1998 Lexus ES300: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 52 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (18% of complaints); the 1999 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Nov 1999
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“May 17, 2014 traveling on florida turnpike after two hours had two tires separate. Replaced two tires in palm beach gardens and continued another hour when a third tire separated. Tires were all cooper cs4 p205/65r15. In key west replaced the remaining failed tire and the so far fourth remaining cooper tire. Was not able to retain the separated tires as was 200 miles from home with packed car. *tr”Owner report · Tires · May 2014
“Both left and right rear seat belt buckles have failed. I am unable to insert belts into the buckle. Cleaning and lube had no affect. *tr”Owner report · Seat Belts · Aug 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lexus es300. The contact stated that the engine failed with the illumination of the check engine warning light. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the engine evap canister. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 115,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2013
Show 7 more owner reports
“Fuel pressure regulator (damper) failed allowing fuel to flow into engine compartment and fumes through air intake into passenger compartment. Could have been a serious fire if not detected in time and repaired.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Feb 2011
“My 1998 lexus hit a cement wall and the air bag did not deploy. I called and wrote to lexus headquarters three times and they never responded. I want to hear from lexus about this problem. *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2010
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lexus es300. The contact was driving approximately 45-50 mph when another vehicle side swiped his vehicle, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a cement wall. The front air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and shoulder and was transported to the hospital via ambulance. A police report was available. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised that the legal department would contact him. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 68,000. Updated 09/19/11”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lexus es300. While driving approximately 5 mph pressure was applied to the brake pedal but the vehicle would not stop until colliding with another vehicle in a minor crash. He continued driving and the brakes began to function as normal. Later in the day while driving approximately 10 mph he applied pressure to the brake pedal and the vehicle would not stop until being involved in a crash with a fence. A police report was filed but no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop but was not examined for the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 33,000.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Sep 2010
“Seat belt retraction failure. The seat belt on my 1998 lexus had been slow to retract, sometimes not retract at all. It appears this problem is not unique to this model or year. Many other vehicles made by toyota and lexus have the exact same problem (based on searching on the internet). This is probably due to a defect in components of the seat belt assembly. *tr”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jul 2010
“I experienced unintended acceleration in my 1998 lexus es while backing into my garage. I had my foot on the brake, but the vehicle took off in reverse and crashed into the back of the garage, damaging both the car and the garage. I was not injured, but was certainly frightened by the incident. I am certain it had nothing to do with floor mats. I am also certain that I did not place my foot on the accelerator accidentally, because this happened from a complete stop while pressing on the brake with the car in gear. *tr”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jul 2010
“Headlights turn off by themselves intermittently while driving. This also occurs intermittently when you use the directional signals to signal for a right or left turn. This electrical failure makes this car unsafe to drive at night at any speed. Driving at night without headlights on could result in an accident with bodily injury or death to the occupants of this vehicle or other vehicles and/or property damage. The jm lexus' service department diagnosed this problem as a defective wiper switch assembly. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2010
When filing, owners marked a crash in 13 of these complaints and injuries in 11 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.
How other years compare
Check your exact ES300 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Lexus ES300 reliable?
NHTSA has 52 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1998 Lexus ES300. The most complained-about area is air bags (18% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1998 Lexus ES300 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 78,565 miles or less.
Does the 1998 Lexus ES300 have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning steering: steering wheel/handle bar. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.