Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was pulling out of the garage slowly to pause on the driveway to close the garage door and when I step on the gas in reverse the car flew out of the garage and I couldn't stop it with the brakes. There was a small roofing across the street which stopped the car. No one was nearby so no one was hurt. The accelerator seemed stuck for this incident to happen. However, Lexus had an inspector check the car and didn't find anything wrong that showed on the computer so they won't take responsibility for this occurrence and they closed the case. I tried to speak to someone to send this to arbitration but no one would speak to me. Case closed. This was a very frightening experience with no control in the car.
My car over the last couple of years started experiencing abnormal acceleration . There were times it uses to surge or sound like it was ramping up to go fast, even with my foot on the break, you could hear the acceleration trying to ramp up like if my foot wasn't on the break it would just take off. Then the opposite started to happen. My car idle would just drop and basically when I would go to take off from a stop, the car would not accelerate at all. It was inconsistent so sometimes it would over accelerate and sometimes under. There was no accident, but I've had a few close calls and some people to get aggravated at my car.I took it to the pep boys they thought it needed flushed maybe injection cleaning like all other scenarios I am just now reading about. After that, it seemed to work for a short while, but then the issue start occurring again. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Lexus ES300. The contact stated as she came to a stop with her foot on the brake pedal, there was a bump in the road and the vehicle lurched and accelerated forward. The contact stated as the vehicle accelerated it hit another vehicle and there was extensive damage to both vehicles. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was repaired and checked by a mechanic who stated there was no problem and everything was normal with the accelerator pedal. The mechanic also did a computer check showing no code problem. The failure mileage was 92,388. Updated 03/04/10. The consumer received a letter from Toyota stating upon examination of the vehicle, it was discovered that the after market floor mat that was on top of the factory floor mat was preventing the accelerator from reaching the floor. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Lexus ES300. The contact stated that while at a stand still and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The vehicle continued to accelerate until crashing into the vehicle in front of the contact. As a result, the contact experienced pain on the right shoulder, chest and upper arm. The driver of the vehicle that was crashed into was transported by ambulance to the hospital because she experienced back pain. The police reported to the scene and a report was filed. The vehicle sustained damage to the front end and was towed to an auto body shop. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000. Updated 08/30/11 the consumer also stated the air bags failed to deploy. Updated 11/30/11
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Lexus es 300. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH she applied the brakes, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact applied both feet to the brake pedal and the vehicle still would not slow down. The vehicle crashed into a jersey wall causing damage to the rear driver side of the vehicle. The contact did not suffer any injuries during the crash. The contact feels the accelerator pedal stuck and caused the vehicle to accelerate and not stop and eventually crashed. The contact has not called the manufacturer at this time. Failure mileage was 41,014 updated 08/19/10 updated 08/24/10
On 2 recent occasions (nov 13, 2006 and May 5, 2007) my wife was pulling into a parking space and shifting the car into park when the car accelerated rapidly and slammed into a wall. Both incidents were almost identical. Extensive damage was done to the front sheet metal (about $9,000 on each incident). It's possible that my wife stepped on the accelerator when she thought she was stepping on the brake but she swears that this did not happen. Also, it is unlikely that this have happened twice.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Lexus ES300. While the contact was pulling out of a parking spot the contact noticed that the brakes suddenly stopped functioning causing the vehicle to crash into a wall. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership and there were no prior warnings. The contact sufferd minor injuries to the chest and a police report was not filed for the crash. The current and failure mileages were 40000. Updated 3/16/10 updated 09/30/10
Tl contact owns a 2000 Lexus ES300. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH; proceeding to a stop sign. While depressing the brake pedal there was an increased acceleration. The vehicle failed to slow down and rear ended a vehicle. The passenger in the front seat and the driver of the other vehicle sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The failure mileage was 88,000.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle control system
The Lexus models were the subject of defect petition (dp) 04-003.twelve odi complaints are duplicative to Toyota reports, including the two minor crashes.the v6 equipped solara models have been excluded because they do not contain the subject throttle control system.Toyota introduced electronic throttle control (etc) on the subject vehicles beginning in model year (my) 2002.odi opened the investigation to determine…
Unwanted and unintended acceleration
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened dp09-001 on April 8, 2009, to evaluate a defect petition requesting additional investigation of potential throttle control system defects unrelated to floor mat interference with accelerator pedals in model year (my) 2007 Lexus es 350 vehicles.the petitioner referenced an earlier odi investigation concerning floor mat interference with accelerator pedal return…
Vehicle speed control
In a letter dated July 8, 2005, and after experiencing two incidents (and one crash) where he alleges his model year (my) 2002 camry accelerated without driver input, mr. Jordan ziprin petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration?s (NHTSA) office of defects investigation (odi) to commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect within the etc system in my 2002 to 2005 Toyota and Lexus…
Throttle control system
The population number noted above is estimated.in the January 15th, 2004 petition request letter to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA), the petitioner identified 37 voq complaints as related to vehicle speed control issues similar to those the petitioner allegedly experienced in their own vehicle on multiple occasions (as described in the petition request letter).during it's consideration of…
Frequently asked questions
Which Lexus ES300 years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (50), 2003 (48), 2000 (9), 1997 (8) and 2001 (8) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 33% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Lexus ES300 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Lexus ES300 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Lexus ES300 acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles; 52% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (27 mentions), followed by the linkages (1).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.