Lexus ES 300/ES 330

alarmpro · March 2003

Has anyone installed an aftermarket security system in their ES300? The car seems to have many builtin security features, and I was thinking about an aftermarket alarm for added security.

rparis · March 2003

I recently purchased a 2003 ES. Are any present owners of 2002 or 2003 models using 87 octane gas? If so how is it?

alarmpro · March 2003

I put my first tank of gas last night. I used 87 octaine Amoco. I'll let you know how it is doing, Im going on a short trip tomorrow.
I paid $1.799 / gal.

bmwong · March 2003

My mother just got a 2003 ES300 for Christmas and has about 800 miles on it. The leather on the left side of the driver's seat (seating portion, not back support bolster) is starting to show folds. Is this normal? It would seem that the leather is really soft for this to happen so soon. And my mother is only 130 lbs and 5'3".

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

argent · March 2003

If the powertrain on the ES330 is the same as the RX330, with 20-30 more hp, more torque, and revised gear ratios to take advantage of the altered power curve, I'd expect it to knock about half a second off the 0-60 acceleration times, which would be noticeable, but not dramatic.

I think the idea would be more that it would make the ES more competitive in acceleration with its competitors, rather than that it would be dramatically faster than previous model years. If you drove a 2003 and 2004 back to back, you'd notice the increase, but it probably wouldn't be a major difference. The key is to make sure that the 2004 model doesn't feel too noticeably slower than 2004 325is, Acura TLs, and Audi A4s.

mang3 · March 2003

No. I have over 11000 on my 2002 ES 300, and no wear in my leather seats, still looks showroom. Are you in a cold weather area? That could make a difference? Also is it garaged, and when outside does she keep the sunroof closed and a shade in the windshield? The ES has the exact same leather as the LS, very nice, and it shouldn't wear that quickly??

mang3 · March 2003

I use premium gas, and when I drive with the windows down, I can still here some knocking under hard acceleration. Transmission is starting to shift hard again now that the weather is warming up also, I think it has to do with the AC being on, and the shifting programming not accounting for the extra load on the engine with the AC on. Borrowed a friends 2002 Silverado the other day, it shifts smoother than the ES once it is warmed up. Pretty pathetic. I also have the Toyo tires, I've had them rotated every 5K, tires are starting to make WAY too much noise, and are scalloping. They are crap. Can't wait for them to wear out and put some Bridgestone Turenzas on it. Has anybody changed out their tires early and received any credit for the crappy wear on the Toyos?

daytona01 · March 2003

Dealer says it will be more expensive if I choose silver color... (their explain: b/c silver is a popular color they can easily sell to others)

I thought: if silver is a popular color
=> Dealer should have a lot of silver on stock
=> supply and demand are balance
=> price for silver should be the same (or may be even cheaper) as other colors

Does dealer explain really make sense ????

I'm planning to get Silver with black leather...
What color combine do you think is the best ?

vcheng · March 2003

The dealer's explanation is perfectly logical. It means how much are you willing to pay for a car that you like while the dealer maximizes his profits.

lenscap · March 2003

The dealer is giving you a bunch of bull. The color should not affect price at all. Have the dealer give you a price on a non-silver car and take that to the sales manager and say that's what you will pay for a silver one and no more. Or go to a different dealer.

By the way, my ES is also silver w/black interior. I especially love the black interior - I thinks it looks so much better than ivory or gray.

vcheng · March 2003

...was tongue-in-cheek. Of course the dealer will dish out any crap to maximize his profits! Don't fall for this or anything similar.

daytona01 · March 2003

"Except silver.. they have more room to discount for other colors..."
that is what they said
=> (indirectly) asking more for silver color

lenscap: What year you have ? how is your ES ?... any problem with transmission ? ... thanks..

atoews · March 2003

Not entirely, it seems. Check out the Edmund's price quotes. The color differential is included in the quote.

kreativ · March 2003

Certain popular colors command a higher price...that is, if you allow the dealer to convince you of such. If the salesman gets you convinced that the color you want costs more and there's nothing you can do about it, he's got the upper hand. Prices are always negotiable. The more they sense you want it, the more money they'll be able to milk out of you.

lenscap · March 2003

My ES is a 2002, that I got in February 2002. Prior to this car I had a 1995 ES. The car is fabulous in every way. If I had to do it over again today I'd still buy this car in a heartbeat.

And no, I have not had any of the transmission issues that some people seem to have.

mrernestg · March 2003

the cup holders on my 92 es300 seems to be stuck, what's the easiest way to get them to work

rtorreca · March 2003

I recently sent another complaint to Lexus customer service regarding the transmission problems I was experiencing (shuddering, hesitations, etc) and yesterday I received a letter from them. The letter says they are doing everything they can to fix the issue. They also offered $2000 towards a new Toyota or Lexus vehicle as a way of apologizing for my dissatisfaction with their vehicle. Has anybody received this after talking to customer service and actually used it? I'm a bit tempted to trade my ES with a Camry XLE. I'm still taking a big hit on the depreciation but $2000 softens the blow a tiny bit.

atoews · March 2003

It seems that over the last year, you and texas83 have expressed the most negative assessments of the transmission of all the posters at Edmunds on this site. I am amazed that your respective posts never seem to coincide.

texas83 went through the entire gamut of trying to get retribution through the Texas Lemon Law. He really raised hell with all the legal force at his disposal. I believe he was offered a similar deal to your own. Oh, yes, I recall that Lexus offered him a trade on another new Lexus ES300 for the amount of his loan remaining.

I responded by saying that I did not know what good that would do, since a new Lexus ES300 would likely have the same problem.

If I were you, I would be curious to correspond with him. The posts still exist on this site, although I do not know exactly in what time frame they occurred. I believe his posts occurred around March 5, on pages 179-180, around msg 3560.

A couple of posters said that their dealers told them that a fix was due in July, but we have heard similar stories before.

Someone recommended that texas83 wait for the '04 ES330.

As a caution - don't wait too long if you want a Camry. I understand that Camry may be going to a 5 speed transmission.

Good luck.

alpha01 · March 2003

The Camry is not going to a 5sp automatic, IT HAS GONE TO a 5sp automatic/VVTi V6 already.

~alpha

sopecreek · March 2003

If I remember correctly, ryoteca or someone else who was having the tranny issue did drive the 5spd AT Camry with V6 and found no tranny issue with the car. I think that's what made the person more unhappy at the time.

rtorreca · March 2003

(thanks for the advise atoews)

When I called customer service last week, they told me the same thing - a fix is due in July. Don't hold your breath. This is BS because if that was the official company line, then all dealerships will tell us the same thing. So far my dealership says Lexus told them they can't fix it because "that's how it's supposed to drive." Huh?! Do they mean to say that a 35K lux car is supposed to drive worse than a 15K corolla?!

The rep also told me that this is a known issue in 02 models but not in 03, which I think is another load of BS since they share the same transmission software.

I've always believed that the issue is beyond a software fix and that Lexus just can't afford to recall all the defective cars so they just offer rebates to appease the owner.

joker2108 · March 2003

Will the Es330 becoming out this year?

What will be the features

thanks

topper8 · March 2003

Good Morning to all...

Looking for a little help if possible. From where I live on LI I am about the same distance from 3 Lexus dealers. They are in Glen Cove,Smithtown, and Massapequa. Was looking for any pros or cons on which one I should buy from or not buy from as the case may be. Thanks in advance for your help it is appreciated.

jimbres · March 2003

We live in Huntington &, like you, are equidistant from those 3 dealerships. We bought our ES from Rallye in Glen Cove - this was in early '99 - & had a pleasant buying experience. Can't comment about the service department because our car has been absolutely problem-free. (A local independent shop handles routine maintenance.)

Don't be bashful about playing 1 dealership against the others during the negotiation phase. When our Rallye salesman insisted that he couldn't drop the price any further, we stood up, thanked him for his time & said that we were late for a lunch date with old friends in Massapequa. 15 minutes later, we had a deal.

topper8 · March 2003

Thanks for the timely reply. Much appreciated. Trust me I will have no problem pitting one dealer against another.
..Thanks again

es300trans · April 2003

I also have the transmission problems and have been worried that it will fail. Some claim that it is annoying. I am in that camp, but am also wondering if anyone has heard of a 2002 or 2003 ES300 transmission completly failing?

lenscap · April 2003

As far as I know the reliability of the transmission is not an issue. There have not been any premature failures that I'm aware of.

gekko2 · April 2003

es300trans -

try to lower your anxiety level and relax and enjoy your car. you own the best-built, smoothest, most-reliable vehicle brand ever built.

neuroguy · April 2003

2002 ES 300, 6K miles - had the steering wheel vibration when lightly applying brakes that has been mentioned here before, at least as far back as July of last year. Called Hendrick Lexus here in Charlotte, NC and they immediately recognized the problem, said there was a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) about it, and had an appointment within two days. They gave me a nice dark red '02 ES 300 as a loaner for the day. Had my car back within 24 hours and all is fixed! They even topped off my washer fluid - which is very nice since it's pine tree pollen season here in Charlotte. Here are the details, in case anyone else is having the same problem:

TSB #BR2007 - Replace front rotors, pads, shims
Work hours: 0.7
Parts:
08887-80609 Disk brake caliper
04002-17133 Repair kit, pad and disc
Description: Warped rotors/needs update/performed brake update per TSB

The reason for this problem as the service guys says, is the material of the brake rotors was not matched well with the rest of the braking components on the car, causing overheating and warping.

Another great job by Hendrick Lexus - btw, owned by the same guy who owns the NASCAR team with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte, and Joe Nemechek. I'm driving a perfect car again! This has been only the second problem I've had in a Toyota product in 11 years of ownership. Quite the different experience from the ten problems with my previously-owned-for-five-months car, a '02 Jaguar X-Type. And the local Lexus dealership here is worlds better than the Jag dealership.

The loaner car they gave me (12K miles) had the same problem with the brake vibration, only worse. They said they would fix it when they got the time. Also on the loaner were the Toyo Proxes tires - and they exhibited the very loud road noise that has also been mentioned here. The service dept. guy said that was also a known problem, and that the ES 300 will no longer be coming with the Toyo tires very soon. He also said that they take care of the problem if an owner complains, and that it should be taken care of as soon as it's noticed as it only gets worse. My car has the Toyo tires, but I do not have that problem. The service guy says that's because the loaner is probably driven harder than I drive my car.

es300trans · April 2003

gekko2:

Some would argue against your claim of "best-built." For example, consumer reports has a number of 2002 cars in the same class ahead of the 2002 ES300 in terms of reliability including the Acura TL and Infiniti I35.

Plus, I think that my question is not based on anxiety, just fact finding. For example, the Honda Odyssey has a transmisson that in some cases is known to fail prematurly (and is a five speed).

jerryand · April 2003

Does anyone know how to open the brake light box(plastic) in the back window of the 1996 Lexus ES300. One of the bulbs has blown out.

Thank you

jerry

lenscap · April 2003

It's interesting that Consumer Reports would place the Acura TL ahead of the ES in reliability. That car has had well-documented transmission failure problems. My brother has a 2002 CL that had the transmission go at about 12,000 miles. But they replaced it and it's been fine ever since.

Overall, the Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus cars are still near the top, if not the top, in terms of quality and reliability. Comparing them on quality is like splitting hairs.

Just take a look at all the problems with cars like the Jaguar X-Type, Audi/VW and BMW 7 Series and you'll see they don't compare to Lexus.

raffeer · April 2003

Many thanks to neuro guy for the heads up on TOYO tires. My '02 ES300 has had the noisiest cabin of any car I have ever owned. It also has TOYO tires.
A call to Lexus of Pembroke Pines (FL) has me with an appointment on Monday to change the tires. No problem, no discussion.
The car otherwise has been a pleasure to own and drive and I would definitely recommend the dealer.

silleck330 · April 2003

Just got a Pebble ding on my brand new 2005 ES 330 hood !!! Down to the metal but very small and no dent. Help !

What is the best way to fix this ?

es300trans · April 2003

My sister has a 2001 Acura CL. She has 80k miles and has had no issues at all. She drives the car very hard in heavy traffic.

My Lexus on the other hand in addition to the transmission problems, has had the rotors replaced at 12k miles and the steering wheel recalled. It also appeears to have a design flaw with respect to the sunroof; when I travel on the highway, the wind noise is unbearable. It now has 15k miles.

It doesn't surprise me at all that the Acura TL is ahead of the ES300. But I agree that they are pretty close in reliability according to cr. Though, when I purchased the Lexus, I expected it to be number one. And definitely did not expect it to below the Infiniti(Nissan.)

I expect a lot from a car when the "Pursuit is Perfection." That is why I paid the higher price. I did not expect it to stumble and shudder.

mouseonline · April 2003

I am experiencing odor smell.
Ususally when the car (02 es300) starts, sometimes the smell last hours. Especially when you turn the heat on in a cold morning.
It does not happen everyday. I read these lexus forum, it seems this problem happen with several lexus model.
I went to 15k miles service, which cost me $255, and I asked the service manager. He told me the manufacture is aware of this problem, but has no solution. He suggest me use the best gasoline, which I already do (I use Shell 93 all the time).
Not happy about this.
But my next car mostlikely will still be a lexus.

fredvh · April 2003

Try a different major brand of gasoline. You could also try a mid-grade unleaded to see if it would help but I would first try a different brand. Different brands use slightly different additives.
What services were performed at the 15K service that added up to $255.00?

ramza39 · April 2003

The exhaust pipe is hanging very low on the ES300 and there are couple inches of clearance between the pipe and the chasis.

I read the Camry site and many owners are very frustated with this design because it shouldn't happen on Toyota/Lexus cars. I've also noticed that Corollas(95-02) also have this design flaw, but it seems Toyota has fixed this problem on the new Corolla(03).

Because the ES300 shares the same platform with the Camry and some owners said their tailpipes scraped the driveways and the speedbumps and it seems the tailpipes are driving them crazy, so does anyone experience that the tailpipe of the ES300 scrapes the ground, speed bump or steep driveway?

I am planning to get a new car and ES300 is on top of my list and I am really concerned about this flaw because it shouldn't happen on a $30+ grand car.

carpers · April 2003

Jerry:

If it's the same as for my 98 ES300, you just slide the interior plastic housing forward and access then is easy.

Now, does anyone know how you gain access to the front directional signal lamp?

raddboy41 · April 2003

On my '95 ES300 the signal lamp comes out as a unit with the Headlamp. Just a few screws under the hood and the whole assembly slides forward. Don't forget to disconnect the wiring harnesses. Very easy.

lenscap · April 2003

I've owned two ES 300s and have never had a problem with a low-hanging tailpipe. I have never scrapped an exhaust pipe, bottomed out, etc.

I honestly don't know what you're referring to, and know for a fact that there is no design flaw with regard to this. Therefore nothing needs to be fixed. Cars such as Corvettes and Porsches have pipes much closer to he ground.

If you plan on getting an ES 300 I would not let this stop your purchase.

daytona01 · April 2003

ramza39:
Agree... the exhaust pipe is hanging little low (but not as low as the Camry)...
I looked from the back of my car... The lowest point is at the position underneath the back seat... I think it has at about (at least) 6 inches...

I think 6 inches.. is more than enough for any ordinary driveway or speedbums right ?

Even enough for you to climb over the sidewalk curb.. :-)

Why don't you go to a Lexus dealer... and take a real look at ES300

billmahan · April 2003

I am looking to buy a Camry XLE, an Avalon, or an ES 300.

I was wondering if maintenance costs on the Lexus are significantly higher than on the Toyotas. (A) is that true? (B) Does the warranty stay intact, if you service your Lexus at a Toyota dealership that may have lower service costs.

Although the Lexus is $7000 or more than a fully loaded Camry, I like the interior and exterior on the ES300 so much more than on the Camry, that I am still considering the extra dollars. That's not a complaint about the Camry, just my view.

If anyone can shed some insight on Lexus service costs, please do.

sddlw · April 2003

Depends....are you going to use the dealer or an independent?

Here in North Co. San Diego, the Lexus Dealer charges roughly double for a 30K service or a front end brake job (my most recent services that I did comparision shopping on) on an ES300 than the Toyota dealer down the street does for a Camery. However, unlike some Toyota dealers, this one will not service my Lexus.

The independent mechanic I use charges the prices more or less in line with the Toyota dealer to work on my Lexus. ..... but my mechanic doesn't have loaners and doesn't wash the car.

billmahan · April 2003

Thanks for the info.

Does Lexus recognize service done by independents or Toyota dealers if you have warranty problems. Let's say all of your oil changes were done at Bob's garage and the engine goes bad. Does Lexus still warrant the engine under those circumstances?

Thanks again.

rparis · April 2003

I have all routine work done at an independent garage. Anything major I would probably go to Lexus as they have the expertise for a major repair.

It also depends on how long you keep your car-if you trade at, say 50 kmiles, maybe there is almost no major maintenance that you would have to do, so it would be a moot point.

On a previous ES I had there was a problem (The dealer ended up buying the car back as after 7 times for the same repair I told them I did not want the car) and where I had service was never a question.

The Avalon is larger inside; if you frequently need to transport more than two adults and is a nice car as well.

I just purchased a 2003 ES model and really like the vehicle-much nicer than the 2000 I was driving.

Hope this helps.

pdiddy · April 2003

Hey everyone,

I just test drove a 2003 fully loaded ES 300 and fell in love immediately. But, I heard from a BMW dealership that scheduled maintenance on the ES 300 is quite expensive. Can anyone give me approx figures?

kiiwii · April 2003

i'm sure bmw costs MUCH more to fix and maintain, not to mention bmw is not famous for reliability. (yes, i know the bmw has free maintaince program, but you gonna spend much much more than lexus when the program expires)

sddlw · April 2003

My guess, based on our own experiences with both Lexus and Mercedes, and second hand info on BMW is that scheduled maintanence will be fairly similarly proced, but will vary from one dealer or mechanic to another. Probably $100-150 for minor services (every 5K), $300-500 for major service intervals (15K, 30K, etc.). This has become a hugh profit center for the dealers. The independents are usally lower. As far as unscheduled maintanence, hands down, the Lexus will most likely require much less.
But if you only keep a car as long as the factory waranty before trading it in, this might not matter to you.

daytona01 · April 2003

my first tank (2003 ES)
13.4 gallons for 299 miles = (just) 22.31 mpg
   80% highway at 60-70 mph
   20% local at 25-40 mph
   car idling at minimum
   conservative driving style (no unnecessary brake or accelerate)
I hope... mpg will getting better.. after break-in period.
How is your mpg ?

Lexus ES 300/ES 330

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles