was able to observe the engine hood of the vehicle fold up during the impact and so no visual obstruction occurred in the moments of impact and air bag deployment. the air bag did not properly cover the steering wheel to prevent steering wheel blunt force trauma. seat belts should have restrained the owner from hitting the steering wheel which it did not do. the owner always had the seat positioned well away from the steering wheel. through a combination of the air bag design, and the seat belts and brakes not working in a manner they are expected to do so, the owner was seriously injured. the brakes on the car feature typical anti lock capability, which would make the brake pedal pulsate upon activation. No such pulsation occurred during this pre-accident and accident deceleration. *tr

• Jan 8, 2014CA4,000 mi
  Visibility/wiper

  TL* the contact owns a 2013 lexus es300 hybrid. The contact stated that lights and other objects that were viewed through the windshield were extremely distorted and caused severe eye strain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the distortion was normal. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000. The vin was unavailable.

• Dec 30, 2013AR3,500 mi
  Visibility/wiper
  Moon roof exploded outward with a extremely loud noise causing me to pull over on the side of the road thinking I had major damage to the vehicle. as soon as I got out of the vehicle, I noticed the damage to the moon roof which had shattered in an outward direction. a large amount of glass was…

  Moon roof exploded outward with a extremely loud noise causing me to pull over on the side of the road thinking I had major damage to the vehicle. as soon as I got out of the vehicle, I noticed the damage to the moon roof which had shattered in an outward direction. a large amount of glass was laying on the inside cover which had been closed. I was traveling 70 miles per hour on a four lane highway in a non-construction area and no other vehicles were within a quarter of a mile from me. weather conditions were clear and approximately 70 degrees. we were fortunate to have had the cover closed or we would have had small pieces of glass fall on us at 70 miles per hour possibly causing a more serious incident. *tr

• Jul 12, 2013IL250 mi
  Exterior lighting
  TL* the contact owns a 2013 lexus ES 300H. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the headlights appeared dim and made driving at night difficult for the contact. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was advised that the windshield needed to be replaced. The manufacturer…

  TL* the contact owns a 2013 lexus ES 300H. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the headlights appeared dim and made driving at night difficult for the contact. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was advised that the windshield needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired but it did not resolve the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 250 and the current mileage was 600. *tr

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.
• 10205383Spots in Window Glass - vehicle exterior
• 10205366Navigation/Multi Info Display Day Mode Operation - Audio/Visaul/Telematics
• 10205363Suspension - Best Practice for Tire Totation/Nitrogen Filling
• 10205361Adhesive & Sealant Cross Reference Information/ Engine Hybrid System
• 10205360Adhesive & Sealant Cross Reference Information/ Engine Hybrid System
• 10205359Oil Viscosity Applicability and Cfhange Interval Guide
• 10205358Oil Viscosity Applicability and Cfhange Interval Guide
• 10205352Windshield Wiper Blade Maintenance and cleaning
• 10205346Auto matic Transmission Replacement kPrecautions
• 10205331Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
• 10205330Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
• 10205329Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset.
• 10205319Brake Pedal Force Gauge SST for Parking Brake Inspection.
• 10190468Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
• 10179782Ti: technical instructions for limited service campaign klg customer support program 19le05 safety connect system ? Vehicle location inaccurate
• 10179697TSB: 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 section to address this condition.
• 10179601TSB: 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 section to address this condition.
• 10177780TSB: 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 or left when the driver holds the steering wheel while driving straight ahead without exerting steering effort. ?Steering Wheel Off Center: The vehicle travels straight, but the steering wheel is not pointed straight ahead. The vehicle is not pulling. Before repairing a vehicle pulling to one side, it is necessary to clearly identify the cause of the pulling condition. Frequently, pulling to one side is diagnosed as a wheel alignment concern. However, the actual cause may be related to the lateral force generated by the tires, vehicle damage, road crown or worn components. Performing a wheel alignment when tire force is the cause could result in the wheel alignment being set at a value outside of specifications. This could then cause other problems such as uneven tire wear, etc. A customer may notice a pull to the left when in the left lanes of travel and notice a pull to the right or no pull when traveling in the right lanes of travel on the very same section of roadway. This road crown effect is environmental and cannot be corrected with suspension adjustments or any other wheel or tire modification discussed in this bulletin.
• 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.
• 10166021Dealer Package: The Data Communication Module (DCM) in the subject vehicles are equipped with software to identify the location of the vehicle using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to support features of the Safety Connect system. Due to incorrect programming in the DCM software, after November 2nd, 2019, the GPS coordinates for this system will be calculated incorrectly. This will cause the system to use incorrect vehicle coordinates if one of the system?s features is activated.
• 10166016Dealer Package: The Data Communication Module (DCM) in the subject vehicles are equipped with software to identify the location of the vehicle using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to support features of the Safety Connect system. Due to incorrect programming in the DCM software, after November 2nd, 2019, the GPS coordinates for this system will be calculated incorrectly. This will cause the system to use incorrect vehicle coordinates if one of the system?s features is activated.
• 10166015Dealer Email: The Data Communication Module (DCM) in the subject vehicles are equipped with software to identify the location of the vehicle using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to support features of the Safety Connect system. Due to incorrect programming in the DCM software, after November 2nd, 2019, the GPS coordinates for this system will be calculated incorrectly. This will cause the system to use incorrect vehicle coordinates if one of the system?s features is activated.
• 10166013Region Email: The Data Communication Module (DCM) in the subject vehicles are equipped with software to identify the location of the vehicle using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to support features of the Safety Connect system. Due to incorrect programming in the DCM software, after November 2nd, 2019, the GPS coordinates for this system will be calculated incorrectly. This will cause the system to use incorrect vehicle coordinates if one of the system?s features is activated.
• 10152565TT: HVAC drain tube is found to blocked/clogged.
• 10152193TSB: REVISION NOTICE November 14, 2018 Rev1: ? The Parts Information and Required Tools & Equipment sections have been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded. SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes SB No. L-SB-0074-14. ? The Part Information and Required Tools & Equipment, and On-Vehicle Data Navigation Update sections have been updated. Service Bulletin No. L-SB-0074-14 is obsolete and any printed versions should be discarded. Lexus models equipped with the HDD Navigation (EMV-N) system require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB drive to update the map, points of interest, Gracenote, and system software. The SST is used with all vehicles to deliver the update; however, a unique activation number is required for each vehicle. Activation numbers are provided in an Activation Card Number pamphlet available through the normal parts ordering system. Use the process described in this bulletin to perform the update.
• 10132734TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased.
• 10132726TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased.
• 10132625TSB: Revision Notice: Applicability section has been updated to include 2016-2017 applicable model year Lexus vehicles. The Repair Procedure section, Required Tools & Equipment section, and the Repair Procedure section has been updated. Flash reprogramming allows the ECU software to be updated without replacing the ECU. Flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ECUs are released as field-fix procedures described in individual Service Bulletins. This bulletin details the Techstream ECU flash reprogramming process and outlines use of the Technical Information System (TIS) and the Calibration Update Wizard (CUW). Flash calibration updates can only be applied to the vehicle/ECU combination for which they are intended. ECUs have internal security that will not allow them to be programmed with another ECU?s information.
• 10132074Beginning in 1998, Lexus introduced side airbags as optional equipment. Lexus does NOT recommend replacement of original seat covers with non-Lexus leather or other seat cover materials on vehicles due to the following: Seat covers NOT recommended by Lexus may affect side airbag performance, in general or in part, during an accident. Modifications that negatively affect side airbag performance can result in severe occupant injuries. Seat covers are an integral part of this safety system. Replacing fabric seat covers with non-Lexus leather or other seat cover materials may compromise the effectiveness of this safety system. The design of the seat is complex, integrating safety and strength with comfort and luxury. Lexus strongly discourages modifying original equipment seats that have optional side airbags. Additionally, Lexus strongly advises against the installation or use of aftermarket seat covers, which could impair the performance of the side airbags in the event of an accident.
• 10131760TT: This bulletin is regarding best practices when handling navigation systems that use Hard Disc Drive or Micro SD Card memory. 1. First type is generation 6 or 7 which utilizes HDD (Hard Disc Drive). Pioneer models that begin with NXH, have Map Data, Operating System and other Information in the Hard Disc Drive. With this system if a radio is being sent back for an exchange. The original Hard Disc Drive needs to be removed and installed into the newly serviced radio. 2. The Second type is Generation 8 Navigation system which utilizes the Micro SD Card. Pioneer models that begin with NXF, have map data in the Micro SD card. This is a customer accessible Micro SD card which can be found behind the front flip cover. The original Micro SD card should be removed and installed into the newly serviced radio.
• 10129210TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0001-18.
• 10109384TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased.
• 10060810Summary to be provided on a future date.
• 10054797Lexus: information regarding the seat cover replacement, equipped with side air bags, the modifications that might negatively affect side air bag performance can result in severe injuries.

Every Lexus ES300 model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.