10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
24,200 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #8

Aug 082010

ES 330

  • 30,000 miles
When braking and slowly turning left to come to a stop in a parking space at a wal-mart parking lot my car suddenly accelerated uncontrollably at such a fast speed that my car crashed into a metal pole and pushed a parked station wagon facing my car back far into another isle. My foot was definitely braking the whole time.!!!! my car unexpectedly accelerated at a very high speed while I pressed the brake. I have in my possession a surveillance tape of the accident taken by wal-mart. As a result I hurt my back and neck and was very upset that I could have killed people walking in that parking lot. I am positive that the braking system in my car malfunctioned.

- Osprey, FL, USA

problem #7

Dec 012006

ES 330

  • miles
2004 Lexus ES330. Consumer states recurring problems with brakes the consumer stated the dealer replaced the master cylinder three times. Despite having the master cylinder replaced, the consumer continued to have brake issues. On the third visit, the brake caliper and brake booster were replaced. On the fourth visit, they replaced the ABS actuator. The consumer was informed by the dealer that the problems she was experiencing were normal.

- Randallstown, MD, USA

problem #6

Jul 022010

ES 330 6-cyl

  • miles
S10 appropriate handling-letter from regarding safety complaints regarding the 2004 Lexus ES 330 the consumer stated the left upper strut mount bolt was loose, the wiring system was defective in which the hood carpet, oxygen sensor wires and radiator hose caught on fire, but managed to go out by itself. The dealer concluded that no conclusive cause to the under hood fire was found. Also the brakes were defective. The consumer had difficulty stopping when a vehicle in front of him slowed down to stop. The battery had to be replaced because the vehicle would not start. (the consumer wrote in on behalf of her father owns the vehicle)

- Seal Beach, CA, USA

problem #5

Mar 052010

ES 330

  • 46,600 miles
When I tried to stop and turned right on a side street the car's brake didn't work and the car even accelerated itself. It didn't stop even I pressed the brake until it hit a street sign and knocked the tree down on the sidewalk. The air bag didn't come out after the crash neither. The car was a total lost after this accident.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #4

Feb 282010

ES 330

  • 64,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Lexus ES330. Upon starting the vehicle, he failed to disengage the emergency brake. He traveled approximately 20 miles with the emergency brake still engaged. In doing so, the main brakes would not function correctly. An independent mechanic performed a diagnostic test and made unknown repairs to the vehicle, at the owner's expense. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000 and the current mileage was 65,000.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #3

Sep 172009

ES 330

  • 36,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Lexus ES 330. The contact was driving approximately 10 mph on normal road conditions. There was pressure applied to the brake pedal. The vehicle failed to slow down and crashed into a building. The driver sustained no personals injury. The police and ambulance were not called to the scene. The vehicle was able to resume operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired for body damages at an estimation of $1,000. The failure mileage was 36,000.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #2

Jan 012009

ES 330

  • 17,000 miles
My Lexus ES330 2004 has about 17K miles on it, and I have noticed several indications where I try and brake and it feels like the brakes will not fully engage, or that the ebs braking system is engaged, when I do not believe it should be engaged. This has happened mostly in the winter or fall months when the road was dry and the air was dry. It has taken me way to long to brake and come to a proper stop. It has occurred about 10 times. I do not drive very much as you can note from the mileage. A few times it occurred when the road was wet, and felt like the brakes actually locked up and then released and then went into the ebs mode. If I drive aggressively, and want to stop quickly, this can occur on dry pavement, in situations where the car is clearly not acting in a manor that it should. I have not been in an accident. I have brought the car to Lexus and they say that there is no recall or reported problems etc. It is a problem that I suspect would be difficult to test. I have had several high performance cars before, such as a Porsche 944 and a Mercedes and never ever experienced this before. I do not want to sell the car to an unsuspecting purchaser, and thus I want it resolved. If I am driving aggressively, and go to stop, at time it is as if the car assumes that the ebs system will be necessary given the speed, but it should not be. Also, a few times when this occurred, the back brakes seemed to lock and I felt my back end fish tail. I got out of the problem by releasing the brake and hitting it quickly twice. It really is disturbing that I drive a car that I simply do not trust to stop appropriately. Even at a relatively slow speed, if I hit the brakes hard, the car continues to travel engaging the ABS (that what it is not ebs0 braking system when really it should not be doing so given the speed and weather conditions. I will put 1/12009 for incident date, but I have not had an accident.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #1

Sep 012005

ES 330

  • miles
2004 Lexus ES 330 developed a problem with braking. The consumer noticed that the brake pedal was noisey when pressed and released. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they explained that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle and that it was the way it was designed.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA