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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
I am thinking it might just be the light itself that is the problem, or perhaps something as small as a leaky fuel cap or the oxygen sensor, but obviously I want to be sure of what I have here, without having to take out a second mortgage on my home if some dishonest mechanic, garage or dealership is trained to salivate and retire over every "engine light" that walks through the door.
Is there any method available to determine the code (e.g. - flashing semaphore light, etc.) other than having to take it somewhere to be read by computer?
Or if not, how much should I expect to pay at a (non-dealer) garage just for the service of reading the engine computer code?
Also, a couple of months ago I received from Lexus a California Emissions Warranty Enhancement, enhancing warranty coverage on the Evaporative Control System by extending coverage to the following components for 14 years or 150,000 miles: evaporative storage canister, evaporative system pressure sensor, fuel cap, fuel tank, fuel tank filler neck, purge valve, tank vapor vent line, three-way valve, other parts or components between the fuel tank and the intake manifold.
Methinks something is akimbo. Is anyone aware of what caused Lexus to release this particular notice? I am thinking perhaps this engine light is connected to all this. I am wondering if it is a common occurrence that would be covered by some as-yet unpublished safety recall?
Many thanks in advance for any thoughts or experiences that y'all might have!
I posted this question before with no response. Does that mean the problem is solved for those of you who talked about it before - or was this "problem" an attempt by Lexus competitors to get the attention of prospective customers?
1992-1993 New Model
1994-1996 Refresh
1997-1998 New Model
1999-2001 Refresh
2002-2003 New Model
2004-2006 Refresh
2007-2008 New Model
2009-2011 Refresh
It may also be a loose gas cap. check it.
ALSO - check with Lexus (800) 255-3987 Customer Satisfaction - Opt 4 - AND a few Lexus Dealers about any extended warranty or recalls for your car as listedin your previous post. Perhaps you will be lucky and everything is covered gratis. Good luck.
The correct cycle is:
1992, 1993, 1994 New Model
1995, 1996 Refresh
Major changes in the refresh included: headlights were tinted, foglights changed from round to square, front lower grille had fewer horizontal bars, tailights revised, "ES 300" badge moved from tailight to trunklid.
1997, 1998, 1999 New Model
2000, 2001 Refresh
Major changes in the refresh included: additional interior wood around the radio, optional HID headlights, clear-lens fog lamps, clear-lens tailights, "ES 300" moved from trunklid back to tailight, 16" wheels optional.
As for the future, that is pure speculation. But if it follows previous years, any cosmetic changes will not occur until the 2005 model year (the fourth year of the current generation).
~alpha
2. new model, ES330, is on the way for 2005 - not 2004.
3. buy a slightly used 2002 ES300 and sve yourself 20%+ depreciation.
4. Advantages of the skid control are minimal.
5. chrome wheels are NOT worth $1,500 - they look GHETTO.
6. the transmission problems are hype.
gekko2 - where'd you here ES330 would be 2005, not 2004? All signs point to it being a 2004 model.
Some of your information about the ES300 product cycles is incorrect.
Before the refreshed styling in 1995, in 1994 the ES300 received a new all-aluminum 3.0L V6 and new automatic tranny. the 1993 ES300 came with a 185BHP iron block/aluminum head V6, the 1994 came with a 188bhp aluminum block and head V6.
Also, for the 2nd generation ES300, 1999 also saw the introduction of the 3.0L V6 with VVTi and a jump in power from 200 in 1998 to 210 in 1999.
If they keep with this pattern, the ES330 with new 3.3L V6 would be due out '04 model year, and a design refreshining/minor restyling for the '05 model year.
~alpha
The transmission in the new car is better in most cases, though still somewhat disappointing. The slip and surge in stop and go traffic seems to be worse, and it seems to bog down a bit going from first to second gear. I didn't notice that in the '02. The improvement is that I haven't experienced a complete power failure. I've got to tell you that's a very helpless feeling. At times, at higher speeds, I have noticed some slippage when needing to negotiate lane changes in heavy traffic. It's such a shame because I like everything else about the car.
Since I paid top dollar for this luxury Camry, I still expect top quality and a second rate transmission, though improved, is not acceptable. I hadn't heard any complaints about the '03 and was hoping it would be fixed. Also, I'd driven a loaner car where I didn't notice the slippage at all. It does seem to vary a little between cars. Given Lexus arrogance about this issue, I was able to get a little vengence, recently a man came up to me at a filling station and asked me about the car. He was considering between it and a BMW for his wife, and I told him this was a new car because the last one was a lemon, Lexus lost a sale. My next step is to file with the National Transportation Safety Board. I looked into a class action suit, but since I allowed Lexus to settle instead of getting a decision made, I undercut my own case. Bottom line is we need raise as much noise about this as possible. Don't believe them when they say it's about to be fixed. A loss of sales or a big lawsuit will eventually get Lexus attention.
Top vehicles by category
Here are the top three vehicles, ranked by quality, in their individual market segments, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 initial quality study. The study is based on responses from more than 52,000 people who bought or leased new 2003 cars and trucks. The survey is done in the first 90 days of ownership.
Entry luxury car: Lexus ES 300, Cadillac CTS, Acura TL.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/0503/07jdpowerlist.h- - tml
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-05-06-quality_x.htm
I wonder what the judgement would have been if you didn't settle, since the judge himself was able to replicate the problem twice. Was the choice no longer up to you at that point? It seems Lexus got away easy in making you pay extra to trade in for a same model car in which the transmission still does not satisfy you.
The posts on this board discussed this at length, with some new '03 owners complaining about the transmission.
There is even an entire discussion thread devoted to the topic, with '03 owners complaining!!
Quite frankly, it seems very bizarre the you would accept an '03 as a solution to the problem.
A fresh key battery should last you more than 3 years of normal use.
Your keyless entry is working properly. THe 92 to 94 ES300 didn't have any lights or audible signals that the keyless entry was locking or unlocking the doors. You basically have to hear for the door actuators.
IN 1995, Lexus added the audible beeps(1 beep for locking, 2 for unlocking) and in 1997 the beep went away and the parking lights flashed instead.
The car took some damage on the front-driver side but is driveable. The hood is bent; the right fog lamp came out; the fender is also bent. Can anyone offer any advice as far as selecting a body shop that specifically tailors to Lexus vehicles? State Farm suggested Maaco. Are they any good? Can they match the paint exactly? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
I decided to go with the dealeship's recommendation to make sure it's fixed properly.
As for how long it will take to repair the car, the body shop informed me that 02 parts are in short supply and may take them a few days just to get them in. They claim last 02 they fixed took 3 weeks because of waiting for parts. Bummer.
By the way...my first car was a POS Toyota but it lasted for almost 170K miles before I ran it into the ground with my admittedly stupid 16 year old driving habits. With a little love and care, I'm sure the car would have made it over 200K and would probably still be running today. So, I'm well aware that Toyotas are some of the most reliable cars on the road - so is the assumption that the ES 300 (even a '92) would be just as reliable correct?
I own a 01 Acura CL-S and this car is just as great if not better! Stop worrying and ENJOY!!!
Lee in Miami